“Sorority House Massacre 2” is a great film and the reason it stands above the glut of sub-par slashers is because director Jim Wynorski knows how to make an entertaining movie. The guy has been knocking out high-caliber exploitation films, not to mention numerous other genres, for at least three decades and clearly knows his audience. (He’s got me figured out anyway!) To me, “Sorority House Massacre 2” is the perfect example of the girls-in-peril slasher flick. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, it gives the viewer what they came to see, and it manages to wrap it up with a 77-minute running time. What are you in for in that 77 minutes? Well, like the box art says, “IT’S CLEAVAGE VS. CLEAVERS AND THE RESULT IS DELTA DELTA DEADLY!” God, I love that tag line.
The story centers on five girls (led by the incredible Gail Harris) who are spending the weekend in a dusty old mansion that they are cleaning up, with the intention of turning it into their new sorority house. Trust me, they are a very tantalizing cast. The reason they got the house so cheap is because a few years back, old man Hockstatter sliced and diced his family there. The girls soon meet Orville Ketchum (Peter Spellos) a big, creepy, lumbering neighbor who describes in great detail the events of that murderous evening and how he was the one who stumbled upon the bodies. After showering and changing into lingerie, the girls play with a Ouija board and seemingly summon the spirit of Clive Hockstatter. They get freaked out, naturally and decide they should just call it a night. That’s when the killing commences. Good little premise, right?
I’ve been obsessed with this movie for quite some time and for numerous reasons. It is a sequel in title only to the original “Sorority House Massacre” and thank goodness, because Wynorski’s film is far more entertaining. The odd thing is, it borrows footage from Roger Corman’s “Slumber Party Massacre” when recounting the tale of the Hockstatter murders. Another film of Wynorski’s, “Hard To Die” features many of the same actresses, as well as Peter Spellos returning as Orville Ketchum, and also uses the same footage from “Slumber Party Massacre” and basically retells the same story only now the girls are playing different characters. For the longest time, I used to try and analyze how these movies were supposed to tie together but eventually I gave up and decided to just enjoy them for what they are. I could go into an even lengthier review of “Hard To Die” but I’ll stop myself. Basically, it’s just like “Sorority House Massacre 2” but it takes place in a high-rise office complex and has machine guns in it, with Gail Harris playing a sexy version of John McClane from Die Hard. It is also an excellent movie that I just can’t get enough of!
As an actress, Gail Harris is far-and-above what you’d expect for this type of film. Melissa Moore and Stacia Zhivago are both great too… and great to look at. The lighting is moody and scary. Chuck Cirino’s soundtrack is wonderfully over the top. As far as I’m concerned, this movie, along with Wynorski’s “Chopping Mall”, set the standard for what low-budget horror should be. It’s an incredibly fun movie that is fairly light on the gore but doesn’t disappoint in the jokes and nudity department, and the length makes it just perfect to program as a double-feature for the evening. My wife and I tend to watch this back to back with “Slumber Party Massacre” quite often. -Scotch
