RIP Jonathan Frid

     Of course I'm going back and watching all the "Dark Shadows" again... aren't you?  Mr. Frid- you gave us one of the greatest vampires of all time, and for that I thank you.  Your portrayal of Barnabas Collins was nothing short of brilliant and a true icon of horror. Yes.

Girls Nite Out

     Seems there's a lot going on at Dewitt College in rural Ohio. The basketball team has won, there's a scavenger hunt going on, and it seems a disturbed killer in a bear suit with knives for claws is lurking around the dimly lit campus in search of victims...  I'm not making this up!  Who is angry enough to start knocking off students at Dewitt College?  Well, you just have to watch it to find out.

      I'm quite a fan of the early 80s campus slashers, and this one is a prime example. Filmed in 1982 but released a couple years later in '84, GIRLS NITE OUT is a run-of-the-mill, low budget slasher that still manages to be utterly entertaining and watchable the entire time.  It's either wonderfully or painfully dated- depending on how you view the past.  For me- it's absolutely delicious and I'm instantly taken back to late Friday nights huddled on the sofa watching scary movies on HBO in 1985. Yes.

     I'll tell ya, GIRLS NITE OUT just needs to be seen- bad reputation be damned!  I cannot stress how much fun this movie is.

     The body count is small but somewhat effective, there is some pretty good atmosphere overall, and the cast is very energetic and likable. Lots to love here. You've got Hal Holbrook, the always-delicious Rutanya Alda (in a role you simply have to see to believe), and Julie Montgomery (Betty from REVENGE OF THE NERDS).  Plus we get horror alumni Lauren-Marie Taylor from FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 and Carrick Glenn of THE BURNING!

       I like how it incorporates a rather playful tone to the festivities- the winning basketball team, the parties, the scavenger hunt, the crazy dj- and balances it with a slightly creepy and odd vibe. Yes, odd.  It's an odd slasher. It's almost seedy at times. The lighting.... the grainy film stock...  Maybe that's why I liked it so much.  It's total B-movie schlock, and I personally loved it. There's something appealing to me about these cheap but effective college campus slashers, and this is one of my favorites of that genre.  For a good time, sometimes we all just need a good old-fashioned GIRLS NITE OUT.