DAY 16

Teenaged girls gather at a slumber party only to be stalked and murdered by a power-drill wielding maniac.

I’m mad for two reasons: One, I had never treated myself to SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE (1982) despite its legendary cult status. And two, I’ll never get to watch it for the first time again. Penned by famed queer feminist author Rita Mae Brown and directed by Amy Jones, this now classic 80s driller killer was written as a comedic parody of popular slashers, though the final product is less outrageous, it remains a subversive piece from the past while delivering on traditional thrills.

Trish prepares for high school as a radio station alerts that crazed murderer Russ Thorn has escaped prison. With her parents leaving town, she conspires with her friends to throw a slumber party that evening. Meanwhile, Russ skulks around campus killing all in his path, and later makes his way to Trish’s slumber party, penetrating his scantily clad victims with the phallic concrete drill he holds between his legs. Bodies drop like flies culminating in a poolside climax in which Russ’s drill is castrated by a machete. 

There is a sly self awareness to this movie. The girls are fleshed out and funny. Bare boobs are in abundance, maybe a choice driven by the studio, but somehow the film avoids feeling exploitative thanks to the subversive vision of two creative women.