It usually surprises slasher fans who first discover the 1982 little gem Slumber Party Massacre (or SPM) that the director is a woman, Amy Holden Jones, and that the script was written by the feminist author of Rubyfruit Jungle, Rita Mae Brown. Originally titled “Sleepless Nights” by Brown and intended as a parody of the fast-growing splatter genre, the film’s humor couldn’t have been more spot-on, and while it’s not exactly scary, it’s exciting, clever, hilarious and gory. , and features a delightfully twisted portrayal of Michael Villella as the villain you can’t help but love; In short, SPM is a marvel in every way! At 73 minutes, it has a breakneck pace and, unlike many low-budget early 80s slashers, leaves the viewer wanting more. But fear not, there’s more, as SPM spawned two direct sequels, both of which have a similar sense of fun and humor and were produced on tight budgets. It’s a perfect horror movie to sit down, have a few beers or mugs, and enjoy with friends, but it’s just as entertaining for the lone viewer.
SPM’s thin plot concerns the carefree 18-year-old Trish Devereaux (Michelle Michaels), whose parents go away on business and leave her whole house for the weekend. Naturally, our heroine does the expected and invites some of her best friends over to the house for an overnight sleepover, and they come prepared for the occasion with some Maui Waui grade A and beer. The next-door neighbor, Mr. Contant (Rigg Kennedy), has been informed by Trish’s parents that they will be out and about to keep an eye on Trish, but Thorn quickly pierces him in the throat as he searches for slugs in his garden with a blade. butcher.
Meanwhile, horny pranksters Neil (Joseph Alan Johnson) and Jeff (David Millbern) learn about the future story party and decide to crash after spying on the girls changing through the living room window. What playful teens don’t know is that they are being bullied by a runaway and very deranged mental patient named Russ Thorn (Villella, who looks a lot like the killer in He Knows You’re Alone), who takes them out of you. for one with the help of an electric saw, a butcher knife and his favorite weapon – a buzzing electric drill! While sleepover-goers are dwindling, across the street from Trish’s house, the beautiful and athletic new girl at school Valerie (Robin Stille) is stuck babysitting her spoiled 14-year-old sister. Courtney (Jennifer Meyers), without having done it. been invited to the party. But after hearing strange noises emanating from Trish’s house throughout the night, Valerie and Courtney decide to investigate and come face to face with the bloodthirsty maniac Thorn.
Slumber Party Massacre was made on a tight budget of just $ 250,000, but it features an impressive amount of blood and a fun score that was actually composed entirely on a Casio synthesizer. There’s a pretty high death count, with Thorn punching and working his way through our charming and sympathetic cast with perverted glee, and Thorn himself has what is possibly the most gruesome death scene in the movie in frenzy climax alongside the pool, which has terrified and bloody Valerie. holding our villain’s hand and cutting him in the stomach with a machete.
There is no real sex, but there is a lot of nudity in PMS. Acting would never win an award, but it’s not bad for such a low-budget slasher movie, and I can easily say I’ve seen much, much worse. The B movie scream queen Brinke Stevens has her first major role in this as a doomed teenage girl who is chased with a drill and killed by Thorn. The late Robin Steele and Jenifer Meyers stand out as the terrified sisters as you can’t help but believe they are sisters. Michael Villella (who seems to have fallen off the face of the earth after this) used some acting method for his role and studied the novel Helter Skelter and kept his distance from the other cast members while filming. Interestingly enough, he originally read for the part of the down-to-earth neighbor, Mr. Contant!
Slumber Party Massacre has its funny moments, but it doesn’t take itself seriously and that’s a bonus. Extremely entertaining, it is worthy of a 7.5 out of 10 in my opinion and is one of the most enjoyable slasher movies ever made. If you enjoy it, you should definitely check out its sequels as they are similar in tone and entertainment value.