Last year
one of the first marathons that I did when I launched the Horror Dude Blog
covered Slasher movies. As a kid growing up in the eighties they were a staple
of both the Horror genre as well as the old Mom and Pop video store. I covered
a lot of fun older flicks that I remember renting, as well as some that I
didn’t know had existed. To check out that list you can click here.
This time
around I’m going to cover more older entries into the genre as well as hit on
some newer movies that I’ve discovered. Who knew that there were filmmakers out
there making some cool Slasher movies some thirty years after its heyday. I’m
also going to touch on at least one of the big Slasher franchises, which I had
avoided last time around. I think this is going to be a fun summer!
Pool Party Massacre (2017) – Decided to start off the 2018 Slasher marathon with a newer movie that reminds me of why I love these movies so much. Pool Party Massacre has all the hallmarks of the classic Slasher movies with imaginative kills, funny dialogue, and characters we are all happy to see get dead. it is a great movie!
The Final Girls (2015) – This marathon continues with a second newer movie that has it's own take on the Slasher genre. Here we have a neat bit about a girl doing some cinematic time traveling jumping into an old movie starring her deceased mother. I wasn't sure about this one, but ended up liking it. Plus the interaction between the daughter and mother is sweet. I don't think that I've ever said that about a Slasher movie before!
Club Dread (2004) – This one is a bit different. I know some fans might not consider Club Dread to be a Slasher movie but I'd disagree. Sure Broken Lizard is funny and this is a comedy, but it also has all the hallmarks of a decent Slasher flick. Good body count, nudity, and the kills are fun. Plus there is an unstoppable killer. This is totally a Slasher!
Popcorn (1991) – It seems like I'm unintentionally working my way backwards from the 2000s to the '80s. Popcorn is one of those Slashers that hit at the tail end of the first batch and suffers from a been there done that vibe. They do some cool stuff with the plot, but mostly it fails. This is especially so with the overly tame effects work. I want at least one memorable kill in my Slasher movie!
Stage Fright (1987) – I've always enjoyed Stage Fright. It is an Italian movie trying to be an American Slasher flick. Ends up being a very quirky and fun combination of both. Decent death scenes and a memorable killer make for a good time. This one is highly recommended.
My Bloody Valentine (1981) – This is my favorite Slasher movie so I suppose it was time that I covered it for the Horror Dude Blog. This one has a long sordid history of being cut to pieces by the MPAA. I remember seeing some insanely awesome stills from the movie in Fangoria only to be disappointed when I finally got to see the movie. Luckily the cut footage was found and restored a few years ago. If you like the Slasher genre you have to see this one!
Wacko (1982) – I hadn't seen or at least don't remember watching Greydon Clark's early attempt at poking fun at the Slasher genre and it's tropes. This one smacks a bit of "lets toss everything at the wall and see what sticks". Some of the jokes land, but many don't. As a bonus we get to see George Kennedy having fun and an early appearance of Andrew Dice Clay. There is some talent both in front of and behind the camera. Worth checking out at least once.
Friday the 13th (1980) – It was only a matter of time before the Slasher marathon included one of the bigger franchises. I tried to avoid them because I figure that most fans have already seen or are at least aware of these movies. But I do love watching and talking about my favorites so I hope everyone can forgive me. I need to talk some Jason Vorhees!
Friday the 13th part II (1981) – I thought since I covered the first in the series that it would make sense to cover the sequel. Especially since this is the continuation of the surviving girl Alice's story. It doesn't continue that much longer but I talk more about that in the review. I think that this one also suffers a bit without Tom Savini at the helm of the special effects. Still worth a look.
Terrifier (2018) – This movie is one of the best new horror films that I've seen in years. It nails the slasher genre without trying to be nostalgic. The kills are brutal and the look of the killer is amazing. Why hasn't anyone thought of making the killer a clown in a slasher flick before? With all due respect to Mr. King Pennywise is nothing compared to what we get here. Awesome flick!
Island of Blood (1982) – So I managed to get pretty far into this summer's Slasher marathon before running into a stinker. Island of Blood is a terrible movie that is poorly written and acted. An angry musician takes his frustration out on a film crew. The only cool bit is the gimmick they used with the music. The only other thing of note about this one is the inexplicably bad twist ending.
