25 Incredibly Well-Made Horror Films Directed By Women

24. Amy Holden Jones - The Slumber Party Massacre (1982)

The Slumber Party Massacre is what happens when feminist writer, Rita Mae Brown, and director Amy Holden Jones parody the slasher genre which, to this day, is mainly focused on half-naked women running from a psycho in a mask. In the film, 18-year-old Trish (Michelle Michaels) decides to invite some friends over for a slumber party one night when her parents are out of town. The pretty, new girl Valerie (Robin Stille), who lives next door to Trish, is invited to the festivities but declines to take care of her younger sister. It's going to be a long night for all of them, though, because a crazed murderer armed with a power drill is in the neighbourhood - and he definitely wants to join the party. In the commentary for the film, Jones makes mention of how producer Roger Corman required a certain amount of nudity in the opening half of the flick, which certainly explains the long, lingering shots of naked, soapy bodies in the opening shower scene. She didn't seem happy about it. Her quote was something to the effect of "Here's your nudity, all up front, now let's be done with it." Overall, this is still a very underrated slasher film that's both bloody and extremely fun.