The Last Slumber Party

“We aren’t going to do anything to get me in trouble, are we?” 

Suffering through the last day of school, three high school girls are excited for a summer of partying. Once the bell rings, they leave class, hoping to get it on with the cute boys mocking their nerdy classmate nicknamed “Science”. Soon, we’re introduced to the trio of Chris, the redhead instigator; Linda, the innocent; and Tracy, the blonde who is game for anything with boys. Their slumber party starts off as expected, with horny teenagers flirting and going for beer runs. Little do they know, but an escaped mental patient is out to murder Linda’s father, a surgeon who is scheduled to give the psychopath a lobotomy. 

The Last Slumber Party is known for its bizarre and surreal spin on the teen slasher formula, which reached its apex during the film’s 1981 production. The first film from first-time director Stephen Tyler hinged its script and production on a mashup of classic thriller visuals and low-budget horror cliches. Tyler admits on the commentary track that the success of Halloween motivated him to produce something just as successful only on 10% of the budget. For example, anyone familiar with Carpenter’s film can see Tyler riffing on its iconic tracking shots as the trio of girls walk away from school. Keying in on established horror flicks of the time, he mixed in his love of Hitchcock-inspired thrills. His vision of a 1940s thriller aesthetic, combined with low-budget 80s horror techniques, resulted in a mixed bag that never quite gelled but, regardless, became endlessly entertaining. 

Throughout the film, Tyler never hesitates to show the bloody consequences of our killer’s actions. Surgical scalpels are run across faces and necks, giving us plenty of bright red blood trails to enjoy. Makeup appliances are infrequent but look surprisingly good for a zero-budget production. A bloody corpse dangles from the ceiling, sliced throats reveal dangling strips of flesh, and knives penetrate innocent victims. It all looks fantastic and if paced quicker, the kills would resonate deeper. Opting for slow-burn tension, Tyler keeps you waiting for each kill too long, which appears on screen as if the actors are confused rather than deciding their fate. 

The amateur cast is led by the three girls whose slumber party begins as a way to kick off their summer of partying and get their innocent friend Linda laid. Chris (Jan Jensen) is never satisfied with how things are going, even when the hunky boys climb through the window ready to pounce. With lines like “Keep your motors running. We don’t want them to get cold,” who wouldn’t? In between all this flirty nonsense, our escaped mental patient is slicing throats with delicate precision. The film seemingly shifts gears from slasher to surreal dreamscape when the girls find themselves in a hallway covered in bizarre wallpaper. Nightmares within nightmares occur, producing strange visuals that veer the narrative into unknown territory. Bodies pile up as the story delivers a twist before leaving you with multiple endings keeping you guessing until the final frame. 

Upon its release, The Last Slumber Party was unfairly maligned because of plotting inconsistencies, to which Tyler has said, “For some continuity is an option, not a way of life.” I can sense that with its attractive title and cover art, the film was an easy target if it didn’t live up to the standards set by the likes of Halloween or The Slumber Party Massacre. However, its guerilla production, amateur cast, and first-time director pulled together something special at a time when horror cliched and noticed by mainstream studios. When I approached Tyler’s film as an experimental expression, I had more fun with it than putting it through the lens of established horror properties. His love of classic thrillers and low-budget horror resulted in a true cult classic for the ages.3.5/5

Vital Disc Stats: The Blu-ray

The Last Slumber Party arrives on Blu-ray thanks to AGFA and OCN Distribution. Housed in a transparent keep case with a double-sided artwork, the Region Free BD-50 disc presents the AGFA logo before landing on the Main Menu screen with typical navigation options. 

AGFA and OCN bring the film to Blu-ray in an AVC-encoded 1080p HD image in the film’s original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. A disclaimer at the top reads:

“The Last Slumber Party was restored from the only surviving film elements. A complete negative conform was created using the original rolls of camera negative. Shots missing from the negatives were sourced from a faded 16mm workprint and the original video master. We hope that the visual inconsistencies do not deter from your enjoyment of the film.” 

This restoration is respectable, given the hurdles jumped to assemble it all. Primaries are appreciable, with colors stronger than previous home video versions of the film. Black levels are confident, with some discernible moments within shadows. There is no severe damage to source materials, but there is a heavy presence of dirt, hairs, and specks. Insert shots from the video master appear cropped and softer than the film prints. Those with the VCI DVD should consider upgrading to this Blu-ray for the boost in image quality thanks to the inclusion of the original 16mm prints. 3/5

The Last Slumber Party rocks out with a 24-bit DTS-HD 2.0 Mono track. Dialogue seems to fight for dominance with the music tracks early in the film, so turn on those subtitles! Once the house is filled with horny teens, balance is restored to the mix. Dialogue overall is clearly recorded, with some exchanges running hot. Hiss and pop are detected occasionally, though this mostly aligns with sustained moments without dialogue or when video insert shots appear. 3/5

The highlight of the special features menu is the delightful commentary track, which is where curious fans should start their journey after the credits roll. After that, you should pick through the other featurettes before experiencing the Original VHS Version. 

• Audio Commentary with Stephen Tyler, Jan Jensen, and Neil Alexander recounts numerous anecdotes from the production with positive memories about the cast and crew. It’s a casual chat that digs into some technical details but mostly focuses on the daily grind of those involved. 
• Q&A with Jan Jensen (HD 23:46): This is from an Alamo Drafthouse Terror Tuesday Screening in 2016, hosted by Bleeding Skull Founder Joseph Ziemba. Jan is surprisingly candid about her experiences and likens revisiting the film to flipping the pages of a scrapbook. 
• Outtakes (HD 10:06) Culled from nine hours of dailies, this raw footage is presented without sound. Most of the content is shot setups and the cast goofing around on set. 
• Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery (HD 4:39): Black-and-white Photographs autoplay as the eerie synth score plays with dialogue from the film. Turn off the lights and keep the volume up. 
• VHS Version (SD 72:13) Preserved from the original 1’’ tape master, this version of the film will induce severe analog nostalgia! 
• Original Home Video Trailer (HD 1:30) 

AGFA and OCN Distribution resurrect a cult classic with The Last Slumber Party, giving the film the exposure it deserves in the annals of bizarre midnight movies. While it doesn’t fully commit to any singular expression of gore, violence, or gratuitous sexuality, the film is an entertaining curiosity worth experiencing. AGFA and OCN Distribution bring the film to Blu-ray with a solid A/V package and special features tailored For Fans Only.  

Order Your Copy of The Last Slumber Party on Blu-ray