The story here is simple enough: on a college campus, coeds find their good-hearted fun, in the form of a scavenger hunt, hampered by the activities of a brutal killer who has murdered the basketball team's mascot, appropriated his goofy bear costume, and is using it to escape detection while slaughtering the participants. To add to that, there's a melodramatic sub plot about the killing of campus security head Jim MacVey's (Hal Holbrook) daughter once upon a time, which is going to prove to be important to the story later. Name actor Holbrook is clearly slumming here, and looks rather weary; his appearance certainly must have something to do with the fact that his son David is also in the movie playing the pivotal role of Mike Prior, a volatile athlete. But it is great novelty to see him here, and it's a treat to see the other adult actors, lovely Rutanya Alda as Barney (!), and her husband Richard Bright as the detective who shows up on the scene. Other familiar faces include some slasher alumni: Lauren-Marie Taylor ("Friday the 13th Part 2") and Carrick Glenn ("The Burning"), and of course ravishing lead Julia Montgomery was Betty Childs in "Revenge of the Nerds". The problem that this viewer has with this movie is that it gets a little tiresome after a while. Yes, it does have some things going for it: the addition of a scavenger hunt helps to create a somewhat playful approach, as well as the bear costume (it is a hoot to see a slasher villain wearing something like this), the soundtrack features golden oldies like "Summer in the City" and "Do You Believe in Magic", and the killer's weapon of choice automatically calls to mind the glove made famous by Freddy in "A Nightmare on Elm Street" two years later. There is some atmosphere and suspense and a little bit of gore. However, in order to get to this movie's good stuff, one has to sit through a lot of dopey comedy & tomfoolery, and emphasis on character relationships before the pacing picks up at all. The beginning is pretty good, but the ending, once our psycho's identity is revealed, is fairly abrupt and not altogether satisfying. At least the calls that this person places to both campus DJ Kaiser (Larry Mintz) and MacVey are good for major amusement. Underwhelming overall, but does have its moments here and there. Five out of 10.
49 Reviews
Girls N-I-G-H-T Out or Holy Knife-Clawed Bears Batman!
Nightman8527 October 2004
The early '80s was a boom-time for slasher films, which is how a cheesy-kill fest like this one made it to the big screen. Girls Nite Out is about the average expectation of a low-budget 80's slasher.
It's a dark night at Dewitt College in rural Ohio. The basketball team is on cloud nine. The students are clowning (and fooling) around. The disk jokey is belting out golden oldies at the campus radio station. And a scavenger hunt as been planned for the evening. What could go wrong? Well... it seems that an insane man is loose, or is it someone else who is running around killing people in a bear suit? Yes, I typed bear suit. *Laugh here* Anyway, it seems that the scavenger search party may just be in danger of getting sliced.
Yep, business as usual in body count world - only this time there's little gore and no nudity. There's plenty of college kids goofing around though. Still, the young cast is energetic and likable enough to keep the movie from completely sinking and the murder scenes have a kind of amusing tongue-in-cheekness to them.
It's certainly not the best of the '80s slash boom, but it's not the worst either. It's worth a look, if only for laughs.
** out of ****
It's a dark night at Dewitt College in rural Ohio. The basketball team is on cloud nine. The students are clowning (and fooling) around. The disk jokey is belting out golden oldies at the campus radio station. And a scavenger hunt as been planned for the evening. What could go wrong? Well... it seems that an insane man is loose, or is it someone else who is running around killing people in a bear suit? Yes, I typed bear suit. *Laugh here* Anyway, it seems that the scavenger search party may just be in danger of getting sliced.
Yep, business as usual in body count world - only this time there's little gore and no nudity. There's plenty of college kids goofing around though. Still, the young cast is energetic and likable enough to keep the movie from completely sinking and the murder scenes have a kind of amusing tongue-in-cheekness to them.
It's certainly not the best of the '80s slash boom, but it's not the worst either. It's worth a look, if only for laughs.
** out of ****
Some Good Times
traciecavill13 July 2020
Girls Nite Out probably doesn't get talked about as much as many of the other slasher films of the early 80's and for good reason. There's not a lot of suspense, many of the kills are unimaginative, and it never gives us a stable protagonist to root for.
It's much more of an ensemble film than anything else with the film's focus shifting from one person to the next as the coeds on a college campus are picked off one by one by a psycho in their school's bear mascot costume during a scavenger hunt.
A late in the game twist does redeem the film slightly and closes the film on a really creepy note, but by that point, it's a little too late to liven things up much. Hal Holbrook looks like he shot all of his scenes in one day and doesn't seem too happy about it.
It's much more of an ensemble film than anything else with the film's focus shifting from one person to the next as the coeds on a college campus are picked off one by one by a psycho in their school's bear mascot costume during a scavenger hunt.
A late in the game twist does redeem the film slightly and closes the film on a really creepy note, but by that point, it's a little too late to liven things up much. Hal Holbrook looks like he shot all of his scenes in one day and doesn't seem too happy about it.
By-The-Numbers
drhackenstine18 September 2005
A pretty by-the-numbers slasher entry from the early '80's. A maniac in a bear suit with steak knives for claws (Freddy?) prowls around a college campus on the night of a coed scavenger hunt. There's a small body-count, a really dumb ending and a little blood. The film is pretty dark-looking, but there are some good atmospheric shots, and the acting is above average for this type of film. The story moves fast enough, but the murder scenes seem poorly executed, leaving little to offer slasher fans. The bear costume is original though. Too bad the ending is incredibly stupid (that dubbed-in voice just does not work). Features a few messy neck shreddings, but little else. Two Stars.
Rampant overacting, Schaefer beer, a killer mascot, and 95 minutes of red herrings
selfdestructo31 October 2022
Warning: Spoilers
I've come to rely on Arrow for unearthing interesting obscure slashers. I have quite a few good ones (or at least intriguing relics with a good story to their making), but Girls Nite Out is an exception. I would hardly even qualify it as a slasher. The killer dresses in a bear mascot uniform, with dinner knives for claws (hint, hint). All the kills are identical, that is, the ones they show. There's some blood, and zero nudity (as well as zero tension). I dunno, maybe minus all the pot smoking, it could pass for PG-13?
Full disclosure: My absolute LEAST favorite horror sub genre is the murder mystery. Which is exactly what we're saddled with. Frankly, I thought there were too many characters, too many infidelities to follow, and really only one glaring suspect... Who it's obviously not going to be. There is not one subtle performance to be found in this entire flick. Either everyone got caught up in the college campus partying lifestyle, and were drunk for the whole duration, or the director told every actor to simply go OTT. Hal Holbrook is relatively contained (most the time), but it sure seems like he was shot entirely separate from the rest of the cast, and spliced in during editing.
