Screened at The Alamo Drafthouse
“He’s so cold.”
“Is the pizza?”
It’s very clear here Amy Holden Jones understands that the genre she’s working with is infamously known for essentially being just a series of punchlines, and she decides to double-up on this satirical formula for which is so often depended on during this era of slasher horror. Slumber Party Massacre is a raid of goofy tension releases, intentionally comedic one-liners, and an absurd amplification of horror tropes. I used to think New Nightmare (1994) was the initial prototype for Scream (1996), but now I feel plain gullible.
Definitely must’ve been a major inspiration for the tone of X as well.
I really dug the slasher villain in this because he’s just a bare-bones serial killer who’s occasionally gullible which sinisterly mitigates the fact that he’s been broadcasted as this mass force of evil parading the town. There is a glimmer of motivation to him though which almost seems metaphorical for defenders of misogyny in horror cinema. The two sisters in this actually provide endearing and over-the-top chemistry, while on the other hand, the slumber girls are so overtly depicted as everyday people who happen to be objects that it becomes noticeable as so many shots linger unusually on them nude to a point where it actually feels rather unprovocative, therefore discomforting the cliché.
So admittedly, quite ambitious methods to convey genre commentary through parodying that doesn’t always work that constructively nor legibly, but you do get at least an idea of what it’s trying to do which sparks enough admiration. It sure is f**king funny though and that’s really all you need to give it your time. Watch it with others for sure too.
Verdict: B-
“The Slumber Party Massacre” is now available to stream on VUDU Free, Tubi TV, and The Roku Channel.
Burning the Celluloid 
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