Mark Rosman

Above average slasher that sees a group of seven young women looking to throw a graduation party in their sorority house. Their house mother, Mrs Slater (Lois Kelso Hunt) won't allow it, however, leading to a confrontation between the girls, led by the bitchy Vicky, (Eileen Davidson) that turns deadly. The party goes ahead and one by one the girls begin to be murdered in gruesome fashion. Writer / director Mark Rosman borrows themes and plotlines with abandon from any number of other films but manages to meld them into a satisfying whole. Despite the mystery at the centre of the film being fairly transparent Rosman runs with it and is still able to build some decent intrigue. The kills are well-handled and nicely constructed. The climatic sequences are particularly impressive with Rosman building the suspense nicely and cinematographer Tim Suhrstedt making great use of a lurid colour palette. The characters are good with Eileen Davidson possibly the best of the group and Kate McNeil providing a more shaded and nuanced turn as final girl Katherine. Overall "The House on Sorority Row" is a reasonably impressive slasher and is one of the better films churned out in the early '80s slasher boom.… (mere)