The House on Sorority Row

Seven sorority sisters {{en dash}} Katey Rose, Vicki, Liz, Jeanie, Diane, Morgan, and Stevie {{en dash}} celebrate their graduation ceremony at their sorority house, located at the far end of a sorority row. Their celebration is interrupted by their domineering house mother, Mrs. Dorothy Slater, who denies the girls' plan to throw a graduation party. Angered, the girls devise a prank to get back at Slater; they steal her walking cane, place it in the house's unused outdoor pool, and force her at gunpoint to retrieve it. After doing so, however, Slater startles Vicki, causing her to accidentally shoot Slater in the chest. In an effort to cover up their apparent murder, the girls reluctantly hide the body in the pool.

At the ceremony, an unseen figure uses Slater's cane to stab a partygoer. Meanwhile, after finding guests attempting to enter the pool, the girls realize that if the pool lights are turned on, Slater's body will be revealed. Stevie goes into the basement to disable the breaker, where she is accosted and stabbed to death by the killer. Later, the pool lights are turned on, much to the girls' alarm, but Slater's body is nowhere to be found.

Deciding that Slater must be alive, the girls begin searching for her after the party comes to a close. Morgan enters Slater's room, where the latter's body falls on her from the attic hatch. Vicki suggests hiding the body in the old cemetery. In the attic, Katey discovers children's toys and a dead caged bird. Morgan is subsequently stabbed with Slater's cane.

Diane goes to an outlying garage to start the van to transport Slater's body, but is murdered by the killer. Jeanie is subsequently attacked near the garage and flees back to the sorority house, where the killer decapitates her in the communal bathroom. Meanwhile, Katey finds a medical alert tag on a necklace belonging to Slater. She calls the number and is put through to a Dr. Nelson Beck, who comes to the house. The pair discover Stevie, Morgan, and Diane's bodies in the pool. Meanwhile, after finding Diane missing, Vicki and Liz drive to the cemetery without her to bury Slater's body. When they arrive, both girls are killed by the assailant. Beck accompanies Katey to the cemetery, where they find Vicki and Liz's bodies as well as Slater's still in the van.

After returning to the house and forcibly giving Katey a sedative, Beck reveals that Slater had a son named Eric, who was deformed and mentally underdeveloped due to an illegal fertility treatment he had given her. Beck uses Katey as bait so he can capture Eric and cover up his crime. Eric arrives and hacks Beck to death while Katey searches for Vicki's gun, which does not fire. She flees to the bathroom and finds Jeanie's severed head. Horrified, she climbs to the attic, where Eric attacks her. She shoots him repeatedly, only to realize the gun is loaded with blanks. She then uses a pin to stab Eric numerous times and he falls through the attic door to the floor below. While Katey believes he is dead and rests from exhaustion, Eric opens his eyes.

{{cast list|

• Kathryn McNeil as Katherine "Katey" Rose
• Eileen Davidson as Vicki
• Janis Zido as Liz
• Robin Meloy as Jeanie
• Harley Kozak as Diane
• Jodi Draigie as Morgan
• Ellen Dorsher as Stevie
• Lois Kelso Hunt as Dorothy Slater
• Christopher Lawrence as Dr. Nelson Beck
• Michael Kuhn as Peter
• Michael Sergio as Rick
• Charles Serio as Eric Slater
• Ruth Walsh as Mrs. Rose

}}

Writer-director Mark Rosman, who had attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and later graduated from New York University, got the idea for The House on Sorority Row after returning to his hometown in Los Angeles.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 12:27}} Rosman had been a fraternity member at UCLA, which he used as a partial basis for writing the screenplay, which focused on a group of sorority sisters who find their lives threatened after covering up a fatal prank.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 12:50}} Some elements of the film, primarily the usage of a pool to conceal their crime, were inspired by Les Diaboliques (1955), a French suspense film directed by Henri-Georges Clouzot.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 1:25:18}} He later stated he envisioned a suspense film in which "the female characters would not just be victims{{en dash}}the whole idea of it was that they were culpable, and that they were sort of bringing this on themselves".{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 12:55}} The screenplay had several working titles, including Screamer and Seven Sisters.{{sfn|Harper|2004|p=113}}{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 13:46}} Rosman initially accrued $125,000 as a starting budget, with the help of a friend who worked for VAE Productions, an independent studio that specialized in documentaries, based in Washington, D.C.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 20:25}}

