7 girls from the local Catholic school are chosen to go inventory the Wells estate, which has been left to their school by one Tyler Welles. It sounds like a fun weekend (I guess) until the girls hold a séance to try and contact Jennifer Wells, a 20-year-old who died mysteriously on the grounds in 1939. Their weekend gets even stranger when it is revealed one of the girls, Jackie (Mollie O'Mara), is a dead ringer for the deceased. This Troma pick up (originally called PORTRAIT) is something you could see Roberta Findlay making, except for the lack of any blood or nudity. Debuting director-producer-writer John P. Finnegan seems to forget he is making a cheap exploitation movie, so there is very little appeal here. There is a tacked on opening that looks as if it was added later to push up the monster factor. Finnegan scored better as writer-producer with the JAWS-inspired comedy BLADES (1989), which is also released by Troma.
25 Reviews
Another turkey from Troma.
BA_Harrison30 November 2018
Is there any other film company that has released quite as many stinkers as Troma? Girls School Screamers is yet another woeful offering sent to test the mettle of hardened movie masochists, the movie delivering very little worthy of mention.
The uninspired plot sees seven Catholic School girls sent to a creepy mansion where they are to catalogue the art collection of the late Tyler Welles. Whilst there, the girls hold a seance to contact the spirit of Tyler's niece Jennifer, who died in mysterious circumstances. A not particularly interesting mystery unravels and one-by-one the girls are bumped off by an unseen killer.
Diabolical acting, pedestrian directing, virtually no gore and zero nudity from the girls (T&A is usually a given for a Troma movie) all go to make this an absolute clunker. Oh, and only one of the girls actually screams, to the best of my recollection.
The uninspired plot sees seven Catholic School girls sent to a creepy mansion where they are to catalogue the art collection of the late Tyler Welles. Whilst there, the girls hold a seance to contact the spirit of Tyler's niece Jennifer, who died in mysterious circumstances. A not particularly interesting mystery unravels and one-by-one the girls are bumped off by an unseen killer.
Diabolical acting, pedestrian directing, virtually no gore and zero nudity from the girls (T&A is usually a given for a Troma movie) all go to make this an absolute clunker. Oh, and only one of the girls actually screams, to the best of my recollection.
Not even cheesy.
insomniac_rod28 July 2006
Troma of course! The movie starts very well but soon it falls and turns into a disaster. The first scene shows a bunch of boys trespassing a supposedly haunted house, when one of them enters, he is scared the hell out by a woman dressed in white. To that point, the movie was promising but after the woman's face is shown the movie turns very cheesy and stays that way until the end. The movie has some really cheesy gore effects and the ghost appearances are also laughable.
The settings are kind of creepy but cannot handle the whole movie. There are also some creepy looking scenes but that's not enough to make a Horror movie good. In fact, the movie gets boring at some point and the viewer stops caring about it.
I watched this long time ago in USA NETWORK and now that I've recently seen it, I cannot understand why it aired every month! Stay out of it even if you are a fan of B-movies. This one does not have an attitude or even moments to make fun of.
The settings are kind of creepy but cannot handle the whole movie. There are also some creepy looking scenes but that's not enough to make a Horror movie good. In fact, the movie gets boring at some point and the viewer stops caring about it.
I watched this long time ago in USA NETWORK and now that I've recently seen it, I cannot understand why it aired every month! Stay out of it even if you are a fan of B-movies. This one does not have an attitude or even moments to make fun of.
Blah
BandSAboutMovies4 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Suckered yet again into a Troma film, this time one about seven Catholic school girls who go off to renovate an old house that has a mysterious and dark history. There's also an art collection, the ghost of a girl killed in the house, nuns, no gore and no nudity, either.
It's like someone filmed a slasher and forgot to, you know, actually make a slasher.
John P. Finnegan also wrote Blades, a golf-themed slasher that I know I'll have to sit through one of these days.
After a great opening, where a bride ghost shows a melting face to some spooky synth, I was expecting more. But then there's no actual death until fifty minutes more. So there you go. If you're a slasher completist, and yes, I am certainly one, you can mark this to avoid.
It's like someone filmed a slasher and forgot to, you know, actually make a slasher.
John P. Finnegan also wrote Blades, a golf-themed slasher that I know I'll have to sit through one of these days.
After a great opening, where a bride ghost shows a melting face to some spooky synth, I was expecting more. But then there's no actual death until fifty minutes more. So there you go. If you're a slasher completist, and yes, I am certainly one, you can mark this to avoid.
Better than I expected...
horrormb7 February 1999
This movie looked like something that I wouldn't ever want to see but after being faced with a tough choice, I chose this one. I'm glad I did. The acting wasn't the best and the plot (though original) could've been honed but there were some surprises which left me with my jaw hanging open. It was pretty good so I gave it a 5 out of 10.
Not Bad
jeepers_creepers676 January 2004
I decided to go to the video shop and hire out a few horror movies i havnt seen,i couldnt see many good ones so i picked this and thought it would suck,but i watched it last night and i was impressed,it started off funny with the ghost,some of the acting was so bad you just had to laugh,alot of the killings are good,didnt like the meat cleaver part but,i recommend this if you want a cheap B-grade movie,i give it 7/10.
The Girl with the Rotten Face
Coventry11 August 2019
Of course I knew to keep expectations extremely low for "Girl School Murders". Obviously I spotted the bad rating and harshly negative reviews here on IMDb, and I'm naturally also well aware of Troma's questionable reputation as a production/distributor company. And yet, in spit of all this, the incurable horror geek in me still found the rather pricy purchase was justified even if only to own that utterly cool DVD-cover in my collection! You know, the one with the girl's rotten face that has worms crawling out of it. I just wish the film itself was half as awesome as the poster image! But, on the contrary, "Girl School Screamers" is easily one of the weakest and most forgettable slasher efforts of the entire eighties. It certainly has potential, though. The opening sequences, features a young boy trespassing into an old dark house and running into an eerie ghost on the staircase, is surprisingly grim and atmospheric but, unfortunately, it's the only real highlight. The spooky house is donated, via a last will and testament, to a Catholic college for girls, and seven fresh-faced students are promptly recruited to go and clean it over the weekend. It turns out that a beautiful young girl tragically died in the house nearly forty years ago and, moreover, she looks exactly like one of the students. They subsequently get killed off one by one, but this is where the film truly fails to live up to its potential, as the murders are mundane, uninspired, bloodless and often even occurring off-screen. The acting performances are lamentable, and so is everything else; - period. But hey, the DVD has a prominent spot on the eighties-shelf of my collection!
