College campus slasher with the slayer in a goofy bear costume
At a college in Westerville, Ohio, bodies start mounting up during an all-night scavenger hunt for the female students in which the killer is dressed in the mascot costume. Hal Holbrook is on hand as the chief security guard.
“Girls Nite Out” (1982) is a slasher in the mold of "Final Exam" and "Happy Birthday to Me" from the year prior, which were two of the first slashers to take place at a college campus (or prep school in the latter case), not counting "Black Christmas" (1974), which focused on a sorority house. The milieu is similar to the contemporaneous "Pieces,” a Euro-slasher. These flicks paved the way for college slashers of the future, such as the "Urban Legends" trilogy (1998, 2000 & 2005).
The production values are superior to “Final Exam” and about on par with, say, “Silent Night, Bloody Night” (1972). The no-name cast are surprisingly good with zesty performances, verging on over-the-top, which I chalked up to youthful enthusiasm after winning a big basketball game.
The female cast is fine (for example, Julia Montgomery as Lynn and Suzanne Barnes as Dawn), but the director evidently didn’t know how to shoot women (not talkin’ ’bout nudity or sleaze).
Despite being a bit obscure, this is a decent early 80’s slasher. But, for some strange reason, the story didn’t pull me in, like with the other ones mentioned. I also had a hard time distinguishing some of the key characters. It’s okay, though, and certainly worth checking out for aficionados of the genre.
The film runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot at Upsala College, East Orange, New Jersey, and Dobbs Ferry, New York.
GRADE: B-/C+