The majority of the casting for The House on Sorority Row took place in New York City, though Eileen Davidson and Janis Zido were cast out of the Los Angeles area.{{cite interview|interviewer=Katarina Waters|last=Davidson|first=Eileen|author-link=Eileen Davidson|year=2011|title=Kats Eyes: Eileen Davidson|medium=DVD|work=The House on Sorority Row|series=Disc 2|publisher=Scorpion Releasing|oclc=857917752}} Davidson recalled auditioning at Rosman's house in Beverly Hills.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 7:21}} Kate McNeil, who was cast in the role of Katherine "Katey" Rose, won the part while still attending graduate courses in New York City.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 8:15}}

Harley Jane Kozak recalled attending a casting call in a "warehouse in Manhattan" and receiving a phone call several weeks later with the news that she had won the part of Diane.{{cite AV media|title=Interview with Star, Harley Jane Kozak|last=Kozak|first=Harley Jane|author-link=Harley Jane Kozak|year=2011|medium=DVD|work=The House on Sorority Row|series=Disc 1|publisher=Scorpion Releasing|oclc=857917752}} Lois Kelso Hunt, who portrays the cantankerous housemother Dorothy Slater, was a local stage actress cast out of Washington, D.C.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 2:11}}

The House on Sorority Row was the directorial debut of director Rosman as well as the first feature film of cinematographer Tim Suhrstedt. Both had met while working as assistant directors on Brian De Palma's Home Movies (1980).{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 6:20}} Filming took place on location in Pikesville, Maryland, with establishing campus shots at the University of Maryland,{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 2:27}} in the summer of 1981.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 3:39}} The production had originally been slated to shoot in Washington, D.C., where the production company was located. However, Rosman found the house location featured in the film in Pikesville, which was in foreclosure, allowing the crew to film for a low cost.{{cite interview|interviewer=Katarina Waters|last=Rosman|first=Mark|year=2011|title=Kats Eyes: Mark Rosman|medium=DVD|work=The House on Sorority Row|series=Disc 2|publisher=Scorpion Releasing|oclc=857917752}} Upon arriving at the house to shoot, the crew found two squatters living in the house, who they allowed to work as video assistants.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 3:54}} Vincent Peranio, a frequent collaborator with John Waters, agreed to serve as the film's production designer, and dressed the entire house to appear as a sorority.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 5:14}}

The initial budget for the film was $300,000.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 20:38}} However, the production ran out of funds midway through filming, and Rosman had to secure a loan from a cousin in Los Angeles in order to complete the film.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 20:45}} Throughout principal photography, the cast stayed at Koinonia, a farm retreat in Pikesville where they lived together in "dorm-like" conditions. The film was a non-Screen Actors Guild production,{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 6:57}} and Kozak and McNeil both recall receiving $50 per diem compensation for their days on set.{{cite interview|interviewer=Katarina Walters|last=McNeil|first=Katherine|year=2011|title=Kats Eyes: Katherine McNeil|medium=DVD|work=The House on Sorority Row|series=Disc 2|publisher=Scorpion Releasing|oclc=857917752}}

While principal photography occurred exclusively in Maryland, additional transitional shots and pickups were completed in Los Angeles.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 14:40}} Among these included the shot of Davidson's character Vicki being impaled through the eye with the cane.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 1:12:50}}

Film Ventures International, an independent distributor, purchased the film for distribution after principal photography was complete, and also gave the filmmakers an additional $125,000 to complete post-production (the majority of which went toward scoring and mixing the film).{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 1:05:45}} In an interview with director Mark Rosman, it was revealed that Lois Kelso Hunt's performance is entirely dubbed, as her natural speaking voice was deemed not "scary" enough for the role of Mrs. Slater. While her demeanor and performance were apt, Rosman found her voice not as husky as he had envisioned.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 11:36}}

According to Rosman, Film Ventures requested two changes to the final cut of the film:{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 1:06:25}} The first was that the opening flashback scene, which was shot in black and white, be colorized; the sequence was then color-tinted to be black and blue.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 1:10}} The second change was in regards to the original ending. In the director's original ending, Katherine is discovered floating dead in the pool, apparently Eric's final victim. Film Ventures felt the ending too downbeat, so as a result Katherine survives in the finished version.

