IMDb RATING
5.3/10
7.6K
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Eight people are invited to their alma mater for their 10-year reunion, where a fellow former student, disfigured from a prank gone wrong, is out to seek revenge.Eight people are invited to their alma mater for their 10-year reunion, where a fellow former student, disfigured from a prank gone wrong, is out to seek revenge.Eight people are invited to their alma mater for their 10-year reunion, where a fellow former student, disfigured from a prank gone wrong, is out to seek revenge.
- Directors
- Writers
- Stars
Donna Yeager
- Stella
- (as Donna Yaeger)
Michael Safran
- Ted
- (as Michael Saffran)
- Directors
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
"Slaughter High" is, perhaps, the most underrated slasher flick of the 1980s. It is one of the few films in the genre that is enthralling throughout. That being said, it also relies heavily on the standard slasher formula: A group of young men and women get killed one by one gruesomely until the final showdown.
The reason why "Slaughter High" stands above most movies in its genre is that it goes more over-the-top. Marty, the killer, has good reason to hold a grudge against his former classmates. They electrocuted him as he stood naked in a girl's locker room shower, jabbed at his crotch with a javelin, and, to top it off, rigged his science lab experiment so it could disfigure him.
So, the victims in this movie are about as unlikeable as you get. When they reunite years later -- at a high school reunion put on by Marty himself -- you realize they haven't matured all that much. They're a bunch of sociopaths.
It is mind-boggling why they would not wonder why they were the only ones to show up to the reunion, which, by the way, is held at a school that has since fell into disrepair. And who would think it's a good idea to drink beer and liquor found in the abandoned building in a room that happens to have their old lockers -- as well as Marty's -- on display? There are many leaps of faith the viewer needs to take to enjoy this film. The ending makes little or no sense. And the screenwriters have a strange understanding of how April Fool's Day works: The movie claims that pranks are no longer allowed after noon.
In all, the movie is one of the best examples of the slasher genre, despite all of its flaws. It is hard to understand why it hasn't yet found its way to DVD, when so many other run-of-the-mill slasher flicks are graced with special editions.
The reason why "Slaughter High" stands above most movies in its genre is that it goes more over-the-top. Marty, the killer, has good reason to hold a grudge against his former classmates. They electrocuted him as he stood naked in a girl's locker room shower, jabbed at his crotch with a javelin, and, to top it off, rigged his science lab experiment so it could disfigure him.
So, the victims in this movie are about as unlikeable as you get. When they reunite years later -- at a high school reunion put on by Marty himself -- you realize they haven't matured all that much. They're a bunch of sociopaths.
It is mind-boggling why they would not wonder why they were the only ones to show up to the reunion, which, by the way, is held at a school that has since fell into disrepair. And who would think it's a good idea to drink beer and liquor found in the abandoned building in a room that happens to have their old lockers -- as well as Marty's -- on display? There are many leaps of faith the viewer needs to take to enjoy this film. The ending makes little or no sense. And the screenwriters have a strange understanding of how April Fool's Day works: The movie claims that pranks are no longer allowed after noon.
In all, the movie is one of the best examples of the slasher genre, despite all of its flaws. It is hard to understand why it hasn't yet found its way to DVD, when so many other run-of-the-mill slasher flicks are graced with special editions.
Saw this film years ago on video and found a cheap copy of it recently.Yeah i know they're not exactly the right age for the parts they're playing and of course most of the cast can't disguise their British accents but i still like it for a laugh!
Some of the murder scenes are inventive though how did he know they'd end up on the bed or taking a bath???!!!!
Ending is a bit strange and sorry to hear about the suicide of the guy who played Marty.Otherwise an enjoyable film not to be taken seriously!
Some of the murder scenes are inventive though how did he know they'd end up on the bed or taking a bath???!!!!
Ending is a bit strange and sorry to hear about the suicide of the guy who played Marty.Otherwise an enjoyable film not to be taken seriously!
Stephen Minasian and Dick Randall, who also helped to bring us the original "Friday the 13th" and the notorious "Pieces", strike again with more ridiculous 80s slasher cheese. Cruel high school students play a prank on pathetic Marty (Simon Scuddamore), after which he becomes permanently disfigured. 10 years later, these same jerks attend their high school reunion, despite the fact that they're the only ones who show up, and the school looks like it's been shut for years. It seems that Marty, who now wears a joker / jester costume, is out for some sweet revenge, and fortunately for him, his victims tend to be *idiots*!
