Boy, oh boy, this movie is a total mess. It tries to be a lot of things but almost misses every single mark. But what do you want if you mix-up parody/comedy, slasher/horror & a bit of demonic possession. Don't expect over the top situations like SCARY MOVIE, 'cause KILLER PARTY prefers to quietly rip-off certain movies instead of parody them openly.
Story-line: On a university campus the Sigma Alpha Pi sisters decide to throw an April Fool's Day-party in an abandoned sorority building. Apparently, someone got killed twenty years ago in that same building...
On a positive note, the filmmakers were sort of original by shooting three different opening scenes (We have a funeral-scene, which is part of a movie in a drive-in theatre, which is part of a music-video one of the main characters is watching in her livingroom). Now, it is when you witness the music-video (a Michael Jackson's THRILLER rip-off) that you realize you've just entered a really bad 80's movie and you will have a few good laughs while at it. Just look at the band ('White Sister'!?!?) featured in the videoclip. They've got spandex, bad hairdo's and they play bad 80's glammy hard-rock with lyrics like "April, why do you play the fool...?". I almost fell on the floor laughing.
Then, this movie suddenly turns into a bad PORKY'S clone (yes, folks, there's nudity). We get some practical jokes amongst students, an initiation ritual in order to get our three lead female characters (Phoebe, Vivia & Jennifer) admitted to the Sigma Alpha Pi's, preparations for the party,... All this nonsense lasts for almost an hour and we only get two occasional bloodless killings (an old hag and a teacher).
It is when the party finally starts that the filmmakers suddenly seem to realize that they were making a horror movie, so in comes the mysterious slasher/killer dressed in a ridiculous antique diving suit. He starts killing off people left and right, all off-screen (big let down!). We do get to see some dead bodies and body parts afterwards, but nothing special.
In the end, our three leading girls are the only ones left standing. And it is at that point this movie suddenly becomes highly amusing. Jennifer becomes possessed (complete with Linda Blair contact lenses and a tongue that would make Gene Simmons jealous) and starts drooling, speaking with a distorted voice, climbing up walls and bursting through ceilings while chasing Vivia & Phoebe. Now, we do get some hints during the party scenes that something's wrong with Jennifer, but still the final climax comes as a surprise because it totally changes the mood of the film, reminding us a bit of NIGHT OF THE DEMONS, same atmosphere. So I had to give this movie an extra point for that.
All in all this is a bad movie (especially the acting and the musical score) and normally I wouldn't recommend it. But if you're a fan of cheesy 80's slasher-movies, you might want to give it a try. Because, believe me, I've seen worse. Gorehounds, however, should stay away from this movie because of the lack of blood & gore. It's worth seeing for the climax in the end because of the entertaining performance of possessed cutie Joanna Johnson and some nice camera-work and fun effects (I loved it when the camera pulls up to Jennifer while doors are closing simultaneously in the background and she growls: "I've been waiting twenty years for this...").
If you like practical jokes in horror movies, you can also check out the more suspenseful slasher-movie APRIL FOOL'S DAY. Or if you'd like to see the ultimate in 80's campus horror, check out NIGHT OF THE CREEPS. Both movies are (though not really comparable) better than KILLER PARTY.
Story-line: On a university campus the Sigma Alpha Pi sisters decide to throw an April Fool's Day-party in an abandoned sorority building. Apparently, someone got killed twenty years ago in that same building...
On a positive note, the filmmakers were sort of original by shooting three different opening scenes (We have a funeral-scene, which is part of a movie in a drive-in theatre, which is part of a music-video one of the main characters is watching in her livingroom). Now, it is when you witness the music-video (a Michael Jackson's THRILLER rip-off) that you realize you've just entered a really bad 80's movie and you will have a few good laughs while at it. Just look at the band ('White Sister'!?!?) featured in the videoclip. They've got spandex, bad hairdo's and they play bad 80's glammy hard-rock with lyrics like "April, why do you play the fool...?". I almost fell on the floor laughing.
Then, this movie suddenly turns into a bad PORKY'S clone (yes, folks, there's nudity). We get some practical jokes amongst students, an initiation ritual in order to get our three lead female characters (Phoebe, Vivia & Jennifer) admitted to the Sigma Alpha Pi's, preparations for the party,... All this nonsense lasts for almost an hour and we only get two occasional bloodless killings (an old hag and a teacher).
It is when the party finally starts that the filmmakers suddenly seem to realize that they were making a horror movie, so in comes the mysterious slasher/killer dressed in a ridiculous antique diving suit. He starts killing off people left and right, all off-screen (big let down!). We do get to see some dead bodies and body parts afterwards, but nothing special.
In the end, our three leading girls are the only ones left standing. And it is at that point this movie suddenly becomes highly amusing. Jennifer becomes possessed (complete with Linda Blair contact lenses and a tongue that would make Gene Simmons jealous) and starts drooling, speaking with a distorted voice, climbing up walls and bursting through ceilings while chasing Vivia & Phoebe. Now, we do get some hints during the party scenes that something's wrong with Jennifer, but still the final climax comes as a surprise because it totally changes the mood of the film, reminding us a bit of NIGHT OF THE DEMONS, same atmosphere. So I had to give this movie an extra point for that.
All in all this is a bad movie (especially the acting and the musical score) and normally I wouldn't recommend it. But if you're a fan of cheesy 80's slasher-movies, you might want to give it a try. Because, believe me, I've seen worse. Gorehounds, however, should stay away from this movie because of the lack of blood & gore. It's worth seeing for the climax in the end because of the entertaining performance of possessed cutie Joanna Johnson and some nice camera-work and fun effects (I loved it when the camera pulls up to Jennifer while doors are closing simultaneously in the background and she growls: "I've been waiting twenty years for this...").
If you like practical jokes in horror movies, you can also check out the more suspenseful slasher-movie APRIL FOOL'S DAY. Or if you'd like to see the ultimate in 80's campus horror, check out NIGHT OF THE CREEPS. Both movies are (though not really comparable) better than KILLER PARTY.