The mini-revival of the slasher film in the late 90s wasn’t just in America, there were other slashers released including the German TV movie School’s Out.
Released by Fangoria on DVD in the 2000s, the film has gained little fanfare but remains an entertaining example of the slasher with some great chase sequences plus a vibe akin to Michele Soavi’s Stagefright and Prom Night.
An escaped mental patient targets a group of high school seniors at their sparsely populated end of year dance.
What is interesting is about School’s Out is how it wraps up one plot inside an hour and attempts to construct another narrative for its final half hour.
School’s Out is at its best when its moving at pace, as most of its characters, like most slashers, are quite cardboard cut out and disposable.
The killer’s choice of costume is also another nod to the 80s, with the jester outfit feeling plucked out of House on Sorority Row or Slaughter High.
The 90s slasher revival was shortlived, but there are some decent films crammed into the four or five years post-Scream, and School’s Out falls into that category.
Well worth a watch if you can track down a copy on DVD.
Bloody Flicks 