This movie shows up on lists of notable 80s slashers, and it’s also one of the only references in Scream that I wasn’t aware of. It’s mentioned by name. If the video store near me had it, I would have already rented it, but it was a real slog to track it down.
It has a mixed reputation. It’s not especially good. But it’s one of the rare unique 80s horror movies. It makes some really unusual choices, and it has a more distinct look and feel to it than most anonymous slashers. There are peculiar editing cuts, which seem more laughable at first, but gradually become part of the language that the movie establishes.
There’s an atmosphere to the whole thing, something that seems simultaneously more and less like high school than expected. There are a few sequences that use large numbers of extras, and many of them look legitimately young. There’s a scene where a pair of guys are playing music in what looks like an emptied cafeteria, surrounded by a bunch of other people. Some of those girls look like they might be around 16 years old. This lends an authenticity to the movie that I didn’t expect. But then there are a few people who look just a bit too old to be in high school.
There’s a very peculiar sequence where a band is playing at a roller rink, which is intercut with the killer stalking and killing a few people. This isn’t a brilliant scene, but it’s memorable.
I don’t buy the killer’s motivation, but by the end, the movie doesn’t require that you accept it. It is what it is, and it’s at least an interesting slasher.
One really weird thing. I think they appropriated some music from Vertigo. I'd have to look into it.
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