Before the turn of the century, horror films were a dime a dozen. Full of hot bodies, sex, drugs, and underage drinking, studios released these flicks for a quick profit, knowing that the young guns would venture out to witness some of their most admired actors fall at the hands of some maniac. While the same premise still holds true today, the vulgarity of it has dwindled drastically as studios have softened up the genre in hopes of higher box office returns. The scheme has worked, for the most part. But for people like me, huge fans of the genre, the change was anything but welcome.
Still, from time to time, we get our long awaited R-rated film; one that carries the blood, guts, and gore of yesteryears. Thankfully, Summit Entertainment's most recent release, Sorority Row, carries just that - and a tiny bit more.
The film, which stars Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, and Rumer Willis, is a close rip off of I Know What You Did Last Summer, with a few noteworthy twists. Six sisters of Theta Pi opt to turn the tables on a fellow brother, sending him on a wild ride through hell when one fakes their own death. But when misinformation is received and emotions block all sense of self control, the joke goes too far and one of the girls ends up at the bottom of a mineshaft. Fast forward eight months to graduation, and someone doesn't want the girls to forget their un-sisterly deed.
Sound familiar? Sadly, it is a bit generic. But due to the rarity of such films, I still found myself entertained - even if it was just because of the constant presence of gorgeous, barely clothed college co-eds. Now, don't get me wrong; neither the movie nor its participants will bring home a statue of any kind. Nor will it be remembered years from now like the Scream trilogy has been. But when looked at from an entertainment point of view, I have to admit, I had fun.
Within the bond of sisterhood, we have our stereotypical players: the bitch, the slut, the brains, the girl next door, and the multi-culture presence. In the opening sequence, all of these stereotypes were explained and called out, making me laugh at the bluntness of it all. But then, as quickly as one could imagine, the death toll begins as the original prank is played out. The result is the reason for the film, and to venture any further would be a foul move in anyone's book.
The acting is anything but stellar as all participants appear to have been chosen based on their looks rather than actual talent. Carrie Fisher makes a long cameo as the house mom, her first acting gig in quite some time. Also on the list is 'Real World' star Jamie Chung and 'The Hills' alum Audrina Patridge. As for the story, it was quite bland, though the ending did through me for a loop - at least in terms of when I caught on and saw where things were headed. Scare tactics were present, much thanks to an acceptable soundtrack. On the other hand, the crazy parties, willingness for sex, and strive to keep the sisterhood alive were a little overplayed, especially in terms of Jessica (Pipes).
All in all, the film is exactly what you expect from a college-aged frightfest. The blood and animated killings are there; as is the weed, alcohol, and unsupervised parties. But for all the clichés which the film chooses to follow, you can't knock it for returning to the regularities of the 90s - for that was a time when horror truly ruled the box office.
