The House on Sorority Row

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The House on Sorority Row
The House on Sorority Row poster.jpg
Theatrical film poster
Directed by Mark Rosman
Written by
  • Mark Rosman
  • Bobby Fine (additional dialogue)
Produced byJohn G. Clark
Starring
Cinematography Tim Suhrstedt
Edited by
  • Paul Trejo
  • Jean-Marc Vasseur
Music by Richard Band
Production
company
VAE Productions [1]
Distributed by
Release date
  • November 19, 1982 (1982-11-19)
Running time
91 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$425,000 [2]
Box office$3.8 million [3] —$10.6 million [4]

The House on Sorority Row is a 1982 American slasher film written and directed by Mark Rosman in his directorial debut, produced by John G. Clark, and starring Eileen Davidson and Kathryn McNeil. The plot follows a group of sorority sisters being stalked and murdered during their graduation party after they conceal a fatal prank against their house mother Dorothy Slater.

Contents

Partly inspired by the 1955 French film Les Diaboliques , first-time writer-director Rosman wrote the screenplay for the film in 1980, then titled Seven Sisters. The film was shot on location in Pikesville, Maryland in the summer months of 1980, with additional photography taking place in Los Angeles.

In November 1982, it received a limited theatrical release before expanding on January 21, 1983. The film was a box-office success, grossing between $3–10 million in the United States against a $425,000 budget. [i] It received mixed reviews from film critics, with some praising its suspense and regarding it as superior to other slasher films of its time, [5] [6] while others felt it lacked originality. [7]

Despite its mixed critical response, The House on Sorority Row has gained a cult following since its release, [8] and it was named one of the greatest slasher films of all time by Complex in 2017. [9] A remake, titled Sorority Row , was released in 2009.

Plot

Seven sorority sisters – Katey Rose, Vicki, Liz, Jeanie, Diane, Morgan, and Stevie – celebrate their graduation at their sorority house on the far end of a sorority row. Their party is interrupted by the domineering house mother, Mrs. Dorothy Slater, who forbids the celebration. Angered, the girls prank her by stealing her walking cane, placing it in the unused outdoor pool, and forcing her at gunpoint to retrieve it. Startled, Slater causes Vicki to accidentally shoot her in the chest. To cover up the apparent murder, the girls hide Slater’s body in the pool.

At the ceremony, an unseen figure uses Slater’s cane to stab a partygoer. When guests attempt to enter the pool, the girls realise that turning on the lights will reveal the body. Stevie goes to the basement to disable the breaker but is stabbed to death. Later, when the pool lights are switched on, Slater’s body is missing, heightening their alarm.

Convinced Slater is alive, the girls search for her. Morgan enters Slater’s room, only for the body to fall on her from the attic hatch. Vicki suggests hiding the body in an old cemetery. In the attic, Katey discovers children’s toys and a dead caged bird. Morgan is stabbed with Slater’s cane. Diane is murdered while starting a van to transport the body, and Jeanie is decapitated near the sorority house.

Katey finds a medical alert tag and calls the number, reaching Dr. Nelson Beck, who arrives at the house. Together, they discover Stevie, Morgan, and Diane’s bodies in the pool. Vicki and Liz drive to the cemetery with Slater’s body, but are killed by the assailant. Beck accompanies Katey to the cemetery, where they find Vicki and Liz’s bodies and Slater’s body still in the van.

Back at the house, Beck sedates Katey and reveals that Slater had a son, Eric, deformed and mentally impaired due to an illegal fertility treatment. Beck plans to use Katey as bait to capture Eric and cover his crime. Eric arrives and kills Beck while Katey searches for Vicki’s gun, which fails to fire. She flees to the bathroom, discovers Jeanie’s severed head, and climbs to the attic. Eric attacks, and Katey shoots him repeatedly, realising the gun is loaded with blanks. Using a pin, she stabs Eric numerous times, causing him to fall through the attic door. Exhausted, Katey believes he is dead, but Eric opens his eyes.