I actually enjoyed the all-night scavenger hunt aspect, with the local DJ broadcasting clues, AND a killer on the loose, but they totally bail on this premise once the body count increases. The final act is easily the worst part of this film. Everything grinds to a halt when the security guard calls the DJ to announce the scavenger hunt is prematurely over. The cops show up, and tell everyone to go back to their dorms. THEN there's a whole series of interrogation scenes, complete with smarmy detectives, AND flashbacks to scenes we just saw! A good mystery would use this device to reveal pertinent information!
Horror movies = inept cops. Seems like it's up to the students, some conflict, and some fatal mistakes to discover who our killer is. This ending is so far out-of-left-field, and flat-out ludicrous, that it made me feel like I wasted my evening on this one. This reveal relies, literally, on last-minute revelations (and some bad dubbing).
How much of the budget was spent on the soundtrack? Ok, how much was Hal paid? This is a decidedly low budget production, yet was replete with old 60's hits. And it did not appear to take place that decade. I really appreciate Arrow's efforts to piece together the best possible version from a variety of sources, but Girls Nite Out was, to me, a lost cause.
Full disclosure: My absolute LEAST favorite horror sub genre is the murder mystery. Which is exactly what we're saddled with. Frankly, I thought there were too many characters, too many infidelities to follow, and really only one glaring suspect... Who it's obviously not going to be. There is not one subtle performance to be found in this entire flick. Either everyone got caught up in the college campus partying lifestyle, and were drunk for the whole duration, or the director told every actor to simply go OTT. Hal Holbrook is relatively contained (most the time), but it sure seems like he was shot entirely separate from the rest of the cast, and spliced in during editing.
I actually enjoyed the all-night scavenger hunt aspect, with the local DJ broadcasting clues, AND a killer on the loose, but they totally bail on this premise once the body count increases. The final act is easily the worst part of this film. Everything grinds to a halt when the security guard calls the DJ to announce the scavenger hunt is prematurely over. The cops show up, and tell everyone to go back to their dorms. THEN there's a whole series of interrogation scenes, complete with smarmy detectives, AND flashbacks to scenes we just saw! A good mystery would use this device to reveal pertinent information!
Horror movies = inept cops. Seems like it's up to the students, some conflict, and some fatal mistakes to discover who our killer is. This ending is so far out-of-left-field, and flat-out ludicrous, that it made me feel like I wasted my evening on this one. This reveal relies, literally, on last-minute revelations (and some bad dubbing).
How much of the budget was spent on the soundtrack? Ok, how much was Hal paid? This is a decidedly low budget production, yet was replete with old 60's hits. And it did not appear to take place that decade. I really appreciate Arrow's efforts to piece together the best possible version from a variety of sources, but Girls Nite Out was, to me, a lost cause.
Didn't flinch once but had a surprise ending
aztrshbyz9 June 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I have such mixed feelings about this movie.
GIRL'S NITE OUT has a little bit of gore - not as much as you'd see in a normal slasher movie and not nearly as graphic as most I've seen, but it has some. It was executed (in a manner of speaking) about as well as you'd expect for an average 1980's slasher film.
In places, the movie annoyed the you know what out of me. Stupid jump scares and set ups that don't go anywhere aren't really my thing. Nor is watching a bunch of horny, drunk college students I don't really care about. It includes the obvious ploy to make you think that a certain person is the killer - that usually means it isn't, and this movie is no exception. As is common in a lot of slashers, there really isn't a plot to be had. It does have the generally mandatory back story though. GNO also has some audio problems here and there.
On the plus side, this one didn't insult my intelligence by making me watch people do idiotic things. I hate stupid horror movies where everyone knows there's a killer but they decide to split up anyway, go for a walk at night in the forest, check out the attic on their own, etc. At least in this film the characters didn't know there was a murderer on the loose and most of the time, they had a reason to be alone - a nice change.
The soundtrack is pretty good overall, and there is also a fair amount of licensed music from the 1960's. I think that's probably where most of the budget went (along with hiring in Hal Holbrook).
Most of the acting was okay with a few exceptions.
The film starts out slow (again, watching college students partying and dealing with their dramas) - it picks up in the second half when most of the killing occurs. I will say when the killer was revealed at the end, I was actually quite surprised. I knew it wasn't the person the movie was trying to lead me to believe it was and I thought I'd figured it out - and I was wrong.
One quick note about the plot line such as it is - There is a costume party at the beginning of the movie and it would have made much more sense to have the slaughters happen then because the killer wears a bear costume (the school mascot's), but it is what it is.
This movie would be a great introduction to slasher films if 1. You're college age 2. You don't want to see an excessive amount of gore or graphic violence and 3. You don't watch a lot of horror. For a seasoned horror fan, it was just okay.
GIRL'S NITE OUT has a little bit of gore - not as much as you'd see in a normal slasher movie and not nearly as graphic as most I've seen, but it has some. It was executed (in a manner of speaking) about as well as you'd expect for an average 1980's slasher film.
In places, the movie annoyed the you know what out of me. Stupid jump scares and set ups that don't go anywhere aren't really my thing. Nor is watching a bunch of horny, drunk college students I don't really care about. It includes the obvious ploy to make you think that a certain person is the killer - that usually means it isn't, and this movie is no exception. As is common in a lot of slashers, there really isn't a plot to be had. It does have the generally mandatory back story though. GNO also has some audio problems here and there.
On the plus side, this one didn't insult my intelligence by making me watch people do idiotic things. I hate stupid horror movies where everyone knows there's a killer but they decide to split up anyway, go for a walk at night in the forest, check out the attic on their own, etc. At least in this film the characters didn't know there was a murderer on the loose and most of the time, they had a reason to be alone - a nice change.
The soundtrack is pretty good overall, and there is also a fair amount of licensed music from the 1960's. I think that's probably where most of the budget went (along with hiring in Hal Holbrook).
Most of the acting was okay with a few exceptions.
The film starts out slow (again, watching college students partying and dealing with their dramas) - it picks up in the second half when most of the killing occurs. I will say when the killer was revealed at the end, I was actually quite surprised. I knew it wasn't the person the movie was trying to lead me to believe it was and I thought I'd figured it out - and I was wrong.
One quick note about the plot line such as it is - There is a costume party at the beginning of the movie and it would have made much more sense to have the slaughters happen then because the killer wears a bear costume (the school mascot's), but it is what it is.
This movie would be a great introduction to slasher films if 1. You're college age 2. You don't want to see an excessive amount of gore or graphic violence and 3. You don't watch a lot of horror. For a seasoned horror fan, it was just okay.
