HOSPITAL MASSACRE (1981)
aka X-Ray
Article 5096 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 3-2-2016
Directed by Boaz Davidson
Featuring Barbi Benton, Charles Lucia, Jon Van Ness
Country: USA
What it is: Slasher film

On Valentine’s Day, I woman goes to the hospital to get the results of some tests, but when a sinister killer switches her test results, she finds herself held captive there to await further tests. What does the killer have in mind for her?

Like MY BLOODY VALENTINE, this one takes place on Valentine’s Day. Like HALLOWEEN II, almost all of the action takes place in a hospital. About half of the movie is made up of the usual slasher cliches; you’ll know them when you see them. It’s the other half of the movie that perks my interest up. It’s one of the rare slashers where the murders don’t seem indiscriminate; the killer has a specific reason he targets every one he does. The movie also has some unexpected quirky touches, such as the way that practically every character you encounter is at least a little bit creepy, or the way that a sense of humor permeates the proceedings; one of my favorite moments has our heroine looking for help in a room populated only with three men in complete body traction. It’s also one of those movies where the fake scares are actually a bit fun.
All in all, this is a mixed bag, but I have to admit I liked this one a bit better than I do most slasher films.