Horror Movie Review: The Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982)

The Dorm That Dripped Blood (also known as Death Dorm and Pranks) is a 1982 slasher horror filled with gory & violent scenes of murder. It’s these (well just one in particular) that got it deemed a ‘video nasty’ in the UK. The depressing period of the 80’s where a number of high profile figures & one major newspaper (The Daily Mail) caused a crackdown on horror. It saw the successful prosecutions of certain video releases for obscenity.

The whole video nasty period is a fascinating read with at least one good outcome. The certification of horror. I mean seriously, can you imagine now living in a world where a movie like Cannibal Holocaust could be released with anything but an 18-age rating? It was once. If you want to read about some of the best of the 72 original nasties check out our top 10 here. Also, if you want to read about some of the worst of the 72 original nasties check out that top 10 here.

So, The Dorm That Dripped Blood was initially listed as a nasty but was removed before prosecution then released with 10 seconds cut in 1992. You can watch the entire movie uncut now & like most movies of that era it’s hard to see just why it caused a storm.

It’s simply one scene here, a drill to the head. An impressively gory scene. One of many in a boring slasher flick that doesn’t have much in the way of originality.

The story surrounds a group of college kids who decide to stay on campus over the Christmas period. All so they can clear out a dormitory that will be demolished soon. Unfortunately for them so has a killer who starts to dispatch them & anyone that comes along using a variety of tools.

A cast of mostly unknowns & Daphne Zuniga in her film debut, the acting is not what you’re going to remember here. No, what you’ll remember is the boobs & the killing. Both of which are loads of fun. We never see just who the killer is until the final few minutes where the film reveals a twist ending. One that does actually surprise even if the motivations are sketchy at best.

It does result in an extremely dark finale though & that is no bad thing in a mostly boring movie. It tries to tell a coherent story around the killing but it never really holds your attention. The false leads towards the potential killer never convince & you’ll just be waiting for the next bloody scene. Thankfully they don’t let you down.