Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

The Slumber Party Massacre Blu-ray Movie Review

While it’s not highly lauded in horror circles, there’s something about 1982’s “The Slumber Party Massacre” that’s kept the film alive and kicking for almost 40 years, enjoying modest cult appreciation. The project began life as a parody, and one written by feminist author Rita Mae Brown, who endeavored to pants the slasher genre with her own take on abusive happenings with young girls and the men who enjoy killing them. Such ambition didn’t make its way to the big screen, with Brown’s vision soon reworked by director Amy Holden Jones, who ditched satiric interests to make a relatively straightforward chiller for executive producer Roger Corman. Instead of poking fun at horror formula, Jones simply utilizes it to complete her helming debut, laboring to fill a 76-minute-long run time with basic chases and casualties, depending on actor Michael Villella to do his duty at the villain Russ Thorn, who terrorizes a collection of high school girls with an industrial drill. “The Slumber Party Massacre” doesn’t offer anything fresh or exciting, with Holden keeping to a tight schedule of panic and expiration, clinging to the obvious symbolism of the drill and its phallic representation. Sadly, the movie doesn’t have much in the way of pace or scares, only finding intermittent inspiration when violence does occur, giving Holden something to concentrate on as the rest of the picture flattens when dealing with dull characters, weak banter, and a primary threat who should be featured with more regularity.

The Slumber Party Massacre Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout Factory originally released "The Slumber Party Massacre" on Blu-ray back in 2014, and they return with a "New 4K scan from the original camera negative." The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivering an appealingly refreshed viewing experience, providing a more textured look at frame highlights, including detailed examinations of the cast, with costuming fibrous and close-ups sharp. School visits and household tours also hold up for study, securing decoration and depths, and neighborhood shots are dimensional. Colors are deep, emerging from period clothing and eveningwear, and blood red retains potency. Greenery is distinct, as is blue lighting for pool action. Skintones are natural. The feature is very dark at times, without much interest in lighting, but delineation largely survives, preserving frame information. Grain is film-like. Source is in terrific shape.

The Slumber Party Massacre Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA has a few signs of age and technical limitations, but the basics aren't problematic. Scoring preserves its synth chirp, supporting suspense sequences. Dialogue exchanges are enjoyable, achieving an appreciation for dramatic emphasis and professional shortcomings. Sound effects, including the industrial buzzing of the drill, come through as intended.

The Slumber Party Massacre Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Amy Holden Jones, and actors Michael Villella and Debra de Liso.

• "Sleepless Nights" (23:04, SD) is a 2010 documentary on the making of "The Slumber Party Massacre," with Jones recalling her industry rise, working with Martin Scorsese on "Taxi Driver" before meeting Roger Corman. Proving her helming worth after shooting a few scenes from the original Rita Mae Brown screenplay, Jones was offered a chance to make the movie, passing on a chance to edit "E.T." Jones goes into the meaning of "The Slumber Party Massacre," describing it as a metaphorical take on virginal fear, insisting there's comedic intent to the project. She also recalls the first preview screening of the film, joined by a delighted Corman, who realized he had a hit on his hands. Actors such as Brinke Stevens join the conversation, with Villella going into detail about his method acting approach, making sure to creep out his co-stars. Time is spent with superfan Tony Brown (an amusing video of him excitedly opening a VHS copy of the horror offering for Christmas opens the featurette), and house and school locations are revisited. The life and sad demise of star Robin Stille (who committed suicide in 1996) is also recalled.

• Interview (13:23, HD) sits down with Rigg Kennedy, and he's quite the eccentric. The actor recalls his early interest in acting, working through his education before trying to land roles, ending up with a part in "The Slumber Party Massacre," though he declined to use his real name. Kennedy shares some memories of the shoot, but he's more interested in performing one of his poems. And the interview producers allow him to do so.

• Alternate Title Sequence (:33, HD) is offered.

• Image Gallery (3:09) collects film stills, publicity shots, album cover art, poster art, and newspaper ads.

• And a U.K. Teaser (1:08, HD) and a Theatrical Trailer (2:05, HD) are included.

The Slumber Party Massacre Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Slumber Party Massacre" has its fanbase, and the first picture managed to launch a franchise, with Corman returning to the well with 1987's "Slumber Party Massacre II" and 1990's "Slumber Party Massacre III," keeping video store shelves stocked with nights of horror featuring young victims and increasingly theatrical tools of death. In 1982, the idea was small and the production didn't have much money to spend, with Jones in charge of keeping the hunt contained to school hallways and a few suburban California properties, laboring to find something when there was very little to work with. Jones has her moments (commencing what would become a lackluster helming career, including "The Rich Man's Wife" and "Love Letters"), but she doesn't have enough of them in the endeavor, unable to amplify the threat coming for the main characters. Perhaps there's a little more here to fuel film class discussions (subversive elements are debatable at best), and it's surprising how much Jones goes along with exploitation interests, literally panning across naked bodies during a shower room conversation to show off physical attributes before the main crisis commences. She plays the marketplace game, but Jones isn't much of a craftsperson, delivering a simplistic and overly familiar assembly of predator and prey, with the use of a giant drill the most distinctive part of the entire viewing experience.