Pillow Party Massacre (2023)

   

Produced, Cinematographed, Written & Directed by: Calvin Morie McCarthy

Starring:

Laura Welsh .... Sam
Chynna Rae Shurts .... Barbra
Jax Kellington .... Alana
Allegra Sweeney .... Miles


Release Date:
Crypticon Seattle Film Festival: May 18, 2023

 

Rating:

 

During a school prank at a school dance, the one that was picked on ends up shooting someone and is put away.
Two years later it's a summer holiday as the girls responsible for what happened all go away at a house in the deep dark woods in which they are victims to a masked killer.

 

The opening credits happen almost immediately during a highschool dance in which the colouring for the credits totally had that 80's type of look to it which is an attention grabber that this flick is a tribute to 80's slasher films. However, it shows kids at their school dance looking very unnatural and bland too. This needed to be whipped in shame big time.
Plus cheesy moments with a DJ at the dance being sarcastic along with people putting him down.
Then comes the better part of the story with a guy coming on to a girl that's often picked on while about to see some action in a washroom only to be set up for humiliation since it's an April fools prank. This moment looked fairly well done and this is of course a nice start to a mysterious slasher later on. However this put upon teen ends up killing a few people while she was humiliated. A nice touch of course but the CGI effects looked so badly computerised due to it's low budget.
Then the girls plan a summer getaway in which our lead character Sam has a conversation with her boyfriend as this was well concentrated and well shot on what they were discussing.
One of the girls first arrives at the lodge in which she grooves to her music and dances with herself as well as doing other stuff. This moment was overly long and lame to watch. Within all this I sensed the killer will do her in. Outside in the dark we see a camera focusing on the door in which I figured it was the killer ready to approach the door with his heavy breathing which was done way too over the top and not creepy at all.
Yet there's improvements in the story as when the girls make a stop somewhere they encounter a homeless person who kindly asks for something and these girls are generous to him which had a nice touch to the story and well written by all their interactions. It would almost make you cry.
After entering the lodge the police arrive to ask if things are safe and boy does it look corny and once again a bit too long.
While the girls are having fun they get into a long game in the backyard of truth or dare as this also looked long and pointless to watch. Plus they get into heated arguments.
Later on when there are shots of the killers boots sneaking into the home and hiding out, the girls get into a pillow fight when they are indoors with feathers flying around. This moment was also a bore to watch.
However, more improvements take place as we spot the dimwitted police are at it again checking something out when it's nighttime along with a nice surprising moment on a slashing. This I had to admit looked greatly done and will appeal to slasher fans.
The killer even approaches a pothead and puts him out of his misery which gorehounds will love this moment. So this was another nice slaying moment. However how this maniac slashes the victim it's offscreen. Probably due to budgetary reasons.
Suddenly the terror happens with the girls in which there's a camera shot of the killer going into the kitchen to take out a knife as this seemed to pay a homage in Halloween.
More slashings occur while the girls try to hide and escape which looked quite decent due to the budget that this one carried. Plus a great night shot on the masked killer standing there in the deep dark woods. This was a classic moment so these filmmakers deserve good credit for some of this. Not all of this was bad.
The final moments when the killer is revealed things looked very powerful between the last survivor and the maniac. Things grow intense and was brought to life.
Bottom line is that the filmmaker is a fan of the Slumber Party Massacre and Sorority House Massacre franchise so he made a film paying a tribute to those. Yet it looks too current and not as 80's horror cheese in which that was what I liked about them. But they earned a two bat rating for most of the good killings instead of this one being below average.

The acting is a bit wooden but they tried their best as you can tell such as Laura Welsh (Sam) in which she really shows a nice outgoing type of attitude. She also come across as the most mature and smart type of teen. Plus does a great job with her energy when the terror strikes her as well as having a nice emotional attitude when trying to apologise to the onscreen killer as she brings this moment out greatly and dramatically. So I would say that she was the best in the cast.
Chynna Rae Shurts (Barbra) showed off a strong and sharp presence in her role. She also showed off a strong clear speaking when she delivered in her lines. Also knew on how to act fast with stuff along with reacting to situations pretty good.
Jax Kellington (Alana) showed off a decent mildly aggressive and cocky type of behavior. Also does well by acting short wwith what she is talking about. Plus seems to come off nicely as someone whom has a no nonsense attitude. She showed off some fair energy within all of this.
Allegra Sweeney (Miles) was fast acting and full of spunk in her supporting role. She was good with her fast talking especially when the terror occurs. Was quite decent within what she had to do. Was pretty good sobbing in fear near the end of her performance. Seemed to come across well with her presence.

Jax Kellington shows off her breasts during a party when having fun with her onscreen friends

Guys head is shot with bad CGI
Knife is stabbed from the back of someone's head and an eyeball popping out
Officer throat is slit with constant blood gushing out
Another officer's hand is chopped off
Person's insides are falling on the ground
Girl's face is burned from steamed rocks in a sauna
Branch of a tree is impaled through someone's mouth
Guy's head is decapitated and revealing more bad CGI effects
Knife is stabbed through someone's chin

The music was quite fun to listen to in each scene. At times there's lame accoustic guitar twanging. However, some neat 80's cheesy stynthesizer style music sounding perfectly creepy especially for the killing scene's. It helped the story a bit from saving it from being below average.