Before Nu Image made a name for itself by making and distributing high-quality straight-to-video movies, they were known for making and distributing junk like this. "Stay Awake" may not be the worst horror movie, but it would probably be high on a list of the most BORING movies. After the execution scene at the beginning of the movie (supposedly taking place in America, though you see South African license plates), just about nothing of real consequence happens for the next forty or so minutes! And what does eventually happen is not worth the wait, with slaughter sequences that are tame in gore and blood, and directed with as little passion as you can imagine. There isn't even any gratuitous nudity! The characters are thin and all alike in nature, and there are a bunch of unanswered questions like how the spirit of an executed serial killer could cross an ocean - and WHY he would do this. There is no possible reason to seek out and watch this movie.

An executed serial killer returns from the dead to continue his murder spree as an indestructible spiritual entity. Hmm, where have we seen that highly imaginative concept before? Oh yeah, I remember now, in about a dozen of other contemporary horror movies like "Shocker", "The Chair", "Prison" and "House 3". All these movies may be slightly more famous, but "The Stay Awake" got released a little bit sooner so I can't really claim it's a rip-off or something. What I can righteously claim, however, is that this is a dull and utterly senseless turkey that deserves to be unknown and remain that way. The killer, John Brown, died in an American gas chamber in 1967 but inexplicably returns in 1987 and takes possession of a European girls' school during a night when a teacher organizes a stay-awake (some kind of charity pajamas-party in the gym) with eight of her students. That sick bastard chose his time and location to reincarnate suspiciously well, it seems… Early in the film there's a scene where the girls play a prank on their teacher and all pretend to be dead. I wish that were true and the film would then be over and done with, specifically since only sheer boredom, ineptitude and horrible acting performances ensue further after that. The presence of the supernatural killer is indicated through unsteady camera movements and cheesy wannabe ominous music, but nothing really interesting happens for a very, very long time. In fact, this might easily be the tamest and most frustratingly uneventful of ALL 80's slashers. The obligatory group shower sequence doesn't show any of the good stuff and the whole damn thing is virtually gore-free. Seriously, how is it possible that, by the year 1987, filmmakers still hadn't figured out that making a stalk & slash movie without gore and/or nudity is completely pointless? Nobody likes movies with invisible killers and it's even more irritating when the culprit eventually turns out to be a tacky demon-like monster with flashy red eyeballs and laughable horns. What the hell were they thinking?!?

Excuated killer comes back from beyond the grave to murder off the student body at an all girl's Catholic school, which also happened to be the scene of the crimes he committed back when he was alive. Really terrible film with some of the worst special effects to ever grace a screen. Too slow moving and dull to boot! Aburpt ending also.Rated R; Violence, Nudity, and Profanity.

I rented this one in one of my many B movie hunts. And now I wish I never saw it! This movie is easily summed up in one word... Boring! The first hour or so of the movie is just a bunch of girls talking and goofing around. And I won't even go into what the killer turns out to be. No Nudity, No Gore, No horror, just flat out boredom. I highly advise for the sake of your entertainment. Stay away! Far far away! But should you not heed this warning... At least Fast Forward to the end of the movie... It is the only time some real action takes place.