Slumber Party Massacre

This is definitely more of a reboot than a remake. It has a good setup and includes myriad homages to the original and even its wacky sequel.

The intent of the OG to satire the slasher and bring out strong female characters was somewhat subverted by producer Roger Corman (while still creating a very progressive slasher for its time). Well, this one goes for that concept full bore and I feel it achieves the goal.

There are a number of very funny scenes, including one with the guys next door having a half naked pillow fight & the girls stepping in to protect them. There's also a hilarious shower scene that just has to be seen to be believed. Sometimes things are a little too "on the nose" but it's still very fun. Oh, and the kills are pretty good too.

This reboot was a ton of fun.

A bunch of teenage girls go on vacation at the spot where another bunch of teenage girls were killed by driller killer, Russ Thorne, in the 90's and discover that he's still out there, looking for fresh blood to spill.

Though billed as a reboot, Slumber Party Massacre could just as easily be another sequel in the original franchise. Director Danishka Esterhazy paces the film well with a good amount of comedy and horror. The script has a few twists and surprises up its sleeve and turns the tables where they needed to be.

...but this isn't the property to do with it. I had spoken to the producers during production, and they insisted they were being faithful to the source material. They weren't. They still could have subverted it the same way, but for some of these films, the over-the-top misogyny is the artistic point. I hate that many will break this review down to "there's no boobs so I don't like it", but hopefully this will ring true to at least a select few.

Again, I really *do* respect what they were *trying* to do.... I just don't think they quite stuck it with the landing. Feminism needn't exclude the female body entirely. Particularly with chests, a re-evaluation of the double-standard is necessary. I just feel like trying to subvert it *AND* shielding female chests is actually a step in the wrong direction. They could have embraced both, all while supporting the #FreeTheNipple movement.

Still, a fun enough watch. "They are out-slumber partying us!" Has it's moments.

..that tries a little to hard to with wink wink nudge nudge. A little more subtlety woud have helped. Overall I enjoyed this one and had a little giggle here and there. If you know your horror tropes and like them to be a little bit twisted around here and there while, you as the viewer, aswell as the film makers, are aware of the fact that it's done for fun, give this one a go. Just don't expect a serious Horror flick, this isn't one.

Slumber Party Massacre has this interesting idea; "reimagining" the original while trying to subvert the genre's clichés. Well, it fails. At least not too miserably, since its confusion at being either satire or parody will give you a good laugh or two.

It's sleazy not because it has TV-Movie quality written all over it, but because its idea was done half-baked. While not as smart as it thinks it is, nevertheless is a much better film than the latest Black Christmas.