I just got the new issue of HorrorHound (one of my favorite horror movie magazines) and they had a great article on Slasher Films from A to Z, which featured several I had not seen. Including Doom Asylum which they gave it a high review and said it's the perfect film for a bad movie night. I quickly purchased it from deepdiscount.com for $7.44.
I have always loved slasher films, since a young age, I've watched them. When I was a kid I would always rent all the Friday the 13th films from a near by video store called Video Barn, which was also a pet store. So, When I talk about slasher films there is a great deal of nostalgia, simuliar to normal kids feelings towards Disney.
Any-who, the article got me in the mood for some slasher films, so I thought I would list of my top ten favorite slasher films. Keep in mind, this is not a complete list. There is still several slasher film I have not seen and I'm pretty sure I have forgot some.
10. Slaughter High (1986) Directed by George Dugdale, Mark Ezra, Peter Mackenzie Litten
Summary According to imdb.com: A group of popular students play a cruel prank on a shy nerd resulting in a terrible accident. Years later a reunion is held where each of the students face a stalker killer who may be the same nerd out for revenge.
This isn't a good movie, having 3 directors when it's not an anthology movie is a sign that it's going to be terrible. But, slasher films are not judge on normal film merits. I first saw this movie on USA's Up All Night around 2am. This is a perfect movie for that time slot. It was good enough to keep me awake and bad enough to keep me interested. But, what I truly love about this movie is the use of every slasher/horror movie cliche including a brilliantly bad ending which causing you to yell "Really? That just happened." Good News, this movie is available on DVD and it's cheap.
9. The Mutilator (1985) Directed by Buddy Cooper
Summary According to imdb.com: As a child, Ed was cleaning his father's hunting rifles for as part of a surprise birthday treat for his old man when one firearm accidentally discharges fatally striking his own mother in the back. His father, Jack Sr came home, saw his wife dead, and blaming his own offspring tried to commit infanticide before Ed managed to escape his father's murderous antics. Leaving his old man to sleep into mournful psychosis as he began pouring whiskey down his slain wife's throat. Ed now in his teens returns back to his family home, his dad long since supposedly vanished...only he hasn't and has been waiting for a chance to even the score with his kid...right about...now
This is a very violent and gory movie and like almost all slasher film, dumb as hell. But the great death scenes mixed in with the several sex comedy-like montages make this movie great. Plus, I love the psycho killer dad in the movie, horribly killing thirty year-old teens with a big fish hook. This is a fun movie to watch with a group, but unfortunately not on DVD, but I heard there is talk on releasing it.
8. The Burning (1981) Directed by Tony Maylam
Summary According to imdb.com: A janitor at a summer camp is accidentally burned severely from a prank. Years later, he is released from an institute, and returns to the camp with a pair of hedge clippers to take revenge on the campers.
This is the Weinsteins' first movie and features great special effects by Tom Savini, but whats this camp slasher movie really good is the characters. The movie forms well rounded characters who you actually don't wanna see die. That is rare for a slasher film. People actually don't start dying until about 30 to 40 minutes into the film and when people start dying it sure is a blood bath. The film even features Oscar winning Fisher Stevens plus actors Jason Alexander and Holly Hunter. A Must see for horror fans and is available on DVD.
7. Alice Sweet Alice (1977) Directed by Alfred Sole
Summary According to imdb.com: Alice Spages is a withdrawn 12 year old girl who lives with her mother, Catherine, and her younger sister, Karen. Karen gets most of the attention from her mother, and Alice is often left out of the spotlight. But when Karen is found brutally murdered in a church before her first holy communion, all suspicions are turned towards Alice. But is a twelve year old girl really capable of such savagery? As more people begin to die at the hands of a merciless killer, Alice becomes more and more likely of a suspect.
This early slasher film is more in the vain of a Italian Giallo and is creepy as hell. This is actually an all round good movie. It's an old fashion horror movie with a body count. This was made before the slasher movie boom and therefore more original and not as gimmicky.
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