The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)

A high school student's slumber party turns terrifying as an escaped mental patient with a drill decides to crash the evening.

Director:

Amy Holden Jones (as Amy Jones)

Writer:

Rita Mae Brown

Stars:

Michelle Michaels, Robin Stille, Michael Villella

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michelle Michaels	...	Trish (as Michele Michaels)
Robin Stille	...	Valerie
Michael Villella	...	Russ Thorn (as Michael Villela)
Debra De Liso	...	Kim (as Debra Deliso)
Andree Honore	...	Jackie
Gina Smika Hunter	...	Diane (as Gina Mari)
Jennifer Meyers	...	Courtney
Joseph Alan Johnson	...	Neil (as Joe Johnson)
David Millbern	...	Jeff
Jim Boyce	...	John Minor
Pamela Roylance	...	Coach Jana
Brinke Stevens	...	Linda
Rigg Kennedy	...	David Contant (as Ryan Kennedy)
Jean Vargas	...	Telephone Repairwoman
Anna Patton	...	Mrs. Devereaux

Storyline

An eighteen-year-old high school girl is left at home by her parents and she decides to have a slumber party. There is friction between some of the invited guests and the new girl, who is better at basketball than they, so the new girl decides to stay at home (which is conveniently across the street from the host's house). Meanwhile, a murderer of five people with a propensity for power tools has escaped and is at large, and eventually makes his way to the party, where the guests begin experiencing an attrition problem, with only the new girl to help them.

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Plot Keywords:

stuffed animal | girl in bra and panties | female rear nudity | drill in the head | cult film | 

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Taglines:

Close your eyes for a second... and sleep forever.

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 November 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Don't Open the Door

Filming Locations:

3662 Mountain View Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$250,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$3,589,000, 31 December 1982

Company Credits

Production Co:

Santa Fe Productions (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brinke Stevens got her first big speaking role in this film.

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Goofs

When Coach Jana arrives home from school, her friend drills a peephole through her door. The hole in the door is rough and ugly, yet in the next shot it's neater and has gained a metal eyepiece.

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Quotes

Mrs. Devereaux: Trish, the chips are under the sink and there's soda in the fridge, and our number at the hotel is right by the phone.
Trish: Okay, Mom, everything will be fine.

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Alternate Versions

Although passed intact for cinema the UK video release suffered 30 secs of BBFC cuts with heavy edits to the drill murders, stabbing scenes and the climactic death of the killer. The title was also changed to "Slumber Party Murders" due to the video nasty scare sweeping the country at the time. It was eventually passed fully uncut for DVD in 2003 with the original title restored.

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Connections

Featured in Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006)

User Reviews

Pizza time!

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for "Slumber Party Massacre" ever since I first saw it at the ripe old age of 11. Sure it's not the bloodiest, scariest, well acted or written horror movie that wonderful 80's produced- but it does have something that makes it special and a standout on its own.

Trish (Michelle Michaels) is a popular basketball player whose parents have gone away for the weekend. Just so happens that the night before, convicted killer and mental patient Russ Thorn (wonderfully played by Michael Villella) has escaped from confinement. Awww...timing is everything! Val (Robin Stille) is the new girl in school as well as on the basketball team, who also happens to live right next door to Trish. Of course, Trish decides to gather her girls for a night of fun at her empty house. She suggests they invite Val, and is of course is rejected by her snobby & trampy friend Diane (Gina Mari).

Cut to the chase...the girls have there slumber party. Of course Russ has been following them around all day and is just waiting for his moment to strike. Val on the other hand is alone too next door, with the exception of her boy crazy 13 year old sister Courtney (Jennifer Meyers). When the pizza delivery boy shows up dead on Trish's doorstep- mayhem ensues. The girls (along with some boys who have crashed the Slumber Party) are scared to death. They are afraid to leave the house - so the boys volunteer to make a run for it.

One by one our teenagers get hacked away. Eventually Val and Courtney get involved in the goings on and before you know it our girls are in some serious trouble.

The movie works due to some genuinely funny comedic dialogue- and Michael Villella's great portrayal of the Driller Killer. When he says "I love you" in his sick and twisted way- you genuinely feel creeped out! The music is also quite good as well. With a 77 minute run time- Slumber Party Massacre doesn't drag and keeps pace quite nicely. If you collect horror and are a big fan of the classic cheesy horror movies from the beloved 80's, Slumber Party Massacre is worth an entry into your DVD collection.