Back in 2014, Vinegar Syndrome released a special edition of Graduation Day featuring a 4K restoration produced by VS. Now Troma has brought the film back with a Tromatic Special Edition Blu-ray featuring that same transfer—but at a considerably lower price. Directed by Herb Freed and starring Christopher George and Linnea Quigley, this 1981 slasher has a mysterious killer targeting members of a high school track team, with a few appropriately bizarre sports-themed weapons thrown into the mix.
The film opens at a high school track meet, where star runner Laura Ramstead drops dead from a cardiac embolism moments after crossing the finish line. Her boyfriend, Kevin, is devastated, while the rest of the student body is left in shock. Naturally, someone has to take the blame, and fingers soon point toward Coach Michaels (George), who may have pushed Laura a little too hard.
Two months later, Laura’s older sister Anne returns home from the Navy to attend Laura’s graduation. Unfortunately, her homecoming coincides with someone knocking off Laura’s former teammates one by one. The killer makes creative use of the school’s athletic equipment, including a football outfitted with a giant spike and a pole-vaulting setup that turns the landing mat into a deadly surprise.
This was a first-time watch for me, and surprisingly, I had never gotten around to seeing Graduation Day. After finally checking it off the list, though, I can’t say I was much of a fan. There are certainly some creatively stupid kills here—and I mean that as a compliment—but I kept waiting for the movie to loosen its tie and have a little fun.
Unfortunately, Graduation Day takes itself way too seriously. That’s a tough sell when your killer is turning high school sports equipment into murder weapons. There’s something inherently goofy about watching someone get taken out by a weaponized football, yet the movie rarely seems interested in embracing that absurdity. Instead, it plays everything remarkably straight, which ultimately left me more bored than entertained.
I know Graduation Day has its fans, and if you’re one of them, this new Troma release is definitely worth checking out. It features the same 4K restoration that appeared on Vinegar Syndrome’s 2014 edition, but at a much more wallet-friendly price. For everyone else, well… maybe save your spiked football for another day.
Bonus Materials:
- Classic introduction featuring Lloyd Kaufman
- Interviews with Patch Mackenzie, Herb Freed, David Baughn, Martin Jay Sadoff, and Linnea Quigley
- Commentaries featuring producer David Baughn and the hosts of ‘The Hysteria Continues’ podcast
- Coming distractions
