Graduation Day

1981 "The Class of ‘81 is running out of time!"
4.8| 1h36m| R| en| More Info
Released: 01 May 1981 Released
Producted By: Troma Entertainment
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

After the death of a high school track star during a race, a mysterious killer in a fencing mask begins murdering her friends and teachers.

Genre

Horror

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Director

Herb Freed

Production Companies

Troma Entertainment

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Graduation Day Audience Reviews

Cubussoli Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
TinsHeadline Touches You
Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece
Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.
Scott LeBrun Laura Ramstead (Ruth Ann Llorens) is a high schooler competing in a track & field event; after completing a run, she drops dead (of a blood clot). Soon her sister Anne (Patch Mackenzie), an ensign in the U.S. Navy, returns home, and Anne does a little bit of sleuthing into the matter. And while this is going on, a psycho wearing a track suit and carrying around a stopwatch is slaughtering the other members of Lauras' track team. Could the killer be the hard-driving coach (Christopher George)? Someone on the team? Or even Anne herself? Slasher fans will have some fun waiting for the answer.Written by Anne Marisse and director Herb Freed, this doesn't do much that's different from the average movie of this type. One amusing touch is that the killer uses the stopwatch every time they make a kill. Their methods are sometimes hilariously ingenious: rigging a mattress with spikes so that a pole vaulter will be impaled, ramming a javelin through a football and then skewering a jock with the javelin, etc. Makeup effects aren't the most elaborate or gory you'll see in a slasher, but they're decent. Linnea Quigley, in an early role, is unsurprisingly the cast member who fulfils the T & A requirement. There are other pleasures as well, such as the presence of 'Wheel of Fortune' hostess Vanna White (in real life she's Christopher Georges' niece), the fact that the secretary played by E.J. Peaker is actually named "Blondie" (!), the performance by Michael Pataki as the harried principal, etc. There's a major musical number from the band Felony that seems to go on for days while it accompanies a murder set piece.The acting is serviceable for this sort of affair. Mackenzie isn't much of a protagonist, but George is fun, as are E. Danny Murphy as Lauras' grieving boyfriend, Richard Balin as the uber cheesy music teacher, Carmen Argenziano as an investigating detective, and Virgil Frye as a party pooping cop. If you recognize the lovely lady playing victim Paula Brentwood, that's because it's Linda Shayne, the B movie perennial whose credits include "Humanoids from the Deep" and "Screwballs".Director Freed was absolutely no fan of this genre, but had a hard time escaping it (among his previous credits are "Haunts" and "Beyond Evil"). Convinced that the key to a successful slasher lay in a formula, he did study earlier slashers and take notes, then applying them to his movie.The result is reasonably entertaining. Slasher completists will definitely want to put it on their "to watch" list.Six out of 10.
Dom Nickson Spoiler Alert!!! I see why so many people hate this movie and I really understand that it does have it's moments where it drags on. I mean seriously the suspect couldn't be more obvious. It's pretty obvious that the only person closest to the girl who died was the killer and that's the bf. Seriously, I guessed it right from the start and I just waited for each one to die to prove my prediction. Anyway, most of the deaths were pointless and the characters were completely innocent. The killer had no reason to kill anybody but himself. This whole movie was pretty much a waste of time but I really liked the costume that the killer used. It was unusual and really creative at the time. However I don't think a sword is the best weapon for a sadistic serial killer. I sort of liked this movie despite how stupid it is at times. I give it a 4 out of 10.
Woodyanders After a female high school track star meets an abrupt untimely death while running in a race, a mysterious psycho in a fencing mask starts bumping off the girl's fellow teammates left and right. Possible suspects include hard-nosed Coach George Michaels (Christopher George in top scenery-gnashing gruff'n'growly form), smarmy principal Mr. Guglione (a supremely sleazy and spirited turn by Michael Pataki), and the deceased gal's tough Navy officer sister Anne (nicely played by Patch Mackenzie).Director/co-writer Herb Freed employs occasional use of strenuous slow motion (you just gotta love the balletic gymnastics routine set to classical music), a blaring rock soundtrack, several wacky creative murder set pieces (one guy gets impaled by a javelin affixed to a football!), a frenzied rapid-fire editing style (a doubled homicide that occurs while the gnarly group Felony cuts loose with a pounding protracted number kicks things over the deliriously kitschy goalpost with loads of crazy cross-cutting), and one of those groan-inducing "Carrie"-inspired nightmare endings to give this teen slice'n'dice opus its own distinctly goofy charm. Better still, super cutie Linnea Quigley as giggly pothead Dolores bares her sweet itty bitty pre-silicone natural breasts to dippy music teacher Mr. Roberts (an outrageously camp portrayal by Richard Balin), famous letter spinner Vanna White finds a bloodied body in a locker, and ubiquitous character actor Patrick Wright has an amusing bit as a lecherous truck driver. Arthur Kempel's slick cinematography provides a pleasing polished look. Daniel Tarussi's rattling score hits the shuddery oooga-booga spot. An absolute schlocky hoot.
gwnightscream This 1981 horror film stars Christopher George, Patch Mackenzie, E. Danny Murphy, Ruth Ann Llorens and Michael Pataki. This begins with a 200-meter race where teenage girl, Laura Ramstead (Llorens) dies suddenly after winning. Six months later, we meet her older sister, Anne (Mackenzie) who has come home from the military to visit their parents and attend Graduation in Laura's memory. At the same time, a mysterious killer begins slaughtering Laura's track team members one by one and timing them. George (City of the Living Dead) plays Coach, George Michaels, Murphy plays Laura's boyfriend, Kevin Badger and Pataki (Halloween 4) plays Principal Guglione. 80's scream queen, Linnea Quigley (Return of the Living Dead) and Wheel of Fortune hostess, Vanna White also appear as Dolores and Doris. This is OK, but I still recommend checking it out at least once if you enjoy 80's slasher flicks.