The film's music score was written by Richard Band and performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded at Wembley Studios.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 50:33}} The Washington, D.C.–based power pop band 4 Out of 5 Doctors appears in the movie, performing several of their songs.{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/472408/the-house-on-sorority-row-has-just-the-right-amount-of-camp/|work=Dread Central|title=‘The House on Sorority Row’ Has Just the Right Amount of Camp|date=January 22, 2024|last=Doupé|first=Tyler|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240918022244/https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/472408/the-house-on-sorority-row-has-just-the-right-amount-of-camp/|archive-date=September 18, 2024|url-status=live}}

La-La Land Records issued a disc of Band's score in 2015.{{cite web|url=https://lalalandrecords.com/house-on-sorority-row-the-limited-edition/|work=La-La Land Records|title=House on Sorority Row: The Limited Edition|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240415123941/https://lalalandrecords.com/house-on-sorority-row-the-limited-edition/|archive-date=April 15, 2024|url-status=live}} Terror Vision subsequently reissued the score on vinyl in 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.terror-vision.com/store/the-house-on-sorority-row-1982-ost-lp|work=Terror Vision|title=The House on Sorority Row (1982) OST LP|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207193344/https://www.terror-vision.com/store/the-house-on-sorority-row-1982-ost-lp|archive-date=December 7, 2023}}

The one-sheet poster and advertising were created by Film Ventures International's regular advertising agency, Design Projects Incorporated. Design Project's owner, Rick Albert art directed the key art and title treatment design. The key art was illustrated by Jack Leynnwood, who painted illustrations for many motion picture campaigns during the late 1970s and '80s. The copylines were written by distributor Film Ventures International's Edward L. Montoro.

Initially, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer expressed interest in distributing the film, but ultimately backed out, after which Film Ventures International bought it for distribution.{{sfn|Rosman|McNeil|Davidson|2011|loc=event occurs at 1:05:40}} The House on Sorority Row was given a limited theatrical release on November 19, 1982{{cite news|work=Albuquerque Journal|title=Luxury Theatres|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43026921/albuquerque_journal/|date=November 19, 1982|via=Newspapers.com|page=H-26}} in the United States, opening in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Las Vegas, Nevada.{{cite news|work=Los Angeles Times|title=Agent Agent: Call Him If You Don't Need Him|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43027412/the_los_angeles_times/|via=Newspapers.com|page=48|date=December 12, 1982|last=Rosman|first=Mark}} The theatrical release expanded to major cities such as Los Angeles on January 21, 1983.{{cite news|work=Los Angeles Times|title=Agent Agent: Call Him If You Don't Need Him|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43027412/the_los_angeles_times/|via=Newspapers.com|page=48|last=Rosman|first=Mark}}

The film was released in the United Kingdom in December 1983 under the title House of Evil.{{cite news|last=French|first=Philip|date=December 11, 1983|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43091007/the_observer/|via=Newspapers.com|work=The Observer|page=32|title=Blossoms from the past}}

Elite Entertainment released The House on Sorority Row on DVD in November 2000.{{cite web|work=DVD Talk|last=Gross|first=G. Noel|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/5379/house-on-sorority-row-the/ |title=House on Sorority Row, The|date= January 13, 2003|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222090052/https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/5379/house-on-sorority-row-the/|archive-date=December 22, 2017 }} The disc featured the film's original theatrical trailer as a supplementary feature. The DVD was re-printed and released again on November 18, 2003.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000D9PFD|work=Amazon|title=The House on Sorority Row DVD|date=November 18, 2003 |access-date=May 28, 2018}} It was again re-released on January 12, 2010 to commemorate the film's 25th anniversary.{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review/39205|work=DVD Talk|title=House on Sorority Row, The|date=December 16, 2009|last=McGaughy|first=Cameron|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417090520/https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review/39205|archive-date=April 17, 2024}}

