Killer Party (1986)

Attempting to pledge a sorority, a group of friends decides to join the other sorority members in transforming a nearby deserted house into an April Fools gag house, and when a mysterious killer shows up the dwindling survivors fight back against the deadly intruder.

This here was one of the best examples of the cheesy slasher. What makes this one so much fun is the fact that this one absolutely revels in that atmosphere as there's a real abundance of it that just permeates the whole film. This one does it from the very beginning, hardly making its intentions subtle with the film-within-the-film opening and the ensuing dance number over the opening credits, although the fraternity members are also responsible for some more of this, as they continue to prank out the sorority throughout the beginning to some really funny moments. The sequence at the staff meeting starts out hilarious and soon becomes even more so, and from the boys’ opening prank to their hazing ritual and then onto the house pranks themselves all the way to the general atmosphere and tone this is barely a dent in the film's cheesiness. When it's not being funny, there are some good slasher moments as well including the early stalking in the sorority, the professor’s shocking encounter in the basement and the way that just about all the deaths occur during the party allows it to just be over-the-top fun. There's just a ton of action in that scene, as the killer gets going and seems to kill someone every five minutes and that just makes it seem all the more fast-paced as just about the entire cast is knocked off in rapid fashion and the great stalking and supernatural destruction throughout make it really exciting. The killer's costume itself is quite imposing, with the whole body hidden behind an ancient diving suit that is big and bulky, giving it the perfect creepy appearance. The best plus, though, is it's undeniably cheesy charm since there are a few problems with this one that comes up. The most glaring flaw here is the aforementioned cheesiness. While this is one of the film's best virtue, the fact that so much of it is quite silly does present it with some problems. The first is that the film jumps around in tone quite often and becomes a little disorienting at times. Another thing is that it stops the film cold to include these inserts and disrupt the flow of the film even more so. Though it produces one of the funniest gags, the staff meeting didn't need to be there, nor did the fraternity's adventures with the sorority. These just stop the film to include them and don't really contribute anything beyond some laughs, and could easily have been snipped. As well, the film features practically zero blood or gore and all of the kills are just bland and bloodless or carried out off-screen only to stumble upon them later which does take a lot of the sting out of the situation. The other big problem is that the ending is a little confusing. There's way too much happening and it becomes a little disorienting when it switches over to something else quite rapidly. Those are the film's real problems.

Rated R: Language, Violence, Nudity and drug use.

I stumbled onto Killer Party while looking for April Fool’s day themed horror movies. A slasher movie check. An 80’s horror movie check. Sounds like a good time. Right? Sigh.

PLOT

Three college friends rush a sorority, and must survive a night in a house where an evil spirit has been awakened.

MY THOUGHTS

The potential for the kills could have been good. But no. We don’t get to see the kills. They are mostly off screen and most of the kills are in the last twenty minutes or so. Not a lot of blood either. Though I did like the two fake out starts of the movie. We get to see some zombie-like action while a band is playing.

Acting isn’t that bad. The character that stands out the most for me is Sherry Willis-Burch (her only other horror movie is Final Exam) who plays Vivia, the horny, nerdy, and special effects friend. However, Joanna Johnson (known for nothing in horror and only for being in The Bold and the Beautiful) plays Jennifer, our supposed main character. She is the only one who seems hesitant to first pledge the sorority and then she doesn’t want to go into the house for the party.

Elaine Wilkes (known for just tv shows, nothing genre related) plays Phoebe the third friend who just kind of blends in with the other sorority sisters. Alicia Fleer (known for a couple of tv shows. Again, not genre related) plays Veronica, the mean girl, sorority sister. She at least dies by a trident stabbing.

Killer Party starts with a horror movie playing, and then cuts to a couple making out in a car at a drive in theater. The girl stops him and goes off to get popcorn. She comes back to discover everyone is a zombie while a band is playing. This turns out to be a fake out. Another movie.

We learn three friends are rushing a sorority. The night of the initiation strange occurrences happen which turn out to be pranks. Soon it’s April 1st and their sorority is hosting an April Fool’s day party at that house. This time the pranks do go so well. As the night goes on the tricks are not pranks. Something is killing the party goers. Who will survive? Who is killing everyone?

Killer Party suffers one of the worst crimes of an 80’s slasher: Being boring and the kills are mild, off screen. And you pretty much can figure out who the killer is before the end of the movie. For me, I was really only rooting for one character and I shouldn’t have rooted for anyone. If you’re bored and you like slashers you can put this on while doing other things. Just go in with low expectations.