There are more layers to this movie than there are in your typical slasher movie. Aside from the usual misdirection caused by red herrings, there are other things to think about while watching this flick. The lead character has a complicated back story that tries to explain why she has some psychological problems. There is also a group of friends who have an interesting social dynamic that includes peer pressure, infidelity, jealously, and testosterone. The fact that people are going missing is at times overshadowed by the tensions within the group under regular circumstances. This makes the movie take on more of a dramatic feel than a by-the-numbers slasher flick and it comes across as being a little more intelligent than some of the stuff horror fans have come to expect. Overly clever writing usually annoys me but I found that some of the twists in this flick worked well and the finale served to make me reflect on the film rather than feel frustrated and angry.

Melissa Sue Anderson ("Little House on the Prairie") stars as Virginia, a young girl with a troubled past that includes a wingnut mom, brain surgery (shown in detail), and feelings of being a social outcast. Virginia seems to have overcome some of her challenges and is now in school with a solid group of friends. One evening, her past catches up to her when she participates in a game of chicken that involves fast cars and a drawbridge. Shortly after this incident, people start to get reported missing at the school and we are treated to some original albeit brief kills including throat slittings, death by barbell, a motorcycle tire scraping a face, and the infamous shishkebab in the mouth that was so prominently displayed on the movie poster. As these killings happen, it is not clear if they are real or imagined and Virginia attempts to get help by going to the doctor (Glenn Ford) who seems like he has a little more physical interest in Virginia than he should. Amidst all of this, her friends are having relationship problems and some secrets from the past are revealed.

Those of you who are looking for boobs and blood will be disappointed. There is no skin in this flick and the gore is not at the same level as some of the other movies of the time. While some of the kills do have their moments, the violence lacks the ferocity that would push it to a more disturbing level. As the kills make up only a small portion of the lengthy running time, this is a strange entry in the genre but if you can get past this fact, you will enjoy a well-acted, well-written, and engaging night of horror that does not feel like a slasher flick even though it is. Part of the reason for this may be veteran British director J. Lee Thompson who is a long way from The Guns of Navarone. Thompson has worked with many great actors (some repeatedly) and he clearly has learned how to get a good performance no matter what genre he is working in. This may be part of the reason as to why legendary actor Glenn Ford chose to appear in this movie.

The 80's were a time of a lucrative tax credit in Canada so there were many films shot up North at the time. As a result, there are a number of Canadian connections with this flick. Producers John Dunning and Andre Link produced Shivers, Rabid, and My Bloody Valentine. Lawrence Dane (who plays Virginia's dad) was in Rituals, Scanners, and Of Unknown Origin. Jack Blum (the weird guy with the rat) and Matt Craven (the shishkebab guy) were in Meatballs. The beautiful Lisa Langlois was part of Stagman's gang in Class of 1984 (and one of my first movie crushes). Lenore Zann was in Visiting Hours with Michael Ironside. Melissa Sue Anderson became a Canadian citizen in 2007 and director Thompson died in Canada in 2002. (Josh Pasnak, 11/27/11)

Directed By: J. Lee Thompson.
Written By: John Saxton, Peter Jobin, Timothy Bond.

Starring: Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford, Tracy Bregman, Matt Craven.