Scorpion Releasing and Katarina's Nightmare Theater released a remastered edition on a 2-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo in January 2011.{{cite web|url=https://comingsoon.net/horror/news/724636-2-disc-house-on-sorority-row-dvd-is-coming|work=ComingSoon.net|title=2-Disc The House on Sorority Row DVD is Coming|author=Turek, Ryan|date=January 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221216210039/https://www.comingsoon.net/horror/news/724636-2-disc-house-on-sorority-row-dvd-is-coming|archive-date=December 16, 2022|url-status=live}} Scorpion Releasing and Code Red released a new Blu-ray edition on May 11, 2018, featuring a new 2K scan of the original master negative.{{cite web|work=Bloody Disgusting|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3475419/house-sorority-row-gets-new-2k-scan-upcoming-blu-ray/|title='The House on Sorority Row' Gets New 2K Scan for Upcoming Blu-ray|author=Squires, John|date=December 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224000640/https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3475419/house-sorority-row-gets-new-2k-scan-upcoming-blu-ray/|archive-date=December 24, 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://rue-morgue.com/scorpion-releasing-aces-new-transfer-of-the-house-on-sorority-row/|work=Rue Morgue|title=Scorpion Releasing Aces New Transfer of The House on Sorority Row|date=May 21, 2018|last=Thompson|first=Rocco|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129232923/https://rue-morgue.com/scorpion-releasing-aces-new-transfer-of-the-house-on-sorority-row/|archive-date=November 29, 2021}} This edition, sold exclusively online and limited to 1,600 units, features a slipcover and newly commissioned artwork.

MVD Entertainment Group issued another Blu-ray edition on July 6, 2021, featuring an alternate mono audio version of the film with a re-timed pre-credits sequence as a new bonus feature; a limited foldout poster of the film's theatrical one-sheet was also included.{{cite web|url=https://geekvibesnation.com/the-house-on-sorority-row-blu-ray-review-cult-favorite-slasher-film-hits-all-the-hallmarks-of-the-genre/|work=Geek Vibes Nation|title=‘The House On Sorority Row’ Blu-Ray Review – Cult Favorite Slasher Film Hits All The Hallmarks Of The Genre|date=July 14, 2021|last=Gonzales|first=Dillon|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714143148/https://geekvibesnation.com/the-house-on-sorority-row-blu-ray-review-cult-favorite-slasher-film-hits-all-the-hallmarks-of-the-genre/|archive-date=July 14, 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3655155/original-slasher-house-sorority-row-joining-mvd-rewind-collection-new-blu-ray-release/|work=Bloody Disgusting|title=’80s Slasher ‘The House on Sorority Row’ Joining the MVD Rewind Collection With New Blu-ray Release|date=March 9, 2021|last=Squires|first=John|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241127030758/https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3655155/original-slasher-house-sorority-row-joining-mvd-rewind-collection-new-blu-ray-release/|archive-date=November 27, 2024}}

During its opening limited release in Las Vegas in November 1982, The House on Sorority Row sold out showings and out-grossed Creepshow, Poltergeist, and An Officer and a Gentleman at area theaters. Following its expanded release in January 1983, the film opened with a weekend earning of $617,661 showing on 153 screens, ranking number 15 at the box office. The film grossed between $3.8 million–$10 million domestically.{{efn-lr|name=gross|Sources vary regarding the film's final box office gross, with figures cited of $3.8 million,{{sfn|Donahue|1987|p=293}} $8,184,633,{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/House-on-Sorority-Row-The#tab=summary|work=The Numbers|title=The House on Sorority Row – Financial Information|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221127061203/https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/House-on-Sorority-Row-The#tab=summary|archive-date=November 27, 2022}} and $10,604,986.}}

During a 1982 theatrical run of the film, critic Anthony DellaFlora of the Albuquerque Journal wrote: "[Horror films] are supposed to put you in a state of unmitigated terror. This one does neither. The House on Sorority Row may have brought new meaning to the term "Greek tragedy", but it certainly didn't scare anyone. Mark Rosman, who produced, directed and wrote the alleged thriller must take most of the blame for this".{{cite news|author=DellaFlora, Anthony|work=Albuquerque Journal|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/157879935/|title='House on Sorority Row' a Gory Fiasco|date=November 28, 1982|page=43|via=Newspapers.com}} Lou Cedrone of The Baltimore Sun felt that there were "no surprises" or mystery in the film, adding that "the movie, bad as it is, is great fun if you are part of an audience that talks back to it".{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43027059/the_evening_sun/|work=The Baltimore Sun|last=Cedrone|first=Lou|date=February 23, 1983|title='Pirates' is as good on screen as on stage|page=B5|via=Newspapers.com}}

