A troubled
girl named Ginny Wainwright (Melissa Sue
Anderson) is recovering from a freak accident
that happened to her last year on her Birthday
which caused the death of her mother Estelle
(Sharon Acker) as well as having a regenerative
brain surgery which has blocked her memory.
Before celebrating her 18th Birthday during her
grad year things seem better for her as all her
friends promised to attend to her party unlike
the year before.
However, her friends are mysteriously being
murdered one by one as Ginny thinks that she is
losing her mind wondering if she is responsible
for all of this when her friends have
mysteriously disappeared but her shrink Dr. David
Faraday (Glenn Ford) assures her that she is
totally sane and nothing bad is happening to her.
But Ginny is also plagued by tramautic blackouts
and her memory is slowly coming back to her on
what happened on her 17th Birthday when the
horrible incidents started to happen to her and
how her Mom died.
Then on the night of her Birthday party start to
wonder if she will be the next to die or is she
the killer herself with a split personality?
One of those cult
favourites that was in the same year as
those other low budget slasher flicks like Graduation
Day, My Bloody Valentine,
The Burning, Friday the
13th Part 2 and Halloween II
which gained a similar status to the fans of
those movies.
The poster will always be remembered with the
shishkabob murder.
There's a good start off with a snobby schoolgirl
mocking the headmistress of the school academy
behing her back in which we see these types in a
slasher flick during this time period and even
during present day too. You just know that
something is going to happen to her for her
naughty behavior.
Then afterwards a bunch of the school kids hang
out a bar pulling practical jokes almost starting
a riot which is another good pointer for the
story as well as them doing a car race to try and
make a bridge that's about to lift up for a boat
to go by since there's many daring teens to try
anything to prove on how macho they are even if
it means living on the edge in which this moment
looked very suspenseful and well written in. To
top it off the story was also effectively creepy
when the head character Ginny visits her mother's
gravestone which is another nice start off to the
film in which she behave's strangely.
There's also some cheesy suspnseful moments with
a mysterious killer dressed in black killing
other teens in which could cause accidents like a
guy fixing his motobike wheel by turning his
engine on and his scarf getting caught in the
wheel dragging him in which this killer was
responsible for doing so or helping someone
benchpress but the weights are too heavy and the
killer pulls to handles away from him. You think
to yourself this guy could throw the weights
behind his head to have his life saved. Again,
you think to yourself that people in slasher
films never make wise choices so they meet their
death bed big time. Some of these killings kinda
makes you wonder if Robert Hiltzik watched this
and inspired him to do similar events in his
cheesy 1983 cult classic flick Sleepaway
Camp.
There's also other moments with certain male
characters acting intimidating or making out that
they are going to kill someone or yet be killed
in which you wonder if this is really happening
or not as this could've easily inspired the
makers to produce April Fools Day.
There's also disturbing flashback sequences with
Ginny in a brain surgery room which would psych
you out watching and wondering why this was all
happening as well as other flashback sequences on
her drunken mother at her birthday party with no
friends coming and things going down with the two
of them. Especially with the drunken mother and
her bitter attitude towards her ex-husband that
she talks to on the phone along with a terrible
car accident on the bridge with the two of them
inside the vehicle which is everyone's worst near
death nightmare on what could happen if you
couldn't get out of a dangerous situation. This
was susensefully well written in too along with
everything surrounding it.
There's also some near riots between two males
over Ginny in which you think to yourself as well
that either one of these guys could be the killer
but yet it might seem too obvious but still want
to keep watching to find out in the end even if
there's some stale moments in the flick.
The ending looks quite twisted when it's time for
the birthday cake and shocking surprises that
involves Ginny which can be well remembered for
anyone who watched this flick.
Bottom line is the film is quite cheesy but yet
very mysterious whodunnit type of flick which was
done in good taste but yet the story is a little
stale. A good drive-in type of film though and
was considered a cult classic to most horror
fans.
It carries on with the slasher tradition though
like Halloween the final terror
happens and the same with My Bloody
Valentine and Black Christmas.
The acting was well performed for
it's time although it looks a little dated while
watching it now.
We have former Little House on the
Prairie TV child star Melissa Sue
Anderson (Ginny Wainwright) playing the
title role in the film as she can pull her part
off not too bad and could easily be billed with Jamie
Lee Curtisand Linda Blair during
this time period. She also showed some good
energy with her intense behavior and disturbed
attitude too n certain events happening. She's
fairly passable as a character actress.
Glenn Ford (Dr. David Faraday) seems to
come across nicely as the shrink in this film
with his caring and concerned attitude. He
expresses a great seriouness to his role but of
course he's been a veteran for many shows and can
prove himself to be a worthy character actor.
Frances Hyland (Mrs. Patterson) can be
well remembered for her role in this film as she
does well with her scrictness as a headmaster at
the school. She has a great sharp and stern voice
whenever she speaks which worked well and played
this off perfectly too. You wonder to yourself
while watching her perform if this killer will
get her too.
Matt Craven (Steve Maxwell) of course had
the perfect role playing the outgoing boyfriend
in which he pulled off quite well. He has a nice
bubbly type of behavior in this role as well as
the teenage looks even if he looked a bit dorky.
Yet he went far with his acting career
afterwards.
David Eisner (Rudi) portrayed a perfect
aggressive teen and almost behaving violently
along with his sarcastic behavior that he
definetely comes across as a possible suspect to
the story along with being a great key role the
the story.
Jack Blum (Alfred Morris) really came across
nicely as a dorky type of schoolkid who is
fascinated with science and also drew nicely to
his part as someone who is creepy and mysterious
with his stalking type of attitude too. He
certainly portrayed another perfect suspect in
the film.
