Before Scream and Scary Movie; there was Student Bodies, the first ever self-aware horror film and and slasher parody. The film follows a slasher referred to as the Breather. He is a heavily breathing, squeaky shoes wearing slasher. People get killed in the most absurd of ways including early on a paper clip. The jokes are pretty dated, but what’s sad is that the jokes feel like they could have easily been in any of the Scary Movie films made almost two decades afterwards.
Throughout the film a body count consisting pops up on screen. Characters utter lines like “shut up, are you trying to make people suspect you” and have such off colored jokes as blind student and student in a wheelchair arguing over who is deserving of the school’s only parking spot.
This movie could have only been made in the early 80s. Jokes as un-PC as these just don’t happen these days. Most of the actors were never seen again after this movie’s release, including the star of the show Patrick “The Stick” Vernal who played the Janitor Malvert. The failed stand-up comedian never appeared on screen again (except for a brief TV Show cameo in 1984).
The film was a box office bomb and received almost complete critical panning yet the late night circuit gave the movie a small cult following. However the following was big enough for the movie to get a DVD and Blu-Ray release. Not band for a film that just barely pulled in 5 million in the box office.
If you get enjoyment out of the Scary Movie franchise, then you should absolutely give Student Bodies a chance.
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