MICHAEL VILLELA, Star of "SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE" Passes Away At 84
Life is precious, even in a mindless slasher movie where high body counts are often an expectation and a watermark of quality. The sad reality is that life eventually does end for all of us, and the best we can hope for is that we live a full life that positively impacts the world around us. We often mourn the loss of our horror heroes as they leave their mortal coils, and it is time again to honor the memory of another fallen horror legend. Michael Villela, who many will know from his role as Russ Thorn in “Slumber Party Massacre” passed away over the weekend at 84. Reporting from Deadline by way of TMZ found that Villela died in the hospital after experiencing organ failure over a month ago. From Deadline’s article:
“Playing power drill-wielding killer Russ Thorn, Michael made his onscreen debut in co-writer/director Amy Holden Jones’ Slumber Party Massacre, which was conceived by co-writer and feminist activist Rita Mae Brown as a slasher parody but was ultimately filmed as a straightforward horror. The movie has inspired a cult following, as well as multiple sequels and spin-offs over the years.”
Villela certainly didn’t have the rousing career that many other slasher icons have had, but it is fair to say his mark on the genre will be felt for many decades beyond his passing. Despite the role of the killer changing across the 3-films, the inaugural entry in the series established a tone for slashers that is still being studied today as it deftly used tropes and cliches as a way to insert social commentary about the phallic and misogynistic subtext of the slasher film. Villela’s performance stands singular, only next to that of Atanas Ilitch from the rock-tastic sequel, as the epitome of the creepy, pervy slasher with his infamous drill as a weapon. Villela is survived by his wife and daughter, Chloe, who posted this photo in memoriam over the weekend.
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