Slumber Party Massacre II

Slumber Party Massacre II (1987)

Directed by: Deborah Brock

Rating: 1 out of 4 Pentagrams

Reviewed by: Jeff Deth 

I was looking for a brainless 80’s slasher to get things going this Halloween season and Slumber Party Massacre II seemed right on the money. Walking down the aisles at Family Video the box art jumped out at me bringing back childhood memories. I gleefully snatched it up.

I knew what I was getting myself into and hoped only for some bloody laughs not horrific genius. The liner notes described the plot as a cross between Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Nightmare on Elm Street. Hhhhmmmm. Way to set the bar guys. This cheese fest exists squarely in Sleepaway Camp territory, no better.

But like I said, if that’s what you’re looking for you won’t be disappointed. People should just be more up-front about what they actual have to offer. I for one would not be off put in the least if they just told me, “This here is a gory teensploitation tit’s and ass slasher!”

There are scenes in this movie that are just flat out embarrassing to watch for everyone involved with the making of it. No one goes unscathed. The first half of the story is a ridiculous high school melodrama focusing on Courtney and her girlfriends who jam together in a garage band after school decked out in the worst 80’s fashion trends every created.

Not having seen the original film I was somewhat at a loss concerning the back-story of these characters. Most of the holes get filled in through dream sequence flashbacks. Apparently Courtney’s sister is locked away in a nuthouse after surviving the first film. Big sis keeps trying to give her spooky warnings about not having sex with the dude she’s in love with. But those dreams are flooded over by dreams of her going all the way with Matt the hunky lover-boy.

Warnings go unheeded, and the girls spend the weekend in a vacant house in the hills, getting hammered on champagne and eating corn dogs. Dudes show up to make things all hot and sexy, but I’m just glad the body count is going up.

Aside from the unbearable corniness of the story and acting, there are some great death’s to make this a worth wild slasher. The killer, or the “driller-Killer”, is a grease-monkey guitar player with an Ax that puts W.A.S.P. to shame. The custom guitar has a huge drill attached to the head making it a shredding instrument of death. 

I have no idea whether this guy is real, alive, dead or even human. It’s not really explained, he just appears and starts drilling holes in people. I wasn’t interested in logic at that point, I just wanted those annoying idiots to die!

I was fairly happy with the last 20 minutes of the movie, as it contained the only hints of a true horror film. The thing that throws it all off and prevents it from having any real balls is the awful soundtrack of goofy 80’s rock tunes which relentlessly undermine every effort to scare the audience. Driller Killer even breaks out into Rocky Horror song and dance for Chris-sake!

Bottom-line: Slumber Party Massacre II is mostly a joke of a film, a complete mockery of serious horror. On the other hand taken as an extremely campy slasher/comedy, it ain’t half bad. And I’m just trying to play nice here. I give everyone the benefit of doubt and enjoyed what little there was to enjoy, because hey, it was my Friday night.