What can be better than a slasher flick that starts with a sorority pledge forced to lap up toilet water and humiliate herself with a pitch black marital aide before she finally snaps and chokes the head of the sorority with said dildo before slicing her up like a prize-winning ham then hanging herself? Honestly, not a hell of a lot I reckon…
So after all of that craziness, Stirring starts in earnest when the sister of the now defunct sorority head, Amber by name, joins the same sorority as some sort of half-assed grief therapy. Well, before you can say ‘blood covered yule log’…wait, why would you ever even say that? Anyway…sorority bros and hoes start gettin’ offed right quick by a sinister slasher dressed as a nightmare version of Mrs. Clause and the body count climbs ever upward. Can ol’ Amber and her pals survive the slashin’s going on six ways to Sunday and figure out who is behind it all?
Let’s get one thing right out of the way; Stirring gives horror hounds (especially those that have an affection for stalk n’ slay fright flicks from the golden age of the slashers…the 1980’s) exactly what they crave…buckets and buckets of blood n’ gore, naked flesh, and an iconic mass-murderin’ maniac! Adding to the positives, there are some likable characters among the lambs to the slaughter (in particular Heather Bounds as Kayla comes across as especially earnest), some nice cinematography, atmospheric score, and a nice extended cameo role from one of my fav scream queens; Brinke Stevens. Also, the film makers make good use of their limited locations utilizing the sorority house to good effect to keep the action contained and suitably claustrophobic.
On the flip side, some of the acting comes of as either wooden or too over-the -top. This wasn’t a deal breaker for my enjoyment of the film, but it does distract at times. Also, the film suffers a few pacing issues…when there is horror biz afoot, thinks move at a nice, brisk pace with strong suspense, and gore drenched climaxes, but when our protagonists are just sitting around jawing things tend to drag a bit (and some of their dialog seems improved as if to vamp the scene up to pad the run time).
To put a nice lil’ bow on it; if you dig on Black Christmas and Sorority House Massacre, and want to see that chocolate mixed with that peanut butter than Stirring is the flick for you; it’s a well made homage chock full of blood n’ babes and it definitely left a smile on my fearsome face!
For more on Stirring from Horror Fuel head here!
