Slasher flicks! A thread for Slasher Kids...

[T.ROSS]

I have been studying 80s cinema a lot lately, and mainly horror. So when you watch 80s horror then you'll probably find yourself watching slasher flicks. Slashers can be a lot of fun. I really enjoy them, from the music to the kills, to the acting and cinematography. I can find art in them all, even the ones full of crap. I have recently read a couple of threads on here. They were both top 10 lists of slasher films. They both are good lists. They sparked me to sahre some thoughts. One was by Dalmatianjaws, here is is list...

10. When a Stranger Calls
9. Friday the 13th
8. Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
7. Halloween
6.. Child's Play
5. A Nightmare on Elm Street
4. Scream
3. Severence
2. Texas Chainsaw Massacre
1. Psycho

Link to this original thread...

http://www.movie-moron.com/forum/index.php?topic=786.0


The only films on this list that I haven't seen are When a Stranger Calls and Severence. I've heard amazing things about both. The rest of the films on this list I've seen. I like them all. I really like Halloween. I think that Halloween shouldn't be so far back on this list. Especially Scream, Child's Play and A Nightmare on Elm Street shouldn't be rated as better slasher movies than Halloween. There is a lot of speculation on what is the first slasher film. I would say that Psycho, Black Christmas and Halloween are the main ones that are argued the most, along with Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But those 3 are the ones I here debated most often. In my opinion I would have to say the #1 slasher flick would have to be John Carpetner's 1978 Halloween hands down. Psycho along with Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Black Christmas are definitely great films that are considered slashers to me. But when it comes to narrowing it down to the #1 slasher then I take a lot of things into consideration. Halloween seeded the slasher era, it created the boom. Shortly after Halloween's major success, Sean Cunningham wanted to rip off Halloween. You can read or listen to Sean quote that in basically any story he starts off explaining what sparked him to create Friday the 13th.  Friday the 13th was the first child of Halloween, and after that many spawns were born. There are so many great scenes, in Halloween, its a masterpiece, but I am not going to get into why it is so great. Psycho along with other slashers before Halloween aren't as essential to the slasher era as John Carpetner's film was. His film gave so much ingredients to the slasher film. To me it is the all time slasher film, and my favorite horror ever.






Behind the Mask: The Rise of Lesie Vernon




I am so glad that Dalmatianjaws included this film on his list. This is an amazing movie that is overlooked a lot. But when people find it, most discover that they found a gem. This totally takes a different approach to the slasher genre. Any slasher fan should pick this up and add it to there collection. You should find this film original and brilliant.





Another list I found was Christian Sellers's top 10 slasher movies. This was also a great list. here is his top 10...

10. Friday the 13th part 4: The Final Chapter
9. The Burning
8. Sleepaway Camp
7. Silent Night Deadly Night
6. Hatchet
5. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
4. Scream
3. Friday the 13th
2. A Nightmare on Elm Street
1. Halloween

Link to this original thread...

http://www.movie-moron.com/forum/index.php?topic=1366.0


I've seen all the films on this list. They are all great!


The Burning




 The Burning especially is amazing on so many levels. In Christian Sellers's thread he later mentions in a reply that The Burning isn't anything exciting. I strongly disagree with that statement. I think that film is awesome. It is every bit exciting. In my opinion it is the best camp horror movie ever. The Characters were great. They really made the film. One of the main teenagers is played by Jason Alexander, he is mostly know for his role as George Costanza on the hit sitcom Seinfeld. Plus if you are a fan of the show in this movie he has a full head of hair! Tom Savini's make up job on this film out of this world awesome, a big step up from his previous film before this one, Friday the 13th. The story is great, the settings are great, the performances are great, and most of all the kills are great! This is a must see for any slasher fan! A must see!




Silent Night, Deadly Night




This is also a great slasher flick. The story is solid, the characters a great, the kills are amazing. This film really draws you in when you watch it. I found myself sympathizing a lot with the main character, its totally understandable why he is so messed up in the head. I urge all slasher fans to see this, add it too your collection!




Later in the thread in a reply Mr. Sellers mentions that he should of included Terror Train and The Prowler in his list. I've never seen either of these flicks but I really want too. I've caught a little of Terror Train, it looked awesome, and I've heard so many great thing s about The Prowler. I cant wait to see that movie. It arrives on blu-ray in the states on July 27th. I am getting it asap!










