The 1981 comedy Student Bodies is credited with being the first slasher film parody, beating the Scary Movie franchise to the punch by decades. Alas, first is not always best.
To be fair I didn't really like any of the Scary Movies I've seen either, so this may be a me problem. But I do think those were at least a tad more clever than Student Bodies. Granted, Student Bodies did not have a lot to work with since it was made in 1981, and didn't have all the subsequent 1980's slasher movies to riff off of.
So what you do have a is a heavy breathing killer known as...the Breather, who's after promiscuous high school students. These murders are happening at an inopportune time as it's the day of the big game. And prom. And a parade. And Halloween. And Friday the 13th. And Jamie Lee Curtis's birthday.
The film's central gag is a "body count" that flashes on screen after every murder, which is...not...funny? Is it supposed to be? I think so? And really that's my main reaction to most of the movie. I know it's trying to be funny, but it just rarely is.
Really the only scene I chuckled at was one involving "good girl" Toby (Kristen Riter) and her session with school psychologist Dr. Sigmund (Carl Jacobs). This scene leans heavily into the type of humor Airplane! was doing a year earlier, and I wish more of the movie followed suit.
I watched Student Bodies on Paramount+.
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