Graduation Day-1981
Director Herb Freed
Starring Christopher George, Patch Mackenzie
Scott’s Review #1,482
Reviewed June 7, 2025
Grade: B
Essentially borrowing from Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), and other slasher films of the genre’s original heyday, Graduation Day (1981) even adopts the gimmicky holiday/big event model (prom night, Mother’s Day, etc.) made popular.
A whodunit mystery, killer point of view camera work, and revenge motive come into play, making the film a standard entry in the slasher catalog.
Released in 1981, the film capitalizes on trends in the horror genre, much like many rock bands did during the grunge movement or the Los Angeles hair metal movement, for comparison.
There are red herring devices and comical, one-dimensional characters thrown in to soften the film. Making Graduation Day a second-tier slasher film, no more and no less.
Still, the film is fun, with the guessing of the killer’s identity being the most successful and compelling aspect. The murderer carefully marking a red X over each victim post murder is delightful.
A small role by aspiring actress Vanna White, who soon became a television game show legend on Wheel of Fortune, makes Graduation Day a fun relic from another time. Her acting isn’t good, so she lucked out with a continuing career in showbiz. The script does her no favors either.
A suburban high school track team is devastated when their star runner, Laura Ramstead, drops dead following a race, having been pressured relentlessly to win by aggressive coach George Michaels (Christopher George).
Months go by, and Laura’s older sister, Anne (Patch Mackenzie), a U.S. Navy Officer, returns home to attend graduation in Laura’s honor.
Conveniently, she leers at one of Laura’s fellow trackmates and has an identical grey tracksuit and black gloves to those of the killer. Later, we see that the coach does as well.
Has Anne returned to town to avenge her sister’s death? Or does the coach blame the other track members for Laura’s death? Is Laura’s devastated boyfriend Kevin (E. Danny Murphy) out for revenge?
Herb Freed, a director I’m not familiar with, co-wrote and co-produced the venture, which is a positive. This means he undoubtedly had more creative freedom to make the project his own.
Many scenes take place along a deserted walking path, reportedly on the way to campus. Intended victims traverse the trail while someone watches them from the sidelines. It’s either the killer or someone else. One character laughably states that she is looking for the auditorium (on a trail?) and can’t find her way.
The editing team deserves praise for the opening sequence, a slow-motion ode to Brian De Palma’s Carrie (1976), no doubt, as Laura crosses the finish line as adoring students and teachers chant her name and words of encouragement.
Later, a cool roller-skating scene is shown amid a performance by the new wave rock band, Felony.
The filler scenes between less critical characters, such as the principal (Michael Pataki) and the ditzy secretary, aptly named Blondie (E.J. Peaker), for example, play well.
What fans watching the film mostly want to see, though, are the kills, which are well done and clever. My favorite is when Tony (Billy Hufsey) is decapitated from behind while taking a leak.
Another track member attempts to pole vault, resulting in death when steel spikes have replaced the pads in the pole vault pit, and he is killed upon impact.
The screenplay is weak, and the killer’s motivations and reasons for the revenge are lightweight. The track members had no intention to or responsibility for Laura’s death, so the conclusion is unsatisfying.
Graduation Day (1981) is an ideal weekend movie, the kind of entertaining, low-budget horror film that will work best for audiences looking to unwind and have fun after a long, busy workweek.
That’s why I watched it, and it’s perfect for fans of the slasher genre who may not have heard of it.
