Not even bad in a good way

Great Film overall

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Another high-school-prank-gone-wrong-disfigured-victim-seeks-revenge slasher movie from the 1980s. If you can put up with a horribly amateurish first half hour, this one has a few decent moments and a couple of fairly gruesome and imaginative kills. It also has instances of head-slapping stupidity, such as Caroline Munro knocking down the killer with a baseball bat and then dropping it beside him and running away (!), of the fact that all the characters can quite easily leave the school building as one of them demonstrates but never even try to. Speaking of Munro, she is surprisingly convincing playing a teenager despite being 37 (!) at the time, but this was a big career comedown for her - she was in a James Bond movie less than a decade earlier, for crying out loud. One amusing line: "if a caretaker takes care of the place, a janitor....janits?" ** out of 4,.

Marty Rantzen (Simon Scuddamore) is a nerdy high school student who is frequently tormented by his peers. One day the bullies go too far while playing a prank on Marty, and he becomes injured and subsequently hospitalized. Poor Marty was badly disfigured from the accident they caused and was never the same after that. Ten years later, everyone involved attends their high school reunion and, suspiciously, it seems as if they were the only ones invited. The school has since become abandoned and is now quite a creepy place, especially at night. When the former bullies are killed off one by one by a creep wearing a jester costume and mask, they realize that Marty Rantzen is back for revenge! God bless the 80's! They sure don't make them like this anymore and that's a shame because films like this have resulted in some great times for yours truly. I have always loved revenge movies, especially ones that involve an outcast getting even with those who wronged him. Put that formula into a slasher format and you end up with this awesome film. There are a few flaws here, however. Aside from some minor things like the actors in the beginning looking way too old to be in high school, throughout the film I kept wondering why no one tried to leave when the murders first started. There's a vengeful killer on the loose, get the hell out! The filmmakers should have included a better reason why they couldn't escape. I also despised the ending, which was simply awful in comparison to the rest of the film. I won't give it away but it nearly ruined the movie for me on the first viewing. I still love Slaughter High though, and would definitely recommend it for any slasher fan who's looking for a great time!

This was sort of a British attempt to make a Troma style slasher, in that its a slasher with elements of nerd revenge and all of the British actors are attempting to affect awkward New Jersey accents. The kill scenes are all pretty cool, the nudity is more disturbing than sexy, and everyone dies. So in many ways this is actually a bit more satisfying than your standard "virgin lives" slasher. Knowing that the guy who played Simon committed suicide shortly after production on this wrapped up gives this sleazy piece of trash an unsettling weight. According to other cast members, he was very odd and depressed during the whole shooting to the point everyone just thought he was going "method." Also strange is how little is known about the weird theme song that appears, as Manfredini claims it was added in after he submitted his final score, and the original recording was has been lost for many years. Its pretty rockin though. All in all, one of the worthier slashers from the 80s.

As among the last batch of slasher films released between 1978 through 1986, SLAUGHTER HIGH certainly lives up to its status as the quintessential '80s gore cheese fest.Marty was a typical nerd that all the students teased on an almost daily basis. Until one day, a prank goes horribly wrong and Marty is officially disfigured for life. Five years later, Marty invites the stereotypical group of practical jokers for a deadly reunion of murder, mayhem, and mindless gore.The story of an outcast getting vengeance on the antagonistic bullies brings nothing new to the table. But at least the film doesn't result to the pressures of casting actors from the CW lineup or putting in a worthless soundtrack from the latest bands like today's horror movies are doing. The 36-year old Caroline Munro who is the only professional and recognizable name in the film puts in a worthy contribution. In the only film role before his untimely death, Simon Scuddamore is truly tailor-made for the tormented Marty who finally gets his bloody revenge. If the role was played by a different actor, then the character wouldn't have the unique expressions that Scuddamore had. Although the make-up effects are top-notch for its time, the actors seem to be having a hard time hiding their English accents when they are supposed to be playing American students.Originally titled APRIL FOOL'S DAY, the filmmakers were forced to change the title due to another seminal 80's slasher film of the same name. But I think SLAUGHTER HIGH is a better, creative title and it goes along perfectly with the catchy, punk rock-oriented theme song in the opening credits.So get yourself a bucket of popcorn and a six pack of imported beer to witness SLAUGHTER HIGH!