Sorority House Massacre
Encyclopedia
Sorority House Massacre is a 1986 slasher film
in the same realm as the Slumber Party Massacre
series, and was marketed as part of the "Massacre Collection". It is often criticized for being "too similar" to Halloween
.
, where she joins a sorority. Due to a memory block, she doesn't remember that the sorority house was her childhood house, however her memory soon starts to return. Meanwhile, Bobby senses her presence in the house and escapes the mental asylum so he can finish the job he was unable to complete.
As Beth settles into the sorority, many of the girls leave for the weekend, leaving only her, Linda (Wendy Martel), Sara (Pamela Ross) and Tracy (Nicole Rio) in the house. As the girls enjoy having the house to themselves, Craig (Joe Nassi), Andy (Marcus Vaughter) and John (Vinnie Bilancio) come over. John tells the story of Beth's family murders, scaring her. She goes to bed and has a nightmare about her brother, becoming more scared. She remembers her brother hiding a knife in the fireplace, and when the group investigate, they find the knife. Realizing the time, Andy leaves in a rush, only to be confronted by Bobby and stabbed to death. Linda hypnotizes Beth, who recalls Bobby attacking her. Afterwards, Tracy and Craig go outside to the tipi
they set up earlier, while Linda and Sara go to bed. Bobby attacks Tracy and Craig, shredding the tipi with his knife. As they try to escape, Tracy is stabbed to death. Craig runs into the house and alerts Linda and Sara who try to phone the police but find the lines have been cut. They attempt to warn Beth and John, but both have fallen asleep. As Bobby approaches them, Beth wakes and runs upstairs to the others, but John is murdered.
The survivors barricade themselves inside a room, before Craig escapes out the window down a safety ladder. While he holds it steady for Linda to climb down, Bobby stabs Craig to death before climbing up the ladder for Linda. Linda manages to make it back through the window and the others remove the ladder, making Bobby fall. Thinking he is dead, the girls try to escape the house but upon discovering he is still alive barricade themselves back into the room. However, Bobby comes in through the window and they flee outside. They once more encounter Bobby, who manages to repeatedly stab Sara. Meanwhile, Bobby's search party realize he will of gone to his old house and send the police there.
Beth and Linda run down into the basement where Beth finally realizes what happened to her when she was younger. When Bobby once more attacks them, the girls run upstairs. Bobby corners Beth but Linda manages to hit him with a shovel. Thinking he is dead, they begin to leave the house, but Bobby stabs Linda before attacking Beth who over powers him and stabs him in the neck. The police arrive Beth is taken to hospital where she continues to have nightmares about her brother.
theatrically in the United States
by Concorde Pictures
in October 1986. The film was released on VHS
the following year by Warner Home Video
.
The film has been released twice on DVD
in the United States
by New Concorde Home Entertainment
; once as a single film edition in 2000 and as a double feature release alongside sequel Sorority House Massacre II in 2003. Both releases are currently out of print
.
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
in the same realm as the Slumber Party Massacre
Slumber Party Massacre
The Slumber Party Massacre is a 1982 slasher film directed by Amy Holden Jones and written by Rita Mae Brown.-Plot:Trish Devereaux , an 18 year old teen decides to throw a slumber party while her parents are away and their neighbor Mr. Contant is given the job of checking in on the girls during...
series, and was marketed as part of the "Massacre Collection". It is often criticized for being "too similar" to Halloween
Halloween (1978 film)
Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
.
Plot
As a little girl, Beth (Angela O'Neill) brother, Bobby (John C. Russell) kills her whole family and attempts to kill her. When he is caught, he is committed, and she grows up with a new family. Years later, Beth goes to collegeCollege
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
, where she joins a sorority. Due to a memory block, she doesn't remember that the sorority house was her childhood house, however her memory soon starts to return. Meanwhile, Bobby senses her presence in the house and escapes the mental asylum so he can finish the job he was unable to complete.