Zzzzzz.... What?
Shadow_Destiny6 July 2002
I picked this one up thinking it would be a decent B horror movie... Boy was I wrong! The Cover may leave you to believe that there is going to be some nudity... NOPE! Aside from a few laughs from the horrible acting, this movie was a complete waste of video. Skip it at all costs!
Would had been nice if there actually was something good or exciting happening in this movie.
Boba_Fett113812 November 2011
In short; there really is no reason why you should ever watch this movie. It's cheap, simple, cheesy but above all things really not much good to watch.
I'm not expecting much from these sort of cheap '80's horror flicks but I at least expect to be somewhat entertained by them and hoping for maybe some good original or gory horror moments. But this movie doesn't really provide any entertainment or any real good and original killings, which makes this basically a very pointless watch.
No, I'm not even exaggerating when I'm saying that there isn't really anything happening in its first hour, expect for its promising enough opening. After it's pretty decent opening the movie starts to slow down real fast and the first killing doesn't occur till an hour in or so, when the movie is almost over already.
And as far as the killings go; they seemed pretty gory, if only the movie would show any of them. It often cuts- or just turns away, so basically all you'll be seeing is a bunch of fake looking blood dripping down death people's bodies. Again, the movie could had really distinctive itself, or at least had made itself somewhat more interesting or entertaining if it had some decent killings in it, which just isn't the case unfortunately.
So first the movie bores you to death and after that it teases you with what could had been some good, gory killings and horror.
Obviously as far as slashers go, even bad, cheap, cheesy, '80's ones, this really isn't the best and most recommendable one to watch.
3/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
I'm not expecting much from these sort of cheap '80's horror flicks but I at least expect to be somewhat entertained by them and hoping for maybe some good original or gory horror moments. But this movie doesn't really provide any entertainment or any real good and original killings, which makes this basically a very pointless watch.
No, I'm not even exaggerating when I'm saying that there isn't really anything happening in its first hour, expect for its promising enough opening. After it's pretty decent opening the movie starts to slow down real fast and the first killing doesn't occur till an hour in or so, when the movie is almost over already.
And as far as the killings go; they seemed pretty gory, if only the movie would show any of them. It often cuts- or just turns away, so basically all you'll be seeing is a bunch of fake looking blood dripping down death people's bodies. Again, the movie could had really distinctive itself, or at least had made itself somewhat more interesting or entertaining if it had some decent killings in it, which just isn't the case unfortunately.
So first the movie bores you to death and after that it teases you with what could had been some good, gory killings and horror.
Obviously as far as slashers go, even bad, cheap, cheesy, '80's ones, this really isn't the best and most recommendable one to watch.
3/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
Creepy fun
treakle_197818 August 2019
A Rather Tame Horror Film
Uriah4323 August 2022
This film begins with several young boys daring one of their friends named "Billy" (Jeff Menapace) to venture into a local house they think is haunted. So, to show them that he isn't scared, Billy does that just that. However, when he does, he immediately comes come face-to-face with a ghost and runs back out of the house in complete terror. Yet even though he manages to make it back to his friends, the shock of it all is so great that he sinks into a deep coma. The scene then shifts to a nearby Catholic high school where 7 young ladies have just been rewarded for their good behavior by being allowed to stay for a few days in a mansion in order to help catalogue some art treasures prior to the house being put up for auction. Naturally, the young ladies consider such an outing as a chance to have some fun but what they don't realize is that this is the same house that Billy suffered his mental collapse and that all of their lives will soon be in great jeopardy. Now, rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a rather tame, low-budget film which suffered quite badly from poor acting and weak special effects. It was also quite boring. That being said, I cannot honestly recommend this film to anyone and I have rated it accordingly. Below average.
Amazing...
mrblaney13 July 2006
The finishing School that finished them. Girls School Screamers is a masterwork. It is hard to describe the haunting beauty of this film. Brace yourself for a psychological roller-coaster in this classic slasher film.
The music and sound effects are top notch. The depth of the cast is extraordinary, with all of the players delivering excellent performances. There is a clear sense here that all involved in the production knew that this was something special, and gave it their all. See this film if you truly enjoy actors giving everything to their craft. Above all, Peter C. Cosimano as Paul is exceptional. He brings gripping emotion to a unique, fascinating character. A must see!
The music and sound effects are top notch. The depth of the cast is extraordinary, with all of the players delivering excellent performances. There is a clear sense here that all involved in the production knew that this was something special, and gave it their all. See this film if you truly enjoy actors giving everything to their craft. Above all, Peter C. Cosimano as Paul is exceptional. He brings gripping emotion to a unique, fascinating character. A must see!
80s Cheesfest
slayrrr6669 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
"Girl's School Screamers" is a rather impressive 80s cheese-fest that works well.
**SPOILERS**
Attending an all-girls school, Jackie O'Neil, (Mollie O'Mara) Elizabeth Clarke, (Sharon Christopher) Kate Banning, (Mari Butler) Karen Turner, (Beth O'Malley) Susan Anderson, (Karen Krevitz) Adelle Thompson, (Marcia Hinton) and Rosemary Trikowski, (Monica Antonucci) are given a special assignment. Told that a recently-deceased benefactor of the school had left his mansion to the school, they are assigned to catalog the remnants of the estate to know what can be done with it's contents. Taking a look through the place, they hear a legend about a young girl from the past that had haunted the mansion after being killed, and it soon unleashes a terrible curse upon them, killing them off one-by-one. Forced to look into the clues of the past to defeat the threat in the present, they try to battle the supernatural foe before they're all done away with and killed.
