Iffy for 16+
Satirical shadings can't save sorority slasher schlock.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this college-set slasher bloodbath is full of gory deaths, mainly impalements. Sexual and erotic elements are graphic and lurid, beginning with a drugged-up "date rape" situation and continuing with casual references to sex as a tool for revenge, status, exploitation, and even commerce (trading sex for pills). Drinking is frequent (one victim is killed with a shattering liquor bottle), and college-level "education" is depicted as one alcohol, sex, and drug-saturated party after another. Profanity is the movie's least raw element, but you can still expect plenty of uses of "f--k," "s--t," and more.
- Families can talk about the appeal of horror movies like this. What's the allure of watching young people die in such gory fashion? Many of the victims here are quite despicable -- does that make the material more "entertaining" than "splatter" movies in which relatively innocent people are terrorized?
- Why do you think movies set in college focus almost exclusivelyon partying, having sex, being stalked, and plotting revenge? Why is that? Parents, ask your teens whatthey expect of college.
- Some of the movie's grim humor concerns the callous attitudes andcruelties of the cliquish Theta Pi girls. Does the movie send ananti-sorority message? Is the Greek system really like this?
The good stuff
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Messages: The ideas of "sisterhood" and "solidarity" are twisted and corrupted by characters like Jessica. Still, the survivors persevere over the killer in the name of the same sisterhood. College, or at least the fraternity/sorority side of it, is portrayed as a nonstop orgy of drinking, parties, and sex.
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Role models: There's nobody worth emulating here, although the entourage includes some requisite "good" girls who reluctantly go along with the deadly coverup, not to mention all the decadence. The movie's few representatives of the adult world -- a U.S. Senator, a house mother, a therapist -- are depicted as ruthless, corrupt, and sinister.
What to watch for
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Violence: Blood spurts in many stabbings and impalings, chiefly thanks to a customized tire-iron bristling with blades. Shotgun blasts, one character is run down by a car, another's face is hideously burning from within by an incendiary weapon. Heads are bashed and noses bloodied by blunt instruments. Talk of dismemberment.
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Sex: Female nudity (bare breasts) in the shower, a stripper at a party, andrevealing clothing throughout -- including one get-up that shows a bare bottom. Talk of "blow jobs." Much additional talk about sex, most of it sordid, including sexual favors for drugs, sex secretly taped for the Internet, homosexual sex (a character is described as an "ass man"), date rape (seemingly condoned), etc. But most sex acts that are initiated are never completed, including a character found tied to a bedpost after an aborted kinky act. A character who turns down easy heterosexual sex is spitefully accused of being homosexual.
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Language: Many uses of "f--k" and "s--t," as well as "hell," "whore," "dick," "laid," "hell," "ass," "damn," "douchebag," "a--hole," "oh my God," and, most of all, "bitches."
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Consumerism: Not an issue
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Heavy drinking, talk of pills. One character is known as "Chugs" specifically for her voluminous drug/alcohol intake. Suggestion that "roofies" (aka date-rape drugs) have been administered. Inquiries about campus drug dealing.
Fan Reviews provided by
4
SORORITY ROW - kills me! Grade: B-average (Based on advance VIP press preview) by MOVIES REVIEWER
Thursday 9/10/09 - At 1hr 41min this slasher/horror/suspense remake felt overly long. Despite that, Stewart Hendler's direction, Ken Seng's cinematography and the movie's above-average production values lifted it up over other movies of this genre - hence, the B-average grade.
Well - I'd like to point out that if you're able to overlook some plot-holes and continuity errors, then you might just enjoy this flick.
I've not seen the original 1983 House On Sorority Row - so, I have no basis for comparison and I had no expectations. Thus, I was surprised to find myself liking this movie - especially when I am not a major fan of the slasher/horror genre.
Kudos to the relatively unknown BUT talented young thespians who populated the movie.
They played their characters well - I found myself empathizing with some of them while I vicariously shared their peril and sense of terror.
VERDICT:
Worth a visit.
Carrie Fisher rocks! (best lines/zingers in the movie)
5
Soroity Row by tracyftfc
I thought it was a great scary movie. It was nice, as a parent, not having to see people having sex in the movie. People still got a couple chest shots, but it was nice not having to feel uncomfortable with your 13-year sitting next to you and a sex scene comes on. They need to do more films like this one and it was really good.
4
Five Word Review by lovegreatfilms
scary suspenseful bloody good exciting
3
Rumor Willis Made It Worthwhile! by adicullen
This was average on the horror movie scene. Somewhat predictable but nevertheless slightly entertaining. Good for teens and young adults. This movie has been done so many times that seeing another version didn't do much for me. Rumor Willis was the only actor that could actually...act. I hope she is in more movies. Cute movie, I guess. I would rent it rather than pay movie ticket prices.
4
Five Word Review by Scarlet441
better than I thought gosee
3
Five Word Review by topherH
predictable teenie-bopper ho-hum hoots***** nap
5
this flick is a sure kill! by matt_hunter
Alright... I, like many other people who are going to see this, had very low expectations going into this movie. I think that worked in this movie's favor, because I actually ended up enjoying it. like my girlfriend and i turned to each other and ashamedly admitted to each other that it was actually a pretty good movie
that isn't saying that the movie doesn't have it's flaws. there are some plot holes, some continuity errors. and an abrupt and awkward scene transition. but it is meant to be pure fun. and i felt it delivered on that front.
the acting was surprising, and the cinematography was excellent. the production value on this film really helped.. some of the deaths are brutal, but not over gory and the suspense levels were just right.
i suggest going into this not expecting much... it really gives you a really surprising and enjoyable experience. this movie is supposed to be a guilty pleasure... nothing more, and nothing less.
3
Sophmore Update on Slasher Films.. by CtMovie_Buff
Basics: acting wasnt horrible, very believable, story also very realistic (in some aspects, more or less). This did not show a new and exciting take on the slasher films. The only difference was actually the dialogue amongst the characters that made this a worthy attempt on have me sit through a modern day I Know What You Did Last Summer with a hint of Mean Girls. Overall: not great, but entertaining, definitely late night fun with friends or a date. Consensus: 2nd choice when purchasing tickets, rent it, or wait for cable... either way its the same...
5
this move by thebeast27
was really good actually i was shocked the main thing about this you have to be with the right people and right audience lol good times
4
AN Interesting Thriller Worth Seeing by calsmac
This was a suspensful and fun thriller to see and enjoy in your spare time. The acting and cinematography was really good with the leading ladies all very good looking. They didn't stoop to using too much blood and gore to get a thrill from the audience. The plot did that for us. I'm usually pretty good at figuring out plots of movies, buI was clueless till the end.
They also didn't exploit the lovely ladies by showing gratuitious boobage or massive amounts of other nudity either. Don't get me wrong, there was nudity, it was just not overdone. The move is definitely meant for the 18+ crowd....both guys and girls who enjoy a good horror/thriller flick. I'm betting there is a directors' cut waiting to be released on DVD and blu-ray that will have more nudity...