Main cast: Rane Jameson (Bobby), Chris Prangley (Sean), Jon Fleming (Mark), Michael Galante (Michael), Niki Notarile (Diana), Lisa DiCicco (Erica), and Merle Peter (Olivia)
Director: Alex Pucci
Apparently, in the early days of disco, there is this school with a fraternity that has no problems getting away with murder and rape. These kids aren’t even subtle about their misdeeds, mind you, so this is the first sign that Frat House Massacre is going to one big, dumb slasher movie that proudly refuses to bow down to silly conventions like logic. If you’re only here for the gore, well… let me get the synopsis out of the way first.
We meet two brothers. The elder kid, Sean, is about to go to college, and he is protective of his younger brother Bobby. They are both cared for by their aunt, Olivia. There is some tension in this otherwise pleasant household, however, as Bobby is trying to rebel against Sean’s protective behavior to do his own thing. Alas, Bobby gets hit by a drunk driver after running off to party with his friends, against Sean’s wishes, and ends up in a coma.
Meanwhile, Sean joins this fraternity led by Mark, and proceeds to find himself fighting other newbies bloody in what seems like an underground fighting ring. The losers get killed – really. Instead of running to the cops or, at the very least, to five states away, Sean proceeds to duke it out until he crosses Mark and his buddies to an extent that they kill him in a violent hazing ritual. At the same time that he dies, Bobby wakes up from his coma.
Somehow, Sean’s soul has transferred itself to Bobby, and now, “Bobby” is going to that very same high school, with full intention of avenging his death at the hands of Mark and his buddies…
Frat House Massacre takes a while to get the gore really flowing, and until then, there are really some hideous fashion on display along with cringe-inducing dancing and very bad acting. Not that the last should be a shocker for any fan of dumb slasher flicks, I’m sure. Interestingly, this movie seems to linger more on dudes with much flesh on display, compared to those of the ladies in the cast, and sometimes I wonder whether Alex Pucci is the pseudonym of David DeCoteau. Some ladies get naked occasionally too. But these scenes are more eeuw than sexy, just be warned.
The gore is mostly limited to the first third, leading up to Sean’s death, and in the late third, when the killing spree begins. But once the guts and blood start spilling, the movie takes on an even more over the top campy feel that is quite charming. Sometimes it seems like the killer must have invisibility and the ability to teleport, to be able to kill so quickly all over the place without anyone seeing this fiend, but like I’ve said, logic is never a strong suit of this movie. Just sit back and enjoy, and laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Then again, that applies to the entire movie. You will have to be in a mood to enjoy the absurd to be able to appreciate this one!