The Bear Went Over The Mountain, To Kill What He Could Kill
Coventry30 March 2010
I remember back in high school, there was an English teacher who flunked me once because I deliberately spelled "night" as "nite" in an essay. I wish I knew about the existence of "Girls Nite Out" back then already, so that I could have told him even films use this spelling. Anyways, right after winning a high-school basketball match, the whole insufferable cast of teenage dorks is preparing for a big house party. Imagine yourself the type of flamboyant and outrageous party where the deejay plays irresistible hits like "Yummy, yummy, Yummy, I've got love in my tummy" and where the loudest, most annoying guy of the bunch tells eerie stories to petrify the girls. He tells about Dickie Cavanaugh, a former war veteran who went bonkers, killed a local girl and got put away in the loony bin. Naturally the killer escapes right in time to join the fun, as the very next day the school's famous annual scavenger hunt contest kicks off. The killer wears the basketball team mascot suit – a bear – and ingeniously replaced the fake plastic claws with genuine knives. He also phones the school radio whenever he makes a kill. The school's security guard is the father of crazy Dickie's very first murder victim and he's no less than Hal Holbrook! It's quite an accomplishment for a film like this to cast Hal Holbrook! Whoo! I really can't be too harsh on "Girls Nite Out", actually, because it's full of good intentions and potentially interesting ideas. The scavenger hunt sub plot, for example, is imaginative and the killer's outfit is hilarious. It's a bloke in a bear suit coming gruesome murders! How awesome is that? Makes you think differently of all those people in Disneyland and other theme parks, doesn't it? Ever wondered there could be psychopaths underneath those smiling, friendly faces?
HIGHLY underrated and overlooked slasher
warsystem0412 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I've seen nothing but poor reviews for this movie all over the internet, and after finally watching it I have absolutely no clue why. "Girls Nite Out" not only contains every element of a good slasher flick, but most of the elements and nuances of a GREAT slasher flick. After popping in the original VHS of the film that I recently acquired, the grainy, dark atmosphere was immediate.
A college is having it's annual sorority scavenger hunt on campus, but someone is picking the girls off one by one. There are multiple events leading up to the scavenger hunt that create quite a wide range of suspects, and I absolutely did not guess the killer, something that is rare for me after having seen so many movies in the genre. Once the bear suit was donned by the murderer and the knife hand was made (so perfect, bravo), I truly knew I was dealing with something out of the norm. The bear suit is comical, but is at the same time very twisted, lulling the victims into security and having "that look" to it.
While the plot itself is not too out of the ordinary, character relationships, legitimate suspenseful moments and a dark atmosphere work for this film. The ending is also highly noteworthy and creepy, although it does borrow from "Psycho" quite a bit (what doesn't?). There is no nudity, and no gore aside from lots of blood, but not even this bothered me. The bear grabbing the victims and whispering misogynistic rants is quite perfect enough. The tie in to the history mentioned throughout the movie of the other crime is fully realized, and I was not bored even though there are multiple extended scenes of partying, dialog and walking.
"Girls Nite Out" might just be THE most criminally underrated slasher film I've seen so far. Most of the harder to find and obscure titles in the genre are buried deep for a reason, but "Girls Nite Out" is a shining example of what atmosphere, creativity, character development and a great ending can do for an otherwise basic film. Don't let IMDb or some horror blog fool you, this one is crucial.
A college is having it's annual sorority scavenger hunt on campus, but someone is picking the girls off one by one. There are multiple events leading up to the scavenger hunt that create quite a wide range of suspects, and I absolutely did not guess the killer, something that is rare for me after having seen so many movies in the genre. Once the bear suit was donned by the murderer and the knife hand was made (so perfect, bravo), I truly knew I was dealing with something out of the norm. The bear suit is comical, but is at the same time very twisted, lulling the victims into security and having "that look" to it.
While the plot itself is not too out of the ordinary, character relationships, legitimate suspenseful moments and a dark atmosphere work for this film. The ending is also highly noteworthy and creepy, although it does borrow from "Psycho" quite a bit (what doesn't?). There is no nudity, and no gore aside from lots of blood, but not even this bothered me. The bear grabbing the victims and whispering misogynistic rants is quite perfect enough. The tie in to the history mentioned throughout the movie of the other crime is fully realized, and I was not bored even though there are multiple extended scenes of partying, dialog and walking.
"Girls Nite Out" might just be THE most criminally underrated slasher film I've seen so far. Most of the harder to find and obscure titles in the genre are buried deep for a reason, but "Girls Nite Out" is a shining example of what atmosphere, creativity, character development and a great ending can do for an otherwise basic film. Don't let IMDb or some horror blog fool you, this one is crucial.
"You're all a bunch of whores!"
Geoff-2113 April 2004
Great dialogue there coming from David Halbrook's character. Wait a minute, HAL Holbrook plays the security guard in this movie. I wonder how that happened? Actually, I found it very funny that in practically every scene Hal Holbrook is in he doesn't appear in the same shot with any other character, like he shot all his scenes in one day and they edited him in where needed. I gave this movie a 1. There is no suspense, the killings look stupid, there are no characters to care about, it's just a mess. Julia Montgomery looked better at the bottom of a pie in Revenge of the Nerds. They even put in an interrogation/flashback sequence to fill the audience in on events we witnessed just 20 MINUTES AGO. I fast forwarded through the last half hour just so I could find out who the killer was. . .What a waste of time. OK, the bear suit was cool.
The Scaremaker (1984 - UK Video Title)
PCJ13 October 2003
Well, I came across this little number in Greenwich at the Exchange shop and although the sleeve was an awfully painted picture that "bears" little to no resemblence to any scene in the film I thought I'd pay the £3 and give it a twirl. I'm glad I did. It's good little slasher flick compared to most of the low budget teen horrors of the time. The plot is a little thin as are the not-so-special effects and the killer's stupid costume, but all this adds to the charm. It's the kind of film you'd get from the video man on a friday night and watch with your cousins. And there's loads of almost familar faces that we've all seen in horror films from the era including "Vicky" from "Friday The 13th Part 2". Watchable if you can actually find this title anywhere anymore.
Boring Nite In
Tikkin2 September 2006
I had high hopes for this slasher flick after learning that the killer wears a bear suit. Afterall, there's not many slasher flicks out there where the killer wears a bear suit is there? However, Girls Nite Out is very dull and nothing much seems to happen. There's a few nice death scenes, but they are spread out too much and there's loads of boring scenes in-between. The outside scene in the trees is quite good, especially the part where the killer attacks the girl in the cabin. The ending is one of those that makes you think "huh?" - I imagine the film makers thought it was clever - but really it was just silly.
