Slumber Party Massacre (1982): Piece 3 of 3

 

Trish and Kim (Debra De Liso) realizing they're not alone

Along with Trish and Kim, Jackie (Andree Honore) and Diane (Gina Smika Hunter)

Courtney (Jennifer Meyers), Valerie's little sis "studying"

Kim, Jackie, and Trish listen in on Diane's conversation

The guys "check in" on their fellow students

Checking for who killed the pizza delivery man

The party before "interruption"

Who goes there?

What I personally like about the film is how it incorporates the charms of Carpenter's Halloween (1978), with the high school teens before and after school, discussing typical teen topics such as each other, sex, the big party, sports, and their parents. The film makes sure to not just introduce the characters and then kill them. Yes, Thorne's escape from prison made headlines and radio bulletins, but often that danger was ignored or disregarded. He took out the female electrician (nice switch of gender there, with one of the teenage boys even flirting with her) immediately, then noticed the students he would soon target just leaving school...and the film makes sure we see the van in the neighborhood, also noticing Thorne in the bushes or briefly seen in silhouette. Much like other iconic slasher killers imitated, Thorne waits until he has an advantage and emerges out of the dark to attack and kill unsuspecting victims. On occasion, he has resistance but seems to recover and finish off any opposition...until Valerie, with her machete, thwarts his efforts to further pad the body count.

The film even introduces the kind adult neighbor who promised Trish's parents he'd make sure to look out for their daughter, not anticipating a serial killer with a drill quietly emerging from behind before he could even try to defend himself (he did have a hatchet and would have used it). Each and every attempt to protect and defend by the group is undermined by Thorne's abilities to hide and his superior weapon. That superior weapon eventually eliminated by Valerie with her own weapon...the tables turned. But the film makes sure we see that the remaining survivors are all deeply traumatized by what they've been through. The closing credits lets us hear the police sirens after the killer has been put down.

I think the relationship between Valerie and her sister, Courtney, is properly cultivated and quite organic...the two actresses really gel well together. They do seem like sisters who pick on each other but really love one another. Talking boys and parents, too, the sisters eventually realize something's off at Trish's house. Unfortunately, when they go over to the house Thorne had already mowed through much of the group. Still, Courtney under the couch tackling Thorne, and serving as a distraction, with Valerie bringing the machete to the killer, they make sure he won't hurt anyone else. 3.5/5