Aside from the latest installment of the “Saw” franchise, remakes of older, somewhat classic horror films are one thing that can always be counted on as we draw closer to Halloween.
As the girls of Theta Pi begin their senior year of college, a huge house party is thrown to start the year off right. A seemingly innocent prank goes horribly wrong though, and the women make a decision that will affect them the rest of their lives (which isn’t very long). Eight months later the women of Theta Pi have finally graduated and to celebrate this accomplishment another party is thrown. What the girls didn’t expect is that someone else knows their secret and is out to make sure they receive what’s coming to them.
Either these women are truly a bunch of vapid shrews or they’re the best actresses of the year. OK, that might not be completely true, but they do a relatively fine job. Rumer Willis (daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore), despite being the lead character, is actually the film’s weakest link. You can actually see her pantomiming the emotion she’s supposed to be feeling. “Sorority’s” real scene-stealer is Leah Pipes, who plays the group’s self-imposed leader. Her character’s cattiness knows no bounds and she actually delivers a few one-liners that will induce a chuckle. Although I wish it had been in a different movie, it’s always fun seeing Carrie Fisher. Here she plays Mrs. Crenshaw, the house mother to the sorority. For a woman of her stature, one must wonder just how desperately she needed a paycheck when she signed on to make this film.
Given “Sorority’s” hard-partying college setting, there’s plenty of scantily clad men and women, as well as a healthy dose of gratuitous nudity to satisfy both genders in the audience. Which brings me to my point: nearly every woman in this film is shown to be nothing more than an object of sexuality.
Even Willis, the film’s supposedly unappealing and self-righteous lead, still manages to exude a small drop of sex appeal.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call “Sorority” misogynistic, if only because the film’s far too shallow to be considered as anything
other than typical Hollywood hack and slash fare. In addition, the film presents a pretty grim picture of sorority life. All it seems to consist of is nonstop drinking and unprotected sex.
If there was one thing I wasn’t expecting from “Sorority” it was decent kill scenes. I’ll admit I was somewhat proven wrong. Some of the deaths were actually pretty original and the thought of being stabbed with such a blunt instrument as a car jack is indeed enough to send a small shiver down anyone’s
spine. In addition to the adequate kills, “Sorority” also offers a small level of black humor that I wasn’t anticipating, although it’s far too sparse.
Relatively new director Stewart Hendler does a fair job directing “Row.” He doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the table and his choice of camera movements is standard for the horror film he’s trying to make. It’s a standard slasher made for its built-in audience. He doesn’t take any chances mixing things up a bit. The script is also fairly by-the-numbers and its revelation of who the killer is is underwhelming, unsurprising and uninspired.
Diehard fans of the genre may want to take a walk down “Sorority Row.” Everyone else, though, should be advised that the view along the way is bland, uninspired and is on the verge of misogyny.
