Review: Massacre Academy

Text © Richard Gary / Indie Horror Films, 2021
Images from the Internet

Massacre Academy
Directed by Mark Cantu
Cineworx
83 minutes, 2021
www.facebook.com/massacreacademy/
www.facebook.com/cineworxproductions/

No matter where you go in the world, odds are that schools are the ultimate caste system; they are brutal, so what better place to focus on cruelty? There are so many films that emphasize on this period, from The Blackboard Jungle (1955) to The Faculty (1998), Murder University (2012), and the recent Blood Pi (2020). For the university in this story, we go to Orrstown, PA (halfway between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, where it was also filmed) in 1985 for the prologue, and the main story in 1987.

Jess Ulher

Why 1987? The answer is, in my opinion, two-fold. First, it is a nod to the 1980s era of slashers, which many consider the “golden age” thanks to the inevitable wall of VHS Horror in local video stores. Second, no cell phones, which uncomplicates things.

Make no doubt that there are some splashes of dark comedy thrown here and there and can be missed if you turn away, and a signal of this early on is the reference to a sorority, I Ata Pi. Despite that, during the prologue we meet clown-masked serial killer Henry Lee Palmer (Dave Sheridan), who has just murdered a large number of people (unseen) at said sorority house. There were two survivors, Kris (Jess Ulher), and doofus Kyle (Shawn C. Phillips). Again, this is all before the credits end.

I find it interesting how Cantu shows how even though the massacre was horrific, it naturally and quickly gets folded into various forms of local culture, such as in a car commercial. This is meant to be funny, but it actually is quite a social commentary about news cycles.

With a nice build-up to the present story, Kris is having her own PTSD issues with being a survivor, especially with some of the really obnoxious people around her, like mean girl Lori (Valena Zitello) and jock-strap brawn brain Tanner (Lawrence Karl). At least her sister Maggie (Sierra Mitchell) and friend Becca (Christina Krakowski) have her back, kinda, though are a bit self-centered. But between them and the rest of the sorority and fraternity fodder, Pledge Night is going to be a… well, you know.

After a killer end to the first act that is bloody, brutal and a touch humorous, the police are called in, led by the drunken Lt. Hallenbeck (Rick Dutrow), who worked the previous Palmer case two years earlier. You know after the second act, this will lead to a showdown between Kris, Maggie and Becca and the possible copy-cat killer (hey, just look at the poster, will ya?!).

Valena Zitello, Lawrence Karl

The second act is mostly a cat-and-mouse game, ending with a reveal, but it is far from over as the third act picks up the pace of the inevitable chase through a dark building (blue camera lens indicates the time of day).

There are quite a few subtle moments and nods, such as when the machete-carrying killer steps on a Jason-style hockey mask. But despite the elbow in the side and some giggles, this also has some really effective jump scares and some adrenaline inducing scenes. Warning, though: a horrifying toothbrushing scene. Sorry, it’s a pet peeve. Moving on…

There is a bloody mix of “indicated” murder (i.e., off-screen) and visceral gore (on-screen). Not much of the realistic kind, but movie magic in SFX analog form for the fun of everyone. As the film increases, the body count kind of goes down a bit, but the gore level goes up, making up for it.

Sierra Mitchell, Ulher

One of the big positives about this film for me is that it is filled with strong women characters, while it is mostly the men who are bumbling fools (e.g., the Kyle character). There was no need for the lead to have a rescuing boyfriend or even a love interest. That was cool. And none of this running around and tripping over their own feet to let the killer catch up. The masked one gets a fair licking along the way, as do most of the characters, which actually makes it all the more exciting. It’s one of the few slasher films I have seen of late where you might actually root for the victims as much as the murderer. That is impressive.

The acting is pretty good for a lo-bud, I’m happy to say. No one is going to win the Oscar, but they all emote well, though the Lori and Tanner characters are a bit stereotypical (this is not a comment on their acting chops); one of the things I liked about the film is that it was brave enough to use accurate looking people (e.g., not a room full of models, male and female), with normal body types; even the adored prom queen is a clumsy roller derby aficionado who is just a bit on the chunky, realistic side.

Christina Krakowski

Delightful cameos include iconic Ferrisa Rose, comedian Jackie Martling who rose to fame on the early days of the “Howard Stern” radio program, and the omnipresent kameo king, Phillips doing his hyper-talk, this time mostly about mammaries. I’d also like to say a nod to a short-lived, but memorable character who I thought was great, Riot Ronnie (Ray Cygryus).

Stick around for the credits, because they are by far the funniest thing in the film, especially Rose’s turn as a newscaster who cannot believe what she is reading. She even lets her New York Italian accent slip in beautifully. It is a perfect sum-up for a really strong slasher indie entry.