Insert Drill-Related Pun Here

Piranha 3D brought fun horror back to the big screen. It also renewed interest in the Roger Corman original, which in turn has allowed for re-releases of much beloved and long sought after Corman horror flicks, such as the Slumber Party Massacre series. Slumber Party Massacre, Slumber Party Massacre II,  and Slumber Party Massacre III are set to be re-released on a two disc set on October 5, for the very reasonable price of $18.49 on Amazon. Which is awesome, except that I paid $30 for them on vhs a couple of years back, thinking they'd never get a dvd re-release...

No matter. I will be buying this set when it's released anyhow. They were released on standard dvd years ago, for a very limited run, and those copies fetch upwards of $100 on eBay now, so I felt justified in shelling out $30 for vhs. After all, there's a certain aesthetic to vhs that's still charming to me. Two of the videos still had the sticker from the mom and pop video rental shops from which they came. That takes me back. In fact, part I was released in 1982, right on the cusp of home video. People were still debating whether to buy a Beta player or a VHS player back then. The suggested retail price in 1982 was $59.95. I kid you not!

These movies, frankly, are meant to be found on a dust covered shelve, behind the Nightmare On Elm Streets and the Halloweens. Or late at night on HBO, or USA's Up All Night. You were supposed to sneak them into the rental pile when your parents weren't looking, or stay up later than they could, and watch it on tv with the sound turned to barely audible, checking over your shoulder every few minutes to make sure they didn't wake up and catch you. You knew you weren't supposed to watch these movies, and that was the entire appeal. No matter how cheesy and stupid they really were, the forbidden fruit aspect made them the best movies you'd ever seen.

But, I'm willing to trade in my admiration for the good ol' days for a better quality and longer lasting medium when it comes to these movies, especially part II.

So what makes these movies any different from any of the other 80's slasher flicks? Well, each one has a completely different style, from standard slasher to a dream killer to revenge horror. They were also all  directed by women. part I, interestingly enough, was written by a feminist author. yet they're every bit as exploitative as any other b-movie of the same ilk.

Part I is a pretty standard slasher story. A serial killer escapes from jail, or a mental institution... it's not really clear or important, and hides out in the nearby, anywhere America town, looking for new nubile young co-eds to victimize. Meanwhile, a new girl has moved into town with her little sister and mother. The new girl is good at basketball, and the other girls resent her for it. So when they plan to have their wild slumber party, they make it a point not to invite her. There's your plot. Throw in a creepy neighbor as a possible suspect for flavor. Add a dash of dark comedy, and blatant social commentary on gender roles, i.e. cordless drill as phallic extension/murder weapon, and stir. It's a fun watch, but admittedly somewhat forgetable. But watching it with the knowledge that it was penned by a feminist activist makes it somewhat more interesting than the countless other slasher movies that were to come. Mostly because part I included a gratuitously long basketball practice scene, meant only to show, well, jiggling boobies and short shorts. I suppose you could argue that it's meant to establish the conflict between the girls, but... no. It's about the bouncing mam-bags. Especially since it's immediately followed by a gratuitous shower scene, kicked off with the line, "Have your breasts gotten bigger?" If Rita Mae Brown incorporated feminist messages into the screenplay, it's in humorous ways, instead of preaching. In fact, she intended it as a parody, originally. The male bad guy has no real motive other than to attack beautiful young girls at will. These girls didn't put him in jail, or wrong him in any way. They're simply objects for his pleasure. I suppose that could be a commentary on male sexual prowess. And the drill metaphor is obvious. But he runs out of power at one point, and it's funny. Obviously a reference to impotence, if you buy the drill as a phallic symbol thing. Or, it could just be a drill. Or a commentary on the male obsession with power tools. I mean, I'm a guy, and I'll admit to liking power tools, and going into a Home Depot or Lowes and daydreaming about owning my own table saw someday. At any rate, a drill is an interesting weapon of choice for a horror villain, even if it sounds like an espresso machine...

Slumber Party Massacre II is the real "gem" in the series. It's my personal favorite, and the only one I saw before adulthood. I remember watching this one with a buddy of mine. I don't really remember if he rented it, or if we saw it on tv, but it obviously made a lasting impression on me, as I still remembered it years later. It's a very, VERY loose sequel to the first one. The little sister in part I is all grown up, with friends and aspirations of nekid slumber parties of her own. And stardom with her horrible Go-Gos/Bangles rip-off all girl band. But she's having terrible nightmares about a drill-wielding killer, and they're starting to feel more and more real. Mind you, it's not at all the same guy as the first one. And the family's last name was changed without explanation... And the character is played by a completely different actor... Anyway, the killer has a guitar with a giant drill bit on the end of it. Do you really need to know anything else? If that fact alone isn't enough to pique your interest, then don't bother... with life. He's a short, skinny guy decked out in leather, who goes around singing rockabilly songs as he's chasing the girls, and forcing the main girl to have horrific hallucinations, such as a hand sandwich, bathtub of blood, frightening frozen chicken, and one killer pimple. Yes, it's clearly a rip off of A Nightmare On Elm Street, which came out three years prior to Slumber Party Massacre II. But where Elm Street was creepy and haunting, SPM II is filled with bizarre 80's cheese and so weird they're funny moments. It's the epitome of fun 80's slasher fair. It doesn't take itself too seriously, it's not too over the top, and there's enough story to keep your attention. The characters are likable, and you even feel for the main girl a bit. And who would have thought she'd one day go on to fame? Well, sorta fame... If you happen to remember the tv show Wings... As for the other actors, well... Heidi Kozak was in Friday the 13th Part VII, and Juliette Cummins was in Friday the 13th Part V, which gives them extra cool points in my book. And Kimberly McArthur was a Playboy centerfold before getting cast in Slumber Party Massacre II, which makes sense as they needed boobies somewhere in the movie. Atanas Ilitch, the bad guy in part II, is the son of the founders of Little Caesar's Pizza. He also has a record label that released albums from Aretha Franklin and R Kelly. Another interesting factoid: They actually included a picture of the stunt double on the back of the box. 

        

 You can tell it's the stunt man because of the full body flame retardant jumpsuit and the white cloth he has over his face. And the fact that he's on fire... Anyhow, part II is a lot of fun. And you can watch it separately from part I without feeling lost.

Which brings us to part III. This one is the most serious in the series. It starts as a murder mystery, although you need only look at the back or sides of the box to figure out who done it... and it evolves into a revenge tale along the lines of Last House On the Left. Not quite as graphic, but still effectively uncomfortable and challenging. Coming off of the fun that was SPM II, there's not much here to really love. It's a good enough slasher, and if you avoid looking at the box cover art, there are several red herring characters that could be the killer. There's a suggestion of a link back to the original film, with the part I killer being a relative of the part III killer, but it's never made very clear. All in all, part III is pretty forgetable, with not enough fun to overcome the bad acting and low budget. There are far worse movies out there though, and if you've made it through parts I and II, part III won't hurt. Interesting to see the "unrated" gimmick was in play even back in 1990. I highly doubt there was ever a rated version of the film. I'm pretty sure these were all direct to video films.      

In you're into fun horror, the Slumber Party Massacre series delivers. If you watch only one of them, see part II. But for only $18, it's well worth checking out all three. Let Hollywood know we want our fun back!