Graduation Day (1981)

After a female high school track star meets an abrupt untimely death while running in a race, a mysterious psycho in a fencing mask starts bumping off the girl's fellow teammates left and right. Possible suspects include hard-nosed Coach George Michaels (Christopher George in top scenery-gnashing gruff'n'growly form), smarmy principal Mr. Guglione (a supremely sleazy and spirited turn by Michael Pataki), and the deceased gal's tough Navy officer sister Anne (nicely played by Patch Mackenzie).Director/co-writer Herb Freed employs occasional use of strenuous slow motion (you just gotta love the balletic gymnastics routine set to classical music), a blaring rock soundtrack, several wacky creative murder set pieces (one guy gets impaled by a javelin affixed to a football!), a frenzied rapid-fire editing style (a doubled homicide that occurs while the gnarly group Felony cuts loose with a pounding protracted number kicks things over the deliriously kitschy goalpost with loads of crazy cross-cutting), and one of those groan-inducing "Carrie"-inspired nightmare endings to give this teen slice'n'dice opus its own distinctly goofy charm. Better still, super cutie Linnea Quigley as giggly pothead Dolores bares her sweet itty bitty pre-silicone natural breasts to dippy music teacher Mr. Roberts (an outrageously camp portrayal by Richard Balin), famous letter spinner Vanna White finds a bloodied body in a locker, and ubiquitous character actor Patrick Wright has an amusing bit as a lecherous truck driver. Arthur Kempel's slick cinematography provides a pleasing polished look. Daniel Tarussi's rattling score hits the shuddery oooga-booga spot. An absolute schlocky hoot.

I actually liked it more than most people did, judging by the rating. One of the first things I noticed was the presence of Christopher George who was in one of my favourite slashers called Pieces. But here he is not that good and the movie overall is not highly interesting.There is some minimal nudity, frankly I don't remember any memorable ones anyway. They should have amped up the nudity, at least that should have increased the rating somewhat. Some interesting violent scenes though especially a murder by spikes! There are definitely some atmospheric scenes which did work I admit. Especially the locker room scene. But they are few and far between to actually make a big impact.The ending is highly disappointing. Apparently it is a big twist but it is pretty much what everybody would predict anyway. And it is also ripping of some better horror films as well.Overall, I am not satisfied but some high points for some atmospheric scenes.5/10

This fairly standard slasher offering is bolstered significantly by a splendidly macabre final twist, which is sufficient in itself to ensure that Graduation Day stands out amidst the crop of early-80's splatter fare surrounding it.The whodunnit aspect of Graduation Day is well-executed, and the film rolls out an impressive roster of suspects without putting a neon "It's Me!" sign on any of them. If you eliminate the most obvious red herrings, it's not impossible to pin down who the killer is, but the guessing game holds its power for most of the film, lending G-Day a bit of credibility as a genuine thriller.Certainly, there are some elements here that are beyond silly. The bulk of the credit sequence plays out like the extended opening titles for a sitcom about homosexual high school Track & Field athletes. One victim meets her fate while shaving her legs over the sink in the locker room, because teenage girls apparently routinely take their razors to school with them so that they can shave there. The multiple appearances of the killer in full fencing gear are bound to elicit a chuckle or two, and while I'd have to check my DVD collection, I'm pretty sure I've never seen a less intimidatingly-appareled screen psycho. The "death by football" sequence must be seen to be believed, and since it's tied in with the murderer's uniquely benign garb, it unfolds as one of the more absurd killings ever portrayed in a slasher movie.Special mention has to go to Felony, who are by far the most atrocious band to ever appear in a splatter film, and are also a legitimate contender for most atrocious band ever, period. Their song "Gangster Rock" occupies a full six minutes of the film's running time, and the two murders that take place during this epic performance lose much of their mojo because of the prominence of the tune in the foreground.Appearances by Vanna White and Linnea Quigley may be of minor interest to some viewers, although White's major scene spotlights some of the worst acting you'll ever see, and it's hard not to giggle when you hear the future Wheel Of Fortune letter-turner utter the timeless line, "you scared me so bad I wet myself." Quigley's presence is somewhat confusing since her character is played at other times in the film by another actress (apparently the other girl wasn't okay with the nude scenes her role required, so Quigley was called in to pinch strip).The film incorporates a fair amount of intentional humor into the mix, some of which is surprisingly funny. Even the most seasoned slasher film buff probably hasn't seen a movie that features a high school security guard who hides joints in the chambers of his revolver, so Graduation Day definitely gets a point or two for originality.The splatter is fairly minimal here, and the murky camera work renders most of the carnage unfortunately vague. Only one of the murders shows any sort of ingenuity, but it actually makes the least sense in the scheme of the film (how exactly does a vengeful murderer procure a platform of razor sharp spikes and hide it beneath a pole vaulter's landing mat without the intended victim noticing?). The gore effects are strictly bargain basement, and the film's non-existent budget is plainly evident, especially during the more graphic kills.It's hard to gauge how strongly the deranged and stunning denouement will resonate with today's audiences, but that shocking game-changer is by far the most potent element in the film. Even if you guess who the maniacal fencer is before the big reveal, this last bit of sickness is an effective and chilling punctuation mark on an otherwise rote slasher outing.The film goes on about seven minutes too long, and Graduation Day would be far more effective if it concluded with the morbid gut-punch mentioned above. The final showdown with the killer seems tacked on and cliché now, and a little ambiguity would have served the film well.However, Graduation Day is a very enjoyable offering despite itself, and the end result certainly doesn't settle anywhere near the bottom of the 80's splatter movie barrel. Bloodier and far superior films have nurtured this basic plot line to true greatness, but if you've seen all of those, this fun and deliciously skewed outing is a worthy way to spend 90 minutes.

