"Student Bodies" came out at the height of the mad slasher craze with high expectations. The timing couldn't have been better as it seemed there was a new low budget horror film opening every other week. "Student Bodies" seemed like a welcome refresher as the genre was ripe for parody.
Sad to say but "Student Bodies" is a dead fish of a comedy after a strong first ten minutes which do illicit some genuine laughs. After that the jokes become obvious and tedious which comes as a surprise since writer/director Mickey Rose had collaborated with Woody Allen on some of his early work. The real sign that this is a stinker is that acclaimed director Michael Ritchie took on the role of producer here and had his name removed from the finished product. Yes, Alan Smithee became a producer for a time.
Mr. Ritchie knew of the stench he was part of and wisely distanced himself. The cast is a cross of no talent stiffs crossed with people that appear to have been cast from the circus. Apparently Rose thought just the sight of a man with long arms and legs (credited as "The Stick") was funny enough.
Audiences apparently agreed as the film would bomb after a strong opening weekend before the reviews made the Monday papers. This is a major blown opportunity. Can you imagine what might have been had the Zucker brothers with Jim Abrahams had followed up "Airplane" with their take on mad slasher films? A classic that was not to be.
Sad to say but "Student Bodies" is a dead fish of a comedy after a strong first ten minutes which do illicit some genuine laughs. After that the jokes become obvious and tedious which comes as a surprise since writer/director Mickey Rose had collaborated with Woody Allen on some of his early work. The real sign that this is a stinker is that acclaimed director Michael Ritchie took on the role of producer here and had his name removed from the finished product. Yes, Alan Smithee became a producer for a time.
Mr. Ritchie knew of the stench he was part of and wisely distanced himself. The cast is a cross of no talent stiffs crossed with people that appear to have been cast from the circus. Apparently Rose thought just the sight of a man with long arms and legs (credited as "The Stick") was funny enough.
Audiences apparently agreed as the film would bomb after a strong opening weekend before the reviews made the Monday papers. This is a major blown opportunity. Can you imagine what might have been had the Zucker brothers with Jim Abrahams had followed up "Airplane" with their take on mad slasher films? A classic that was not to be.