Let me say, up front, girls, that I have heard of "Slaughter High" for as many years as the film has been out--27, to be exact, as it was first released in 1986. I have never seen it. But, as what is often termed "Reunion Season" begins, it might be a good idea to take a look at it. I certainly don't plan on acting it out in real life, heh, heh, heh!!!!!!!!!! Hell, I don't have the dexterity and skill necessary to pull off any of the stunts in it.
The film follows the same formula as most slashers--in the Past, a Victim is tormented, a prank is played, it goes awry, the Victim goes off to a mental institution, where he emerges from years later, not cured, but as.......... a killer! Which should make one question the credibility of facilities supposedly treating the mentally ill.
In "Slaughter High," Marty Rantzen (Simon Sucuddamore--interesting footnote with him, which I will get to!!!!!!!!!) is his school's Group Scapegoat. I thought I had it bad; Marty has it worse. The film starts with popular girl, Caroline, asking Marty to have sex with her in the locker room. Now, had I been Marty, I would have been suspicious right away, but if Marty had, there would have been no movie. He goes to meet Caroline, and while compromised by his nudity, is attacked physically by a group of his peers. The coach catches it, breaks it up, and assigns the pranksters to a series of back breaking workouts in the gym.
Then, during Chemistry class (I have to give Marty credit for taking it, which I never did, and how these jokesters managed to make it through, I'll never know!!!!!!!!!) two guys give Marty a joint of marijuana, laced with poison, which makes him sick. While upchucking in the Men's Room, other students rig Marty's science experiment, so that it will explode in his face, not realizing, that, atop a shelf which adjoins Marty's table, is a bottle of carbolic acid, (which, again, would never have been there in real life!!!!!!!!!!!!) but the pranksters don't realize this.
The experiment goes awry, and a fire breaks out. During Marty's struggle, he knocks into the shelf, and, of course the acid dumps all over him, disfiguring him. The fire, and his screams, have the pranksters running from the gym to the lab, where they behold a screaming, disfigured Marty, who is hauled away, presumably to a hospital and then a mental institution. Aren't high school kids nice??????
Now, it is ten years later. The prank is forgotten....or is it????????? Each of those involved receive an invitation to a 10th year reunion. What they don't realize, till they arrive, is that the school is closed down, they are the only class members invited, and their old lockers are filled with mementos from their high school years. Once gathered, the group is dispatched, by a killer dressed in a showy jester costume. No secret here, girls!!!!!!!!!! Of course, it is Marty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
While I think this movie is perfect for dealing with pre-reunion jitters, there is a danger of it backfiring. If there are people out there, like Marty, who have seriously disturbed issues--not just social resentments--about those years, seeing this film will only fuel what they may already have, and I would not want to see a reunion destroyed by a real life Marty. But for most of us garden variety neurotics for whom the thought of high school makes us vaguely uncomfortable, this movie is a perfect antidote for quelling that anxiety!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now, about Simon Scuddamore. I don't how much the director knew, when he was cast as Marty, but he had a past almost as bad. As a youth, Scuddamore in real life had been tormented and abused by his male parent (either father or stepfather), so enacting Marty was forcing him to relive a lot of trauma. Which was probably not a good idea, for, shortly before the film was released, he killed himself. Sources say either by a drug overdose, or by an acid bath--like in the film!!!!!!!!!!!! He had a history of depression, and years of abuse, which made living difficult, but I have to wonder if portraying Marty did not push him over the edge.
So, a tragic bit of reality hangs over what ought to be a fun film. But for those of you with reunion jitters, this could be their antidote!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And, remember, nerds can turn into Prom Queens, too!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just take it from this Raving Queen, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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