The title for this review about sums up how I feel about this movie. I can't imagine what audience there would be for this thing, if not for the die-hard fan of 1980s slasher films who simply has to see -everything- from that era. Otherwise, don't even waste your time on this.The story is similar to most films of its type: something awful happens to one of the characters in the opening scene, which inspires a bloodthirsty killer to go on a murderous rampage. Been there, done that. Truth be told, none of these '80s slashers were known for their originality, so I can't see the point in harping on the film simply for this.But where the film fails is in its suspense and murder sequences. I've seen some pretty scary slasher movies from the 1980s that had far lower budgets than this. This one just fails to create any real suspense. The director throws in some nice camera angles and some semi-professional directorial touches here and there, but they mean nothing if you're not frightened. The gore is pretty tame as well, so anyone who watches these things with the intention of seeing some cool 1980s makeup effects will be sadly disappointed.The movie manages to clunk along rather dully. Honestly, the key ingredient to almost any slasher is the tight pacing--you have to keep things moving along swiftly and keep the murder set pieces staged at regular intervals, because, let's face it, we don't watch these things for the great characterization and stellar plots. But the pacing, whether due to the script or the editor, is all off. The murders are spaced out at odd intervals, leaving us with some long-winded scenes (no doubt meant to build "character") that serve only to bore you and leave you praying for the next kill (which, as I've said, usually isn't executed all that well anyway).As for the killer, don't expect anything original or even remotely frightening. He (or she?) wears a jogging suit, a fencing mask, and his (or her?) primary weapon is a sword. I bet the writer just wet himself over thinking he came up with an original, "cool" murder weapon, but the idea just comes off as impractical and silly. There's also not much emphasis placed on the "whodunnit' nature of the film, as if they either forgot or don't care to place any red herrings in the mix to throw us off.I have the sense that the people behind this were trying to make something decent and respectable, and at times, it shows their intentions were probably a bit more genuine in regards to making a quality film as opposed to countless other knockoff slashers from the era. But alas, the attempt fails for the most part. There is, however, some pretty good acting (at least, for this type of film). There is attempt at characterization, but none of it ends up meaning anything in the end, so...what a waste. Here, all it manages to do is bog down the plot and make the murder sequences feel like they can't come soon enough.In the end, if you're really into these old '80s slashers, by all means, check it out, if only to say you've seen it. There's a completest in all of us. But don't expect to be blown away or anything. What we have here is a very mildly entertaining slasher movie that leaves no real impression at all.