Splatter University

About Splatter University (1984)

Richard W. Haines’s Splatter University (1984) is the quintessential zero-budget slasher, shot at Troma Studios on leftover film stock with a cast of unknowns and a budget so small that the fake blood was reportedly mixed from Karo syrup in the director’s kitchen. Set at a Catholic college where a knife-wielding maniac escaped from a mental institution, the film delivers exactly what its title promises—inventive kills on a shoestring budget with the enthusiasm that only Troma-adjacent productions could muster. Forbes Riley, who would later become a television personality and infomercial star, headlines as a new sociology teacher investigating the murders. The film embodies the DIY spirit of 1980s independent horror, proving that a memorable title, creative practical effects, and genuine passion for the genre could overcome virtually any budgetary limitation.