Girls Nite Out (1982)

Fantastic!

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

This 1982 horror film stars Julia Montgomery, James Carroll, Suzanne Barnes and Hal Holbrook. This begins at a psychiatric hospital where a patient has committed suicide. Soon, a killer stalks a group of college students who are having an all-night scavenger hunt. The killer decides to dress up as their university's bear mascot. Montgomery (Revenge of the Nerds) plays Cheerleader, Lynn, Carroll plays her jock boyfriend, Teddy, Barnes plays Dawn, a girl Teddy befriends, Holbrook (Creepshow, The Fog) plays campus-security guard, MacVey and Holbrook's son, David (Creepshow 2) also appears as student, Mike. This isn't a bad slasher flick with a decent cast, chilling score and some bloody kills along with some goofy moments. Horror/slasher buffs should check it out at least once.

Students at Dewitt University are all getting ready for the annual all night Scavenger Hunt unaware a psycho dressed as the bear mascot and armed with a fist full of steak knives is stalking the young ladies of Dewitt. It sounds like such a simple premise, but director Robert Deubel gives the viewer so much more than a slasher. Severe overacting, bad dialog, unlikable characters, and the lack of a central heroic figure turns a routine slasher into a garbled mess. I suppose the director tried breaking new ground by throwing away most of the Slasher formula unfortunately he threw away the parts that make slasher films great.The first thirty minutes is more soap opera than slasher. Guys complain about their girlfriends, girls brag about screwing other guys. Far too much screen time is given to characters that vanish midway into the film. The middle section focuses on the killer stalking the girls while on the scavenger hunt. One can tell the hunt is a big event because there are five, count'em, five girls involved. The bear costume is rubbish and the third act plays like a police procedural. Drag in the red herrings, ask them a question, then show flashbacks while they answer.Hal Holbrook literally "phones" in his performance. He spends most of his screen time behind a desk clutching a receiver instead of patrolling the campus. His son, David Holbrook, plays red herring #3. David growls and stomps through his scenes. Lauren-Marie (Friday the 13th Part 2) Taylor is a welcome sight as one of the bad girls, but fans might cringe when she brags about having great sex with her cousin. Her line "It hurts when I sit down." is one of the worst in the film.All in all I found this movie quite disappointing, no nudity which didn't really bother me, no gore, low on suspense and plus there is no final girl showdown with the killer a first in the slasher genre which I find a major letdown and what we're left with is a totally stupid ending which kind went out with a whimper instead of a bang. I suppose only die hard Slasher movie fans will want to watch this.

This film is an odd little piece of horror history. It stars Hal Holbrook (Creepshow), Rutanya Alda (Mommie Dearest)and Julia Montgomery (Revenge of the Nerds) and features a murderer wearing a dancing bear costume. The murder sequences are goofy but then again so is the entire film. Like a train wreck, you will not be able to take your eyes off of it and the bizarre musical score and odd sense of humor make this a fun little horror gem to have around the house. The film centers around a series of murders taking place on a college campus during their annual "scavenger hunt"...and just when you think you know who the murderer is, the film springs the classic horror movie "surprise" twist ending on you that makes you scratch your head and say "Huh?" This is an excellent "party" film since you really don't have to pay all that much attention to it. Recommended for fans of the "slasher film" genre.

Something about those 80's horror movies that gets me is the killer is almost always dressed in some animal costume. This movie is well worth a watch, but I wouldn't watch it again. The story line is dull and it took me three days in watch it in between stop and re-wind and play. But what I liked the most about this film is the reveling of the killers identity came as a surprise to me. It had you guessing and it wasn't predictable just who the killer could be; it could be a number of people in the film. I bought this movie mostly because of Hal Halbrook playing in it and I do enjoy a little cheesy acting in my 80's movies. It's a good movie for those into "Friday13th" type of movies but not worth it if you only have but so much money with you to rent videos at your local video store.