This is a movie from the early 80's and it contains the word "massacre" in the title, so you know the
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DRILL! Standard, by-the-numbers slasher except that this is supposed to be a feminist slasher! In all honesty, I don't really get it. Portraying dumb but hot-looking girls stalked & killed by a homicidal maniac is a sexist crime, but if this exact same formula is presented by a FEMALE director and a FEMALE scriptwriter, it all of a sudden becomes a parody and/or a feminist statement? The male characters in this movie may be a bit dumber than usual but the teenage beauties are all still defenseless little lambs to the slaughter, so where exactly lays the girl-power element? Oh well, since I absolutely don't wish to receive negative feedback from female readers, I'll just restrict myself to reviewing the actual movie and leave the speculations of possible deeper meanings behind. Talking purely in terms of 80's horror, "The Slumber Party Massacre" is a pretty good effort with likable characters, a fair amount of suspense and a handful of excellent gory killings. With her parents away on holiday, a schoolgirl invites her friends for a sleepover party with the usual pizzas, beer and soft drugs. Unfortunately for them, an escaped lunatic with a gigantic power tool still terrorizes the area and he shows up as the party-pooper, drilling holes in everyone whose path he's crossing. The only hope for rescue in the new girl who lives across the street but oh no she wasn't invited to the party! The identity and motivations of serial killers are usually kept secret in 80's slashers until the ending (as they're frequently acquaintances of the victims), but you don't have to worry about that in this case. Right from the opening minute, newspapers and radio bulletins loudly announce that a psychopath escaped from the local asylum and he doesn't even bother to wear a silly mask, as he's already carrying the drilling device which symbolizes a male penis instead. There's little else you need to know, except that nearly all the girls willingly take their clothes off and that the obligatory after gym-class shower sequence comes early in the movie. Hooray for feminism!
Review of The Slumber Party Massacre