Cast

Production

Screenplay

Writer-director Mark Rosman, who had attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and later graduated from New York University, got the idea for The House on Sorority Row after returning to his hometown in Los Angeles. [10] Rosman had been a fraternity member at UCLA, which he used as a partial basis for writing the screenplay, which focused on a group of sorority sisters who find their lives threatened after covering up a fatal prank. [11] Some elements of the film, primarily the usage of a pool to conceal their crime, were inspired by Les Diaboliques (1955), a French suspense film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot. [12] He later stated he envisioned a suspense film in which "the female characters would not just be victims–the whole idea of it was that they were culpable, and that they were sort of bringing this on themselves". [13] The screenplay had several working titles, including Screamer and Seven Sisters. [14] [15] Rosman initially accrued $125,000 as a starting budget, with the help of a friend who worked for VAE Productions, an independent studio that specialized in documentaries, based in Washington, D.C. [16]

Casting

The majority of the casting for The House on Sorority Row took place in New York City, though Eileen Davidson and Janis Zido were cast out of the Los Angeles area. [17] Davidson recalled auditioning at Rosman's house in Beverly Hills. [18] Kate McNeil, who was cast in the role of Katherine "Katey" Rose, won the part while still attending graduate courses in New York City. [19]

Harley Jane Kozak recalled attending a casting call in a "warehouse in Manhattan" and receiving a phone call several weeks later with the news that she had won the part of Diane. [20] Lois Kelso Hunt, who portrays the cantankerous housemother Dorothy Slater, was a local stage actress cast out of Washington, D.C. [21]

Filming

The House on Sorority Row was the directorial debut of director Rosman as well as the first feature film of cinematographer Tim Suhrstedt. Both had met while working as assistant directors on Brian De Palma's Home Movies (1980). [22] Filming took place on location in Pikesville, Maryland, [20] with establishing campus shots at the University of Maryland, [23] in the summer of 1981. [20] [24] The production had originally been slated to shoot in Washington, D.C., where the production company was located. However, Rosman found the house location featured in the film in Pikesville, which was in foreclosure, allowing the crew to film for a low cost. [25] Upon arriving at the house to shoot, the crew found two squatters living in the house, who they allowed to work as video assistants. [26] Vincent Peranio, a frequent collaborator with John Waters, agreed to serve as the film's production designer, and dressed the entire house to appear as a sorority. [27]

The initial budget for the film was $300,000. [28] However, the production ran out of funds midway through filming, and Rosman had to secure a loan from a cousin in Los Angeles in order to complete the film. [29] Throughout principal photography, the cast stayed at Koinonia, a farm retreat in Pikesville where they lived together in "dorm-like" conditions. [20] The film was a non-Screen Actors Guild production, [30] and Kozak and McNeil both recall receiving $50 per diem compensation for their days on set. [20] [31]

While principal photography occurred exclusively in Maryland, additional transitional shots and pickups were completed in Los Angeles. [32] Among these included the shot of Davidson's character Vicki being impaled through the eye with the cane. [33]

Post-production

Film Ventures International, an independent distributor, purchased the film for distribution after principal photography was complete, and also gave the filmmakers an additional $125,000 to complete post-production (the majority of which went toward scoring and mixing the film). [34] In an interview with director Mark Rosman, it was revealed that Lois Kelso Hunt's performance is entirely dubbed, as her natural speaking voice was deemed not "scary" enough for the role of Mrs. Slater. [2] While her demeanor and performance were apt, Rosman found her voice not as husky as he had envisioned. [35]

According to Rosman, Film Ventures requested two changes to the final cut of the film: [36] The first was that the opening flashback scene, which was shot in black and white, be colorized; the sequence was then color-tinted to be black and blue. [37] The second change was in regards to the original ending. In the director's original ending, Katherine is discovered floating dead in the pool, apparently Eric's final victim. Film Ventures felt the ending too downbeat, so as a result Katherine survives in the finished version. [2]

Music

The film's music score was written by Richard Band and performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, [25] recorded at Wembley Studios. [38] The Washington, D.C.–based power pop band 4 Out of 5 Doctors appears in the movie, performing several of their songs. [39]

La-La Land Records issued a disc of Band's score in 2015. [40] Terror Vision subsequently reissued the score on vinyl in 2021. [41]

Release

The one-sheet poster and advertising were created by Film Ventures International's regular advertising agency, Design Projects Incorporated. Design Project's owner, Rick Albert art directed the key art and title treatment design. The key art was illustrated by Jack Leynnwood, who painted illustrations for many motion picture campaigns during the late 1970s and '80s. The copylines were written by distributor Film Ventures International's Edward L. Montoro.