If you're a slasher completist then you may want to seek this out, but for anyone looking for an Entertaining Nite In - avoid it.
If you're a slasher completist then you may want to seek this out, but for anyone looking for an Entertaining Nite In - avoid it.
Not the exploitation trash they may have you believe...
drownsoda9016 June 2012
"Girls Nite Out" focuses on an isolated Ohio college campus where a group of cheerleaders are preparing for an annual all-night sorority scavenger hunt after the university's victory basketball game. What would be a fun evening for these young women is everything but when a killer dressed in the school's mascot bear suit is stalking and murdering them throughout the night, and the suspicious death of a local asylum patient and former student has the campus security guard (Hal Holbrook) on high lookout.
I had been curious about this film for a long time, and when I finally decided to get a hold of it, my expectations were low due to an overwhelming amount of negative reviews on the internet. While the title "Girls Nite Out" doesn't exactly paint this movie as a class act, I was extremely surprised at how "usual" the film was in terms of slasher protocol, and un-trashy it actually was. I went in expecting something along the lines of "Slumber Party Massacre", and ended up getting a film that had more in common with "Friday the 13th" and "Prom Night" than anything else.
Despite its little-known reputation and apparent sleaze cinema status, the film benefits greatly from slick production values, decent camera work, and surprisingly good acting. Add to that list a handful of unexpectedly bloody murder scenes at the hands of a bear mascot (wielding multiple claw-knives in hand, ala Freddy Krueger, no less), and this is actually a well-rounded slasher movie.
Despite the film's quality production, I think what makes "Girls Nite Out" most unique (and successful) is the killer himself. The bear suit, which might sound corny if you haven't seen it, is actually quite eerie. With large, yellow/green cartoonish eyes, the image of it lurking around the campus is actually really terrifying. Of course, the girls all think that it's the jokester mascot who they know all too well, and that dramatic irony adds a sense of tension to the confrontation scenes. The dark college campus is a perfect setting for the film, and the accompanying score provides heavy doses of unease.
While the film is actually something of a slow burner (the first murder doesn't take place until a good 45 minutes into the film, and the first act is made up of college kid charades which gives the audience a little time to understand the characters, and the writers to flesh out a couple of infidelity subplots), the murder sequences are a payoff for slice-and-dice horror fans. The second murder actually caught me off guard by how graphic it was, and the fact that the killer screams at the female victims, calling them "sluts" and "whores" while digging serrated knives into their necks is pretty disturbing. Like I said before, some of the scenes are surprisingly bloody, while a couple of others are suggestive rather than gratuitous (namely the scene in the chapel attic), but they are all equally effective.
As I mentioned before, the acting in this film is surprisingly good, especially for a movie of this calibre. Hal Holbrook plays a stern campus cop, and the rest of the cast is fleshed out by a group of lively college-aged kids who are more believable than they need to be in an '80s slasher flick. The only real quip I have with the film is that it loses a focal point near the end— in fact, it's hard to tell if it had one in the first place. There are a lot of characters and the script keeps the audience well-acquainted with several of them, but it's difficult to pinpoint a central protagonist, which is mildly problematic once the police and investigators enter the film in the last half hour to try and solve the murders. That said, the absence of one discernible protagonist eliminates the clichéd "final girl", so there is equal playing ground.
The reveal at the end of the film is slightly anticlimactic, but besides that is actually well-handled and bizarre, and greatly acted by the villain (whom I'm not going to name). The final frame of the film is definitely up there as far as "creepy endings" go. Overall, "Girls Nite Out" is overlooked and underrated among its counterparts, and is a lot better than it should be and a hell of a lot better than its reputation. If you like slasher films and appreciate the genre, then give this one a go. 8/10.
I had been curious about this film for a long time, and when I finally decided to get a hold of it, my expectations were low due to an overwhelming amount of negative reviews on the internet. While the title "Girls Nite Out" doesn't exactly paint this movie as a class act, I was extremely surprised at how "usual" the film was in terms of slasher protocol, and un-trashy it actually was. I went in expecting something along the lines of "Slumber Party Massacre", and ended up getting a film that had more in common with "Friday the 13th" and "Prom Night" than anything else.
Despite its little-known reputation and apparent sleaze cinema status, the film benefits greatly from slick production values, decent camera work, and surprisingly good acting. Add to that list a handful of unexpectedly bloody murder scenes at the hands of a bear mascot (wielding multiple claw-knives in hand, ala Freddy Krueger, no less), and this is actually a well-rounded slasher movie.
Despite the film's quality production, I think what makes "Girls Nite Out" most unique (and successful) is the killer himself. The bear suit, which might sound corny if you haven't seen it, is actually quite eerie. With large, yellow/green cartoonish eyes, the image of it lurking around the campus is actually really terrifying. Of course, the girls all think that it's the jokester mascot who they know all too well, and that dramatic irony adds a sense of tension to the confrontation scenes. The dark college campus is a perfect setting for the film, and the accompanying score provides heavy doses of unease.
While the film is actually something of a slow burner (the first murder doesn't take place until a good 45 minutes into the film, and the first act is made up of college kid charades which gives the audience a little time to understand the characters, and the writers to flesh out a couple of infidelity subplots), the murder sequences are a payoff for slice-and-dice horror fans. The second murder actually caught me off guard by how graphic it was, and the fact that the killer screams at the female victims, calling them "sluts" and "whores" while digging serrated knives into their necks is pretty disturbing. Like I said before, some of the scenes are surprisingly bloody, while a couple of others are suggestive rather than gratuitous (namely the scene in the chapel attic), but they are all equally effective.
As I mentioned before, the acting in this film is surprisingly good, especially for a movie of this calibre. Hal Holbrook plays a stern campus cop, and the rest of the cast is fleshed out by a group of lively college-aged kids who are more believable than they need to be in an '80s slasher flick. The only real quip I have with the film is that it loses a focal point near the end— in fact, it's hard to tell if it had one in the first place. There are a lot of characters and the script keeps the audience well-acquainted with several of them, but it's difficult to pinpoint a central protagonist, which is mildly problematic once the police and investigators enter the film in the last half hour to try and solve the murders. That said, the absence of one discernible protagonist eliminates the clichéd "final girl", so there is equal playing ground.
The reveal at the end of the film is slightly anticlimactic, but besides that is actually well-handled and bizarre, and greatly acted by the villain (whom I'm not going to name). The final frame of the film is definitely up there as far as "creepy endings" go. Overall, "Girls Nite Out" is overlooked and underrated among its counterparts, and is a lot better than it should be and a hell of a lot better than its reputation. If you like slasher films and appreciate the genre, then give this one a go. 8/10.