Humongous (1982) – Staying in the same year I checked out Humongous, which I do remember watching back in the days of VHS. Sadly I also remember liking it much more then I did this time around. The setup is very cool and the killer has a lot of potential. They get very close to a cool movie before screwing it up. It was all setup for good gore and scares, but poor execution dooms them. Not the victims but the movie! Better than Island of Blood, but that isn't saying much.
Hide and Go Shriek (1988) – So I finally got back around to checking out Hide and Go Shriek. This movie has been a bone of contention between myself and my friend Tim Gross of Gross Movie Reviews. He recommended it to me but I hated it. How does it compare to the previous two less than stellar slasher flicks? Read my full review to find out.
Victor Crowley (2017) – Back to a newer entry into the Slasher genre. This is the latest in the Hatchet Franchise from Adam Green. Victor is resurrected and starts killing an entirely new bunch of victims that made the mistake of hanging out in his swamp. There are a couple cool genre favorites in this one. It also delivers on the gore and is generally a good time.
Madman (1982) – Time to jump back in time a bit and talk about an old favorite of mine. Madman came out early in the Slasher craze of the eighties. It is very low budget, but has a charm that makes it stand out from the others. The weird hot tub scene stands out in my mind. Also it has a great killer, excellent makeup, and creative kills. Overall it is an outstanding low budget Slasher movie. Highly recommended.
Final Exam (1981) – Another early Slasher entry Final Exam is much different than Madman. Here the setting and story are more the focus and the kills are tame. But I enjoy it just as much for different reasons. Can't say much more without spoiling things so I'll just say track a copy down and enjoy. Click the link at the beginning for a more in depth review.
Blood Rage (1987) – Only two movies left in this summer's Slasher marathon. The last two I covered were fun eighties flicks that I've always enjoyed. To balance things out I thought I'd hit you with a couple that don't fit that description. Blood Rage had a decent setup but the story and characters are horribly executed. What is surprising is the amount of gore that they managed to squeeze in. Other than a surprise cameo from Ted Rami there isn't much to see here.
Ghostkeeper (1981) – So I thought it would be fun to finish up with a movie that I've not seen before. Sure the movie might suck, but it might not. Well Ghostkeeper had somethings going for it. Cool atmosphere and setting, but also meanders thru a story that is unfocused and feels as if it didn't know what it wanted to be. Click on the title to check out my full review.
The Final Girls (2015) – This marathon continues with a second newer movie that has it's own take on the Slasher genre. Here we have a neat bit about a girl doing some cinematic time traveling jumping into an old movie starring her deceased mother. I wasn't sure about this one, but ended up liking it. Plus the interaction between the daughter and mother is sweet. I don't think that I've ever said that about a Slasher movie before!
Club Dread (2004) – This one is a bit different. I know some fans might not consider Club Dread to be a Slasher movie but I'd disagree. Sure Broken Lizard is funny and this is a comedy, but it also has all the hallmarks of a decent Slasher flick. Good body count, nudity, and the kills are fun. Plus there is an unstoppable killer. This is totally a Slasher!
Popcorn (1991) – It seems like I'm unintentionally working my way backwards from the 2000s to the '80s. Popcorn is one of those Slashers that hit at the tail end of the first batch and suffers from a been there done that vibe. They do some cool stuff with the plot, but mostly it fails. This is especially so with the overly tame effects work. I want at least one memorable kill in my Slasher movie!
Stage Fright (1987) – I've always enjoyed Stage Fright. It is an Italian movie trying to be an American Slasher flick. Ends up being a very quirky and fun combination of both. Decent death scenes and a memorable killer make for a good time. This one is highly recommended.
My Bloody Valentine (1981) – This is my favorite Slasher movie so I suppose it was time that I covered it for the Horror Dude Blog. This one has a long sordid history of being cut to pieces by the MPAA. I remember seeing some insanely awesome stills from the movie in Fangoria only to be disappointed when I finally got to see the movie. Luckily the cut footage was found and restored a few years ago. If you like the Slasher genre you have to see this one!