Stephen Hunter, also of the Baltimore Sun, felt the film was similarly predictable, but noted that "technically, the strongest element in the production is the photography, which is keen-edged, brightly colored and evocative", comparing it to the film of Rainer Werner Fassbinder.{{cite news|work=The Baltimore Sun|last=Hunter|first=Stephen|pages=B1–{{URL|https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43027143/the_baltimore_sun/|B2}}|title='Sorority Row' offers laughable local color|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43027113/the_baltimore_sun/|via=Newspapers.com|date=February 23, 1983}} Ted Mahar, writing for The Oregonian, praised the film's lush musical score, but was otherwise unimpressed, summarizing the film as "a phenomenon of gory mediocrity, a persistent avoidance of originality or interesting variation. Some sense of cleverness or literary style might have made it at least satirical or subtly parodistic. But it's stolid, perfunctory, and calculated; the only real question in the film is whether Rosman's contempt for the genre exceeds that for the audience."{{cite news|last=Mahar|first=Ted|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregonian/170637681/|work=The Oregonian|date=April 16, 1983|p=E6|title='House on Sorority Row' shows crime doesn't pay|via=Newspapers.com}}

Film scholar Adam Rockoff notes that the film was frequently compared to the films of Brian De Palma upon release, as Rosman had previously worked as an assistant for De Palma.{{sfn|Rockoff|2016|p=143}} Frank Hagen, published in the Standard-Speaker, favorably compared the film to the works of De Palma and Alfred Hitchcock, adding that it is "cuts above the routine rip-and-slash fare... Rosman knows how to maintain suspense and deliver a shock or two".{{cite news|work=Standard-Speaker|last=Hagen|first=Frank|date=February 4, 1983|page=19|title='Sorority Row' a horror film with flair|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43027218/standardspeaker/|via=Newspapers.com}} Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times praised the film as a "skillfully made horror picture that builds suspense and terror in which obligatory gore is presented with surprising restraint", ultimately deeming it a "promising debut from writer-director Rosman".{{cite news|last=Thomas|first=Kevin|author-link=Kevin Thomas (film critic)|work=Los Angeles Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43094987/the_los_angeles_times/|title=Stylish Horror on Sorority Row|date=January 24, 1983|page=9|via=Newspapers.com}} The Daily Press{{'}}s Henry Edgar echoed this sentiment, writing that the film favors suspense over gore, noting it as a "quality" thriller, and praising the performances of McNeil and Davidson, describing them as "credible" and "cunning, and realistic", respectively.{{cite news|work=Daily Press|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43095271/daily_press/|last=Edgar|first=Henry|date=May 13, 1983|page=24|via=Newspapers.com|title='Sorority Row' Horror Buff's Pick}}

{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|50|5.2|12|consensus=|access-date=April 19, 2025|ref=y}} {{Metacritic film prose|50|4|ref=yes|access-date=April 19, 2025}}

Film scholar Scott Aaron Stine notes that the film has "competent production values, but this in no way compensates for the rote proceedings".{{sfn|Stine|2003|p=153}} John Kenneth Muir refers to the film as "a textbook example of the 1980s slasher film" that "boasts a devilish sense of humor".{{sfn|Muir|2012|p=253}} Critic Jim Harper notes the film as a moralistic slasher film and probable influence on films such as I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997).{{sfn|Harper|2004|pages=113–114}}