This Bear Has Bite
jacobconnelly-4768128 June 2019
If you were to tell me that there was a slasher movie out there where the killer worse a bear mascot suit with Freddy Krueger claws and shouting obscenities every time they killed, I'd have said "that sounds ridiculous." Yet, here I am having just watched Girls Nite Out and, sure enough, that's exactly how the killer in this looks and behaves.
It should be silly. It should be campy. It should be ridiculous. And yet...somehow...it's surprisingly effective. Maybe it's the gritty film stock and low lighting. Maybe its the mostly naturalistic performances. Maybe its the genuinely unnerving final 5 minutes. I'm not sure what it is, but it works.
Girls Nite Out is light on plot and is in desperate need of a main character. Most of the time, the film cuts from one person to the next as if we're watching a series of random vignettes. The usual "final girl" trope is thrown out for the most part and it seems as if the last ones standing are only doing so because the writer threw darts at all the characters.
There's an odd vibe running throughout Girls Nite Out that's hard to shake off. It has moments that are almost bafflingly unnerving and there's a mean streak a mile wide. That's certainly enough to separate itself from some of the other slashers from around the same time.
It should be silly. It should be campy. It should be ridiculous. And yet...somehow...it's surprisingly effective. Maybe it's the gritty film stock and low lighting. Maybe its the mostly naturalistic performances. Maybe its the genuinely unnerving final 5 minutes. I'm not sure what it is, but it works.
Girls Nite Out is light on plot and is in desperate need of a main character. Most of the time, the film cuts from one person to the next as if we're watching a series of random vignettes. The usual "final girl" trope is thrown out for the most part and it seems as if the last ones standing are only doing so because the writer threw darts at all the characters.
There's an odd vibe running throughout Girls Nite Out that's hard to shake off. It has moments that are almost bafflingly unnerving and there's a mean streak a mile wide. That's certainly enough to separate itself from some of the other slashers from around the same time.
The girls did not really go out all that much.
Aaron13757 October 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Got this movie on a three pack of films called bloody schoolgirls which also featured One Dark Night and Blood Sisters. The only one of them that was good was One Dark Night, both Blood Sisters and this one were boring and almost unwatchable. This one sort of goes all over the place, the basic thing to know is some dudes have just won a basketball game and a there is a bunch of girls dumping some guys for other guys and guys cheating on their girlfriends, you have idiots for comic relief and there is an awesome scavenger hunt! The killer should have simply put a nuclear device in the middle of the campus, detonated it and they could have spared us from having to watch all these random scenes and very underdeveloped characters. Seriously, it was so hard to watch this film simply because the characters were so bland and I had a hard time telling people apart. I thought when the two dumb dudes came into the party one leading one by the chain that they were the two idiots that were introduced in a previous scene acting kind of different. Then everyone is cheating and you start to wonder who are they cheating on, is not that the guy's girlfriend, no wait that is the girl he was hitting on at the party. In all this confusing mess we have a killer in a bear suit killing the students, mainly the female ones. You also have guy who is very angry at being dumped that he says things that if this were real life and not a movie would mean that more than likely he should have been the killer, but this is a movie so his scene automatically disqualified him as the killer. No, in films like these it is always the least likely suspect and when we learn of the killer here we know they have to have ties to the person who hung himself at the start of the film. The film does feature Hal Holbrook, who looks very disinterested in the whole affair and we have the most anticlimactic showdown ever in a film of this sort at the end as the film kind of whimpers and scurries away.
Campus Killer 101
matt-2827 December 2003
Set at Dewitt University, a small Ohio college, this one starts out as a routine drama after a basketball game which Dewitt U wins the title cup. Afterwards, the first 30 or more minutes has the guys of the team partying, drinking, talking and talking with their co-ed girlfriends, etc. Then, an unseen killer, posing as the mascot for the basketball team, begins stalking and killing a number of young girls from the cheerleading squad. Mostly riping their throats out with a hand-made 'claw' in one of the paws made from kitchen knifes. Meanwhile, Mac (Hal Holbrook) is the campus security guard, looking very puzzled to what's going on, who wades through a series of red herrings.
Not the best of the early 1980's slasher flicks, with the bear costume the only original thing about this one. Worth a look for horror fans, with some nice touches to the low-budget.
Contents: seven killings; inferior slaughter; one psycho in a bearsuit; no sex or nudity; lots of Golden Oldies on the soundtrack; much duller and dumber than usual. Note: proper punctuation is not all this one is missing.
Not the best of the early 1980's slasher flicks, with the bear costume the only original thing about this one. Worth a look for horror fans, with some nice touches to the low-budget.
Contents: seven killings; inferior slaughter; one psycho in a bearsuit; no sex or nudity; lots of Golden Oldies on the soundtrack; much duller and dumber than usual. Note: proper punctuation is not all this one is missing.
A slasher that could have been super.
levelheader9929 June 2006
Girls Nite Out is one of those films that could have great if just a few extra touches would have been used. The acting is good for the most part, Hal Holbrook solidifies the cast as a stern campus security head. The story is fair, nothing you haven't seen in a horror film a million times. The look and atmosphere of the film is very good. With alittle less stupid comedy, some more graphic killing (eye gougings, decapitation, gut spilling), alittle more suspense leading up to each killing, and an overhauled ending, this could have been a real winner. Pass on this one unless you just want to see it for the 80's campus nostalgia. Oh yeah, the whole film is chock full of the worst mind numbing oldies music, UUUGGGHHH!!!
Superfluous eighties slasher crap
The_Void15 November 2006
There wasn't exactly a shortage of slashers in the eighties, and consequently a lot of the non-memorable ones are just there to bulk out the numbers. This is one such film. Girls Nite Out is yet another slasher flick that takes place on a school campus, and as such; all the characters in the film are your common set of teens. I couldn't detect much comedy in the film, which is odd because the killer is one of the most ridiculous I've ever seen, in that he goes around slashing people while wearing a giant bear suit! There's a bit of decent gore, but it's not nearly enough to mask the drivel of the rest of the film. Strangely, considering that the main characters are all teenagers, there's not a great deal of sex and director Robert Deubel generally fails to create any atmosphere or generate any suspense at every interval. Of course, the fact that the film works from a poor script that doesn't deliver any characters that we can care about has a lot to do with the film's lack of suspense. Overall, Girls Nite Out is not a slasher worth tracking down, and should be actively avoided!
Routine
acidburn-1024 November 2007
Students at Dewitt University are all getting ready for the annual all night Scavenger Hunt unaware a psycho dressed as the bear mascot and armed with a fist full of steak knives is stalking the young ladies of Dewitt. It sounds like such a simple premise, but director Robert Deubel gives the viewer so much more than a slasher. Severe overacting, bad dialog, unlikable characters, and the lack of a central heroic figure turns a routine slasher into a garbled mess. I suppose the director tried breaking new ground by throwing away most of the Slasher formula unfortunately he threw away the parts that make slasher films great.