Wacko (1982) – I hadn't seen or at least don't remember watching Greydon Clark's early attempt at poking fun at the Slasher genre and it's tropes. This one smacks a bit of "lets toss everything at the wall and see what sticks". Some of the jokes land, but many don't. As a bonus we get to see George Kennedy having fun and an early appearance of Andrew Dice Clay. There is some talent both in front of and behind the camera. Worth checking out at least once.
Friday the 13th (1980) – It was only a matter of time before the Slasher marathon included one of the bigger franchises. I tried to avoid them because I figure that most fans have already seen or are at least aware of these movies. But I do love watching and talking about my favorites so I hope everyone can forgive me. I need to talk some Jason Vorhees!
Friday the 13th part II (1981) – I thought since I covered the first in the series that it would make sense to cover the sequel. Especially since this is the continuation of the surviving girl Alice's story. It doesn't continue that much longer but I talk more about that in the review. I think that this one also suffers a bit without Tom Savini at the helm of the special effects. Still worth a look.
Terrifier (2018) – This movie is one of the best new horror films that I've seen in years. It nails the slasher genre without trying to be nostalgic. The kills are brutal and the look of the killer is amazing. Why hasn't anyone thought of making the killer a clown in a slasher flick before? With all due respect to Mr. King Pennywise is nothing compared to what we get here. Awesome flick!
Island of Blood (1982) – So I managed to get pretty far into this summer's Slasher marathon before running into a stinker. Island of Blood is a terrible movie that is poorly written and acted. An angry musician takes his frustration out on a film crew. The only cool bit is the gimmick they used with the music. The only other thing of note about this one is the inexplicably bad twist ending.
Humongous (1982) – Staying in the same year I checked out Humongous, which I do remember watching back in the days of VHS. Sadly I also remember liking it much more then I did this time around. The setup is very cool and the killer has a lot of potential. They get very close to a cool movie before screwing it up. It was all setup for good gore and scares, but poor execution dooms them. Not the victims but the movie! Better than Island of Blood, but that isn't saying much.
Hide and Go Shriek (1988) – So I finally got back around to checking out Hide and Go Shriek. This movie has been a bone of contention between myself and my friend Tim Gross of Gross Movie Reviews. He recommended it to me but I hated it. How does it compare to the previous two less than stellar slasher flicks? Read my full review to find out.
Victor Crowley (2017) – Back to a newer entry into the Slasher genre. This is the latest in the Hatchet Franchise from Adam Green. Victor is resurrected and starts killing an entirely new bunch of victims that made the mistake of hanging out in his swamp. There are a couple cool genre favorites in this one. It also delivers on the gore and is generally a good time.
Madman (1982) – Time to jump back in time a bit and talk about an old favorite of mine. Madman came out early in the Slasher craze of the eighties. It is very low budget, but has a charm that makes it stand out from the others. The weird hot tub scene stands out in my mind. Also it has a great killer, excellent makeup, and creative kills. Overall it is an outstanding low budget Slasher movie. Highly recommended.
Final Exam (1981) – Another early Slasher entry Final Exam is much different than Madman. Here the setting and story are more the focus and the kills are tame. But I enjoy it just as much for different reasons. Can't say much more without spoiling things so I'll just say track a copy down and enjoy. Click the link at the beginning for a more in depth review.
Blood Rage (1987) – Only two movies left in this summer's Slasher marathon. The last two I covered were fun eighties flicks that I've always enjoyed. To balance things out I thought I'd hit you with a couple that don't fit that description. Blood Rage had a decent setup but the story and characters are horribly executed. What is surprising is the amount of gore that they managed to squeeze in. Other than a surprise cameo from Ted Rami there isn't much to see here.
Ghostkeeper (1981) – So I thought it would be fun to finish up with a movie that I've not seen before. Sure the movie might suck, but it might not. Well Ghostkeeper had somethings going for it. Cool atmosphere and setting, but also meanders thru a story that is unfocused and feels as if it didn't know what it wanted to be. Click on the title to check out my full review.
So the Slasher marathon is over. I hope you had fun reading my reviews and more importantly I'm hoping that you decided to check out some movies. I'll do another one of these next year. If you have any suggestions for what I should cover please send me an email at gutmunchers@gmail.com.
© Copyright 2018 John Shatzer
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