Till death do we party

You have to feel bad for the nubile, fresh-faced protagonists of cheesy horror movies. They're usually a happy-go-lucky bunch, sparking joints, throwing back brews, and boogying down when - WHIRR! - the party gets crashed by some chainsaw-wielding nutcase intent on ruining a perfectly good time. Consider it a metaphor for life: evil bosses, crazed exes, and merciless credit-card collectors are our versions of buzzkill boogeymen. And South Boston designer Alex Dakoulas feels our pain. Shortly after graduating from MassArt, the longtime horror fan launched his T-shirt and accessories line Dance Party Massacre, an irreverent refutation of the real word's encroaching pressures (which can be as scary as any movie monster) and an invitation to let the good times roll on. His new winter collection, Kings of Schlock, is a great example of how the brand combines edgy imagery with campy celebrations of pop culture. Each Schlock shirt is a visual mash-up of '70s and '80s music and movie icons: for instance, "Jason Is a Punk" depicts the hockey-masked, machete-carrying Friday the 13th killer as a member of the trailblazing punk group the Ramones. "The Other Gloved One" shows a crotch-grabbing Freddy Krueger, the razor-fingered scourge of Elm Street, striking his best Michael Jackson pose. And "Mickey Stardust" gives a glam-rock makeover to Michael Myers's trademark white mask, turning the Halloween stalker into a twisted take on David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust persona. They make us want to escape the evils of adult life by rounding up our pals, pumping up the slumber-party jams, and watching a B-grade VHS while clad in Dakoulas's A-grade designs. Grab them for $21.95 each at dancepartymassacre.com.