La Mort en récompense

Why, of all the slasher films to come out of the early '80's, that Graduation Day is so well remember I will never know. Graduation Day is a far cry from some of the better '80's slashers, but it isn't the bottom of the barrel either.

After a high school track star literally runs herself to death, someone begins to kill the remaining members of the track team. But for what reason?

Graduation Day is a slasher film that's served with a big slice of cheese. You've got some corny characters, some unneeded musical numbers (not including the funky song in the opening montage), and some bad acting - no wonder Vanna White is only spinning letters now. But it has some merits too. There are some amusing murder sequences and the story manages to be engaging - if only for the campy elements.

So when all is said and done, you can do worse. But it's not worth missing The Burning, Curtains, or House on Sorority Row for.

** out of ****

Pretty lame and awful slasher about someone killing the members of a high school track team after their star runner dies during a meet.

Christopher George gives a hilariously over-the-top performance as the track team's coach. I don't think ANYONE has ever taken track and field as seriously as Chris does here - not even in the Olympics. It's a typically divine CG performance, and if you are a fan of the man/the legend, you should run right out and grab a copy.

But we watch slashers for the murders (you know it's true), not the performances, and Graduation Day fails to deliver on most counts (there is one really good kill). True horror only comes during a performance by the band "Felony". Never heard of 'em? Watch Graduation Day and find out why.

To be honest I was very disappointed with this movie, I was hoping for something a little better. I was willing to dismiss all the bad reviews and watched this movie anyway It's admittedly better than the 1984 turkey Fatal Games, which had a similar plot about gymnastic athlete students killed in a high school but fact is that the first real memorable and successful high school slasher flick was the one making fun of them all - Scream in 1996.

The major problem with this movie is the lack of characterization. You often just throw in some good-looking teens in a group and most of them doesn't have their first line until their big moment, that is such dramatic dialogue like "Hello?" or "Who's there?" You get the drill. In this one it's not clear who's the hero or heroine until the last 20 minutes or so. And when it comes to the suspects, they get less screen time than the victims. When the killer's identity is revealed it's just a big "So?"

But there were a few characters that I found enjoyable in this movie like Linnea Quigley who has a small role in this movie but has fun with it, and the main heroine Anne (Patch MacKensie) which at first was kinda boring until she performs kung fu on the killer towards the end which was brill, and the Principil and the Secretary sub plot was enjoyable too.

The murders are OK but nothing specialSo, this isn't very good but is still fair if very forgettable entertainment. It gets going though for some moments in the climax even if all intentions of scares are ruined by the fact that it's played in broad daylight.

If you love late seventies and early eighties horror/terror/thriller/slasher flicks, this one is a must see. It is in the same league as "Prom Night" and "Hell Night". "Graduation Day" captures a feeling, a mood, a place in time that only exists in the imagination. The music, the acting, the camera work, the characters are a way we can remember 1981. Movies simply don't have the qualities of "Graduation Day" anymore. There are rough edges here. There are simple characters and characters that are not fully developed. Is Ann, the victim's sister, a lesbian? This is only touched on a little during the story. Why doesn't the police office who investigates the disappearance of the victims dislike schools? How did the principal and his secretary begin their affair and what keeps it going? A scene in which a beheading takes place is intercut with a girl rollerskating who likes a lot like the Alice character from "Friday the 13th". As the initiated know, Alice beheaded Mrs. Voorhees. Was this scene a nod to "Friday the 13th"? Has anyone noticed this scene? What happened to Kevin's parents? Does he live alone with his crazy grandmother? They really don't make them like this anymore. I'm not sure if anyone even tries. "Scream" was said to have paid homage to "Graduation Day" and several other movies of that era. I am going to watch it again while keeping that statement in mind. "Graduation Day" is the real deal. Of all the "Halloween" and "Friday the 13th" clones it is one of the highest caliber. Christopher George, Patch McKenzie and the guy from "Fame" (I think) lend star quality. Today's independent films try to capture the spirit of movies like this.

If you're looking for a disposable 80's slasher, you can do a lot worse, but you can certainly do way better. A high school runner dies and someone starts killing everyone on the team. They try to make you think it's her estranged sister, but it seems too obvious. They throw in a few more red herrings and a whole lot of meandering filler scenes in between the somewhat inspired death sequences.