When I saw the box for Splatter University at a cheap video store I frequent, I was excited and terrifyed at the same time. I was excited because I knew I'd be able to cover a rare Troma release. I was terrifyed because I knew that would mean I'd have to watch it. The film has been declared one of the worst films in the Troma library. Actually, it's no longer in the Troma library, as far as I've heard, because director Richard W. Haines(who co-directed Class of Nuke Em High and edited several Troma classics) bought the film back.
Splatter University is about Julie Parker, a young college professor who has taken a job at a college where she learns the teacher who previously had the job was murdered in her room. Several students think the room is jinxed and when students and faculty begin turning up murdered, people begin to wonder if the killer's still on campus. But who could the killer be? Is the killer somehow related to the opening scene in a mental hospital?
The most amazing part of Splatter University is the complete and total lack of any action that's usually seen in slasher films. The murders are undoubtably tame, mostly consisting of the killer stabbing people through a doorway and there's no splattering to speak of in Splatter University. But instead, a limited amount of gore(despite the video gloating about being the fully uncut version. I'd hate to see the R rated cut if that's the case). Another shock is that there's absolutely no nudity. You'd think that an explotation film would fully exploit these traits, but it doesn't. Rest assured that 95% of the time you see a killer approaching a victim, it'll be one of their friends trying to scare them or something to that effect. The pacing of the film is so slow that the meager 79 minute runtime feels like hours.
I believe this film explains why Lloyd Kaufman(who was a creative consultant on SU) had to co-direct Richard W. Haines's Class of Nuke Em High. Splatter University is a boring, timid, and extremely poorly executed slasher film. Only Troma completists should consider renting this and I only recommend this as a rental, mostly because it's been out of print so long and you'll probably only find it as a rental.
To close off the review, here's two goofs I caught in the film that I find quite humorous and must share now: In the scene where two college girls are discussing one of them being pregnant, in one of the angles, it's blatant that the one of the girls is not in the car. Not only that, but in the car window's reflection, you can clearly see the reflection of a crew member. Later in the film, when someone is murdered in the woods near a drive-in, you can see the shadow of the cameraman on the back of the actress.
Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
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