FILLMORE DISCOS 63 - '80s RARITIES 4

The Slumber Party Massacre, 1982 (****)
dyke horror ftw: this sleazy slasher is a breath of fresh air achieved via the simple result of a subtle but significant change in perspective from having been directed and written by women; in the latter case, Rita Mae Brown of lesbian erotic romance Rubyfruit Jungle fame

Fast Times At Ridgemont High, 1982 (*****)
of course FTARH is not so much a rarity with such a stellar cast, but this fantastic slice-of-life teen comedy drama is worth including here anyhow, it packs so much in its fast-paced 90 minutes that you never want it to end; all the beautifully observed touches and realistic insights have a non-linear feel that works so well given its main context of adolescent sexuality

The Beach Girls, 1982 (**)
whilst you can't help liking its pro-weed, pro-sexual promiscuity, gentle anti-authority vibe, this T'n'A comedy is not nearly as good as its sister production Sunset Cove (aka Malibu Beach)

Night Of The Comet, 1984 (***)
the sexy and charismatic Kelli Maroney is the real star of a clever funny parody of 50s/60s zombie sci-fi apocalypse B-movies; it's all the more charming because it never pretends to be more than what it's parodying

Murder Rock, 1984 (**)
Fulci was never shy about cashing in on the latest craze, in this case attempting to merge a Fame or Flashdance danceflick into a giallo - unfortunately, despite how promising that sounds in theory, he commits that cardinal sin of letting the narrative get bogged down in detective-work drudgery

Chopping Mall, 1986 (***)
fun 80s B-movie about a bunch of horny teens trapped in a mall patrolled by wonky security robots; not as much gore or sleaze as you hope for, but still good fun

Slumber Party Massacre 2, 1987 (*)
a dreadful goofy zero-budget Freddy Kruger rip-off that fails on almost every level

Sorority House Massacre 2, 1990 (*)
zero-budget trash which does little more than sully the good name of The Slumber Party Massacre, from which it shamelessly steals excerpts

Death Spa, 1990 (**)
a trendy 80s health club is the perfect setting for lots of lycra-encased flesh and gory locker and shower scenes; half-way through a parapsychologist is dropped into the mix and what started out as a seemingly routine giallo-style horror gets COMPLETELY and INCOMPREHENSIBLY bonkers

Angel III: The Final Chapter, 1990 (*)
a third new face for Molly in another disappointing sequel that takes itself far too seriously and lacks even Avenging Angel's flashes of inspiration

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