In the wake of such classic horror films FRIDAY THE 13TH and HALLOWEEN, as well as the slapstic comedy classic AIRPLANE, comes this tongue-in-cheek horror/comedy STUDENT BODIES. During a time when the actors guild was on strike, Paramount Pictures set out to make as many non-union films as possible, and so in this film, you will notice many unknown actors most of which who only have one credit to their name. 

STUDENT BODIES plays out most of the common horror antics that most people today would find cliche, even in a serious film, while here it brings it to full attention and makes use of its cliche as humor. The ringing telephone, the heavy breathing of the killer (credited as "The Breather", played by Richard Belzer), the sex=death quotient, and of course, everthing takes place within high school grounds. There are no parents here, only a crazy high school staff who seems more off kilter than looney bin during a full moon. 

There is not much to the story itself and for the most part its rather unimportant. What is important is that you are familiar with the scenes. The opening scene of the killer POV moving towards the house. Inside the phone rings and a young girl is there setting up a date with her boyfriend. Is she babysitting? No, she is just there, while the parents are out for the night. The phone rings and we hear heavy breathing. She hangs up. The phone rings again and we hear "I said!..(more heavy breathing)". That is what you are in for. The phone rings again! This time the young girl resists while the phone continues to ring and ring. So much in fact that it starts jumping around. 

The basic story is of Toby (Kristen Riter) who is a non-popular high schooler who is holding out on sex, meanwhile, all of her classmates are as horny as any of the kids in PORKY'S. The parental authority mainly resides in the school faculty who are quick to judge and point fingers, if necessary, even at the expense of the students shortcomings (or their own). Meanwhile, the killer is out stalking those who do commit the copulous act and just as the bodies pile up, so do the suspects. Again, the films plot is not so riveting as to worry about who the killer is, or even why the killings are occuring, its all about the gags. The killer gets away with most of it, even though he comes across many obstacles you would think anyone would, killer or not. Walking up stairs, the creaking noises are amplified, gum on the stairs that he steps into making a complete mess, or choosing among an arsenal of weapons - the paperclip! 

The comedy uses both visual and verbal gags, many of which are set up so you see them coming a mile away. While at times you might groan, there are enough genuine laughs that will keep you watching. The Killer uses a plastic garbage bag to suffocate his victims, perhaps not the most effective or gruesome method, but serves the purpose for the whole body count spoof. The body count style genre comes from such films as FRIDAY THE 13TH and many that followed, where the more people that were killed, it tended to please the audiences more. So here, the film, ever so courteous, helps keep tabs on the number of victims by displaying the number of the death toll throughout the film by posting the number on the screen. It also keeps tabs on suspect, in case you are not following along. 

A strange moment that interupts the film is a guy who speaks to you about the movie ratings and reasons films are given an 'R' rating, which is usually because of nudity, gore, and swearing. In a self-referential note, he states that this film has none of those things and thereby signs off giving the censors a "Fuck You", thereby earning its 'R- rating. 

I remember seeing this in the early days of VHS. Never hearing of the film and watching anything in the horror genre, I was surprised at how silly this movie was and laughed through most of it. Reviewing it today, some 20 years later, I feel it still holds its own. In fact, for those that love SCARY MOVIE, will find that its equal in its comedy, and perhaps even better. SCARY MOVIE capitalized more on the pop culture than on the genre as a whole, while this stays within the boundaries of film. STUDENT BODIES, comparatively, already knew that having sex equals death, so SCARY MOVIE was not revealing anything new. 

I am not going to reveal the ending here, but only comment to say that it seemed to stretch a little far than was needed. Because the movie utilized the comedy to a rather successful degree, it was at a point of beating a dead horse. It has enough humor to sustain itself throughout the film, but as far as I am concerned, the movie was over and to have that final "gag" ended on a groan.

Legend Films brings STUDENT BODIES to DVD for the first time through its license with Paramount Pictures. Its been remastered in its original 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ration and it looks great. It is a bare bones release, unfortunately, but you do get the trailer. Definitely worth getting, especially for fans of the slasher style horror. You can pick this up at Amazon, or go to Legend Films for more info.