Watch it for the opening scene, skip the rest
I discovered "Student Bodies" as a teenager in the early 2000s, thanks to my good friend Lucas and his family's massive VHS collection. At the time, we thought it was absolutely hilarious, however it hasn't aged very well, or maybe we just outgrew this juvenile type of humor?
Released in 1981 and spoofing Hollywood's slasher craze of horror films, (released the same year as "Friday the 13th Part 2", "Happy Birthday to Me", "The Burning", "Halloween II" and "The Prowler"), "Student Bodies" has a strong opening scene, using up ALL of their best gags in these first 10 minutes. Seriously, I can watch this scene over and over as if it were an SNL sketch.
In this opener, we are introduced to the main villain / antagonist (appropriately named "The Breather", who has it out for any teenagers being intimate) as he torments a babysitter with obscene telephone calls. We are immediately drawn to this "Breather" character as he expresses his dislike for chewing gum, and uses a paperclip as his weapon of choice.
The film has a certain charm, especially with it's body-count helper (numbers pop up on the screen at every kill, reminding the viewers how many deaths we're at in the movie), but unfortunately, the film quickly falls flat after a while with its bad acting, bland female lead, and loss of ideas (the film was rushed to release during a writer's strike, after all). However, there are some memorable quotes peppered throughout:
The Breather: (on the phone) I'm gonna kill next at the football game. Click.
Ms. Van Dyke: Did you hang up?
The Breather: No, I just said "click".
Other than the previously mentioned opening segment, not much rewatchability here, but plenty of nostalgia!
"Student Bodies" (1981), directed by Mickey Rose, produced by Allen Smithee (Michael Ritchie under a pseudonym), starring Kristen Riter, Matthew Goldsby , and Richard Brando as "The Breather".
A review by Jex Russell.
Released in 1981 and spoofing Hollywood's slasher craze of horror films, (released the same year as "Friday the 13th Part 2", "Happy Birthday to Me", "The Burning", "Halloween II" and "The Prowler"), "Student Bodies" has a strong opening scene, using up ALL of their best gags in these first 10 minutes. Seriously, I can watch this scene over and over as if it were an SNL sketch.
In this opener, we are introduced to the main villain / antagonist (appropriately named "The Breather", who has it out for any teenagers being intimate) as he torments a babysitter with obscene telephone calls. We are immediately drawn to this "Breather" character as he expresses his dislike for chewing gum, and uses a paperclip as his weapon of choice.
The film has a certain charm, especially with it's body-count helper (numbers pop up on the screen at every kill, reminding the viewers how many deaths we're at in the movie), but unfortunately, the film quickly falls flat after a while with its bad acting, bland female lead, and loss of ideas (the film was rushed to release during a writer's strike, after all). However, there are some memorable quotes peppered throughout:
The Breather: (on the phone) I'm gonna kill next at the football game. Click.
Ms. Van Dyke: Did you hang up?
The Breather: No, I just said "click".
Other than the previously mentioned opening segment, not much rewatchability here, but plenty of nostalgia!
"Student Bodies" (1981), directed by Mickey Rose, produced by Allen Smithee (Michael Ritchie under a pseudonym), starring Kristen Riter, Matthew Goldsby , and Richard Brando as "The Breather".
A review by Jex Russell.
- Jex_Russell
- Mar 30, 2022