Synopsis
When the kidding stops… the killing starts!
A crazed killer stalks college students who gave up their vacation to clean a deserted dormitory.
1982 Directed by Stephen Carpenter, Jeffrey Obrow
A crazed killer stalks college students who gave up their vacation to clean a deserted dormitory.
Pranks, Massacre au dortoir, A kollégium rejtélye, La maison de sang, Todestrauma, Дом, где падает кровь, La mansión ensangrentada
First and foremost, I must express my dissatisfaction. Considering that the film was said to have been been prohibited in the UK for a long time and classified as "video nasty," And, perhaps I'm becoming desensitized, but I didn't find any of it nasty so much as silly.
Still, the plot is as ridiculous as the title. While the deaths are nicely gory (with the exception of the car and strangulation, which was hilariously executed and acted), the music is occasionally overdone, and the film's killer, in my opinion, feels insignificant and as silly as the film.
All in all, far from being the most unpleasant or scary, perhaps fans of the genre will find something amusing.
TODAY SCHEDULE
The Working Girls
Zero Dark Thirty
Dorm Death
Miracle Mile
Disclaimer: this review is based on the original Uncensored Director's Cut who runs 88 minutes.
This is the second time I see this movie and more than anything I did it for the nostalgia that gives me because in 2016 when I entered Letterboxd I remember the first list that I gave like on the site, which was called "Forbidden Films" and in it chronologically listed films from around the world that have been betas from certain countries for containing explicit or scandalous scenes, but for some reason this disappeared overnight (who knows what happened to the user who created it), anyway, in it was The Dorm That Dripped Blood AKA Death Dorm AKA Pranks a slasher film that was…
I finally picked up the bluray for this and I knew the restoration is meticulous or anything, but it’s a lot better than the vhs rip I watched on the tube of you when I first saw it. It’s a very underrated slasher that seems generic by today’s standards, but there are some delightful kills, a breathtaking final chase sequence, and a nice subtle mean streak that runs throughout until it really pops in the final moments. What can I say? That’s all exactly the type of thing I look for in an early 80’s slasher.
The lead actress is also inexplicably endearing and I have always been surprised that she never really did any other movies. Too bad because she could have been a great scream queen. Oh well, can’t have them all I suppose.
Also, that poster doesn’t really have a lot to do with the movie, but I’ve always loved it.
I’m surprised at the average rating for this one both on this site and on IMDb because it’s an unexpectedly great flick!
The title sounds kind of supernatural but this is actually a pretty straightforward slasher about a group of college kids who are stalked and killed during Christmas break. Yes, it’s a holiday horror movie but the holiday-ness is pretty secondary. It’s basically just a reason to have these kids alone in a dorm but it works and it got me to finally watch it as part of my “Christmas Chillers” marathon!
I had never heard much about this so I’m thinking it’s pretty underrated and (judging by the mediocre average scores) severely under appreciated. This is one dark…
Cinematic Time Capsule
1982 Marathon - Film #35
”And number three: never, ever, ever under any circumstances say, "I'll be right back." Because you won't be back.” - Randy
- “Alright, we’ll be right back for ya”
- “Oh, I left it in the storage room…”
- “I’ll be down in a second.”
- “You may have to get them out of the supply room…”
- “I’ll go get Brian.”
- “You stay here in case he comes back”
- “Why don’t we split up and go and look for him”
- “Wait, don’t leave me by myself”
- “I’m just gonna run up to the roof real quick and look around”
- “I think one of us should stay…
Daily Horror Hunt #69 (March 2024)
27. Watch a horror movie from one of your favorite years or decades of horror that you've never seen.
Spring Forward into a Trash Fire 2024:
14 - 4/1 - Watch a movie that Gory B. Horror has listed boxd.it/10WCC
Everyone’s a Critic 2024:
11. Controversial Movie
“People better start taking me seriously!” -jokester
Great Nasty with some excellent gratuitous kills! In the first 3 minutes there is a scene with a hand that will let you know if this one’s going to be too much for you!
❄️Daily Ho-Ho-Horror Hunt #30 (Dec. 2020)❄️
[30] Watch a horror with your fave color on the cover.
Turns out the only thing being taught at this university over Christmas break is a bit of... SLASHER 101!
I've had this flick on my radar for years and years, but have always put off giving it a watch. So of course upon hearing it has a Christmas theme, man, now I just gotta give it a look! Sadly, apart from a string of lights at a frat party, this doesn't really fit with the holiday season vibes - no snow, no Santa, no holly-jolliness to be seen, but there's PLENTY of brutal POV killings and tons of twisted red herring killer vibes.…
sure it was boring and dragged and the kills did not add any zest to this slogfest BUT … you cannot deny it has killer sweater game. love a good chunky knit sweater in my horror movies
Fun, late night, whodunit, hanging out, early 80s slasher. Clocks in at a perfect 91 minutes. One of the better campus killer movies I've seen, too. Creeeeeeper.
SLASHICS #14
58
I watched this last night on zero sleep so I can’t remember any witty quotes for this one. SORRY. It’s about as generic and run-of-the-mill as I remember though and as far as holiday slashers go, and although the holiday-ness isn’t a focal point, it’s not one of my favorites. That said, it’s still a decent formulaic slasher worth checking out for fans of that sort of thing. There’s a couple scenes of decent kills and gore too.
The fact that this is written by, directed by, and starring UCLA students (who filmed this during winter break on the campus!) gives it a real air of authenticity. I believed these characters were students on campus over break, because they actually were!