Guest
A shot-on-video slasher was aired on public access cable in Connecticut. HALLOWEEN PARTY is a minimalist slasher that features stolen music from HALLOWEEN, 8-bit text crawls, and a cast of real-life teenagers who talk very fast. While it follows the basic template of other shot-on-video hangout slashers like BLOOD LAKE, HALLOWEEN PARTY is less of a “real movie” and more of a “home movie.” That’s what makes it cross the threshold from a charming curiosity to a time-warp treasure chest that overflows with a Halloween mood. Like GIRLS AT THE CARNIVAL and METALHEAD TEENS IN A RECORD STORE, HALLOWEEN PARTY is a document of teens hanging out and being themselves during a time that will never exist again. The only difference is that this snapshot takes the form of a narrative horror movie. The kids in HALLOWEEN PARTY crack up when they flub a line, call each other names like “lame-o,” and stare blankly at the ground when Skowronski feeds them lines. In other words, they act exactly how you or I would act in the same situation at age 14. That relatable naiveté is what makes the movie so pure and joyful — for one night only, they lived to make HALLOWEEN PARTY. From the scene of three kids driving to pick up a pizza to the hilarious sick burn battle between two girls, we feel that infectious energy in every frame. It’s a gentle reminder that the world isn’t always a pit of flaming hot garbage.