A remake titled Sorority Row was released by Summit Entertainment in 2009. The film was directed by Stewart Hendler, with Mark Rosman, the director of the original, serving as an executive producer. It stars Briana Evigan, Leah Pipes, Rumer Willis, Jamie Chung, Audrina Patridge, Margo Harshman, and Carrie Fisher.{{cite web|last= Rollo|first= Sarah|title= Carrie Fisher may join 'Sorority Row'|work= Digital Spy|date= September 18, 2008|url= http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/movies/a130542/carrie-fisher-may-join-sorority-row.html|access-date= May 30, 2018}} The script was rewritten by Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger.{{cite web|last= Barnes|first= Jessica|title= Rumer Willis Heads Back to 'Sorority Row'| work=Cinematical|date= September 10, 2008|url= http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/10/rumer-willis-heads-back-to-sorority-row/|access-date=May 2, 2018|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080918062302/http://www.cinematical.com/2008/09/10/rumer-willis-heads-back-to-sorority-row/|archive-date=September 18, 2008}}

In 2017, Complex named The House on Sorority Row the 21st-best slasher film of all time, writing: "The House on Sorority Row is, fortunately, more than just a puberty motivator for young boys. Director Mark Rosman does his best to stage prolonged moments of suspense, approaching the film’s kill scenes with his Hitchcock influences intact".{{cite web|work=Complex|url=http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/best-slasher-movies-of-all-time/the-house-on-sorority-row|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121091532/http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/best-slasher-movies-of-all-time/the-house-on-sorority-row|archive-date=November 21, 2017|title=The House on Sorority Row}} Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino included the film in his inaugural film festival in 1997, screening it alongside other horror films such as Don't Go in the House (1980) and The Beyond (1981).{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/10/20/the-movie-lover-2|magazine=The New Yorker|date=October 20, 2003|title=The Movie Lover|author=MacFarquhar, Larissa|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229230916/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2003/10/20/the-movie-lover-2|archive-date=December 29, 2014}}

The House on Sorority Row is mentioned in the 1997 film Scream 2, along with four other college-themed slasher films: The Dorm That Dripped Blood, Splatter University, Graduation Day, and Final Exam.

• List of horror films set in academic institutions

{{notelist-lr}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Refbegin|30em}}

• {{cite book|last=Donahue|first= Suzanne Mary|url=https://archive.org/details/americanfilmdist0000dona/|title= American Film Distribution: The Changing Marketplace|year=1987|publisher=UMI Research Press|location=Ann Arbor, Michigan|isbn=978-0-835-71776-2}}
• {{cite book|last=Harper|first=Jim|year=2004|title=Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies|publisher=Critical Vision|location=Manchester, England|isbn=978-1-900-48639-2}}
• {{cite book| last=Muir| first=John Kenneth |author-link=John Kenneth Muir| year=2012 | title=Horror Films of the 1980s| volume=1| location=Jefferson, North Carolina| publisher=McFarland| isbn=978-0-786-47298-7}}
• {{cite book|last=Rockoff|first=Adam|year=2016|orig-year=2002|title=Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film, 1978-1986|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn= 978-0-786-49192-6}}
• {{cite AV media|last1=Rosman|first1=Mark|last2=McNeil|first2=Katherine|last3=Davidson|first3=Eileen|title=The House on Sorority Row|series=Disc 1|publisher=Scorpion Releasing|medium=Blu-ray audio commentary|year=2011}}
• {{cite book|last=Stine|first=Scott Aaron|year=2003|title=The Gorehound's Guide to Splatter Films of the 1980s|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=978-0-786-41532-8}}

{{Refend}}

• {{IMDb title|0085694}}
• {{Rotten Tomatoes|house_on_sorority_row}}

{{Portal bar|Film|Speculative fiction/Horror|Maryland}}

{{Mark Rosman}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:House on Soroity Row, The}}

Category:1982 films

Category:1982 directorial debut films

Category:1982 horror films

Category:1982 independent films

Category:American horror thriller films

Category:American slasher films

Category:Crime horror films

Category:Films about fraternities and sororities

Category:Films about pranks

Category:Films set in 1961

Category:Films set in 1981

Category:Films shot in Baltimore

Category:Films shot in Los Angeles

Category:Films directed by Mark Rosman

Category:Films about mass murder

Category:Films scored by Richard Band

Category:Horror films about clowns

Category:1980s American films

Category:1980s English-language films

Category:1980s horror thriller films

Category:1980s mystery films

Category:1980s slasher films

Category:English-language horror thriller films

Category:English-language independent films

Category:English-language mystery films