‘Night of the Dead Sorority Babes’ VOD Review
Stars: Jessa Flux, Ashleigh Amberlynn, Mel Heflin, Kelsey Livengood, Angel Nichole Bradford, Anna Clary, Mia Katz, Lynn Lowry, Ann Myrna | Written by Steve Hermann | Directed by Angel Nichole Bradford, Steve Hermann
Horror films and sorority houses are a combination that go back at least as far as 1957’s Blood of Dracula and 1961’s Werewolf in a Girls’ Dormitory, the 70s gave us the classic original versions of Black Christmas and Suspiria, along with the memorable made for TV flick The Initiation of Sarah.
But it was the slasher boom of the 80s that it blossomed with films like Sorority House Massacre, The House on Sorority Row and The Initiation. Since then we’ve had multiple remakes of Black Christmas and House on Sorority Row as well as new films such as Die Die Delta Pi, Slotherhouse and now Night of the Dead Sorority Babes.
A group of coeds, Veronica (Jessa Flux; Bigfoot Exorcist, Sea of Madness), Victoria (Ashleigh Amberlynn; Deader the Better, The Forest Hills), Bambi (Mel Heflin; Deadly Culture: Species X, Blood and Breakfast), Lucy (Kelsey Livengood; Attack of the Corn Zombies, Staycation), Blair (Angel Nichole Bradford; Desperate Souls, Crackcoon) and Megan (Anna Clary; Mutilator 2, The Woodmen) have been invited to rush the prestigious sorority Gamma Rho Kappa.
Overseeing their initiation are Roxy (Mia Katz; Tagged, They Came Back from Somewhere), Kimberly (Lynn Lowry; A Halloween Feast, I Drink Your Blood) and her sister Angelica (Ann Myrna; It Came from Somewhere, Girl Assassin: The Search for Caesar).
Night of the Dead Sorority Babes was written by Steve Hermann (Disremembered, Blood Sisters) who co-directed it with Angel Nichole Bradford. They fill the first half hour with backstories, bitchiness and, as you might have guessed from the cast, lots of bare skin. But very little of a macabre nature happens until around the forty-minute mark.
It probably comes as no surprise that older women are up to no good, or that witchcraft and cannibalism are involved. Despite that, and the large number of potential victims, Night of the Dead Sorority Babes is a rather slow-paced film. It does get bloody but there’s more emphasis on the girls talking about their issues or trying to deep throat bananas than on people getting killed up until the last few minutes.
As a result Night of the Dead Sorority Babes feels like a film with a split personality, never quite sure if it wants to be a serious horror drama or a blood and boobs fuelled slasher and ends up not really working as either It’s not that it’s a bad film, it definitely has its moments, but it just kind of drags along in between them.
When it does get down to business the practical effects by Kelsey Livengood and Angel Nichole Bradford are mostly quite good with fingers cut off, eyes and a tongue removed, the eyeless spirit of a previous pledge walking around, etc. Between those effects and the ones accomplished by the actress’ plastic surgeons, there’s plenty to keep your eyes on the screen.
Performance-wise wise the cast are a mixed bag, as expected genre veteran Lowry stands out as one of the evil sisters, while the rest of the cast range from good to adequate. Not that the script calls for them to do much. Apart from the occasional need to act concerned or bitchy depending on the character they just need to get naked, get scared and get dead.
When all is said and done, Night of the Dead Sorority Babes is an acceptable entry into the sorority house slaughter genre. It’s just a bit too plodding and unfocused to live up to its full potential but it’s still a cut above a lot of what’s out there.
**½ 2.5/5
Night of the Dead Sorority Babes is available on digital via Bayview Entertainment.
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