The Good News: This one here did have some rather good stuff about it. The fact that it manages to use the tired haunted house routine and still manage to come off of it with a fairly unique and nice twist on it. That this one uses the theory that it was donated to an all-girls school and thereby has to catalog the items still inside for auction, and although there's the usual factor of having one of them having a special past connection to it in the past, it's still rather nice to be able to have a rather nice set-up that works here. The mansion where it works here is quite nice and creepy, with the rather great decoration and design of the place give it some fantastic scenes which come about from the way it works. The opening in particular, with the ghost appearing at the top of the staircase and descending down it, which is only possible because of the situation with the staircase and how the lighting makes it come about in the house. The kills in the film are also really great, and they also take place in great locations. One has a butcher knife slashed through the mouth, another is electrically burned by touching an electric pole, being graphically run over by a car, a pitchfork through the chest and a metal hook on a swing impaled in the back and hoisted up, tearing open the back. The last one here works wonders because of the darkened basement where it takes place, and it makes the kill that much better. The last thing that works here is that the film has one of the best séance scenes ever, which alone is one of the best parts of the film. It's glorious, ingenious and rather creative, which ends in a powerful bang that makes it so great. These here are the film's good parts.
The Bad News: This one here wasn't that bad but it had a couple of big flaws to it. The biggest one is that there's way too many periods of inactivity in the beginning walk-through of the house. There's a large portion of this which features nothing of note happening for the pace, which is mostly just the women running around doing whatever they feel like, which is not in the slightest bit interesting or exciting. Watching them all run around isn't quite good to keep the film going along, which is where the film gets into real trouble. By relying so heavily on a dull factor that, when it comes to feature their purpose of cataloging all the items in the house, it's just more boring on top of what's already happened. These here all make the film's beginning forty minutes so hard to get into and get past, and aside from a few small scenes here and there, it's quite hard to get into. The other problem with this is the back-story to this, which gets a little confusing. There's times where it doesn't make any sense at all, especially once we go into the flashbacks to see what's going on through the diary, and these are really quite hard to get through. These are the film's few flaws.
The Final Verdict: There's not a whole lot wrong with this one, and there's some really good parts to help this one out. Give this one a shot for those who are into these cheesy 80s style horror films or find this one interesting, while those who aren't that big on these kinds of films won't find much to like about it.
Rated R: Graphic Violence, Language and Brief Nudity
**SPOILERS**
Attending an all-girls school, Jackie O'Neil, (Mollie O'Mara) Elizabeth Clarke, (Sharon Christopher) Kate Banning, (Mari Butler) Karen Turner, (Beth O'Malley) Susan Anderson, (Karen Krevitz) Adelle Thompson, (Marcia Hinton) and Rosemary Trikowski, (Monica Antonucci) are given a special assignment. Told that a recently-deceased benefactor of the school had left his mansion to the school, they are assigned to catalog the remnants of the estate to know what can be done with it's contents. Taking a look through the place, they hear a legend about a young girl from the past that had haunted the mansion after being killed, and it soon unleashes a terrible curse upon them, killing them off one-by-one. Forced to look into the clues of the past to defeat the threat in the present, they try to battle the supernatural foe before they're all done away with and killed.
The Good News: This one here did have some rather good stuff about it. The fact that it manages to use the tired haunted house routine and still manage to come off of it with a fairly unique and nice twist on it. That this one uses the theory that it was donated to an all-girls school and thereby has to catalog the items still inside for auction, and although there's the usual factor of having one of them having a special past connection to it in the past, it's still rather nice to be able to have a rather nice set-up that works here. The mansion where it works here is quite nice and creepy, with the rather great decoration and design of the place give it some fantastic scenes which come about from the way it works. The opening in particular, with the ghost appearing at the top of the staircase and descending down it, which is only possible because of the situation with the staircase and how the lighting makes it come about in the house. The kills in the film are also really great, and they also take place in great locations. One has a butcher knife slashed through the mouth, another is electrically burned by touching an electric pole, being graphically run over by a car, a pitchfork through the chest and a metal hook on a swing impaled in the back and hoisted up, tearing open the back. The last one here works wonders because of the darkened basement where it takes place, and it makes the kill that much better. The last thing that works here is that the film has one of the best séance scenes ever, which alone is one of the best parts of the film. It's glorious, ingenious and rather creative, which ends in a powerful bang that makes it so great. These here are the film's good parts.
The Bad News: This one here wasn't that bad but it had a couple of big flaws to it. The biggest one is that there's way too many periods of inactivity in the beginning walk-through of the house. There's a large portion of this which features nothing of note happening for the pace, which is mostly just the women running around doing whatever they feel like, which is not in the slightest bit interesting or exciting. Watching them all run around isn't quite good to keep the film going along, which is where the film gets into real trouble. By relying so heavily on a dull factor that, when it comes to feature their purpose of cataloging all the items in the house, it's just more boring on top of what's already happened. These here all make the film's beginning forty minutes so hard to get into and get past, and aside from a few small scenes here and there, it's quite hard to get into. The other problem with this is the back-story to this, which gets a little confusing. There's times where it doesn't make any sense at all, especially once we go into the flashbacks to see what's going on through the diary, and these are really quite hard to get through. These are the film's few flaws.
The Final Verdict: There's not a whole lot wrong with this one, and there's some really good parts to help this one out. Give this one a shot for those who are into these cheesy 80s style horror films or find this one interesting, while those who aren't that big on these kinds of films won't find much to like about it.
Rated R: Graphic Violence, Language and Brief Nudity
By the numbers
BloodTheTelepathicDog11 July 2023
GIRLS SCHOOL SCREAMERS is a perfect example of a standard haunted house flick. You have your cliched characters, your bumps in the night, your run of the mill offings and a typical denouement. There's really nothing in this movie that will have you talking about it with your friends. Likewise, there isn't much to gripe about either. This is simply standard fare; all but forgotten after viewing.
Here we have seven of the best and brightest students at the local all girls college assigned to catalogue the belongings in the old Welles Mansion, left to the school after the passing of wealthy bachelor Tyler Welles (Charles Braun). The estate, however, is regarded by the locals as haunted, for Tyler's niece died within the mansion under cloudy circumstances. When the girls decide to play with a ouija board their first night in the mansion, they slowly get picked off one by one.
STORY: $$ At face value, the story seems to be a plus, with a handful of girls staying a weekend at a haunted house, but the script has its share of weakness. First, characterization is altogether absent. Two of the girls, the rebellious Liz (Sharon Christopher) and the put-upon Rosemary (Monica Antonucci) hate each other, but this dynamic isn't adequately worked with. Then the characters seem to trade personalities, with the vocal Adelle (Marcia Hinton) eventually assuming Rosemary's put-upon character. But where the script really let's the viewer down is with the mother hen of the girls, Jackie (Mollie O'Mara) who is a dead ringer for Tyler Welles' niece Jennifer, who haunts the mansion. The chaperone, Sister Mary Urban (Vera Gallagher) knew Jennifer Welles well, who served as her mentor when Jennifer attended the school three decades prior, but nothing is made of Sister Urban's connection with Jennifer and Jackie.
