With the rise in popularity of slasher films, feminist writer Rita Mae Brown wrote a screenplay called Sleepless Nights. Brown originally wrote the script as a parody of slashers, but New World Pictures chose to make it serious. Around this time, Amy Holden Jones worked as an editor for Roger Corman on movies like Hollywood Boulevard. While she found success as an editor and even got a job editing E.T., she wanted to go into directing. Jones turned to Roger Corman for a chance to be a director, who gave her a copy of Brown’s script. Under the title Don’t Open the Door, Jones rewrote the script and and shot the first eight pages. Corman was so impressed that he gave Jones a $200,000 budget to film the entire screenplay, which took 38 days. Now titled The Slumber Party Massacre, the movie premiered in Los Angeles in September 1982.
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Synopsis
When her parents leave for a trip, high school senior Trish Deveraux (Michelle Michaels) decides to throw a slumber party. She invites her friends Kim Clarke (Debra Deliso), Jackie Cassidy (Andree Honore), and Diane (Gina Mari) to the party. Little do they know that mental patient Russ Thorn (Michael Villella) has escaped and is going on a killing spree. Armed with a portable power drill, he kills a telephone worker and a high school student named Linda (Brinke Stevens). That night, the girls go to Trish’s house for the party while new girl Valerie (Robin Stille) babysits her sister. Unfortunately, the party goes wrong when the pizza delivery guy arrives with his eyes drilled out by Russ. The girls arm themselves while local guys Jeff (David Millbern) and Neil (Joseph Alan Johnson) go for help. Unfortunately, they die by Russ’ drill, so it’s up to the girls to stop him.
Review
Admittedly, The Slumber Party Massacre is a reasonably standard slasher film on the surface, but there’s more to it. While the producers stripped away much of the satire, there are still remnants left that are effective. There are some clever sight gags and moments where the filmmakers reverse the typical roles in slasher films. It shows that women can direct an effective slasher like their male counterparts, such as John Carpenter and Sean Cunningham. Sure, there’s plenty of nudity and blood for the typical audience, but it shows women can make this movie, too. Director Amy Holden Jones creates compelling suspense and tension with subtle camera moments, harsh shadows, and blurry perspectives. Michelle Michaels makes for a likable final girl, though the late Robin Stille stands out as the timid new girl. Her scenes with Jennifer Meyers as her younger sister are highlights of the film.
While much of the film is comedic, Michael Villella plays the part of the killer with the utmost seriousness. He’s a man of few words, primarily relying on facial expressions and body movements to make himself compelling. When he does talk in the third act, he delivers his line with such intensity and mad glee. Even though there’s not much to his backstory, Thorn is an effective slasher with his signature power drill. Speaking of the power drill, it works as the film’s central symbolism, that of the fear of sex. Given the shots of Thorn with the power drill between his legs, the symbolism is pretty on the nose. At 76 minutes in length, the movie is tightly paced and gets in and out without much padding. Overall, The Slumber Party Massacre is entertaining as a straight slasher and a satire of the subgenre.
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