Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Girls School Screamers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 23, 2021

Hoping to make his dreaming of film direction come true, John P. Finnegan elected to try his luck with genre moviemaking in the mid-1980s, hoping to ride a trend of spooky tales aimed at young audiences. His initial offering is 1985’s “Girls School Screamers,” which isn’t nearly as relentlessly icky as similar features, aiming to dial down grotesqueries to play up suspense elements of the screenplay (which he wrote). There’s a vague sense of Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock in play during “Girls School Screamers,” which gets off to a relatively strong start, doing well with character introductions and storytelling, getting things up and running with decent efficiency and personality. Finnegan doesn’t maintain early momentum, leading to an underwhelming second half of simplistic scares and kooky gross-outs, but he shows some life with parts of the endeavor, and that’s good enough to please when it comes to this style of entertainment.

Select students at the Trinity School for Girls have been chosen for a special weekend away from campus, assigned to deal with cataloguing needs at the Welles Mansion, which is home to a massive collection of art once owned by Tyler (Charles Braun). Sent on this mission are Karen (Beth O’Malley), Rosemary (Monica Antonucci), Adelle (Marcia Hinton), Kate (Mari Butler), Susan (Karen Krevitz), and Jackie (Mollie O’Mara), who feels especially uneasy about the trip, sensing something off about the property. Settling into their surroundings with Sister Urban (Vera Gallagher), their chaperone, the young women try to have the time of their lives with this rare blast of freedom, exploring the mansion. During the visit, Jackie discovers a painting of a woman who looks exactly like her, also finding a diary from Jennifer, Tyler’s niece, who long ago experienced certain horrors in the house, detailing her agony on paper. Toying with a darker energy in the dwelling, the students refuse to understand the danger they’re in, with Jennifer returning to power as a poltergeist, targeting the visitors while they tour hallways and secret rooms.

Offering an opening blast of terror, Finnegan arranges a scary ride for young Billy, a kid dared into entering the Welles Mansion, poking around the forbidden house to impress his friends. What he encounters is the malevolent spirit of Jennifer, who’s dressed as a bride and reveals a deteriorating visage, sending the kid running out of home and into the hospital, with officials unsure what’s going on. “Girls School Screamers” soon transitions to the Catholic school girls, who are a playful bunch of friends, enjoying teasing one another, which is Finnegan’s way of assigning character traits, including Jackie’s maturity and Rosemary’s eating habits, never far from food. The gang is chosen to spend time cataloging art, which doesn’t sound like a reason to celebrate, for the students at the Trinity School for Girls, this invitation is exactly what they want, getting away from the confines of school, left with Sister Urban in the middle of nowhere, staying inside a massive mansion.

When one considers the possibilities of an R-rated horror film made in the mid-‘80s, starring a collection of unknown actresses trying to make themselves seen in a genre picture, the relatively chaste nature of “Girls School Screamers” is surprising. It’s actually refreshing to see the characters skip a trip to a pool or the showers, electing to spend their free time inside Welles Mansion playing a game of hide and seek, or “manhunt,” which permits Finnegan time to explore the insides of the home in a more interesting manner, following the students as they scramble for position. There are shared meals with label-to-camera soda bottles and mild antagonisms, but the real evil of “Girls School Screamers” arrives with a séance sequence, which calls on Jennifer’s spirit to return active duty, while Jackie manages her confusion as she discovers the dead woman’s diary, connecting her to a past life where “Uncle Tyler” was a very bad man.

Girls School Screamers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a 2K scan of the original camera negative. The results offer typically impressive work from Vinegar Syndrome, who bring an obscure Troma Entertainment title back to life on Blu-ray, with production achievements open for inspection, secured with clear detail throughout. Mansion tours are textured and dimensional, highlighting all sorts of decorative additions. Facial surfaces are sharp, highlighting differences in age and makeup additions. Fine hair and fibrous outfits are also appreciable. Colors are nicely refreshed. Delineation is satisfactory, doing well with shadowy encounters. Grain is fine and film-like. Source is in strong condition.

Girls School Screamers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is basic, dealing with age issues and technical limitations. Dialogue exchanges remain intelligible, with acceptable balance when it comes to scenes of panic. Scoring retains a simple synth sound, supporting suspense mood and more active horror encounters.

Girls School Screamers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features writer/director Tom Finnegan.

• Commentary #2 features editor/assistant director Tom Rondinella and 2nd assistant camera/2nd assistant director Bill Pace.

• "28 Seconds of Violence" (29:40, HD) is the official making-of for "Girls School Screamers," featuring interviews with writer/director John Finnegan, editor/assistant director Tom Rondinella, 2nd assistant camera/2nd assistant director Bill Pace, actor Peter Cosimano, and sound designer John Hodian. It all began with a filmmaking dream for Finnegan, who had no experience in the movie business, but wanted to take on his own horror picture. Gathering $100,000 and 35mm equipment, Finnegan went on a search for free talent, eventually making his way to NYU, presenting a pitch to students looking for on-set experience. The shoot occurred in Pennsylvania, with the crew taking over a mansion for four weeks, getting into trouble with the owners. The shaping of the screenplay is examined, and casting is recalled, collecting an ensemble comprised of various thespian skill levels and off-camera personalities. Finnegan eventually called in family members to help manage the enormity of the production, and he recounts various technical challenges. Troma Entertainment eventually showed interest in distributing the effort, but they demanded changes, altering the "Hitchcockian" tone of the original cut, adding gross-outs and gore to appeal to horror hounds, also embarking on a deceptive marketing campaign. Finnegan remains happy with the work and the opportunity, delighted to have "Girls School Screamers" back in circulation.

• A Trailer has not been included.

Girls School Screamers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The supplements on the "Girls School Screamers" disc share how Troma Entertainment picked up the picture for release, taking two days to shoot gory inserts to help meet marketplace demands. Even without that knowledge, one can sense something off about the sudden grisliness of the movie, which comes and goes fairly quickly, breaking up an increasingly stale exercise in low-budget suspense. Finnegan can't quite launch a proper nail-biter with the endeavor, offering lengthy shots of characters creeping around the mansion, which gets old in a hurry. A few new supporting players join the adventure, including Jackie's boyfriend (Peter Cosimano), but "Girls School Screamers" slows to a crawl by the last act, missing jolts of excitement or at least a growing sense of doom. It's not a slasher film, as Finnegan tries to remain a bit more dignified with his production. He has ways of making the effort initially compelling, but there's only a limited payoff, which flattens the viewing experience.