ACTING: $$ Nothing of note here, as the actresses all play their roles adequately. Relative no-names all, nobody truly stands out in the cast. Mollie O'Mara is serviceable as the lead and she seems to be the only cast member who went on to do other work. Mari Butler as Kate and Karen Krevitz as Susan should have had their characters fleshed out more in the script, for the playful Kate was really the most interesting of the schoolgirls, and Karen Krevitz did the best job among the cast when it came to displaying dread.
SEX/NUDITY: none.
Here we have seven of the best and brightest students at the local all girls college assigned to catalogue the belongings in the old Welles Mansion, left to the school after the passing of wealthy bachelor Tyler Welles (Charles Braun). The estate, however, is regarded by the locals as haunted, for Tyler's niece died within the mansion under cloudy circumstances. When the girls decide to play with a ouija board their first night in the mansion, they slowly get picked off one by one.
STORY: $$ At face value, the story seems to be a plus, with a handful of girls staying a weekend at a haunted house, but the script has its share of weakness. First, characterization is altogether absent. Two of the girls, the rebellious Liz (Sharon Christopher) and the put-upon Rosemary (Monica Antonucci) hate each other, but this dynamic isn't adequately worked with. Then the characters seem to trade personalities, with the vocal Adelle (Marcia Hinton) eventually assuming Rosemary's put-upon character. But where the script really let's the viewer down is with the mother hen of the girls, Jackie (Mollie O'Mara) who is a dead ringer for Tyler Welles' niece Jennifer, who haunts the mansion. The chaperone, Sister Mary Urban (Vera Gallagher) knew Jennifer Welles well, who served as her mentor when Jennifer attended the school three decades prior, but nothing is made of Sister Urban's connection with Jennifer and Jackie.
ACTING: $$ Nothing of note here, as the actresses all play their roles adequately. Relative no-names all, nobody truly stands out in the cast. Mollie O'Mara is serviceable as the lead and she seems to be the only cast member who went on to do other work. Mari Butler as Kate and Karen Krevitz as Susan should have had their characters fleshed out more in the script, for the playful Kate was really the most interesting of the schoolgirls, and Karen Krevitz did the best job among the cast when it came to displaying dread.
SEX/NUDITY: none.
Nun With Chronic Fatigue Makes Girls' School Screamers Watchable
Skeeter70012 January 1999
This Troma release is bad --- but not in the good way the Toxic Avenger, Tromeo & Juliet, and The Killer Condom were. Instead it is a just mediocre 80s slasher meets the co-eds' film. This time 7 students of an all-girl college go to the mansion of a recently deceased millionaire. This fellow has left his valuable art collection to the school and it is up to these brave girls to catalogue it. But these students are not the all-work and no-play type; they fill their evenings with dope-smoking, Bud drinking, boyfriend smuggling, and seances. Unfortunately the benefactors' sorted past eventually makes their stay in the house miserable Scooby-Doo style. The major problem with this movie is over and over again characters make extremely far fetched decisions (even for campy 80s slasher films). My favorite was when the boyfriend decided to check out the local newspaper's back issues because he was curious about the owner. What?? Who does that?? For those who care: the gore and nudity quotient is very low. The one saving aspect of this film is the performance of the Old Nun that accompanies the girls. She achieves a kind of excellence in this film that nearly matches the likes of horror legend Don Barret's work in Slaughterhouse. Skeeter does love his schlocky horror and gives Girls' School Screamers 6 for 10!
Limp horror pic
lor_7 March 2023
My review was written in May 1986 after a Cannes Film Festival Market screening.
"Girls School Screamers", originally titled (more appropriately) "The Portrait", is an utterly routine supernatural horror picture. Bearing a 1984 copyright, the just-released Troma pic has little to offer genre fans.
Plot has been done 100 times before: seven girls from Trinity School in Philadelphia are assigned to spend the weekend at the Tyler Estate mansion (which has been willed to the school) to catalog the artworks there anent an impending sale of the joint. They are killed off one by one, with very fake and pointless makeup effects applied.
Familiar gimmick has Jackie (Mollie O'Mara) apparently the reincarnation (per a matching wall portrait) of Jennifer Welles (no, not the 1970s porno star, just a fictional character), a young woman killed in 1939 in the Tyler mansion by her uncle when she resisted his lecheros advances. The girls' chaperone Sister Urban (Vera Gallagher) was a mother superior back in Jennifer's tiem, as shown in junky flashbacks.
A hurried, incomprehensible finale fails to tie up the dangling plot threads, indicating holemer John P. Finegan and his collaborators were anxious to merely wrap this one up. Screening audience was even more anxious to head for the exits.
Mollie O'Mara in the lead role projects a pleasant personality, but the supporting cast, particularly male performers, is weak. Technical credits are perfunctory, film delivers none of the genre's expected nudity and scares are absent.
"Girls School Screamers", originally titled (more appropriately) "The Portrait", is an utterly routine supernatural horror picture. Bearing a 1984 copyright, the just-released Troma pic has little to offer genre fans.
Plot has been done 100 times before: seven girls from Trinity School in Philadelphia are assigned to spend the weekend at the Tyler Estate mansion (which has been willed to the school) to catalog the artworks there anent an impending sale of the joint. They are killed off one by one, with very fake and pointless makeup effects applied.
Familiar gimmick has Jackie (Mollie O'Mara) apparently the reincarnation (per a matching wall portrait) of Jennifer Welles (no, not the 1970s porno star, just a fictional character), a young woman killed in 1939 in the Tyler mansion by her uncle when she resisted his lecheros advances. The girls' chaperone Sister Urban (Vera Gallagher) was a mother superior back in Jennifer's tiem, as shown in junky flashbacks.
A hurried, incomprehensible finale fails to tie up the dangling plot threads, indicating holemer John P. Finegan and his collaborators were anxious to merely wrap this one up. Screening audience was even more anxious to head for the exits.
Mollie O'Mara in the lead role projects a pleasant personality, but the supporting cast, particularly male performers, is weak. Technical credits are perfunctory, film delivers none of the genre's expected nudity and scares are absent.
