Review of Student Bodies (1981) by Sarah D — 07 Sep 2009

Exuberant, right-on parody of the then-current crop of horror films like HALLOWEEN and FRIDAY THE 13TH is one of the great parodies of the period, twenty years before SCARY MOVIE claimed to do the same thing for the first time! Like all good spoofs, it alternates between perfect imitation and surreal departure.

There's lots of sexy teens running about in bras and panties, and a really creepy double-jointed guy known only as "The Stick". And this may be the only horror movie to have its "R" rating stuck right in the middle of the picture, thanks to a hilarious bit excised from TV airings of this neglected comedy.

Funny murders, kooky/grotesque characters, great trick ending. What's ironic is how many of the trademarks bits of these movies, like the stalking camera and the telephone terrorist, haven't changed a bit in two generations of bad horror films! Produced by the enigmatic non- producer, Allan Smithee.

For my money, the three great parodies of this era are AIRPLANE!, CAVEMAN and this.