MOVIE HOUSE MASSACRE 1984

Also known as Blood Theater, this is the film that started the career of Rick Sloane, the man who gave us Hobgoblins and six installments of Vice Squad films.
This is his first flick and it shows. Man, does it show!



What size popcorn did you want??



So, it begins with a movie theater and this one guy finds his girlfirend hanging out with another guy. He sets film on fire and leaves them to burn. He stabs the ticket girl and sets her ablaze as well. Everyone dies and the place is considered haunted. Whenever an attempt is made to reopen the place, someone dies.

Fast forward to the present day (read, the '80s) and the Spotlite theater complex has it's eyes on the theater. The manager sends a few kids over to clean the place up and get it ready for opening day.

Small problem, there's this guy walking around that offs anybody that comes within reach of the place.

I'm going to need to see your ticket.

The movie is more than a little confusing. You are never sure if the guy whacking people is real or not. There are definitely supernatural overtones in the flick, but if he's supernatural then why does he get offed at the end with a knife. And really offed. Not a jump scare to make you think there might be a sequel.

The acting, with the exception of Mary Woronov, is atrocious. The editing looks like it was done with a machete.

In other words, I had a lot of fun with this flick. It never tries to be more than what it is, a slasher flick. The basic concept, while thin, supports the time of the movie. The theater they use is gorgeous.

And there's that other thing;

Just after this, the phone melts into white goo!

There are a few stabbing deaths in the flick. The girls actually mange to convey a realistic sense of horror while being murdered and it's never overdone with fountains of gore. Even the decapitation scene...let's just say that I've seen worse.

Where do I get one of those cool radios she's holding?

Judging it on nothing more than one of the parade of slasher films that were released in the 80's, this one works on a crude level. The Spotlite theater is one continuous audio joke. They have a series of announcements that constantly play in the theater that just hit my funny bone.

I said no ticket, no seat!

This was a lot of fun.