Initially, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer expressed interest in distributing the film, but ultimately backed out, after which Film Ventures International bought it for distribution. [42] The House on Sorority Row was given a limited theatrical release on November 19, 1982 [43] [44] in the United States, opening in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Las Vegas, Nevada. [45] The theatrical release expanded to major cities such as Los Angeles on January 21, 1983. [44]

The film was released in the United Kingdom in December 1983 under the title House of Evil. [46]

Home media

Elite Entertainment released The House on Sorority Row on DVD in November 2000. [47] The disc featured the film's original theatrical trailer as a supplementary feature. The DVD was re-printed and released again on November 18, 2003. [48] It was again re-released on January 12, 2010 to commemorate the film's 25th anniversary. [49]

Scorpion Releasing and Katarina's Nightmare Theater released a remastered edition on a 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo in January 2011. [50] Scorpion Releasing and Code Red released a new Blu-ray edition on May 11, 2018, featuring a new 2K scan of the original master negative. [51] [52] This edition, sold exclusively online and limited to 1,600 units, features a slipcover and newly commissioned artwork. [51]

MVD Entertainment Group issued another Blu-ray edition on July 6, 2021, featuring an alternate mono audio version of the film with a re-timed pre-credits sequence as a new bonus feature; a limited foldout poster of the film's theatrical one-sheet was also included. [53] [54]

Reception

Box office

During its opening limited release in Las Vegas in November 1982, The House on Sorority Row sold out showings and out-grossed Creepshow , Poltergeist , and An Officer and a Gentleman at area theaters. [44] Following its expanded release in January 1983, the film opened with a weekend earning of $617,661 showing on 153 screens, ranking number 15 at the box office. [4] The film grossed between $3.8 million–$10 million domestically. [i]

Critical response

Contemporary

During a 1982 theatrical run of the film, critic Anthony DellaFlora of the Albuquerque Journal wrote: "[Horror films] are supposed to put you in a state of unmitigated terror. This one does neither. The House on Sorority Row may have brought new meaning to the term "Greek tragedy", but it certainly didn't scare anyone. Mark Rosman, who produced, directed and wrote the alleged thriller must take most of the blame for this". [7] Lou Cedrone of The Baltimore Sun felt that there were "no surprises" or mystery in the film, adding that "the movie, bad as it is, is great fun if you are part of an audience that talks back to it". [56]

Stephen Hunter, also of the Baltimore Sun, felt the film was similarly predictable, but noted that "technically, the strongest element in the production is the photography, which is keen-edged, brightly colored and evocative", comparing it to the film of Rainer Werner Fassbinder. [57] Ted Mahar, writing for The Oregonian , praised the film's lush musical score, but was otherwise unimpressed, summarizing the film as "a phenomenon of gory mediocrity, a persistent avoidance of originality or interesting variation. Some sense of cleverness or literary style might have made it at least satirical or subtly parodistic. But it's stolid, perfunctory, and calculated; the only real question in the film is whether Rosman's contempt for the genre exceeds that for the audience." [58]

Film scholar Adam Rockoff notes that the film was frequently compared to the films of Brian De Palma upon release, as Rosman had previously worked as an assistant for De Palma. [59] Frank Hagen, published in the Standard-Speaker , favorably compared the film to the works of De Palma and Alfred Hitchcock, adding that it is "cuts above the routine rip-and-slash fare... Rosman knows how to maintain suspense and deliver a shock or two". [6] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times praised the film as a "skillfully made horror picture that builds suspense and terror in which obligatory gore is presented with surprising restraint", ultimately deeming it a "promising debut from writer-director Rosman". [5] The Daily Press 's Henry Edgar echoed this sentiment, writing that the film favors suspense over gore, noting it as a "quality" thriller, and praising the performances of McNeil and Davidson, describing them as "credible" and "cunning, and realistic", respectively. [60]