As Beth settles into the sorority, many of the girls leave for the weekend, leaving only her, Linda (Wendy Martel), Sara (Pamela Ross) and Tracy (Nicole Rio) in the house. As the girls enjoy having the house to themselves, Craig (Joe Nassi), Andy (Marcus Vaughter) and John (Vinnie Bilancio) come over. John tells the story of Beth's family murders, scaring her. She goes to bed and has a nightmare about her brother, becoming more scared. She remembers her brother hiding a knife in the fireplace, and when the group investigate, they find the knife. Realizing the time, Andy leaves in a rush, only to be confronted by Bobby and stabbed to death. Linda hypnotizes Beth, who recalls Bobby attacking her. Afterwards, Tracy and Craig go outside to the tipi
Tipi
A tipi is a Lakota name for a conical tent traditionally made of animal skins and wooden poles used by the nomadic tribes and sedentary tribal dwellers of the Great Plains...
they set up earlier, while Linda and Sara go to bed. Bobby attacks Tracy and Craig, shredding the tipi with his knife. As they try to escape, Tracy is stabbed to death. Craig runs into the house and alerts Linda and Sara who try to phone the police but find the lines have been cut. They attempt to warn Beth and John, but both have fallen asleep. As Bobby approaches them, Beth wakes and runs upstairs to the others, but John is murdered.
The survivors barricade themselves inside a room, before Craig escapes out the window down a safety ladder. While he holds it steady for Linda to climb down, Bobby stabs Craig to death before climbing up the ladder for Linda. Linda manages to make it back through the window and the others remove the ladder, making Bobby fall. Thinking he is dead, the girls try to escape the house but upon discovering he is still alive barricade themselves back into the room. However, Bobby comes in through the window and they flee outside. They once more encounter Bobby, who manages to repeatedly stab Sara. Meanwhile, Bobby's search party realize he will of gone to his old house and send the police there.
Beth and Linda run down into the basement where Beth finally realizes what happened to her when she was younger. When Bobby once more attacks them, the girls run upstairs. Bobby corners Beth but Linda manages to hit him with a shovel. Thinking he is dead, they begin to leave the house, but Bobby stabs Linda before attacking Beth who over powers him and stabs him in the neck. The police arrive Beth is taken to hospital where she continues to have nightmares about her brother.
Cast
- Angela O'Neill as Beth
- Wendy Martel as Linda
- Pamela Ross as Sara
- Nicole Rio as Tracy
- John C. Russell as Bobby
- Marcus Vaughter as Andy
- Vinnie Bilancio as John
- Joe Nassi as Craig
- Mary AnneMary AnneDaphne du Maurier's novel Mary Anne is a fictionalised account of the real-life story of her great-great-grandmother, Mary Anne Clarke née Thompson ....
as Mrs. Lawrence - Gillian Frank as Dr. Lindsey
- Joseph Mansier as Technician
- Robert AxelrodRobert AxelrodRobert M. Axelrod is an American political scientist. He is Professor of Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Michigan where he has been since 1974. He is best known for his interdisciplinary work on the evolution of cooperation, which has been cited in numerous articles...
(credited as Axel Roberts) as Larry - Fitzhugh G. Houston (credited as Fitzhough Huston) as Detective Gilbertur
- Sandy Fury (uncredited) as Sorority Girl
Release
The film was given a limited releaseLimited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
theatrically in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by Concorde Pictures
New Concorde
New Concorde is a Los Angeles, California based film distribution company founded by Roger Corman. NC got its start in 1983 when Corman formed the production and distribution Concorde-New Horizons as one of the first production companies to develop and take advantage of video as a distribution...
in October 1986. The film was released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
the following year by Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
.
The film has been released twice on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by New Concorde Home Entertainment
New Concorde
New Concorde is a Los Angeles, California based film distribution company founded by Roger Corman. NC got its start in 1983 when Corman formed the production and distribution Concorde-New Horizons as one of the first production companies to develop and take advantage of video as a distribution...
; once as a single film edition in 2000 and as a double feature release alongside sequel Sorority House Massacre II in 2003. Both releases are currently out of print
Out of print
Out of print refers to an item, typically a book , but can include any print or visual media or sound recording, that is in the state of no longer being published....
.