One Slashing after the next
WCCN28 December 1999
There is no place I would rather be, than anywhere else but this house in which the girls go to sort out and catalog. This is a very dangerous place for people to go on any level. Make sure you have eaten a light meal before you watch this movie as it may TRAMA TISE you if you watch it after eating a heavy meal.
WARNING: Watch this movie at your own risk!!!!
WARNING: Watch this movie at your own risk!!!!
I loved it!!
bfan8326 April 2004
Ok, I originally saw this film when I was 9 or 10, I can't remember. But I knew that I loved it when I watched it. Then, the video store that I rented it from went out of business and therefore I couldn't see it anymore. I tried in vain to find it for about 6 or 7 years. It was very obscure for a while. Anyway, imagine my immense happiness when I found it for $14.99 at Movies Unlimited! So I purchased it and I loved it even more! It is a great b-movie and I recommend anyone to watch it. Especially since it has been re-released! My favorite thing in the entire film was the music. It was a great, creepy score. It kind of reminded me of the movie Creepers with Jennifer Connelly. Please, please watch it. It's great!! I give it a 10!
Not your typical slasher movie...
RareSlashersReviewed15 February 2004
How much gut wrenching fright can you stand?' Read the somewhat intriguing tagline that stared back at me from the cover of Troma's Girls School Screamers. Now that, I thought to myself, really depends on whether you mean fright' as the film's scary or fright' as in I will truly be frightened when I see how bad the general production of this extremely cheap looking horror flick really is! But I guess I was jumping the gun a little so I waited for the screen to light up in a completely un-biased state of mind
After an unexplained opening tagline of in the darkness there is evil within the evil there is death' we are shown a group of young boys daring each other to enter a rather creepy looking mansion. Finally the who dares wins' type kid of the bunch accepts the challenge by announcing, `I'll do it, I'll go in there.' (Have you guessed what's going to happen yet?) So the group of pre-teens watch as he slowly ascends the drive, disappearing into the foggy night sky. As he enters the house a spooky voice can be heard chanting Tyler'. (And if I were this particular child I'd be hot on my feet before I even entered!) The hapless kid chooses to ignore this warning and continues up the staircase. Suddenly a ghost-like female figure, dressed from head to toe in a wedding dress descends the steps as if to greet him. The poor boy is now frozen stiff and the ghoul removes her vale to reveal a rotten and decomposed face, blessed with maggots, worms and a decaying smile! She starts spookily moaning, `Kiss me Tyler' and finally the somewhat backward thinking junior comes back to his senses and hotfoots it out of the house. He manages to make it back to where his friends are situated, before collapsing to a heap on the floor in front of them and mumbling gibberish. After the credits have rolled we are shown the boy looking worse for wear in hospital, and towards the end of the film we are again treated to visuals of him (Well what do ya know?) looking ill in the aforementioned infirmary. However, we never get to find out what happened to him and his misfortune is never justified in any way. Thinks that's strange well it's only the beginning trust me! We are now introduced to seven fresh faced sorority sisters: Jackie (Molly O'Mara), Elizabeth (Sharon Christopher), Rosemary (Monica Antunucci) Karen (Beth O'Malley), Katie (Marie Butler) Adele (Marcia Hinton) and Susan (Karen Krevetz). They have just found out that they're going to be spending four whole days cleaning up, guess where that's right you got it in one, the haunted mansion from earlier! And they all merrily go home to pack and prepare for their stay, completely unaware of the troubles that lay ahead! Sister Urban (Vera Gallagher) who is best described as a bubbly yet elderly version of Mary Poppins also joins the group on their trip. After they arrive, as sure as night becomes day, an unseen someone begins dispatching off the happy-go-lucky co-eds in a variety of gruesome ways and Jackie begins to realise that her coming to the house was definitely not a coincidence
Mixing the supernatural and the slasher is a job that isn't easy to do. Many have tried and almost as many have failed knowingly. So that's why I was pessimistic about watching Girls School Screamers and knew what I was in for
Now some films are cheap, but they still attempt to make a decent effort, and on occasion it pays off. Others know they're cheap and are content with staying cheap. GSS is one of the later, a fact that is emphasised at the start of the credits where the words introducing' are placed before the entire cast, as if to say not one of these actors/actresses has done anything else before this at all. As far as I know, none of them went on to do anything either, except maybe for one or two walk on roles. But it's hardly surprising as they're all mostly no-hopers! Molly O' Mara was about the best of the bunch, if only because she was vaguely reminiscent of Kathryn McNeil from House on Sorority row. It would have been nice to maybe see her in a more upbeat production supporting a decent cast. But you can just picture her resume it can't have helped her out too much; just think about it:
In 1984 I starred in a third rate horror movie called Girls School Screamers, The director expected it to be the next The Exorcist' but it fell slightly short of his marker, I guess he over anticipated it slightly. It sold about as well as a pair of wet Bermuda trunks in Iceland!
Get what I mean!
Although this can squeeze neatly into the slasher category, it doesn't follow the traditional formula of masked killer stalks teens. An invisible force' generally commits most of the murders, although meat cleavers and electrocutions keep this from completely abandoning the standard blueprint. At times, Girls School can feel pretty eerie thanks to a haunting score and some decent lighting. But most of the times when things start to look impressive, something is guaranteed to pop up and lower your expectations. Kudos to the director however, for at least trying a bit of everything, from Ouija boards and possession to the far more typical serial killer clichés.