Retrospective

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 50% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10. [61] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 50 out of 100, based on 4 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. [62]

Film scholar Scott Aaron Stine notes that the film has "competent production values, but this in no way compensates for the rote proceedings". [1] John Kenneth Muir refers to the film as "a textbook example of the 1980s slasher film" that "boasts a devilish sense of humor". [63] Critic Jim Harper notes the film as a moralistic slasher film and probable influence on films such as I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). [64]

Remake

A remake titled Sorority Row was released by Summit Entertainment in 2009. The film was directed by Stewart Hendler, with Mark Rosman, the director of the original, serving as an executive producer. It stars Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Audrina Patridge, Margo Harshman, and Carrie Fisher. [65] The script was rewritten by Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger. [66]

Legacy

In 2017, Complex named The House on Sorority Row the 21st-best slasher film of all time, writing: "The House on Sorority Row is, fortunately, more than just a puberty motivator for young boys. Director Mark Rosman does his best to stage prolonged moments of suspense, approaching the film’s kill scenes with his Hitchcock influences intact". [9] Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino included the film in his inaugural film festival in 1997, screening it alongside other horror films such as Don't Go in the House (1980) and The Beyond (1981). [67]

The House on Sorority Row is mentioned in the 1997 film Scream 2 , along with four other college-themed slasher films: The Dorm That Dripped Blood , Splatter University , Graduation Day , and Final Exam .

