Search - Student Bodies on DVD

Craig S. (InnerMacro) from WAUSAU, WI
Reviewed on 5/4/2023...

The humor in Student Bodies plays like reading a Mad Magazine spoof of horror movies from the late 70s and early 80s. I'll make that specific Harvey-Kurtzman-style-comparison because it's slightly different from Airplane, but that's only a mild nuance. Fans of that type of humor will enjoy Student Bodies.

2 of 3 member(s) found this review helpful.

Damian M. (ratchet)
Reviewed on 3/11/2009...

Another 1980s horror comedy. A over-the-top horror parody in the "Scary Movie" or "Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth" vein. Worth a watch if you are a fan of the early slasher films. Worth it, if only for The Stick! And the hilarious uses of Dr Pepper

4 of 4 member(s) found this review helpful.

Student Bodies started it all.....

mypetconcubine | Waianae, Hawaii U.S.A. | 02/12/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is funny beyond belief....a killa crazy comedy.
Paramount Studios should absolutely finally release this movie on dvd.
When Student Bodies first came out in 1981 it was completely unique, no one had ever done a horror spoof before. Hense the original Movie poster proclaiming "At last The world's first comedy horror movie".Student Bodies was written and directed by Mickey Rose, who collaborated with Woody Allen on the screenplays for Allen's early films.
The film had a completely unknown and still unknown cast *Kristen Riter* Toby Badger, *Matt Goldsby* Hardy, *Richard Brando* The Breather,
Student Bodies had a notoriously difficult production and producer Michael Ritchie, Ritchie opted to take his name off the picture, instead using the Director's Guild pseudonym.
This movie has become quite popular since it's release on video in the early eighties and is still available on VHS and can be seen sometimes on late night/early morning television becoming a CULT CLASSIC.....BUT WHEN IS THIS CULT CLASSIC GOING TO BE AVAILABLE ON DVD?
This killa Crazy comedy is every teenage horror film you've ever seen from the 70's and 80's and every horror movie cliche is taken to hilarous extremes of laughter. The screams are as frequent as the laughs as a crazy murderer or maybe murderess terrorizes Lamab High.
But the senior class is not going to take it lying down most of all Toby Badger...*KRISTEN RITER*. a mousy good girl you know like in all horror films Toby's the virgin. Toby's putting herslef and her beau in some silly positions so she can find out who's "the breather". a killer who is murdering her non-viriginal friends with a pair of rubber gloves and garbage bags and other unusal weapons of choice.
With help from her boyfriend Hardy...*MATT GOLDSBY*(Student Bodies,Frances) who's the town nerd of sorts who's always there by Toby's side if she needs him. Hardy's trying his best to protect and save Toby. But at the same time trying to protect and save himself. Toby and Hardy are Ducking such lethal weapons such as paper clips, blackboard erasers and horse-head bookends, they set about trying to find the mysterious "Breather" and other things that go bump in the night.
No one is safe from the crazy twists and turns of the looney plot, and a madcap twist of an ending. No one is Safe least of all the student bodies themselves. Football games, pep rallies, parades and senior proms provide background for a movie that leaves no horror movie cliche unexplored.
This movie is Rated R which actually i think is a joke onto itself. cause there is only slight nudity, little Gore, there's only a few bad words said in the entire movie. some lewds jokes but that's the best parts.
This movie is actually quite tame considering all the raunchy teen movies of the 80's and 90's that will follow it. But It is by far the best in my opinion.
Student Bodies was the movie that started the whole horror movie spoofs. This is a great film that I hope will be available on dvd one day. Great laughs, Sharp ,Witty and of course purposely stupidly wonderful. I mean hello it's a comedy not shakespheare.
10...stars TWO thumbs way up."

FINALLY!!!!!!!

Darth J | Somewhere In Time | 04/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'Student Bodies' is a 1981 cult horror-comedy/slasher parody that is seeing it's release on DVD for the first time! It was written and directed by Micky Rose and stars Kristen Ritter, Matt Goldsby, and Richard Brando as 'The Breather'.

The movie starts off in the stereotypical fashion; A Babysitter on a dark night starts getting increasingly bizarre(and silly)phone calls. When her boyfriend comes over for some 'luvin', a killer enters the house and does in with our teen couple(again in very silly fashion).
After the funeral(and 2 more murders), the next scene cuts to a school the following day where news about the murder has spread(sound familiar, I'm talking to you Wes Craven!),and we are introduced to our protagonist Toby(Ritter)and her boyfriend Hardy(Goldsby). Who are your average teen couple. From then on the story plays out in very familiar fashion(remember this was made in '81) with a rising death toll coinciding with teen sex, an even an on-screen 'death meter'!

This movie was made to spoof the now classic 'slasher boom' that started in the late 70's. The story moves in very familiar, almost cliche' fashion and will instantly remind you of 'Scream' and 'Scary Movie' with hints of the famous slasher flix of the time. Upon viewing, one can see the movies being spoofed; 'Halloween', 'Prom Night', and 'Black Christmas' are just a few of the movies being tackled.

The acting is good, the entire cast plays the parts well; including a woodshop teacher, Mr. Dumpkin(Joe Flood)who is a little to into his work. Also, the cliche' janitor, Malvert, is played by an actor who is only known by the name 'The Stretch' and his where-a-bouts are currently unknown. His performance is one of the memorable things about this film. He is a very tall, thin man who has tremendously long arms and seems 'double jointed'. his chacracter is a wild perversion of 'Forest Gump'. For example, in one dance scene he is dancing with a blow-up doll!!
'The Breather' is a classic character!! what more can I say? See the movie to see what I'm talking about!

The editing is memorable also. On a few occations, the film breaks 'the 4th wall' in various unique scenerios; including a scene specifically made to acheive an R-rating. The movie is 86 min. and never drags. In many scenes the familiar point-of-view shot is shown when the focus is on the killer(The Breather).
The music and score is familiar with screeching violins and such, in some scenes the music is part of the gag.

This is a cult-classic and a must have for fans of horror-comedy. The DVD is pretty bare bones,(only a trailer)and the transfer isn't the best, but this is the first time this movie is on DVD and I've waited years to see it again. If your like me don't hestitate to get it(who knows how long this will be in print??)

Now, how about releasing 'Pandemonium' and 'Neighbors'?"

Funny beyond belief

Maek | Phoenix, AZ United States | 05/22/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"You have to love one of the earliest parodies of 70s horror flicks.Some highlights of the film that make it hilarious:* Our killer (you never see his face, just heavy breathing, gloves, and galoshes) is looking over weapons and picks the deadliest one of them all...an unfolded paperclip!! * The ongoing "body count" that flashes on the screen everytime someone dies! * Our killer talking to the teacher: Teacher (on phone): "Why does your voice sound funny? Killer: "Because I'm disguising it, schmuck!" "How?" "I'm talking through a rubber chicken." "It sounded like you're talking through a rubber chicken." "'Click!'" "Did you just hang up?" "No, I just said 'click.'" * One of my favorite quotes as the principal "confesses": "All these years I've been naked underneath these clothes." * The killer as he chases a girl: "Why do they always run? Maybe it's the galoshes! They're a dead giveaway! Why do I wear them? It's not even raining!" *You have to love a movie that uses an eggplant for a murder weapon.Okay, so the humor is bad and dated...but in the right mood with a lot of friends, it's downright funny.I'm amazed that it's still in print. Enjoy."