High school girls start showing up dead in THE MAJORETTES
(1987) based on the novel by John A. Russo (writer for the original NIGHT OF
THE LIVING DEAD). Here, Russo also
writes the screenplay with another alumni of NOTLD Bill Hinzman taking over
here as director. Like many derivative
slasher films of the late “80s, The Majorettes has sex and gore and nudity, but
little else. The film lacks the ambiance
of Halloween or the sheer (implied) brutality of Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It lacks the originality of Hellraiser or the
makeup FX of The Burning.
In fact, there is very little to The Majorettes other than
the star talent behind the camera as the cinematography is lacking as the iconic
music. It’s interesting that this is the
first of the only two films Hinzman directed (the other is FLESHEATER, which
also is not that good of a film either).
Russo, on the other hand, wrote the screenplay for the film based on his
novel and went on to write, produce, and direct other films based on his
novels.
The Majorettes is a film for Russo and Hinzman fans and little
else even if you can appreciate the the trash cinema of the ‘80s slasher boom.