The first thirty minutes is more soap opera than slasher. Guys complain about their girlfriends, girls brag about screwing other guys. Far too much screen time is given to characters that vanish midway into the film. The middle section focuses on the killer stalking the girls while on the scavenger hunt. One can tell the hunt is a big event because there are five, count'em, five girls involved. The bear costume is rubbish and the third act plays like a police procedural. Drag in the red herrings, ask them a question, then show flashbacks while they answer.
Hal Holbrook literally "phones" in his performance. He spends most of his screen time behind a desk clutching a receiver instead of patrolling the campus. His son, David Holbrook, plays red herring #3. David growls and stomps through his scenes. Lauren-Marie (Friday the 13th Part 2) Taylor is a welcome sight as one of the bad girls, but fans might cringe when she brags about having great sex with her cousin. Her line "It hurts when I sit down." is one of the worst in the film.
All in all I found this movie quite disappointing, no nudity which didn't really bother me, no gore, low on suspense and plus there is no final girl showdown with the killer a first in the slasher genre which I find a major letdown and what we're left with is a totally stupid ending which kind went out with a whimper instead of a bang. I suppose only die hard Slasher movie fans will want to watch this.
The first thirty minutes is more soap opera than slasher. Guys complain about their girlfriends, girls brag about screwing other guys. Far too much screen time is given to characters that vanish midway into the film. The middle section focuses on the killer stalking the girls while on the scavenger hunt. One can tell the hunt is a big event because there are five, count'em, five girls involved. The bear costume is rubbish and the third act plays like a police procedural. Drag in the red herrings, ask them a question, then show flashbacks while they answer.
Hal Holbrook literally "phones" in his performance. He spends most of his screen time behind a desk clutching a receiver instead of patrolling the campus. His son, David Holbrook, plays red herring #3. David growls and stomps through his scenes. Lauren-Marie (Friday the 13th Part 2) Taylor is a welcome sight as one of the bad girls, but fans might cringe when she brags about having great sex with her cousin. Her line "It hurts when I sit down." is one of the worst in the film.
All in all I found this movie quite disappointing, no nudity which didn't really bother me, no gore, low on suspense and plus there is no final girl showdown with the killer a first in the slasher genre which I find a major letdown and what we're left with is a totally stupid ending which kind went out with a whimper instead of a bang. I suppose only die hard Slasher movie fans will want to watch this.
Watchable
ericritter-017655 October 2020
A group of college kids are killed by someone wearing their school's bear mascot costume during a scavenger hunt go amok.
Girls Nite Out has a lot going for it, but the episodic story structure and ensemble cast end up hurting it more than making it stand out from its contemporaries. There are still some inspired moments and the killer's getup complete with pre-Freddy Krueger razor claws is inspired. The murders are usually scored with a string of hateful, deranged, and sexist phrases coming out of the killer's mouth which gives the film a sleazy and gross flair. The ending, while off the wall, is definitely not one you'll soon forget either.
Girls Nite Out has a lot going for it, but the episodic story structure and ensemble cast end up hurting it more than making it stand out from its contemporaries. There are still some inspired moments and the killer's getup complete with pre-Freddy Krueger razor claws is inspired. The murders are usually scored with a string of hateful, deranged, and sexist phrases coming out of the killer's mouth which gives the film a sleazy and gross flair. The ending, while off the wall, is definitely not one you'll soon forget either.
Teddy Bear And The College Girls Go Wild!
P3n-E-W1s328 April 2022
Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Girls Nite Out; before launching into my critique, here's a breakdown of my ratings:
Story - 1.00 Direction - 1.00 Pace - 1.00 Acting - 1.00 Enjoyment - 1.25
TOTAL - 5.25 out of 10
When I saw Hal Holbrook and Rutanya Alda on the roll call, I was hoping and praying this would be better than the usual slasher flicks. Sadly, it wasn't. Girls Nite Out has slasher mediocrity running through its veins.
The story is the worst perpetrator for this lacklustre approach. By 1982 writers were already starting to regurgitate others' ideas as their own. Refreshing the repetition was usually done by adding appealing characters and an absorbing storyline. Sadly, the writers of this University murderer did neither, causing the story to grow staler with every scene. Albeit, I have to pay respect to a few of the characterisations. Hagen and Dancer are superb. These guys are the Bill and Ted of their time. Clever and witty repartee that is timed and delivered with perfection. Well-written and performed vigorously. There are a couple of similar scenes between Teddy and Maniac. Regrettably, the remainder of the comedic dialogue gets weighed down with stereotypical college humour.
The director also takes the road most travelled, though it's littered with infrequent glimmers of hope. We have the standard shots such as the close-up of feet walking, a gloved hand holding a deadly weapon ominously, and a few jump scares. But then he slips in the murder victim reveal, and two of these are noteworthy - The hanged woman in the showers, the way the killer has trussed her up is ingenious, and the slashed teen in the belfry, the way the body is displayed is chilling. Even with these shining moments, the film doesn't lift itself out of the quagmire of averageness. The director even tries to vary the flow of the picture. At its worst, it's too slow, and at its best, it's only a smidgen faster. That, along with the banal college clowning, gives too many scenes the feeling of being overlong and tedious.
The cast is okay, but none are outstanding, not even Holbrook or Alda. In fact, there's one particular scene where Alda is truly terrible. The other performers range from mediocre to agreeable.
All of which produce an average film, worthy of one viewing - But only if there's nowt else on the telly. Girls Nite Out, like so many films of this ilk, could have been better. More was needed, but less was given.
Please feel free to visit my Killer Thriller Chiller list to see where I ranked Girls Nite Out.
Take Care & Stay Well.
Story - 1.00 Direction - 1.00 Pace - 1.00 Acting - 1.00 Enjoyment - 1.25
TOTAL - 5.25 out of 10
When I saw Hal Holbrook and Rutanya Alda on the roll call, I was hoping and praying this would be better than the usual slasher flicks. Sadly, it wasn't. Girls Nite Out has slasher mediocrity running through its veins.
The story is the worst perpetrator for this lacklustre approach. By 1982 writers were already starting to regurgitate others' ideas as their own. Refreshing the repetition was usually done by adding appealing characters and an absorbing storyline. Sadly, the writers of this University murderer did neither, causing the story to grow staler with every scene. Albeit, I have to pay respect to a few of the characterisations. Hagen and Dancer are superb. These guys are the Bill and Ted of their time. Clever and witty repartee that is timed and delivered with perfection. Well-written and performed vigorously. There are a couple of similar scenes between Teddy and Maniac. Regrettably, the remainder of the comedic dialogue gets weighed down with stereotypical college humour.
