Graduation Day

( 1981)-This slasher film is mediocre at best but has a few clever death scenes and an adequate body count to keep you interested. The movie begins with track star, Laura Ramstead, dying of a blood clot in front of the whole high school just after she crosses the finish line. Laura's death sparks a series of murders that are executed by a faceless killer armed with a stop watch and whatever weapon seems handy at the time. There is actually a scene where a high school football player is killed with his own football! Who doesn't want to see that? I'm not bitter at all about high school... anyway back to the review. What I really like about this movie is that it's a classic cheesy 80's b-slasher, complete with high school students who look like they're in their 30's and slow motion montage moments placed randomly throughout the film. Another plus, is that Linnea Quigley (B-movie scream queen) co-stars in the movie so that always means nudity. The movie also features Vanna White who has a very small role with not much dialogue. The movie was directed by Herbert Freed and is available on DVD. Overall I think if you're an 80's slasher fan who is always looking for more, it is definitely worth watching. On the other hand, if you're looking for a high-thrill, keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat horror movie, then skip it!

The Burning

(1981)-If you like the Friday the 13th series, this is definatley one to check out! The movie begins with a group of young kids at a summer camp who decide to play a prank on the caretaker, Cropsy. Their prank goes horribly wrong and although Cropsy comes out alive, he is severaly burned. Now that he's deformed, Cropsy is pissed off at the world and decides to take revenge on the next generation of campers and their counselors. His weapon of choice is a pair of very sharp gardening shears that rack up a fair body count once you get half-way through the movie. Although the filming style and quality of this movie may be grittier and a little more low-budget than the Friday series, the movie does feature a very memorable death scene involving several campers on a raft. The movie also features some well-known actors such as Jason Alexander and Holly Hunter. Most of the music in the movie is done by Rick Wakemen,of the band Yes, and relies heavily on synthesized keyboard compositions. It is directed by Tony Maylam and is currently available on DVD. A must see for slasher fans, especially those who love classic 80's slashers!