AFTERWORDS: SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE II (1987)

Horror comedy really is a difficult genre. You either really nail it, like Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive or Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead, or you fall flat on your face. Personally, I love Dead Heat with Treat Williams (R.I.P.) and Joe Piscopo. It’s not for everyone, but goddamn, do I love that movie.

Slumber Party Massacre II is a campy delight of the highest order. Coming in at a lean and effective 77 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome and goes down smoothly.

I wish we got more movies like this. The late ’80s were such a special time because people just really went for it. No one was fucking around. They knew what they were doing and executed what they could with the budget they had. Truth be told, a lot could be learned from a film like SPM II.

Not everything needs to be “epic.” Sometimes you just make a sequel, and it hits the spot. I wish we were still able to make wacky-shmacky horror sequels. With the importance of IP these days, writers and directors have a very careful role to keep the franchise going. They aren’t allowed to stray too far from the source material that made the producers their money the first time around. Personally, I think that’s a sad fact of genre filmmaking in 2025.

Sometimes you just need to make a movie that’s completely derivative of the original. Pet Sematary II comes to mind. That movie is absolutely batshit bonkers, and I love it.

What did I learn from the debut episode of The Offering this season?

1. Slumber Party II still absolutely slaps.

2. Go for the gusto! Don’t be afraid to get a little weird. Don’t be afraid to get a little horny.

Why? Because genre film will be better for it.