The director also takes the road most travelled, though it's littered with infrequent glimmers of hope. We have the standard shots such as the close-up of feet walking, a gloved hand holding a deadly weapon ominously, and a few jump scares. But then he slips in the murder victim reveal, and two of these are noteworthy - The hanged woman in the showers, the way the killer has trussed her up is ingenious, and the slashed teen in the belfry, the way the body is displayed is chilling. Even with these shining moments, the film doesn't lift itself out of the quagmire of averageness. The director even tries to vary the flow of the picture. At its worst, it's too slow, and at its best, it's only a smidgen faster. That, along with the banal college clowning, gives too many scenes the feeling of being overlong and tedious.
The cast is okay, but none are outstanding, not even Holbrook or Alda. In fact, there's one particular scene where Alda is truly terrible. The other performers range from mediocre to agreeable.
All of which produce an average film, worthy of one viewing - But only if there's nowt else on the telly. Girls Nite Out, like so many films of this ilk, could have been better. More was needed, but less was given.
Please feel free to visit my Killer Thriller Chiller list to see where I ranked Girls Nite Out.
Take Care & Stay Well.
Bear-maker, scaremaker
kosmasp10 July 2022
No pun intended - the original title was supposed to be Scaremaker. I don't think that would have been a good idea. On the other hand I imagine going with a killer dressed the way the killer is in the movie ... well probably did sound like a mad idea too. And yet they went for and with it. And why not you may ask. They did the right thing I reckon.
Also predating Nightmare on Elm Street (or Edward for that matter) you did have blades ... Wolverine probably did exist back then, right? I am not as comic book savvy to know the answer, but I would imagine he existed. Anyway, that is not the point. The point is, the movie really set a few things or made others aware of them. While it also build on psycho-logy that already existed (sorry for the pun, I just had to).
An odd movie that has not aged particularly well in some regards - a more woke and sensible generation surely will have issues with certain sexual and non-sexual depictions - especially when it comes to how women are treated. If you can cut this some slack (enough to "enjoy" the madness of the movie), you should be ok. It is not about absolving the movie or the makers. It is about recognizing when it was made and what the status quo was back then ... we've come a long way. But we still have a long way to go - just remember that. Also this is just a movie ... a horror movie at that.
Also predating Nightmare on Elm Street (or Edward for that matter) you did have blades ... Wolverine probably did exist back then, right? I am not as comic book savvy to know the answer, but I would imagine he existed. Anyway, that is not the point. The point is, the movie really set a few things or made others aware of them. While it also build on psycho-logy that already existed (sorry for the pun, I just had to).
An odd movie that has not aged particularly well in some regards - a more woke and sensible generation surely will have issues with certain sexual and non-sexual depictions - especially when it comes to how women are treated. If you can cut this some slack (enough to "enjoy" the madness of the movie), you should be ok. It is not about absolving the movie or the makers. It is about recognizing when it was made and what the status quo was back then ... we've come a long way. But we still have a long way to go - just remember that. Also this is just a movie ... a horror movie at that.
really wretched slasher movie; don't bother even renting it
FieCrier27 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Absolutely one of the worst slasher movies I have ever seen. As Jim Harper writes in his book on slashers, Legacy of Blood, "Watch it if you have to, but you'll probably wish you hadn't."
This recently came out on DVD from Media Blasters. The picture quality is about as good as one might hope for a cheap 1984 slasher, although the sound was very much out of sync as if the whole movie had been badly dubbed. No one else seems to have mentioned this, so I wonder if my friend's DVD player could have done that somehow?
The title of the movie doesn't seem to relate to the film itself. There's no "girls' night out" type thing going on, and a lot of the movie focuses on male characters.
Someone is found hanging in a hospital. For some reason, he's taken to be buried at night. Someone kills the drivers. The mystery is, was he not really dead or did someone else come along?
A bunch of college students are having a scavenger hunt with clues given by the campus radio DJ. The DJ plays oldies, and in fact plays "My Baby Does the Hanky Panky" and "Summer in the City" twice. Lazy guy! The killer steals the goofy-looking bear mascot uniform of the college, adding large serrated knives into the claws. This could have been good, but the killings are really poorly done. The killer makes whispering calls to the DJ.
There are a lot of phone calls in the movie. There's a fair amount of talking, too, that doesn't serve the plot or character development much. Oftentimes, dialog is devoted to recapping events. We even get tape recordings of conversations we heard quite clearly the first time. There are a lot of one-shots of characters, particularly of the DJ and the campus security guard. It made their scenes easy to shoot, I guess.
About the only creepy image in the movie is of a dead woman who is posed in a seated position on a floor against a wall. She's tied up with something.
No nudity in the movie that I recall. There is a bath scene, but it is a bubble bath. When the bather gets out, I don't think the camera shows even her bare shoulders! It stays safely on her head.
In the end, the killer is someone I don't remember seeing earlier in the movie. When one shot towards the end appeared on screen, I said out loud, "oh, that better not be the final shot of the movie." Sadly, it was. Very poor ending to the movie.
This recently came out on DVD from Media Blasters. The picture quality is about as good as one might hope for a cheap 1984 slasher, although the sound was very much out of sync as if the whole movie had been badly dubbed. No one else seems to have mentioned this, so I wonder if my friend's DVD player could have done that somehow?
The title of the movie doesn't seem to relate to the film itself. There's no "girls' night out" type thing going on, and a lot of the movie focuses on male characters.
Someone is found hanging in a hospital. For some reason, he's taken to be buried at night. Someone kills the drivers. The mystery is, was he not really dead or did someone else come along?
A bunch of college students are having a scavenger hunt with clues given by the campus radio DJ. The DJ plays oldies, and in fact plays "My Baby Does the Hanky Panky" and "Summer in the City" twice. Lazy guy! The killer steals the goofy-looking bear mascot uniform of the college, adding large serrated knives into the claws. This could have been good, but the killings are really poorly done. The killer makes whispering calls to the DJ.
There are a lot of phone calls in the movie. There's a fair amount of talking, too, that doesn't serve the plot or character development much. Oftentimes, dialog is devoted to recapping events. We even get tape recordings of conversations we heard quite clearly the first time. There are a lot of one-shots of characters, particularly of the DJ and the campus security guard. It made their scenes easy to shoot, I guess.
About the only creepy image in the movie is of a dead woman who is posed in a seated position on a floor against a wall. She's tied up with something.
