 Researching
this guy was tough. Very little
is known (or available) regarding
Simon Scuddamore other than he
committed suicide promptly after
completing the film ‘Slaughter
High’ in
1986. In the movie
Scuddamore played the tormented
geek (Marty Ratzen) of Doddsville
County High School. As anyone who
has seen ‘Carrie’
(or numerous other slasher
flicks) will tell you,
“Don’t push a geek too
far or he or she will snap.”
Guess what? After a second prank
involving nitric acid (That old
prank! Not so funny) Marty snaps,
big time. Before you can say,
“A psychopath is born”
Marty vows vengeance, and he gets
it. Score one for the burned and
disfigured geeks everywhere! Marty organizes one
of those fake reunions
(“Hey, I thought you sent
the invitations!”) at their
old high school before it’s
to be leveled and invites that
hated clique back for their
karmic comeuppance. It starts
with a cool death -- beer laced
with something that makes a
guy’s intestines explode
(was that a Schlitz Malt Liquor?)
At once “the gang”
suspects foul play (DUH!) and
decides to (DOUBLE DUH!) split up
and try to find a way out of the
school (“Oh my God,
we’re locked in!”).
Knowing there is a homicidal
maniac on the premises they do
additional insane things like ---
hmmm, since the circumstances are
oh so sexy, let’s have
sex…”Look out you
fornicating folk, that mattress
is hot wired!” One takes a
bath (I mean, wouldn’t you
given the circumstances!) and
hops into a tub of acid.
Another climbs under a riding
mower (A very bad horror movie
idea!) to “fix it” so
they can ride away.
‘Slaughter
High’ is all
rather-paint-by-the-numbers gore
fair, but it’s sort of like
comfort food -- you know just
what to expect and that’s
what makes it delicious. In fact,
it’s quite entertaining
watching these idiots do
absolutely insane things and get
theirs. One of the most
mind-boggling and uncomfortable
parts of the movie however has to
do with the casting. It’s
weird watching scream queen
extraordinaire Caroline Munroe (a
gorgeous woman, but still 36 at
the time!) play a 16-year-old
high school student. The rest of
the cast is also considerably
“long in the tooth” for
the early parts of the movie.
Some even look a bit old for any
high school reunion.
Back to
our boy…Simon Scuddamore
certainly sunk his teeth into the
role of Marty and has fun with
it. He even has a full frontal
nude scene (always appreciated).
The young actor leaves behind
this single film, which brought
him just a bit of slasher
immortality. It’s a small
body of work for a troubled soul
that for whatever reason grew
overwhelmed by the circumstances
in his life and ended up taking
his own. This one’s for you
Simon!
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