Minasian and Randall sure know how to give the audience what they want. Randall (who also appears on screen, as Caroline Munros' agent) deliver to us nudity, gore, creative kills - a spiked beer, electrocution, an acid bath - and some genuine atmosphere in this fairly enjoyable flick. The good thing is that the three credited writers / directors (George Dugdale, Mark Ezra, and Peter Mackenzie Litten), know full well that their film is blatantly cheesy, that their script is not so hot, and that the majority of their actors are not overflowing with talent. Perhaps the oddest touch is seeing veteran British sex symbol Caroline Munro play one of the worlds' oldest high school students. As usual, she's a joy to look at, and she must do most of the running around (and screaming) while the demented Marty stays close on her tail.
Dugdale, Ezra, and Litten waste little time, getting to the humiliation of Marty quickly, and rarely offering a let-up until the end. Overall, this is an amiable slasher that is never taken really seriously, and it creates good vibes for its entire 91 minute run time.
Young Scuddamore is memorable as the antagonist, although he sadly committed suicide in real life after the picture was released, so he was never able to see this picture become a sort-of cult favourite over the last three decades.
Seven out of 10.
Minasian and Randall sure know how to give the audience what they want. Randall (who also appears on screen, as Caroline Munros' agent) deliver to us nudity, gore, creative kills - a spiked beer, electrocution, an acid bath - and some genuine atmosphere in this fairly enjoyable flick. The good thing is that the three credited writers / directors (George Dugdale, Mark Ezra, and Peter Mackenzie Litten), know full well that their film is blatantly cheesy, that their script is not so hot, and that the majority of their actors are not overflowing with talent. Perhaps the oddest touch is seeing veteran British sex symbol Caroline Munro play one of the worlds' oldest high school students. As usual, she's a joy to look at, and she must do most of the running around (and screaming) while the demented Marty stays close on her tail.
Dugdale, Ezra, and Litten waste little time, getting to the humiliation of Marty quickly, and rarely offering a let-up until the end. Overall, this is an amiable slasher that is never taken really seriously, and it creates good vibes for its entire 91 minute run time.
Young Scuddamore is memorable as the antagonist, although he sadly committed suicide in real life after the picture was released, so he was never able to see this picture become a sort-of cult favourite over the last three decades.
Seven out of 10.
A group of people are invitied to there high school reunion, but after they arrive they discover it to be a scam by an old classmate they played an almost fatal prank on. Now, he seeks to get revenge on all those that hurt him by sealing all the exits and cutting off all telephone lines.
Dark salsher film with an unexceptional premise. Bringing it up a notch are a few good performances, some rather creative death scenes, plenty of excitement & scares, some humor and an original ending. Unrated; Extreme Violence, Graphic Nudity, Sexual Situations, Profanity, and Drug Use.
Dark salsher film with an unexceptional premise. Bringing it up a notch are a few good performances, some rather creative death scenes, plenty of excitement & scares, some humor and an original ending. Unrated; Extreme Violence, Graphic Nudity, Sexual Situations, Profanity, and Drug Use.
This one is just okay, the setting of the abandoned high school is cool and a lot of the death scenes are creative. But in the other hand, the acting sucks and the characters are two dimensional while also making the stupidest decisions known to man kind. After one of their friends dies they all decide to go to sleep! Who would do that!? I would actually give this a lower rating but the ending gives it some points. Overall it's an entertaining mess of a movie and I kinda like it.
Did you know
- TriviaWriter/directors George Dugdale and Peter Litten later said they were both worried that working on the film might have contributed to Simon Scuddamore's suicide. (Scuddamore died of an intentional drug overdose shortly after filming ended.) However at Scuddamore's funeral, his mother told Dugdale and Litten that her son had been dealing with depression and that one of his main sources of joy toward the end of his life was working on the film.
- GoofsWhen the guests arrive at the school for the reunion, they are all surprised that it is closed up and abandoned. However, several of the guests still live in the town, so they would have known that the school had closed down.
- Alternate versionsThe original UK Vestron video release was cut by 32 secs by the BBFC to remove shots of nudity and burnt breasts during the acid bath and electrocution killings.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Don't Scream: It's Only a Movie! (1985)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- April Fool's Day
- Filming locations
- St. Marylebone Grammar School, Westminster, London, England, UK(interiors of school)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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