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Sources vary regarding the film's final box office gross, with figures cited of $3.8 million, [3] $8,184,633, [55] and $10,604,986. [4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Stine 2003, p. 153.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Director on Sorority Row: An Interview with Mark Rosman". The Terror Trap. February 2001. Archived from the original on December 28, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Donahue 1987, p. 293.
  4. 1 2 3 "The House on Sorority Row". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on December 13, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Thomas, Kevin (January 24, 1983). "Stylish Horror on Sorority Row". Los Angeles Times . p. 9 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 Hagen, Frank (February 4, 1983). "'Sorority Row' a horror film with flair". Standard-Speaker . p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. 1 2 DellaFlora, Anthony (November 28, 1982). "'House on Sorority Row' a Gory Fiasco". Albuquerque Journal . p. 43 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Donato, Matt (September 5, 2022). "'The House on Sorority Row' and 'Sorority Row' Fulfill Different Horror Cravings [Revenge of the Remakes]". Bloody Disgusting . Archived from the original on December 8, 2022.
  9. 1 2 "The House on Sorority Row". Complex . Archived from the original on November 21, 2017.
  10. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 12:27.
  11. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 12:50.
  12. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 1:25:18.
  13. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 12:55.
  14. ↑ Harper 2004, p. 113.
  15. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 13:46.
  16. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 20:25.
  17. ↑ Davidson, Eileen (2011). "Kats Eyes: Eileen Davidson". The House on Sorority Row (DVD). Disc 2. Interviewed by Katarina Waters. Scorpion Releasing. OCLC   857917752.
  18. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 7:21.
  19. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 8:15.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 Kozak, Harley Jane (2011). Interview with Star, Harley Jane Kozak. The House on Sorority Row (DVD). Disc 1. Scorpion Releasing. OCLC   857917752.
  21. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 2:11.
  22. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 6:20.
  23. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 2:27.
  24. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 3:39.
  25. 1 2 Rosman, Mark (2011). "Kats Eyes: Mark Rosman". The House on Sorority Row (DVD). Disc 2. Interviewed by Katarina Waters. Scorpion Releasing. OCLC   857917752.
  26. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 3:54.
  27. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 5:14.
  28. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 20:38.
  29. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 20:45.
  30. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 6:57.
  31. ↑ McNeil, Katherine (2011). "Kats Eyes: Katherine McNeil". The House on Sorority Row (DVD). Disc 2. Interviewed by Katarina Walters. Scorpion Releasing. OCLC   857917752.
  32. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 14:40.
  33. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 1:12:50.
  34. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 1:05:45.
  35. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 11:36.
  36. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 1:06:25.
  37. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 1:10.
  38. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 50:33.
  39. ↑ Doupé, Tyler (January 22, 2024). "'The House on Sorority Row' Has Just the Right Amount of Camp". Dread Central . Archived from the original on September 18, 2024.
  40. ↑ "House on Sorority Row: The Limited Edition". La-La Land Records. Archived from the original on April 15, 2024.
  41. ↑ "The House on Sorority Row (1982) OST LP". Terror Vision. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023.
  42. ↑ Rosman, McNeil & Davidson 2011, event occurs at 1:05:40.
  43. ↑ "Luxury Theatres". Albuquerque Journal . November 19, 1982. p. H-26 – via Newspapers.com.
  44. 1 2 3 Rosman, Mark. "Agent Agent: Call Him If You Don't Need Him". Los Angeles Times . p. 48 – via Newspapers.com.
  45. ↑ Rosman, Mark (December 12, 1982). "Agent Agent: Call Him If You Don't Need Him". Los Angeles Times . p. 48 – via Newspapers.com.
  46. ↑ French, Philip (December 11, 1983). "Blossoms from the past". The Observer . p. 32 – via Newspapers.com.
  47. ↑ Gross, G. Noel (January 13, 2003). "House on Sorority Row, The". DVD Talk . Archived from the original on December 22, 2017.
  48. ↑ "The House on Sorority Row DVD". Amazon. November 18, 2003. Retrieved May 28, 2018.
  49. ↑ McGaughy, Cameron (December 16, 2009). "House on Sorority Row, The". DVD Talk . Archived from the original on April 17, 2024.
  50. ↑ Turek, Ryan (January 5, 2012). "2-Disc The House on Sorority Row DVD is Coming". ComingSoon.net . Archived from the original on December 16, 2022.
  51. 1 2 Squires, John (December 19, 2017). "'The House on Sorority Row' Gets New 2K Scan for Upcoming Blu-ray". Bloody Disgusting . Archived from the original on December 24, 2018.
  52. ↑ Thompson, Rocco (May 21, 2018). "Scorpion Releasing Aces New Transfer of The House on Sorority Row". Rue Morgue . Archived from the original on November 29, 2021.
  53. ↑ Gonzales, Dillon (July 14, 2021). "'The House On Sorority Row' Blu-Ray Review – Cult Favorite Slasher Film Hits All The Hallmarks Of The Genre". Geek Vibes Nation. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021.
  54. ↑ Squires, John (March 9, 2021). "'80s Slasher 'The House on Sorority Row' Joining the MVD Rewind Collection With New Blu-ray Release". Bloody Disgusting . Archived from the original on November 27, 2024.
  55. ↑ "The House on Sorority Row – Financial Information". The Numbers . Archived from the original on November 27, 2022.
  56. ↑ Cedrone, Lou (February 23, 1983). "'Pirates' is as good on screen as on stage". The Baltimore Sun . p. B5 – via Newspapers.com.
  57. ↑ Hunter, Stephen (February 23, 1983). "'Sorority Row' offers laughable local color". The Baltimore Sun . pp. B1– B2 – via Newspapers.com.
  58. ↑ Mahar, Ted (April 16, 1983). "'House on Sorority Row' shows crime doesn't pay". The Oregonian . p. E6 – via Newspapers.com.
  59. ↑ Rockoff 2016, p. 143.
  60. ↑ Edgar, Henry (May 13, 1983). "'Sorority Row' Horror Buff's Pick". Daily Press . p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
  61. ↑ "The House on Sorority Row". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved April 19, 2025. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  62. ↑ "The House on Sorority Row". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  63. ↑ Muir 2012, p. 253.
  64. ↑ Harper 2004, pp. 113–114.
  65. ↑ Rollo, Sarah (September 18, 2008). "Carrie Fisher may join 'Sorority Row'". Digital Spy . Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  66. ↑ Barnes, Jessica (September 10, 2008). "Rumer Willis Heads Back to 'Sorority Row'". Cinematical. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  67. ↑ MacFarquhar, Larissa (October 20, 2003). "The Movie Lover". The New Yorker . Archived from the original on December 29, 2014.

Sources

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