Its kind of gory in a very lowbrow sort of way and there are a couple of imaginative murders. Also it manages to refrain from becoming too tedious, which is always a bonus. But to be honest, a film where even the story line isn't justified properly can't be expected to reap any rewards, especially in an era of such steep competition. There are too many unforgivable flaws that make GSS only worthy of a bin bag. I mean, what the hell happened to that little boy? Did he survive the coma? And if the ghost of the woman in a wedding dress is shown to be a goodie, why do that to the little brat in the first place? All these queries needed to be answered and the fact that the director didn't even acknowledge them just makes this mess look even worse. There is some fun to be had, if you enjoy laughing at the cheesy antics of the teens and the unconvincing death sequences, but none worth wasting £12.99 on! If supernatural slashers are your particular poisons, then stick with the proven redeemers like The Bogeyman or Goodnight, God bless and avoid this uninspired offering
After an unexplained opening tagline of in the darkness there is evil within the evil there is death' we are shown a group of young boys daring each other to enter a rather creepy looking mansion. Finally the who dares wins' type kid of the bunch accepts the challenge by announcing, `I'll do it, I'll go in there.' (Have you guessed what's going to happen yet?) So the group of pre-teens watch as he slowly ascends the drive, disappearing into the foggy night sky. As he enters the house a spooky voice can be heard chanting Tyler'. (And if I were this particular child I'd be hot on my feet before I even entered!) The hapless kid chooses to ignore this warning and continues up the staircase. Suddenly a ghost-like female figure, dressed from head to toe in a wedding dress descends the steps as if to greet him. The poor boy is now frozen stiff and the ghoul removes her vale to reveal a rotten and decomposed face, blessed with maggots, worms and a decaying smile! She starts spookily moaning, `Kiss me Tyler' and finally the somewhat backward thinking junior comes back to his senses and hotfoots it out of the house. He manages to make it back to where his friends are situated, before collapsing to a heap on the floor in front of them and mumbling gibberish. After the credits have rolled we are shown the boy looking worse for wear in hospital, and towards the end of the film we are again treated to visuals of him (Well what do ya know?) looking ill in the aforementioned infirmary. However, we never get to find out what happened to him and his misfortune is never justified in any way. Thinks that's strange well it's only the beginning trust me! We are now introduced to seven fresh faced sorority sisters: Jackie (Molly O'Mara), Elizabeth (Sharon Christopher), Rosemary (Monica Antunucci) Karen (Beth O'Malley), Katie (Marie Butler) Adele (Marcia Hinton) and Susan (Karen Krevetz). They have just found out that they're going to be spending four whole days cleaning up, guess where that's right you got it in one, the haunted mansion from earlier! And they all merrily go home to pack and prepare for their stay, completely unaware of the troubles that lay ahead! Sister Urban (Vera Gallagher) who is best described as a bubbly yet elderly version of Mary Poppins also joins the group on their trip. After they arrive, as sure as night becomes day, an unseen someone begins dispatching off the happy-go-lucky co-eds in a variety of gruesome ways and Jackie begins to realise that her coming to the house was definitely not a coincidence
Mixing the supernatural and the slasher is a job that isn't easy to do. Many have tried and almost as many have failed knowingly. So that's why I was pessimistic about watching Girls School Screamers and knew what I was in for
Now some films are cheap, but they still attempt to make a decent effort, and on occasion it pays off. Others know they're cheap and are content with staying cheap. GSS is one of the later, a fact that is emphasised at the start of the credits where the words introducing' are placed before the entire cast, as if to say not one of these actors/actresses has done anything else before this at all. As far as I know, none of them went on to do anything either, except maybe for one or two walk on roles. But it's hardly surprising as they're all mostly no-hopers! Molly O' Mara was about the best of the bunch, if only because she was vaguely reminiscent of Kathryn McNeil from House on Sorority row. It would have been nice to maybe see her in a more upbeat production supporting a decent cast. But you can just picture her resume it can't have helped her out too much; just think about it:
In 1984 I starred in a third rate horror movie called Girls School Screamers, The director expected it to be the next The Exorcist' but it fell slightly short of his marker, I guess he over anticipated it slightly. It sold about as well as a pair of wet Bermuda trunks in Iceland!
Get what I mean!
Although this can squeeze neatly into the slasher category, it doesn't follow the traditional formula of masked killer stalks teens. An invisible force' generally commits most of the murders, although meat cleavers and electrocutions keep this from completely abandoning the standard blueprint. At times, Girls School can feel pretty eerie thanks to a haunting score and some decent lighting. But most of the times when things start to look impressive, something is guaranteed to pop up and lower your expectations. Kudos to the director however, for at least trying a bit of everything, from Ouija boards and possession to the far more typical serial killer clichés.
Its kind of gory in a very lowbrow sort of way and there are a couple of imaginative murders. Also it manages to refrain from becoming too tedious, which is always a bonus. But to be honest, a film where even the story line isn't justified properly can't be expected to reap any rewards, especially in an era of such steep competition. There are too many unforgivable flaws that make GSS only worthy of a bin bag. I mean, what the hell happened to that little boy? Did he survive the coma? And if the ghost of the woman in a wedding dress is shown to be a goodie, why do that to the little brat in the first place? All these queries needed to be answered and the fact that the director didn't even acknowledge them just makes this mess look even worse. There is some fun to be had, if you enjoy laughing at the cheesy antics of the teens and the unconvincing death sequences, but none worth wasting £12.99 on! If supernatural slashers are your particular poisons, then stick with the proven redeemers like The Bogeyman or Goodnight, God bless and avoid this uninspired offering
Naughty Uncle Tyler Has Waited A Long Time For His Darling Neice To Return - But Is She Worth It?
P3n-E-W1s38 September 2022
Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Girls School Screamers; here's the breakdown of my ratings:
Story: 1.25 Direction: 1.25 Pace: 1.00 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.25
TOTAL: 6.00 out of 10.00
Gee, isn't that one of the most exploitative titles you've come across(?) I love it. Though, it bares little in common with the story itself. But if it doesn't get the middle-aged blokes reaching for their remotes, nowt will. That's the terrific Troma Team for you.
The story that John Finnegan and Katie & Pierce Keating deliver to the audience is a ghost story plus. And, it's the plus that lets the haunted house tale down. Tyler Welles was a local millionaire explorer and benefactor to the local Catholic school for girls. Upon his death, he leaves his estate to the school. The nuns quickly choose the last recipients of the Welles scholarship to spend a few days at the estate and catalogue its contents. Among them is Jackie: And these few days will reveal personal dark and deadly secrets. On the whole, the writers do a decent enough job with the characterisations. Though this is your stereotypical group of high-school girls, the writers imbue each with an appealing freshness. Sadly the same can't be said of all situations. The girls still have the lets-go-die gene running rampant in their teenage bodies. So, even when most of their classmates have mysteriously disappeared, and the supervising nun has taken sick, the girls will wander off alone, into the dark rooms whose door has just opened by itself. All the while, if you listen carefully, you'll hear them chanting. "Let's Go Die" as they march to their doom. And this is where we start on the slippery slope of overachieving. Instead of having an ethereal spectre haunt the estate, we have one that is tangible and appears to have the ability to change shape. I understand this to a certain degree, as it would've been cheaper for the FX team. Plus, the gross-out effects wouldn't hurt to boost sales. For me, it damaged the story but didn't damage the movie too terribly.
