House On Sorority Row (1983)

One Of The More Successful Clones of "Black Christmas"

"The House on Sorority Row" is a great entry in the Slasher Frenzy Era that gripped America between the mid-seventies and the mid-eighties. It was highly influenced by the original "Black Christmas." Both movies involve a sorority house that closes down, leaving only a few students left to be victimized by an unseen killer hiding in the attic. Unlike the students in "Black Christmas," the ones in "The House on Sorority Row" bring their troubles upon themselves; they accidentally killed the house mother and hid her body in the pool. Now someone who witnessed the murder wants revenge; they have retrieved the house mother's cane and are using it to kill the girls and anyone else who stumbles into their path.

Though not the original, groundbreaking horror classic that "Black Christmas" became, "The House on Sorority Row" is enjoyable viewing. Gruesome, innovative stabbings, throat slashings, and a beheading keep the plot moving along at a nice pace. Furthermore, we learn the killer's identity and their motive. However, its open ending is very similar to that of "Black Christmas." I recommend watching "The House on Sorority Row" and "Black Christmas" as a double feature because they have so much in common.

Eileen Davidson (present day soap opera queen) is the bad girl Vicki who masterminds a prank that has deadly consequences. Kate McNeil of "Monkey Shines" is the good girl Katey who insists on calling the police after the accidental shooting of the house mother. Unfortunately, no one does. Decades have passed and we still haven't learned that many problems can be avoided if the police are immediately called after an accidental death. Wes Craven's "I Know What You Did Last Summer" is a modern film about teenagers who accidentally kill a man with their car and decide to dump his body into the ocean. Eventually the teenagers are stalked and killed one by one.

I hope "The House on Sorority Row" isn't remade like so many other classic slashers from the Slasher Frenzy Era. Why mess with perfection? This film is highly recommended for horror fans of the great Slasher Frenzy Era. Also, if you are fan of Stephen King's "It," you should watch this movie because the killer dresses up as a clown. August 18, 2008

Those Crazy Co-eds...

A group of fun-loving sorority gals accidentally kill their shrewish house-mum. They dump her body in the grungy, algae-filled swimming pool, only to have the old girl disappear! Did she get out on her own, or is someone else at work? THE HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW is sort of the wacky, slasher-version of DIABOLIQUE, with the vanishing corpse, yucky pool, and all. I liked the college babes, as they were not all airheads (a few were). The stalker / killer was interesting in a Michael Myers way. The scenes with the harlequin costume and the head-in-the-toilet were grrreat! Also, the hallucination sequence was quite imaginative. THOSR is well above average and worth repeated viewings... March 19, 2008

3.75 STARS: It might not look it from the name and DVD cover, but this slasher flick is pretty darn good!

When I saw the name of this movie, I must admit that I had my doubts, but after viewing "The House on Sorority Row", I knew I had stumbled on to something. "The House on Sorority Row" is about a woman, Mrs. Slater, who suffered a very traumatic pregnancy. Fast forward about 20-25 years later, and this woman is now a rather ornery sorority house mother who gives her sorority girls a hard time.

As the movie progresses, we discover that the sorority girls plot to play a trick on Mrs. Slater, but something goes horribly wrong in the execution of this little prank. The trick proves to be a nice little subplot which leads the movie into the main plot which is the slasher flick itself. Subsequent to the ill-advised prank, people start dying one by one in this very interesting slasher. Armed with some decent kills, a good story (which is another thing that separates this movie from other mindless slashers), a nice twist, plenty of suspense and some mystery, "The House On Sorority Row" delivers a nice cinematic treat for the slasher fan.

Indeed, one of the best things about "The House On Sorority Row" is the movie's ability to generate and sustain suspense throughout the movie. This movie really does a pretty good job of keeping you on the edge of your seat. The plot is well thought-out and executed nicely. The sharp execution was made possible by the surprisingly good acting (for this type of flick anyway), and the result is a highly entertaining and intriguing slasher flick. The kills are pretty good as well, and while there is some blood, this movie does not try to go overboard in this area. While the scares may be light, "House On Sorority Row" makes up for that in mystery and suspense with a creepy slant and an undeniable 80s slasher feel to it. The movie largely lacks atmosphere, but because the suspense is so ever-present, this deficiency is not as evident as it otherwise would be.

However, the really strong points of "House On Sorority Row" inheres in its story, suspense and an undeniable degree of horror and scares mixed in nicely with some pretty good kills. This movie is one of those diamonds in the rough that make my search for long lost horror movies worthwhile. If you like slasher flicks, you will like "House On Sorority Row". Therefore, highly recommended to slasher flick lovers and horror movie fans alike. I would argue that no slasher flick collection is complete without it. February 10, 2008

LOVE THEM CLASSICS

I REALLY LIKE THIS MOVIE DON'T ASK ME WHY BUT I GUESS IT'S BECAUSE IT CAME OUT DOING THAT SLASHER TIME BACK IN THE EARLY 80'S BUT IT'S A PRETTY GOOD MOVIE IF YOU LOVE THEM 80'S SLASHER MOVIES September 27, 2007

somehow overlooked this gem...

I was suprised to notice I had not seen this movie when I read the reviews. Considering the number of similar titles and themes, it it was easy to overlook, I suppose. This does separate itself from its peers in that the characters are more than cardboard cutouts, and there is less focus on the "kill" and more on the suspense. The story itself is really well done and there is a logic to it, though it does follow a similar format to other revenge themes. While the special effects are hardly special, they are not necessary when the story is compelling enough to hold your attention. Certainly an enjoyable flick for those (like me) who enjoy the occasional slasher film from the recent past with a bit of a twist. May 10, 2007

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