At no point did I expect that I would be writing anything about the Slumber Party Massacre trilogy. Then, during a quarantine style slumber party, or a Zoom meeting with friends, I had mentioned watching parts one and two and my friends’ level of interest was suspiciously greater than I was prepared for. The most likely reason for their interest was because of how ridiculous these films sound, but with a little more research and consideration I learned that the films are a tad deeper than I originally gave them credit for.
THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE
Director: Amy Holden Jones
Screenplay: Rita Mae Brown
Minutes: 76
Year: 1982
Score: 6.40
Release: Shudder
From ShoutFactory.com:
THE ULTIMATE DRILLER KILLER!
When Trish (Michele Michaels) decides to invite her high school girls’ basketball teammates over for a slumber party, she has no idea the night is going to end with an unexpected guest – an escaped mental patient and his portable power drill – crashing the party in the cult classic, The Slumber Party Massacre.
First things first, DRILLER KILLER by Abel Ferrara is the ultimate DRILLER KILLER, marketing is a wonderful tool to try and convince you of things that aren’t necessarily true, however.
THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE was originally conceived as a parody of the slasher genre by writer Rita Mae Brown. Then producers and re-writes re-shaped it into little more than a HALLOWEEN rip-off. However, when I consider the story as a parody, added with the combination of a female writer and director, a new picture starts to appear.
At first glance this is a rather formulaic final girl slaughter-fest with an escaped maniac. His chosen implement is a yard-long drill which can equally bore a hole and slash like a sword. It is kind of unique, I guess. It’s still a phallic power tool and his prime targets are “high school aged” women. I use high school aged very loosely, even the little sister looks like she is in her 20s. The long drill bit that literally screws beautiful and virile women lends a heavy-handed example of the morality-driven, heroic, final girl. It would be interesting to read the original script.
There are several interesting psychological profiling ideas hidden in the film. This, of course, is based on years of CRIMINAL MINDS episodes, and not an actual education or training. However, the killer’s indifference to the gender or race of his victims seem to remove many possible motives for the killings, but, as I mentioned before, they were definitely sexually motivated. This really culminates in some of the visuals during the end scenes; however, I don’t want to spoil the film. These scenes make me wonder how different the original script and the final shooting script are. There is definitely a deeper examination of sexual sadism, if you are prepared to look for them.
On its surface THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE is a bland entry into the slasher genre, but under the hood there are some interesting differences. I would wager, though, that this is a common aspect in most slashers.
For those interested there is a blu-ray available from Scream Factory. I would like to see a trilogy set, but I think there is a rights issue.
Special Features:
- NEW HD Transfer from The Original Camera Negative
- NEW Interview with Actor Rigg Kennedy
- Sleepless Nights: The Making of The Slumber Party Massacre
- Audio Commentary with Director Amy Holden Jones, Actors Michael Villela, And Debra De Liso
- Theatrical Trailer
Director: 5 – Cinematography: 6 – Edit: 5 – Parity: 4 – Main performance: 6 – Else performance: 4 – Score: 6 – Sound: 9 – Story: 5 – Script: 5 – Effects: 9 – Design: 6 – Costumes: 6 – Keeps interest: 10 – Lasting: 10
SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II
Director: Deborah Brock
Screenplay: Deborah Brock
Minutes: 75
Year: 1987
Score: 6.33
Release: Shudder
From Amazon.com
The only sane survivor of Slumber Party Massacre, Courtney (Crystal Bernard) dreams of the drill murderer returning. She can’t shake the horrible feeling that she and her friends will be viciously tormented and brutally butchered. Again, and again the nightmare returns. Dazed, Courtney loses control. And her nightmare crosses into reality. No one believes her, until it’s too late. The driller killer returns, reincarnated as an evil rocker. He methodically stalks them; then violently gores them to death…one by one.
There is magic in SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II, I didn’t see it at first, but at some point Deborah Brock pulled a rope-a-dope on me. She took a cookie cutter slasher movie and made a bizarre and bonkers sequel. Once you take a good, long, moment to consider the film you realize that it is just shy of being a masterpiece of surrealistic cinema. The problem with realizing this is that I don’t want to give away the secrets because, frankly, a viewer needs to see it for themselves.
This sequel is a marriage of the original slasher and some ideas from A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. You have an amateur power-pop band who decides to take a weekend away at a condo. One of the women, Crystal Bernard. from WINGS, is a recast of the “younger” sister in part one, and she is plagued by nightmares of the killer. Her mother relents and lets Courtney spend the weekend with her friends.
During the film it is difficult to recognize what is awake and what is a dream, which is the connections with Elm Street. But the image that makes my brain melt is that the killer is nothing like the one from the original film. In this he is the idealization of what an 80s, white, suburban mom would see when she thinks of a heavy metal thug. Spiky black hair, a wagging tongue, a black leathers, and an enormous guitar. This guitar, though, has a long drill from off the headstock.
The film is twisted and if you give it the time of day, I think you will find much more than you might be expecting. There is a moment that Tara poked her head into the room and the 4 women were drinking champagne, eating junk food, all while having a big feather pillow fight. Tara said that this is not at all what happened at slumber parties, but I don’t want to believe her.
Director: 6 – Cinematography: 4 – Edit: 7 – Parity: 3 – Main performance: 6 – Else performance: 3 – Score: 7 – Sound: 7 – Story: 5 – Script: 5 – Effects: 9 – Design: 7 – Costumes: 6 – Keeps interest: 10 – Lasting: 10
SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE III
Director: Sally Mattison
Screenplay: Catherine Cyran
Minutes: 87
Year: 1990
Score: 4.33
Release: shhh, it’s a secret
From Amazon.com:
Seven California co-eds are dresses to kill…and a murderer is, well, dressed to drill. He’s an insomno-maniac looking for luscious bods to bore and it looks like he’ll find them at the Slumber Party Massacre. The Driller Killer is back in Part III of the classic horror fest. This time Jackie, Diane and Martia are three high school girls who love a good time. When they party, they bust out of their bikinis and break out the brews: but the driller killer’s out for a thrill with his drill…and he’s ready to kill!
In part three we return from the surreal back to the dark suburban neighborhood of the first film. I am not sure what all can be said about this one, except that it is a character study of white male fragility. It is an old story, but it is about a boy who thinks he is being slighted by the object of his affection. This script could have been shot with, literally, any backdrop and it would still be timely. It really is shameful.
There was a double feature Blu-ray with parts two and three, but sadly that is out of print and I cannot ever see justifying the $100~ price tag I have seen on eBay. However, looking over a handful of sites I think the most interesting aspect of these three films is that they are all written and directed by women. We need more like this.
Director: 5 – Cinematography: 4 – Edit: 5 – Parity: 0 – Main performance: 5 – Else performance: 2 – Score: 6 – Sound: 2 – Story: 2 – Script: 5 – Effects: 5 – Design: 4 – Costumes: 7 – Keeps interest: 8 – Lasting: 5
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