Abbreviated Entry...
So most of June has been pretty brutal for me schedule-wise. Big Time Life Events™ of close family members (weddings/funerals/reunions) have conspired to make the movie-every-day thing rather difficult. I've still managed to watch one every day, but the end result of everything life has thrown my way is that I'm as exhausted as I've ever been. So to keep my sanity (and this blog going), I'm going to do things a bit differently for a little while - I watched the movies, but rather than the standard entry, I'll just do a little synopsis, a little imdb research, quote some of the reviews (can you do that?) and bounce off of them. Followed up by my general impressions.
Okay, thanks!
The House on Sorority Row
The House on Sorority Row is about - you guessed it - a house filled with sorority girls. The school year is over, and they are getting ready to have a big party. Unfortunately, Mrs. Slater, cranky old owner of the house (who we see have a miscarriage (?) in the first scene) says they have to evacuate ASAP - she has her reasons that we as viewers are not privy to. So the girls decide to play a prank on her that goes too far - Mrs. Slater accidentally ends up dead at the bottom of their pool. So the girls attempt to cover it up... but during the big party that night, *someone* starts violently picking them off one by one...
"House On The Sorority Row" delivers a great slasher experience as it's gory, suspenful, and very well directed. The acing and fun factor are interesting as you can imagine the outcome of the movie but you're never sure about it. The best thing about the movie is the creepy atmosphere.
-Thanks "dead_dudeINthehouse" via imdb
I'm not a huge slasher enthusiast, but I thought The House on Sorority Row was a pretty entertaining watch. I don't really remember any crazy gore, but it's about as taut as you could hope for from a early 80's slasher that never gets as much credit as it's more famous counterparts. The whodunit angle isn't particularly well done, but there are a couple of extra twists that make it a bit unpredictable. The atmosphere was not a high point for me - things seemed pretty pedestrian until the final scene in the attic. Still, it's well done enough that it's easy to root for.
Pros: Fine job done by the cast, and surprisingly the characters are not really interchangeable. A score that's often eerie. Moves at a good pace. Doesn't take itself too seriously. Plenty of creepy sequences. Writer/director Rosman gives the film more style than it deserves. He also creates some suspense.
Cons: Nothing new here. Too many characters, not enough time to really get to know each of them. Pretty dated, especially because of the band playing at the party. It's not much of a mystery who the killer is. Disappointing end.
Final thoughts: ...if you love 80s Slasher flicks like I do then give it a chance.
-Thanks "sgtking" via imdb
Yep, the acting and direction are above par for what you'd expect. I have to take a little issue with the "nothing new here" criticism - I mean, the genre is still relatively new at this point. So while it kind of seems formulaic from our 2015 eyes, it may not have seemed that way in 1983. And yeah, it is pretty hilariously dated at times - check out this little clip, and it should give you an idea of what you're in for.
The film has some good characters - for once we don't have an utterly virginal heroine whose morals are her strength. Instead we have several girls, most of them scared enough by what is happening to follow Vicky, the rebellious and selfish one, and the heroine as the only one who sees that Vicky is actually quite a stupid and uncaring bitch of a character.
-Thanks "pschoticgoldfish" via imdb
Yeah, oddly enough the characters are a strong point. All of the sorority sisters seem kind of like real people, and (at least the main ones) have motivations that you can relate to and understand, even if they are misguided. Plus, you kind of like them, something that seems to be missing from a lot of slashers today. There's actually some good drama wrung out of the fact that there is a lot of disagreement in the group, especially when it comes to hiding the body.
For a one-off watch it was OK but not worth a re-view, apart from the slightly creepy scene in the attic in the last 10 minutes.
-Thanks "d_m_s" via imdb
I think this is about right. The House on Sorority Row is certainly worth a look if you're a fan of early 80's slasher flicks, but while it's well done it's not a film I'll go out of my way to see again.
I would more or less recommend this film.
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