The House on Sorority Row (1983)

After a prank goes awry and a group of sorority girls kill their cantankerous old den mother, someone using the woman’s cain goes on a killing spree, wiping them out one-by-one. The House on Sorority Row is a pretty by-the-numbers slasher, it’s not bad in any way but all the kills involve one specific cane and though the killer’s costume is quite creepy we only get to see it briefly at the end of the movie.

This is in no way a bad movie but a slasher movie really needs a hook and this one just doesn’t have one. It’s very well-made with a cast of great characters and a pretty good setting and concept but there’s not much here worth revisiting.

Sorority Row (2009)

After a prank goes horribly wrong and a sister of the Theta Pi sorority ends up dead. The women responsible talk it over and while one wants to get help the rest want to dispose of the body and keep it secret, threatening to frame her if it happens.

On graduation day a serial killer with an overly-elaborate fold-up tire iron begins bumping people off as the remaining girls try to keep their secret from getting out.

Is it a good remake?

I would say so, the plots aren’t terribly similar but there’s definitely a lot of shared DNA between the two films. Both have their signature weapon but the killer uses the tire iron very differently than the killer in the original used the cane. There’s a spirit of creativity that shines through the remake.

Does it stand on its own?

Kind of. While I think this is a pretty solid slasher and horror movie on its own, I do think it gets a little over-complicated. Much like the killer’s ridiculous weapon (maybe in the top five of ridiculous slasher weapons) there’s just way too much going on here and even in 2009 this film has that post-Scream stink all over it. It’s a very good and enjoyable movie but those two things really keep it a couple notches down from greatness.

The movie’s meditation on the toxicity of college academia, particularly sorority/frat life and some other stuff I can’t go into without spoiling the end. This movie’s got a lot on its mind and that along with some creative kills and good, if exaggerated, character work make it a cut above the rest.

Watch, Toss, or Buy?

Buy it.