John Finnegan then pawned the typewriter for a camera as he slipped into the director's chair. His cinematography is on par with his storytelling. It's nothing exceptional, but it's passable. The opening sequence shows he knows how to create tension and then slap the audience in the face with a gory payoff. He uses engaging camera angles, lighting techniques, and changes in pace to accomplish the cheeky smack. Unfortunately, a few scenes fall into the doldrums. These could have been redeemed with better writing but, moreover, with better direction. He could've shortened the segments or filmed them from different or multiple angles to keep the audience engaged. Now for the effects. These are okay, but they are generally superfluous to the narrative. Take the opening sequence, which I thought was a decent way to open the film. A young lad is dared to enter the spooky haunted mansion by his mates. Not wanting to look like the cowardly lion, in he trudges. But once inside, he is drawn towards the loft - and you know there are two places you never want to go in a haunted house; the attic or the cellar. Before he can get there, he's scared witless by the lady of the house. A horribly burnt and rotting vision is she. Sounds great, and the effects are okay but a tad overcooked for me. But later in the story, we learn she died from a fall. I can understand the rotting part, but why the BBQ? Yep, scare factor. And that's why some of the more unnecessary effects, like the creeping hand covered in algae, didn't sit right with me. The sad thing with this is that all the FX could have been pertinent to the ghostly goings-on. It would've taken a little thought, less work, and they could have retained their gore.
The cast is a mixed bag of talents. The one constant among them is Vera Gallagher, who plays the loveable nun Sister Urban. She portrays her character as a mix of a teacher, friend, and mother hen. You can easily believe the girls would watch out for her when she falls sick. The lead, Jackie, is played by Mollie O'Mara, and most times, she's okay, though, in a few scenes, she gets all Oak and Maple. I would have swapped her out for the actress who portrays the doormat, Rosemary - Monica Antonucci. Though she's not on screen for long and is one of the first to go, she's one of the better performers in the film.
Girls School Screamers isn't a great horror flick, but it does have its moments. And, as such, I'd happily recommend it for one watch - should you be able to freely find a copy. It's not a movie you should rush out to buy or spend Mucho Mulla purchasing, even though it is one of the better flicks from the Troma stables.
Sword 1 - Check. Sword 2 - Check. Sword 3 - Check...Sword 553 - Check. And, one creepy-ass painting - Check. Thank God, now you can read over my IMDb list - Absolute Horror to see where I ranked Girls School Screamers.
Take Care & Stay Well.
Story: 1.25 Direction: 1.25 Pace: 1.00 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.25
TOTAL: 6.00 out of 10.00
Gee, isn't that one of the most exploitative titles you've come across(?) I love it. Though, it bares little in common with the story itself. But if it doesn't get the middle-aged blokes reaching for their remotes, nowt will. That's the terrific Troma Team for you.
The story that John Finnegan and Katie & Pierce Keating deliver to the audience is a ghost story plus. And, it's the plus that lets the haunted house tale down. Tyler Welles was a local millionaire explorer and benefactor to the local Catholic school for girls. Upon his death, he leaves his estate to the school. The nuns quickly choose the last recipients of the Welles scholarship to spend a few days at the estate and catalogue its contents. Among them is Jackie: And these few days will reveal personal dark and deadly secrets. On the whole, the writers do a decent enough job with the characterisations. Though this is your stereotypical group of high-school girls, the writers imbue each with an appealing freshness. Sadly the same can't be said of all situations. The girls still have the lets-go-die gene running rampant in their teenage bodies. So, even when most of their classmates have mysteriously disappeared, and the supervising nun has taken sick, the girls will wander off alone, into the dark rooms whose door has just opened by itself. All the while, if you listen carefully, you'll hear them chanting. "Let's Go Die" as they march to their doom. And this is where we start on the slippery slope of overachieving. Instead of having an ethereal spectre haunt the estate, we have one that is tangible and appears to have the ability to change shape. I understand this to a certain degree, as it would've been cheaper for the FX team. Plus, the gross-out effects wouldn't hurt to boost sales. For me, it damaged the story but didn't damage the movie too terribly.
John Finnegan then pawned the typewriter for a camera as he slipped into the director's chair. His cinematography is on par with his storytelling. It's nothing exceptional, but it's passable. The opening sequence shows he knows how to create tension and then slap the audience in the face with a gory payoff. He uses engaging camera angles, lighting techniques, and changes in pace to accomplish the cheeky smack. Unfortunately, a few scenes fall into the doldrums. These could have been redeemed with better writing but, moreover, with better direction. He could've shortened the segments or filmed them from different or multiple angles to keep the audience engaged. Now for the effects. These are okay, but they are generally superfluous to the narrative. Take the opening sequence, which I thought was a decent way to open the film. A young lad is dared to enter the spooky haunted mansion by his mates. Not wanting to look like the cowardly lion, in he trudges. But once inside, he is drawn towards the loft - and you know there are two places you never want to go in a haunted house; the attic or the cellar. Before he can get there, he's scared witless by the lady of the house. A horribly burnt and rotting vision is she. Sounds great, and the effects are okay but a tad overcooked for me. But later in the story, we learn she died from a fall. I can understand the rotting part, but why the BBQ? Yep, scare factor. And that's why some of the more unnecessary effects, like the creeping hand covered in algae, didn't sit right with me. The sad thing with this is that all the FX could have been pertinent to the ghostly goings-on. It would've taken a little thought, less work, and they could have retained their gore.
The cast is a mixed bag of talents. The one constant among them is Vera Gallagher, who plays the loveable nun Sister Urban. She portrays her character as a mix of a teacher, friend, and mother hen. You can easily believe the girls would watch out for her when she falls sick. The lead, Jackie, is played by Mollie O'Mara, and most times, she's okay, though, in a few scenes, she gets all Oak and Maple. I would have swapped her out for the actress who portrays the doormat, Rosemary - Monica Antonucci. Though she's not on screen for long and is one of the first to go, she's one of the better performers in the film.
Girls School Screamers isn't a great horror flick, but it does have its moments. And, as such, I'd happily recommend it for one watch - should you be able to freely find a copy. It's not a movie you should rush out to buy or spend Mucho Mulla purchasing, even though it is one of the better flicks from the Troma stables.
