Decent early 80s’ slasher with some script flaws
RELEASED IN 1983 and written & directed by Mark Rosman Stoller, "The House on Sorority Row" chronicles events at a sorority house outside of Baltimore where seven girls responsible for an accidental death start dying one by one during their graduation party.
The film borrows elements from “Black Christmas” (1974) and the French horror “Diabolique” (1955), like the unused swimming pool to conceal a body that later disappears. The first act is quite good, particularly the accidental death scene, which is well-acted for no-name actresses. Only two of the seven went on to a career in acting: The protagonist who plays Katie (Kate McNeil) and the slutty girl, Vicky (Eileen Davidson). Speaking of the girls, they present a realistic feminine smorgasbord with Morgan (Jodi Draigie) arguably being the most attractive. None of them, however, are anything to go gaga over (looks-wise, that is).
What marred the film for me was the dubious writing. For instance, wouldn't the girls be perplexed at how a dead body mysteriously made it to the attic? What caused it to suddenly fall down the trap door? Why don’t any of the girls look at the face of the corpse to verify its identity? Would a couple of girls who know very little about guns seriously enact a prank using a questionable mixture of bullets and blanks? If you can get past these issues, “The House on Sorority Row” is a decent early 80s’ slasher with a worthy plot and pretty good production values.
THE MOVIE RUNS 1 hour 31 minutes and was shot at Eltonhead Mansion in Pikesville, Maryland, with establishing shots done at University of Maryland, College Park. ADDITIONAL WRITER: Bobby Fine.
GRADE: C
Has its moments I guess but nothing that really stands out other than a couple creepy shots. The performances are basic for this genre (though Akthryn McNeil was fine in the lead) while the kills are forgettable (just girls getting killed over and over using a cane). The twist also wasn't all that surprising either. Eh, it's fine however doubtful I'd ever revisit. **3.0/5**