There's a brief supporting role by Sharon
Acker (Estelle Wainwright) played a great
crazy drunken mother in the film having the most
energy out of everyone. She really
brought out terrific emotions to her role and
portrayed a believeable dysfunctional basket
case.
We've got an effective small supporting role by Lesleh
Donaldson (Bernadette O'Hara) who does well
playing a spoiled snob with her whiney type of
behavior and the first victim in the movie. I had
to mention her even if her role was very brief.
Ginny's head is operated in a
surgery room.
A guys face is bloodied by a wheel of a
motorbike.
A violent bloodshed over some walls and a carpet
Some slit throats
Gruesome looking corspes sitting around a table.
There's a nice and impressive
dialogue between supporting actress Lesleh
Donaldson and Frances Hyland in the
neighborhood at night. Donaldson does
well later on with a mocking remark behind her
back after being scolded by being out late at
night as she comes across well by acting spoiled.
There's are good shots on Donaldson being
strangled by a killer with black gloves in a car
as well as later on showing her cried scared
emotions when she sees a a razor blade about to
strike her throat as this leaves off to a good
start for a low budget teenage slasher film.
We have a good scene with the partying teens at a
bar pulling pranks as well as good shots on them
driving their cars trying to jump over a bridge
that is opening up for a boat as there's perfect
shots on the camera looking up with the vehicles
jumping over the open cracks of the bridge
Melissa Sue Anderson did well freaking
out when this happened as well as a good shot on
her jumping out of the car and running away.
We have a good scene with Anderson talking
to her mother's gravestone as well as a good
camera angle shot on the killers gloves pulling
the branches away to show her in a distant with
the tombstone.
There's a nice dark scene with supporting actor Michel-René
Labelle at the graveyard speaking
coldly towards Anderson as it leaves an
impression that he could be a suspect.
Anderson does well by snapping at Lawrence
Dane when she arives home as it's a daughter
and father discussion and also does well showing
their loving emotions towards one another
afterwards.
There's perfect close up shots with Anderson shutting
an outdoor window and lamp. She also does well by
looking nervous afterwards along with a shot on
the window open again. Plus she screamed quite
well after losing her balance.
Hyland was great at scolding Anderson
in her office about the disappearance of one of
the students showing good straight forward
attitude.
A nice flashback memory with Anderson
lying on a table in a surgery room and slowly
rising up with a stunned expression.
We have a perfect moment with Jack Blum
showing a serious and intimidating attitude
towards Anderson and Tracey E.
Bregman in a science lab with a good dark
setting.
There's a good close up camera shot on David
Eisner playing socccer.
Great angle shots on Anderson and Eisner running
up stairs and wandering through a church tower. Eisner
acts goofy with his dialogue towards Anderson
during this which seems a little silly. Later he
shows a good intimidating attitude towards her
when he slowly walks towards her with a jack
knife as well as a good close up shot on the
knife shining in the light too.
One of the most effective directions was with
supporting actor Richard Rebiere bench
pressing and the killer comes into the room as he
asks for more weight and realising he is lifting
too much than he can handle with the killer
pulling away the metal bars that holds the bar
bell which you know that the terror is about to
occur as he is struck between a rock and a hard
place not being able to hold the bar bell for
long as it slowly goes down towards his neck.
A good shot on
Eisner hanging upside down trying to goof around
at a library and a good creeped out reaction on Anderson.
Anderson shows great intense emotional crying
towards Glenn Fordwhen she thinks that she is
losing it when he tries to help her with this
issue.
We have good shots on Blum at night
stalking Anderson at the graveyard as
well as him slowly approaching towards her when
she is kneeling down at a tombstone.
We have the most memorable direction of all which
was a scene between Anderson and Craven
sitting near a fireplace with Anderson feeding
Craven a shishkabob and then a deadly
moment occurs.
A perfect camera shot circling around Anderson
while taking a shower and looking tense as well
as a good close up shot on the shower head with
the water pouring down which leads to a flashback
memory.
During this flashback memory we spot a perfect
close up shot on supporting actress Sharon
Acker drinking and driving in her car on a
stormy night with her close to losing her sanity
as well as Anderson in the seat
panicking when they drive over the bridge ready
to open for a boat. A great car on the car
landing in the water 3 times along with the shot
on Anderson's face in the shower
remembering.
We get a disturbing moment between Anderson
and Acker in the car together underwater
when Anderson has no choice but to
struggle out of the car to save herself as it
looks even scary trying to swim ashore.
Anderson is terrific screaming intensely
after spotting a corpse in a bathtub as well as Ford
being forceful and aggressive to her trying to
force her back to the bathroom.
A good shot on Anderson's barefeet
slowly walking as well as the back of her head
with a sharp metal object from a fireplace.
Another perfect flashback moment that involves Anderson
and Acker with the upsetting news
of no one showing up at the party.
Acker does well losing her sanity at the
front of a gate where a party is occuring
demnading to let them in.
Dane reacts perfectly after spotting what
has happened and in utter shock not knowing what
to do.
Perfect shots on the dead bodies surrounding a
table with Anderson walking up to the
table with a Birthday cake.
She does well acting monstrous and menacing
during a death battle moment.
Bo Harwood and Lance
Rubin compose some great classical music in this
film with some sharp and screechy violin music
for the suspenseful moments such as the killings
as well as some clarinet playing with the theme
song being played in some parts of the film as
well as some mysterious music too.
We also have a
cheesy depressive sounding ballad during the
rolling credits performed by Motown artist Syreeta
performing the title song which did nothing for
me. She did have a nice soft singing voice
though.
Steve
Maxwell (After eating a bite on a
shishkabob fed by Ginny): MMMM, delicious
Ginny Wainwright: Well have some more
(Rams the shishkabob in his mouth)
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