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 It's
time for the annual all night scavenger hunt at Dewitt university.
A psycho dressed as the bear mascot and armed with a fist full
of steak knives is stalking the young ladies of Dewitt. It sounds
like such a simple premise, but director Robert Deubel gives
the viewer so much more than a slasher. Severe overacting, bad
dialog, unlikable characters, and the lack of a central heroic
figure turns a routine slasher into a garbled mess. I suppose
a generous reviewer would call Deubel a maverick, braking new
ground by throwing away most of the slasher formula. Unfortunately,
Deubel threw away the parts that make slasher films great.
The
first thirty minutes is more soap opera than slasher. Guys
complain about their girlfriends, girls brag about screwing
other guys. Far too much screen time is given to characters
that vanish midway into the film. The middle section focuses
on the killer stalking the girls while on the scavenger hunt.
One can tell the hunt is a big event because there are five,
count'em, five girls involved. The bear costume is sad, more
Hooty the owl than scary bear. The third reel plays like a
police procedural. Drag in the red herrings, ask them a question,
then show flashbacks while they answer.
Hal
Holbrook literally "phones" in his performance. He spends
most of his screen time behind a desk clutching a receiver
instead of patrolling the campus. His son, David Holbrook,
plays red herring #3. David growls and stomps through his
scenes. Lauren-Marie (Friday the 13th Part 2) Taylor
is a welcome sight as one of the bad girls, but fans might
cringe when she brags about having great sex with her cousin.
Her line "It hurts when I sit down." is one of the worst in
the film.
Girls
Nite Out does have a couple of good points. The soundtrack
is golden oldies from the sixties. Tommy James and the Lovin
Spoonful have some nice songs, but the songs don't generate
suspense when a killer in a silly bear outfit is stalking
drunk or high cheerleaders. The only scenes of suspense
involve the killer calling the campus radio station after
each murder. The best part of the film is the appearance of
Klaus Kinski and the Creature From The Black Lagoon
on posters during a poker game.
Only
the most die-hard slasher fan will enjoy Girls Nite Out.
There is no nudity and no gore. The film is heavy on
talk and bone dry on action. The annoying comic relief characters
all live and the good girl never confronts the killer. She
stayed in her room and locked her door, a first in the slasher
genre. The killer's identity is easy to figure out. Slow viewers,
don't worry, enough Psycho hints are dropped that you
should be able to catch on quick. The film is dull, slow,
and devoid of any likable characters. It doesn't even qualify
for "so-bad-it's-good" status. Buy Girls Nite Out only
if you're trying to complete the set for Every Slasher Made
in the Early 80's.
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