Customer Reviews

Hard to Die [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have to say it doesn't get much better than this folks. A group of young women are stuck in a building doing inventory of lingerie when one by one they start to die. The cover has nothing to do with this movie which is actually the third installment in the brilliant Sorority House Massacre series. The back of the video box shows scenes that weren't in the movie at all and make it sound like the next "Die Hard". All the actresses have returned from the second movie but they all have different names and no connections to the murders that occured. Bizarre...yes, completely stupid...absolutely, the best movie of 1993...no contest. The director seems to have a certain skill with lengthy shower scenes. Using this technique he disguises the fact that this film seems to have no point. Hopefully "Orville" will return in another Sorority House movie but until then we still have this epic masterpiece.

"A group of beautiful young women are about to experience the most horrifying night of their lives - trapped in a deserted skyscraper, with a crazed killer at their heels. Soon their over time duty becomes an action filled evening of terror and suspense - yet they choose to defy the odds and fight back ... trading fear for firepower in a high -stakes fight to the death. It's a female "DIE HARD" full of thrilling stunts and explosive action!
Starring Robyn Harris, with Melissa Moore, Lindsay Taylor, Debra Dare, Bridget Carney, and Karen Chorak." That's from the VHS cover, now my take: This movie has: Beach Bimbos, Lingerie, Scary Weird Guy, Wet Tee Shirts, Mysterious Scientist, Shower Scenes, Blood & Gorge, Babes in Bikinis w/ Machine Guns, and ??. So, if that fits your search criteria, I highly recommend it (4.0, [I like to see ALL the babes win]). If you liked "Slumber Party Massacre", "Flesh Gordon" etc. I know you'll enjoy this DVD.

"I just want to get my clothes on and get the hell outta here!" shouts Jackie hysterically. It may hide behind the alternate title "Hard to Die," and utilize the stage name "Arch Stanton" (the name on the grave in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) for director Jim Wynorski, but with most of the same cast returning and with reused ideas and recycled flashbacks, Sorority House Massacre III is still very much the same cheesy movie. The character names have changed (except for Orville Ketchum, now the janitor, and through the majority of the film practically a zombie), the goofy synthesized piano music is back, and the cleavage is as prominent as ever. Since the film doesn't take place in a sorority house, the working titles "Hard to Die" or "Tower of Terror" are more appropriate, but the film is practically identical in story and tone to the series the director took over.

Four department store employees (Dawn, played by Robyn Harris; Jackie, played by Deborah Dare; Tess, played by Melissa Moore; and Shayna, played by Bridget Carney) arrive for the yearly inventory at Acme Lingerie and meet up with the newly hired girl Diana Farrow (Lindsay Taylor). While working in the dusty basement, the sprinkler system is accidentally activated, getting the group of seductresses suitably wet (yes, that was a major plot point). After cleaning up in the manager's office, they discover a mis-delivered occult witchcraft soul box that unleashes an evil (and poorly animated) spirit. The mysterious package was intended for Dr. Newton (a man who casually reads from the book "Demonology and You") at the museum, who attempts to warn them of the dangers - until the phone goes dead. Meanwhile, the same two detectives from Sorority House Massacre II decide to investigate the lingerie store and their old pal Orville, who they both finger as a mass murderer. As the five isolated girls wait for a Chinese food delivery, they are quickly slaughtered by a hooded assailant, armed with a diabolically evil metal hook.

It's especially funny to see the desirable vixens talk about the sorority house massacre that happened in the previous film, considering they played the victims, most of whom didn't make it out alive. And that film reused an introductory plot from the Slumber Party Massacre films. It's like a remake of the previous film, shot for shot, but with a new location; it's even more absurd if you've just seen the previous movie. Both of Wynorski's sequels are completely unrelated to the first Sorority House Massacre, rendering that film obsolete for either understanding the inconsequential plot or enjoying the scatterbrained characters and their extremely toned bodies. Even the first fight scene with Orville is choreographed in an identical fashion (the knife to the guts is in the same place, as is the strangulation by handy extension cord). The repetition is just plain obnoxious (except for the copious nudity, which somehow never gets tiresome).

The same girl manages to take a shower first again (Melissa Moore), her spontaneous undressing moderated by remarkably silly saxophone riffs. And the others aimlessly slip into sexy lingerie in short order. Even the creepy janitor eyes the girls in the same way, and once the bloodletting starts, the splattering of blood and gore is all too familiar. The only major difference is the immoderate amount of machinegun fire. Some people consider this to be a softcore parody of Die Hard, but it couldn't be further from it - if anything, it was simply a gimmicky title choice. Ultimately, who cares? There's plenty of flesh on display, and none of it is unappealing (except maybe for the odd food delivery girl dressed like a clown). It's all in the interest of conceding to the target audience's poor tastes.

- Mike Massie

typically I don't like to spend over $5 for a dvd but this one @ $11 was worth it. good flick to watch again

Yep. This one's a stinker - but; we're assuming it was supposed to be.

Another Wynorski throwback that has lots of T+A - but it's really forced into the story this time (a shower stall that all the girls must use IN a lingerie warehouse?).

The action scenes are poorly directed; the gore terrible - but, Orville Ketchum returns here; and is even more monotone than in the previous entry (this was apparently a sequel to "Sorority House Massacre 2").

If your idea of a good time are questionable looking women; in and out of clothing chasing down a killer possessed by an evil spirit in a lingerie store - then you've found the golden ticket here!!!

The biggest downside, however; is the title. It refers (apparently) to Ketchum's character - which is, sadly, the longest-running and least funny joke in the film. Watch it and you'll see what we mean.

BOTTOM LINE: Worth a look for severe camp aficionados

An evil spirit. Hot chicks in lingerie. And machine guns. What more could you ask for?

Well I recieved Hard to Die promptly in the mail and I just love this film to pieces! its sleazy, fun and extremely great. Basically five girls, Diana, Jackie, Shane, Dawn and Tess are working late doing inventory at Acme Lingerie. Jackie and Shane are waiting for the elevators when Dawn and Tess meet them. Then some delivery guy comes in and gives them a package. The girls have no clue as to what is inside. Then scary janitor Orville Ketchum appears and the sorority murders are re-enacted through clips re-used from the slumber party massacre. Afterwards, they go up to Acme Lingerie and meet Mr. Plympton who's a real ass of a guy and Diana who had just been doing 'overtime.' He leaves and the girls get right down to business in the basement, encountering Orville Ketchum several times on the way. Unfortunatly they've also unleashed the terrible evil of Hockstatter from the mysterious soul box inside the package. While the girls are collecting boxes and showering with bars of soap- Tess and Diana go down to get the bigger boxes. Diana leaves to go back upstairs when Tess injures her back further and cannot walk. Here she is killed by a hooded stranger. Later on while waiting for their ordered food, Shane too is killed. Soon afterwards, so is the delivery girl. And then there were three. Dawn, Jackie and Diana become worried and coquettishly wonder downstairs to the basement where they discover the bodies of fellow members, Tess and Shane. Screaming like any normal person would, they run for the elevators and instantly think Ketchum did it when they see him walking towards them. They get to safety but will be enough to stop Hockstatter's possession? I highly reccomend this film to anyone who loves slasher films; its a fantastic film! I loved it.