Lively, entertaining reviews of, and essays on, old and newer films and everything relating to them, written by professional author William Schoell.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

THE HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW

Eileen Davidson as the Mean Girl
THE HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW (1983). Director/writer: Mark Rosman.

A prologue in 1961 indicates that a certain someone who is potentially very dangerous must be put away for everyone's safety. Twenty years later a group of sorority girls decide to celebrate their graduation by putting on a party. The girls can't stand their harridan of a den mother, Mrs. Slater (Lois Kelso Hunt), so they play a mean prank on her that goes horribly wrong. Then an unseen somebody begins to stalk the young women, murdering them and their dates one by one. Borrowing a lot from Friday the 13th, The House on Sorority Row is an acceptable slasher flick that is not very well directed. The "highlight" of the flick is a bathroom murder scene that ends with the head-in-the-toilet-bowl bit. Eileen Davidson, who later came to soap prominence on The Young and the Restless, is effective enough as the resident "mean girl." Michael Kuhn, who plays the sensitive Peter, became a producer after this one screen appearance. Robin Meloy, the hysterical blonde, Jeanie, also had this one film credit. A not bad score by Richard Band. Remade as Sorority Row in 2009.

Verdict: Fair to middling slasher. **1/2.                                              

2 comments:

angelman66 said...

This one was pretty good, as I remember, I need to look for it now to see again after your evocative review. Forgot Eileen was in it - not only is she is a soap star but also now a reality star as one of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (and is married to the still-very-cute Vince Van Patten).
-Chris

William said...

I was not aware that she's now on a reality show. I wonder if she's still doing Y&R which my late partner and I used to watch religiously (I got out of the habit).

I remember Vince Van Patten but other than this reality show have no idea what he's up to.

Davidson is a good actress, adeptly playing one of "Victor Newman's" ex-wives (out of about a dozen).