No nudity in the movie that I recall. There is a bath scene, but it is a bubble bath. When the bather gets out, I don't think the camera shows even her bare shoulders! It stays safely on her head.
In the end, the killer is someone I don't remember seeing earlier in the movie. When one shot towards the end appeared on screen, I said out loud, "oh, that better not be the final shot of the movie." Sadly, it was. Very poor ending to the movie.
Entertaining little slasher pic...
Iguanatic15 November 2003
After reading the reviews here on the imdb for this movie, I feel I have to step in the redress the balance somewhat! Sure, this isn't "Gladiator" but it's one of the better teen slashers from the eighties and doesn't deserve the mauling it's received here.
The plot - a menacing killer picking off university co-eds during a scavenger hunt - is just a credible as the more popular storylines in slashers like "Prom Night" and "Friday The 13th" and the direction from Robert Deubel generates many decent jolts and suspense. Everything moves at an entertaining pace upto a satisfying finale with a neat little twist.
I'm a big fan of these campus slasher pics - other fine examples being "Final Exam" and "Graduation Day" - and, for me, this was one of the best ones from the eighties. It may look a little dated now we've seen the "Scream"s and "I Know.."s of the late nineties but I'm sure most fans of this nifty horror subgenre will enjoy. Recommended.
**** / *****
The plot - a menacing killer picking off university co-eds during a scavenger hunt - is just a credible as the more popular storylines in slashers like "Prom Night" and "Friday The 13th" and the direction from Robert Deubel generates many decent jolts and suspense. Everything moves at an entertaining pace upto a satisfying finale with a neat little twist.
I'm a big fan of these campus slasher pics - other fine examples being "Final Exam" and "Graduation Day" - and, for me, this was one of the best ones from the eighties. It may look a little dated now we've seen the "Scream"s and "I Know.."s of the late nineties but I'm sure most fans of this nifty horror subgenre will enjoy. Recommended.
**** / *****
College campus slasher with the slayer in a goofy bear costume
Wuchakk28 June 2023
At a college in Westerville, Ohio, bodies start mounting up during an all-night scavenger hunt for the female students in which the killer is dressed in the mascot costume. Hal Holbrook is on hand as the chief security guard.
"Girls Nite Out" (1982) is a slasher in the mold of "Final Exam" and "Happy Birthday to Me" from the year prior, which were two of the first slashers to take place at a college campus (or prep school in the latter case), not counting "Black Christmas" (1974), which focused on a sorority house. The milieu is similar to the contemporaneous "Pieces," a Euro-slasher. These flicks paved the way for college slashers of the future, such as the "Urban Legends" trilogy (1998, 2000 & 2005).
The production values are superior to "Final Exam" and about on par with, say, "Silent Night, Bloody Night" (1972). The no-name cast are surprisingly good with zesty performances, verging on over-the-top, which I chalked up to youthful enthusiasm after winning a big basketball game.
The female cast is fine (for example, Julia Montgomery as Lynn and Suzanne Barnes as Dawn), but the director evidently didn't know how to shoot women (not talkin' 'bout nudity or sleaze).
Despite being a bit obscure, this is a decent early 80's slasher. But, for some strange reason, the story didn't pull me in, like with the other ones mentioned. I also had a hard time distinguishing some of the key characters. It's okay, though, and certainly worth checking out for aficionados of the genre.
The film runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot at Upsala College, East Orange, New Jersey, and Dobbs Ferry, New York.
GRADE: B-/C+
"Girls Nite Out" (1982) is a slasher in the mold of "Final Exam" and "Happy Birthday to Me" from the year prior, which were two of the first slashers to take place at a college campus (or prep school in the latter case), not counting "Black Christmas" (1974), which focused on a sorority house. The milieu is similar to the contemporaneous "Pieces," a Euro-slasher. These flicks paved the way for college slashers of the future, such as the "Urban Legends" trilogy (1998, 2000 & 2005).
The production values are superior to "Final Exam" and about on par with, say, "Silent Night, Bloody Night" (1972). The no-name cast are surprisingly good with zesty performances, verging on over-the-top, which I chalked up to youthful enthusiasm after winning a big basketball game.
The female cast is fine (for example, Julia Montgomery as Lynn and Suzanne Barnes as Dawn), but the director evidently didn't know how to shoot women (not talkin' 'bout nudity or sleaze).
Despite being a bit obscure, this is a decent early 80's slasher. But, for some strange reason, the story didn't pull me in, like with the other ones mentioned. I also had a hard time distinguishing some of the key characters. It's okay, though, and certainly worth checking out for aficionados of the genre.
The film runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot at Upsala College, East Orange, New Jersey, and Dobbs Ferry, New York.
GRADE: B-/C+
"Any bogeyman would be a better date than you"
lost-in-limbo31 July 2011
I had this one sitting on my to-watch pile, but every time I grabbed it. I ended up putting it back favouring something else. Finally I gotta round to watching it last night and ended up thinking while amusingly odd, it didn't really rock my boat and its focus on college melodramatics really made sure the stalk-n-slash elements took a back seat. It really does take quite awhile before it eventually kicks into gear
but in a way it's short-lived. While it wasn't terrible, it didn't deliver the goods
well just not enough of it. A killer murders the college mascot and steals the bear costume as they go about murdering the girls who are taking part in an all-night scavenger hunt held by the campus radio-station. Campus security officer Mac begins to get the feeling something isn't quite right, especially when he gets a strange phone call from someone who claims to be the guy who killed his daughter on these grounds many years ago. Rather a copy-and-paste low-budget 80s Canadian campus slasher outing, that typically sets up its red herrings, harbouring motivations, teenage shenanigans and the likable heroine/s. Although not that distinguishable the performances are believably natural by its young cast, especially the buoyant Julia Montgomery and James Carroll. Adding some class is Hal Halbrook as security officer Mac, but he did look rather weary by his turn. A lot of time is spent with the characters being teenagers, as the thin narrative aimlessly moves around before going on to set-up its vicious shock moments. There's a raw and seedy side to it, but at the same time it can be strangely goofy with its playfulness. From the soap opera dramas, to the homicidal killer bear spouting out sadistic hatred towards women and then the police interrogation sequences. The novelty of the killer in the bear costume is the most original aspect, as it goes on their own little scavenger hunt using its claws which are made of blades to cuddle then hack-up their victim. Then calling the radio station providing its own cryptic clues. As for the revelation to who's behind it, well that comes from left field in a rather unfocused manner and its final freeze frame shot is twisted. Even the campus setting is a perfect place for the carnage to occur, but it's the moodily unhinged music score that sets up its fairly uncanny presence. Solid handling, but slow and silly.
"You almost scared the hell out of me".
"You almost scared the hell out of me".
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