Here’s a movie that most (non-horror) people have completely misunderstood. Scantily clad women being slaughtered by a male killer? This is misogynistic garbage, right? WRONG. It might surprise you to discover this was actually written and directed by women, and was originally created as a statement and takedown of exactly what you thought it was going to be. First, here is the brief IMDB synopsis:
A female high school student’s slumber party turns into a bloodbath, as a newly escaped psychotic serial killer wielding a power drill prowls her neighborhood.
Everything you need to know about the tongue-in-cheek aspect of this film can be seen right there on the poster. Geez, I wonder if the fact that the male killer’s weapon is a long drill, and the placement of that same drill in the image, might be hinting at something. Look, I’m not going to say this is high art, because the majority of the movie is still a bunch of hot ladies getting brutally killed by a drill-wielding killer. Granted, the original script was supposedly a LOT more of a parody of these types of movies, before much of that subtext was trimmed by the higher ups to create a more traditional slasher. But a lot of that is still there if you know what you’re watching. The thing is, all that notwithstanding, this movie is actually really well done for 1982. There is some good suspense, a few misdirects, some great gory kills, and a bonafide creepy, unnerving killer. This is the perfect example of a horror movie that isn’t exactly what you think it is on the surface. Horror can be amazing at subtext while still delivering scares. I think Slumber Party Massacre is an under-appreciated fun little flick. Enjoy.
Where to Watch: Streaming everywhere – Shudder, Freevee, Fubo, AMC+, Roku, Pluto, etc…
Food/Drink Pairing: Delivery pizza and alcohol stolen from your parents’ liquor cabinet.
Musings of a Scary Horror Writer. 