First up was this early eighties cult slasher that I’d never gotten around to watching until now. I do remember seeing the VHS that showed a sultry woman on the cover at the old Mom & Pop video stores when I was a kid. Not something that screams “horror”, so that’s why I probably passed on it. I streamed it on Tubi.
Seven sorority sisters (Katey, Vicki, Liz, Jeanie, Diane, Morgan and Stevie) are planning on throwing a graduation party at their sorority house. The only problem is that their strict house mother, Mrs. Slater, doesn’t approve of them throwing a party at her home and demands that they all leave. Vicki, who’s had enough of Mrs. Slater’s domineering ways, comes up with a plan to scare her with a prank, by pulling a real gun on her and forcing her to get into the dirty swimming pool. The gun is accidentally fired, killing Mrs. Slater. Panicked, Vicki convinces the other girls to hide the body, for fear that this will ruin their future. They all agree, and although Katey is reluctant to go through with the plan, she gives in to peer pressure. They wrap the body in a sheet and dump it into the pool, then go on and have their big party, though none of them seem to be enjoying it, as they’re all wracked with guilt. They soon discover that the body is missing, and set about to try and find it before it’s discovered by the party goers. A mysterious person who witnessed their crime starts to stalk them all, determined to make them pay for their sin, using Mrs. Slater’s cane as a murder weapon.
I can see why this movie went on to become a cult classic. In a sea of repetitive eighties slashers, this one is a cut above the rest, with decent acting, a realistic story and characters (the girls all failing miserably to enjoy their party was a nice touch, whereas most other films would have them go on as if they didn’t just experience something traumatic), and some good suspense and murders. This one was a bit tamer than most as far as blood and gore, though there was one cool scene of a decapitated head in a toilet. The mystery of who the killer is and the big reveal was predictable, but it won’t ruin your enjoyment of it. If you enjoy 80’s slashers and haven’t seen this one, it’s worth checking out.
The next one I watched, also on Tubi, was a 2022 found footage mystery/horror called The Day of Disappearance, that show the last few months of a YouTuber’s blog posts that chronicle the events that led to his mysterious vanishing.
David arrives in Hawaii to stay at the home of his deceased parents. His elderly Aunt is living in the home, and in addition to helping her out, he’s planning on starting college courses in the next few months. He decides to use his free time until school begins to start a YouTube vlog, showing all the tourist places he's going to visit. After exploring a cave and finding an odd artifact that he brings home, he begins to notice a mysterious shadow that seems to be lurking in the background and watching him. He begins to investigate what it could possibly be, ultimately tying the strange happenings to his father who died when he was a baby. As he continues to search for the truth of his dad’s mysterious death, the bizarre activity begins to ramp up.
This movie started out ok. The lead is kinda nerdy, and his acting skills range from decent to bad, depending on the emotion he’s showing. The film borrows a few ideas that were much better utilized in Paranormal Activity, and ultimately, the mystery of his father, as well as the climax, ends up being lame and laughable, with David being stalked by a strange creature that looks like a guy in a cheap, goofy costume. It would’ve been better if they just showed it in shadows. Also, the first half drags a bit until the supernatural stuff begins to happen. This movie is your average found footage horror that doesn’t make much of an impression. Not the worst I've seen, but there are much better ones out there.
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