My Syllabus of Slaughter: 8 Semester-Starting Splatters

Life has been absolute chaos lately. I’m currently recovering from an emergency wisdom teeth removal, I’m in the middle of a move, and I’m realizing that I’m packing up and leaving what I’ve always known since I stayed close to home for college. My college years are over and I am entering a new chapter of my life.

Looking back, being in school is what catapulted my passion for film curation, programming, and the art of filmmaking in the first place. Since I am severely jealous of everyone enrolled in classes right now, I decided to channel my envy into a watchlist. Some of these titles are part of bigger franchises while others stand entirely on their own, but they all capture that transition where late summer bleeds into a crisp fall.

I hope this article prompts some watchlist additions and I wish everyone a great school year + straight A’s!

PART I: COLLEGE CARNAGE

1) Scream 2 (1997) - dir. Wes Craven

Synopsis: Two years after the Woodsboro murders, Sidney Prescott acclimates to college life at Windsor College while someone donning the Ghostface costume begins a new string of killings.

Of course, when I started brainstorming this concept, Scream 2 was the absolute first movie that came to mind. As a, now, film graduate, I completely fell in love with how it leans right into film class debates and movie sequels. This installment is such a smart and seamless extension of the original and Wes Craven does an incredible job scaling the terror up to a massive college campus. After all, I feel like September just begs for a great whodunnit slasher.

2) Urban Legend (1998) - dir. Jamie Blanks

Synopsis: A college campus is plagued by a vicious serial killer murdering students in ways that correspond to various urban legends.

I really adore the concept of folklore turned mystery movie, and although it is heavily inspired by Scream 2 (which came out the year before), it stands out on its own as a great movie. The New England campus aesthetics really add to the authentic collegiate atmosphere, and after rewatching it this summer, I had forgotten how underrated it really is.

3) Happy Death Day (2017) - dir. Christopher Landon

Synopsis: Caught in a bizarre and terrifying time warp, college student Tree finds herself repeatedly reliving the day of her murder, ultimately realizing that she must identify the killer and the reason for her death before her chances of survival run out.

I love its take on modern horror. Having to relive the same day over and over again while not knowing who is going after you revitalized the whodunnit formula, and honestly, I wish we would see more of it today. The pacing keeps the energy high from the opening scene to the credits which makes it a rewatch movie for me. If you missed this one when it came out (which is now almost a decade ago!) I would highly suggest to throw it on as a movie to watch with friends.

4) Night of the Creeps (1986) - dir. Fred Dekker

Synopsis: In 1959, an alien experiment crashes to earth and infects a fraternity member. They freeze the body, but in the modern day, two geeks pledging a fraternity accidentally thaw the corpse, which proceeds to infect the campus with parasites that transform their hosts into killer zombies.

I just watched this for my first year completing Cinemonster’s Hooptober challenge last year, and I loved how it incorporates alien brain slugs as a different approach to zombies. Like most B-movies, it is a hidden gem and a great late-night watch when you want practical creature effects and fast pacing. Fred Dekker blends college campus tropes with classic creature-feature horror so effortlessly, that the scares are balanced with a self-aware sense of humor and one-liners.

PART II: HIGH SCHOOL HORROR

5) Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) - dir. Steve Miner

Synopsis: Two decades after surviving a massacre on October 31, 1978, former baby sitter Laurie Strode finds herself hunted by persistent knife-wielder Michael Myers. Laurie now lives in Northern California under an assumed name, where she works as the headmistress of a private school. But it’s not far enough to escape Myers, who soon discovers her whereabouts. As Halloween descends upon Laurie’s peaceful community, a feeling of dread weighs upon her – with good reason.

This is one of my favorite movies of the Halloween franchise (and I probably have mentioned it multiple times in quite a few articles). This movie takes a different approach as it is set at a private boarding school, but if anything, the setting just encapsulates the fall atmosphere even more. One of my favorite parts of this movie is how the runtime is tight and efficient. The plot focuses on Laurie Strode confronting her past and trauma in an isolated academic environment while having the movie never feeling like a cash grab. I truly don’t think this installment gets the appreciation it so very well deserves.

6) Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987) - dir. Bruce Pittman

Synopsis: When Hamilton High’s Prom Queen of 1957, Mary Lou Maloney is killed by her jilted boyfriend, she comes back for revenge thirty years later.

I just saw this movie recently and loved how campy and fun it is. It reminds me a lot of A Nightmare on Elm Street, and even though it has nothing to do with the original Prom Night, it totally makes sense why it's so loved by genre fans. The charm it has is undeniable and exactly why people adore it. Between the vibrant lighting, distinct 1980s aesthetic, and a resurrected spirit causing absolute havoc in a high school, it makes for a perfect hidden gem seasonal watch.

7) The Faculty (1998) - dir. Robert Rodriguez

Synopsis: When some very creepy things start happening around school, the kids at Herrington High make the chilling discovery that confirms their worst suspicions: their teachers really are from another planet!

The Faculty was also a more recent watch for me, and I absolutely loved it. I've been really into Robert Rodriguez movies the last few years, and the fact that Kevin Williamson (the writer of Scream) also wrote this makes it the perfect collaboration. The cast is absolutely amazing (I mean, you can really tell it's a quintessential '90s ensemble cast), and the plot and effects are absurd and perfect for a late-night movie marathon. I honestly wished I had seen this one sooner and when I was still in school.

8) Cherry Falls (2000) - dir. Geoffrey Wright

Synopsis: When students in the small town of Cherry Falls learn a serial killer is targeting virgins, they realize their only chance of survival is to throw a “Pop Your Cherry” party.

Cherry Falls definitely needs more appreciation in the slasher world. Brittany Murphy in the horror genre is fantastic, and while the movie is distinct and moody, it captures that fall transition with its cold color palette and small-town setting. The narrative structure handles the mystery element differently than standard slashers of that decade, but that’s what I love about it.