Sword 1 - Check. Sword 2 - Check. Sword 3 - Check...Sword 553 - Check. And, one creepy-ass painting - Check. Thank God, now you can read over my IMDb list - Absolute Horror to see where I ranked Girls School Screamers.
Take Care & Stay Well.
Anemic slasher with a few good moments
drownsoda9014 February 2022
"Girls School Screamers" follows a group of Catholic schoolgirls who are sent by their school to catalogue the contents of an abandoned mansion, including an extensive art collection, which has been bestowed to the school. The problem? A vengeful female ghost haunts the house, and someone erstwhile is bent on committing a series of murders.
This Troma Entertainment release was actually an independent production that Troma head Lloyd Kaufman acquired, reshot, and retitled to its current name, hyping up the more salacious and violent elements. Such efforts are mostly a failure, however, as "Girls School Screamers" remains an anemic, sluggish slasher flick that has a "going through the motions" sensibility about it.
The film starts off promisingly, with a fairly spooky opening sequence, followed by your typical '80s introduction to the group of female characters who are poised to get hacked and slashed. The film toes the line between haunted house movie and exploitative slasher, and, for the most part, manages to function in both areas; however, the film's procession quickly begins to feel rote and clunky as it hurtles toward its conclusion. At its best, it plays similarly to something like "The House on Sorority Row," but it does not have the gloss or stylishness to even come close.
What the film does bolster is a strong (albeit strange) atmosphere. The majority of it takes place in a large, Mediterranean-style mansion that is stuffed to the gills with gaudy furnishings that look like they could have been pulled out of your great-grandmother's home. The atmosphere is not exactly spooky, but it is certainly weird, and the premise itself (what school puts a bunch of its young, reckless peers in charge of an expensive art collection?) is also unusual. That being said, there are a handful of fun and effective moments here, including a number of increasingly over-the-top kills and "Scooby Doo"-esque hi jinx, such as the girls playing hide-and-seek in the house.
While it has its charms, "Girls School Screamers" suffers from a real lack of steam; it has all the right ingredients, but there is a lifelessness that seems to run through it, which makes it difficult at times to fully engage with. By the same token, it's such an odd viewing experience that it's worth giving at least one look, especially for fans of more low-rent slashers from the same era. 6/10.
This Troma Entertainment release was actually an independent production that Troma head Lloyd Kaufman acquired, reshot, and retitled to its current name, hyping up the more salacious and violent elements. Such efforts are mostly a failure, however, as "Girls School Screamers" remains an anemic, sluggish slasher flick that has a "going through the motions" sensibility about it.
The film starts off promisingly, with a fairly spooky opening sequence, followed by your typical '80s introduction to the group of female characters who are poised to get hacked and slashed. The film toes the line between haunted house movie and exploitative slasher, and, for the most part, manages to function in both areas; however, the film's procession quickly begins to feel rote and clunky as it hurtles toward its conclusion. At its best, it plays similarly to something like "The House on Sorority Row," but it does not have the gloss or stylishness to even come close.
What the film does bolster is a strong (albeit strange) atmosphere. The majority of it takes place in a large, Mediterranean-style mansion that is stuffed to the gills with gaudy furnishings that look like they could have been pulled out of your great-grandmother's home. The atmosphere is not exactly spooky, but it is certainly weird, and the premise itself (what school puts a bunch of its young, reckless peers in charge of an expensive art collection?) is also unusual. That being said, there are a handful of fun and effective moments here, including a number of increasingly over-the-top kills and "Scooby Doo"-esque hi jinx, such as the girls playing hide-and-seek in the house.
While it has its charms, "Girls School Screamers" suffers from a real lack of steam; it has all the right ingredients, but there is a lifelessness that seems to run through it, which makes it difficult at times to fully engage with. By the same token, it's such an odd viewing experience that it's worth giving at least one look, especially for fans of more low-rent slashers from the same era. 6/10.
I don't know
kita1175 February 2004
I picked this movie up at Suncoast for $9.99 thinking that it would be good. The beginning of the movie led me on to think that it would be good, but overall, it was stupid and it seemed like the girls overacted a little too much. This movie could have been better. 6 out of 10 stars.
I've seen a few stinkers in my time but this takes the taco.
Jigglypoof9 August 2000
I borrowed this film from my boyfriend not knowing whether it was a horror film or not. When I saw that it was, I thought, well, I hope it's not too gory, but if it is, I'll just zip past. I've seen some reviews say that there was nudity. I didn't see any. Not that I care anyway, since I'm a girl. Fortunately, it wasn't one of the kind of horror films that make me queasy. Unfortunately, the acting sucked... there was only one good laugh (the bath scene), and the editing was awful. Quite a waste of an hour (thank God for the fast forward button). But I guess it could have been worse.
"The Finishing School That Finished Them Off!"
Backlash00718 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
~Spoiler~
Explain to me how it took almost a week to watch an 80 minute movie. The reason is Girl School Screamers is one of the lamest excuses for a horror film I've ever been privy to. I can't believe this is a Troma effort. A Troma movie consists of cheap laughs, gore, and nudity. This has none of those. What it does have is bad horrible, horrible acting...in ample amounts. I can't make fun of the effects because there were none. Every kill happens offscreen. Now, I watch a lot of bad horror movies. But there are some that I loathe so much they fall into the category "Worst Movies Ever". Girl School Screamers is one of the leaders of the pack in that category. Let me save anyone who reads this time and sanity: Don't watch this.
Explain to me how it took almost a week to watch an 80 minute movie. The reason is Girl School Screamers is one of the lamest excuses for a horror film I've ever been privy to. I can't believe this is a Troma effort. A Troma movie consists of cheap laughs, gore, and nudity. This has none of those. What it does have is bad horrible, horrible acting...in ample amounts. I can't make fun of the effects because there were none. Every kill happens offscreen. Now, I watch a lot of bad horror movies. But there are some that I loathe so much they fall into the category "Worst Movies Ever". Girl School Screamers is one of the leaders of the pack in that category. Let me save anyone who reads this time and sanity: Don't watch this.
NONSENSICAL
LATENITE10 June 2000
This Troma movie seemed to be a standard one-by-one chop 'em up 80's horror flick at first, but then... what the??? It began to make less and less sense until it finally fell into the realm of complete stupidity (and not in a good Troma way). I recommend this to anyone that thinks they've seen every bad horror movie there is.
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