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Sorority Row (2009)

Rating: 2 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Sister Pact

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

The remake of The House on Sorority Row (1983) is rather more heavily based on I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997), with an unknown killer waiting eight months to attack, long after the heroes think they're safe. Unfortunately, that tactic only works against the film, which -- given its spunky, sexy, funny, spirited and bitchy heroines -- could have been a lot sharper and a lot more fun.

After a prank goes bad and results in the death of one of their sorority sisters, five remaining girls, including blonde leader Jessica (Leah Pipes), pill-popping slut Chugs (Margo Harshman), Asian hottie Claire (Jamie Chung) and nerdy, bespectacled Ellie (Rumer Willis) decide to hide the body and keep it a secret. Tough Cassidy (Briana Evigan), with her smoky, throaty voice, protests, but eventually finds herself outvoted. Then the killer strikes on graduation day, wearing a robe and hood and wielding a pimped-out version of the original murder weapon, a tire-iron, not only leaving a trail of corpses, but sending threatening messages to the girls' cell phones.

There are some good set pieces, but identity of the killer is all too easy to determine, and director Stewart Hendler (2007's Whisper) turns in several incomprehensible action scenes of shaky, choppy blundering.

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Trailer | Poster | Soundtrack

With: Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Jamie Chung, Rumer Willis, Margo Harshman, Audrina Patridge, Carrie Fisher, Julian Morris, Caroline D' Amore, Matt O'Leary, Matt Lanter
Written by: Josh Stolberg, Pete Goldfinger, based on a screenplay by Mark Rosman
Directed by: Stewart Hendler
MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, language, some sexuality/nudity and partying
Running Time: 101 minutes
Date: September 11, 2009

Please also see my longer review at Cinematical.com