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!