Skip Schoolnik

A dumb but hugely entertaining slasher effort that sees a group of eight youngsters shacking up for the night in a creepy, decrepit furniture store to celebrate their graduation. Unbeknown to them a very odd, ex-con, member of the store staff is locked in with them - and, of course, it's only a matter of time before the teens are been killed off one-by-one. Michael Kelly's script is fairly standard slasher fare for the most part delivering the most glaringly obvious red herring you're ever likely to see while bumping-off the teens in fairly routine manner. He does, however, attempt to play with the well-established conventions of the slasher genre, which is unfortunate for the shy, virginal couple! There is also an attempt to humanise the killer, who is able to display a vulnerable as well as psychotic side. The "final girl" trope is also put aside for a more unconventional ending for this type of film. Director Skip Schoolnik doesn't bring anything particularly different but manages the kill sequences and the interplay between the teens with workmanlike efficiency. The teen cast are all decent, if unspectacular - the young women are appropriately perky and their boyfriends appropriately idiotic. There is good interplay between the group despite their need to spout some awful dialogue and engaging in some cringe-worthy teen repartee. Overall "Hide and Go Shriek" is far from revolutionary, but it does attempt to play with genre conventions while delivering all the teen carnage, nudity, violence and suspense that you would anticipate from a late '80s psycho slasher.… (altro)