Good concept, poorly executed.

Fantastic!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

"Hide and Go Shriek" follows a group of high-schoolers who have just graduated. Naturally, to celebrate their adulthood, they decide to spend the evening throwing a small party in one of the kids' father's furniture store after hours. But a cross-dressing killer has arrived to crash their party game of hide and go seek.Drawing on pre-established slasher traditions that were honed by many films in the early–mid-eighties, "Hide and Go Shriek" doesn't really get any points for originality. The setup is predictable, and the furniture store setting is reminiscent of the shopping mall backdrop in "The Initiation" or even "Chopping Mall." Kids have sex, they are effectually murdered, and a jarring synth score punctuates the deaths. What the film does have that distinguishes it a bit is the gender-bending killer, which, save a few rare instances, does mean the film was a bit ahead of its time. Director Skip Schoolnik plays with the killer's image effectively, providing eerie fleeting shots of a masculine figure in a negligee running through the store; the prologue of the film shows the killer being raped, which sets the stage. At other times, the killer appears in men's clothing, donning a blonde wig stolen from store mannequins. Each of the images are well composed and eerily rendered.The acting is a mixed bag, and some less-than-stellar dialogue doesn't exactly help matters, but by eighties slasher standards, the performances here are far from the worst. In true slasher fashion, the gore is ramped up here, with some brutal and inventive death scenes. As is the case with the majority of the film, the last act isn't particularly fresh or interesting, but the reveal at the end is definitely unorthodox in the slasher world.Overall, "Hide and Go Shriek" is not bad as far as eighties slasher films go, especially those from the latter half of the decade, a time when the well seemed to have run dry. The film doesn't offer much in way of surprises, but it is an entertaining and mostly well made film. The scuzzy, gender-bending villain who shifts from guise to guise is what really makes the film stand out, and is where most all of its tension and intrigue is generated from. 7/10.

Ready or not. Here I come. Should you turn a blind eye, and pass this one as if you didn't notice it. Well, I didn't mind it, so why not take a chance. It's a passable, unassuming late low-cost 80s teen slasher of the same-old cheesy hijinks. Boozing, sex, party games (hide and seek on this occasion), topless nudity and a killer on the loose. You get the picture. It's got everything down-pat. The story sets the situation one night in a furniture store that one of the teen's fathers owns after the complex has shut for business. Unknowingly to them their playful attitude turns to survival when they realise they're being preyed upon in the locked-up building by a (well-dressed) killer that likes to wear the clothing of his victims (and doesn't like people who don't have a shopping agenda). Even with its slack pacing (plenty of aimless clock-punching to open), puerile script, dim lighting (which could create few eerie moods) and cheap FX. It manages to build up an ominous atmosphere (thanks to a brooding rock score and murkily vast setting) and install a real nasty side (some vicious and creative attacks caught by the leering camera) that all but evaporates in its spontaneously fruity climax and sudden conclusion. It's beyond silly and insipid! That'll hold up in court. Every now and again the director (quite clunky, flat and rough handling) tries to make you jump, but with less than flattering results. The performances from the young cast are hysterically over-dramatic, but do entertain with their boneheaded characters. They're not entirely likable though. Rancid, but mildly enjoyable slasher clone.

BIG spoilers, but you shouldn't care... Skip Schoolnik's Hide and Go Shriek is a strong contender for the price of absolute WORST slasher-movie of the 80's. Simply every aspect of this is film is very wrong and downright pathetic, which makes it all the more surprising to see that all my fellow reviewers on this site are so mild in their opinions! This thing is hopeless right from the start, with the introduction of the most insufferable ensemble cast ever! These teenagers don't only look stupid; their personalities don't make the slightest bit of sense. First we see two males in a gym, weightlifting and driveling about graduation parties. Okay, they're standard high-school jocks that act tough and talk dirty, it seems, but instead they're total wimps! One of them constantly tells his virgin girlfriend that it's OK to wait with sex until she's ready and the other one is terrified to mess up his daddy's furniture warehouse. The next male that gets introduced is supposed to be the obligatory sex-addict, yet all he ever nags about is his 6$ haircut. The last male looks like a typical dork, and you expect the others to pick on him, but no, he's actually part of the team! The same goes for all the girls. Judging by their looks and exhibitionist-tendencies, you're expecting a troop of sluts and bimbos, right? Wrong again, because these ladies talk about how sacred marriage is and they're even giving away their own sexy lingerie to a chubbier girl so that she's more likely to have sex with the aforementioned dork. What kind of teenagers are they? The stupidity of these youngsters is made complete when it turns out they have their very own friendship dance-ritual to Aerosmith's "Walk this Way". The gang has finally finished high school and they plan a wild celebration in the furniture store owned by John's dad. Their idea of a graduation party is – get this - to play hide & seek! How old are they, twelve?? After the game, and ignoring the fact some of them already vanished, they all have dinner together and go to bed early. I stand corrected; they're actually seven years old… Then, of course, there's the homicidal maniac who – thank God – consistently murders our teenagers one by one. The death sequences are the only redeeming moments and you should enjoy the elevator-decapitation scene as much as you possibly can because the denouement is totally retarded again. Naturally I'm not going to blab the killer's identity here, but you better prepare yourself for the most retarded…incompetent…implausible…ludicrous…craziest ending in low-budget horror EVER! One of the many reasons why 80's slashers are so popular is because you can participate in guessing who the killer is. You simply can't do that here and people who carefully paid attention to every small detail will feel cheated and furious. Total laugh-riot.

*SPOILERS* The film opens with a "dramatic" sequence where a tranvestie man is raped (or at least that seems) by another man. After the tragic event the opening credits roll, and you have a peculiar opening sequence for a slasher movie.In the next scene eight friends plan to celebrate their high school graduation in a furniture store at night, owned by the father of one of these kids. Before the teens arrive, the owner of the furniture hires an ex con to take care of the store at night. Apparently, the ex con tries to start a new life and follow the right path. Unknown to him, the teens sneak into the store at night and start their party. As the night passes, one by one these teens are brutally murdered by an unknown killer that has a wicked concept of fun. After killing them, this killer wears their clothes. Yes, he even uses the women's clothes. The main suspicious is Fred (the ex con) but apparently he's not behind the murders. When the other 4 teens discover the dead body of their friends, they start a hunt in order to find the killer. From out of nowhere, Fred appears and asks them "what are they doing here?" only to be physically beaten down by one of the boys. They think they found the killer when suddenly, the real killer makes a frightening and weird introduction. Who will survive? What's the identity of the killer? and what's his relation with Fred? I had the chance to watch this little known slasher for the first time two years ago on late night cable. After watching it, I thought that the premise was interesting (highly based on Chopping Mall from 1986). I thought that this was a recommended slasher, better than the average.I've had the chance to watch "Hide and Go Shriek" 3 times in the past 2 years and my opinion has changed. This is an average slasher, it has the elements that made the genre popular, but clearly it's not one of the bests out there. There's decent gore (the decapitation is the best kill), and a creepy atmosphere (the mannequins added a touch of uncertainness and fright). O the bad side, the acting is terrible, the score is boring and repetitive, and the plot turns boring and tedious after the first 30 mins. Bunky Jones is hot! she's candy for the eye. The best about the film is the ending which is truly shocking, not because it's great or innovative, but it's something you don't expect. Disgusting. This is just a film for slasher fans, those who enjoy the greatness of this genre. Not for everyone!Anyways, give this slasher a try only if you are a die hard fan of the genre. Watch it with low expectations. 5/10. I have warned you!