Also in this thread of Mr. Sellers's, in a later reply he list some other slashers you watch and ones to avoid. Here are they are...

He recommends to watch...

Alone in the Dark
April Fools Day
Black Christmas
Return to Horror High
When a Stranger Calls

He recommends considering watching...

Nightmare in a Damaged Brain
Maniac
The Boogeyman
Cherry Falls
Urban Legends
Dr. Giggles
The House on Sorority Row
Prom Night

He says to avoid with all costs...

The Dorm that Dripped Blood
Pieces


Alone in the Dark

This film is one of my favorite slasher flicks of all time. It is so amazing! The movie is basically about a town that loses power and a bunch a mental patients break out of a institution and bring havoc to the town on there way to there new doctor's house. Donald Pleasence, Jack Palance and Martin Landau perform wonderful roles this movie. This is a great movie to any slasher lover!




The House on Sorority Row



This is perfect slasher film. It has all the ingredients of a slasher. Its a lot of fun and a classic addition to the genre. Watch this one for sure!




April Fools day



I love this film, some fans of the genre don't like this film because they feel cheated with the ending, but i love it and think its original. Plus the story is great and the characters are fun. The guy who played Biff from the Back to the Future flicks plays one of the teens, and if you enjoy his roles from those films then you'll like his role in this movie. If you haven't seen this, and you like slashers, then watch this one to put underneath the belt.




Pieces




I really enjoyed this film. Its a European film from Spain. I've seen this film on two different transfers on dvd, sometimes the audio is a little off, but if you can get past that then you might enjoy this one. I really like this movie, I enjoyed the plot a lot. Great story. It can be a little slow at times, but it builds up to some great scenes. The music is odd, I liked it. This is a good one for the extreme slasher lovers.




I haven't seen Cherry Falls, Nightmare in a Damaged Brain or The Dorm that Dripped Blood. I've heard and read some good things about The Dorm that Dripped Blood, so I still got to see that one for myself. The others, I have seen and they are all good ones to watch!


Some other slasher flicks I'd like to tap into would be...

Slumber Party Massacre




Besides Halloween, This is my favorite slasher film. I love this movie. It is a PERFECT slasher flick. This is a MUST SEE! Everything about it is great. It is directed by Amy Holden Jones and written by Rita Mae Brown. These two women are legends in the genre because of this flick. I wish they would of done more movies like this!




Sleepaway Camp 2



This film is so awesome. Some people might disagree with me, but this would go on my top 10 slasher flicks. This one is better than the first in my opinion. Angela is so brutal in this movie, I love it!




Bloody Birthday




This movie is about some killer kids all born at the same time under an eclipse. They are ruthless and badass! A must see for 80s horror lovers! The video below is not a trailer for the movie but a bunch clips of the movie, with Smashing Pumpkin's song 1979 playing. I found this movie once when i was searching on youtune to listen to this song. This video is badass! You might see why it sparked my attention to want to see it. After watching it for the first time, I immediately went to amazon.com and purchased it!




Happy Birthday to Me




A classic movie to the genre of slashers! Add this to the collection!




Friday the 13th Part 2




This is my favorite out of the series! Jason is super brutal and there are a lot of campers for him to release his aggression on. If he gives it to a guy in a wheelchair then he'll give it to anyone. This is also his first appearance to the series! A must must see!




My Bloody Valentine




I love this movie, it is one of the best. I was always sad that it didn't have any sequels. Maybe that's a good thing to some. But I am a big fan of 80s horror movie sequels. If you haven't seen this, then do so soon!





Well that's all I got for now, all of the films I've seen on this list, I actually own, so I am not speaking from a vague memory, I study all these films to create my own scripts. I will make a top 10 list of my own soon, but I still have a lot more to see that are essential to the slasher genre before i compose a list, such as; The Prowler, Graduation Day, Visiting Hours, Welcome to Spring Break, Fatal Games, American Nightmare, Blood Cult, Christmas Evil, Doom Asylum, Splatter University, Fade to Black, Last Horror Film, Killer Party, Offerings, the list could go on and on....


Please share your thoughts on this thread, thanks!

-T.ROSS

[Sheridan Passell]

Woh, mega post.

I've seen about 80% of the movies on here. Many good times. Besides from the classic ones, it's April Fools Day and My Bloody Valentine for me. Love the Top Gun jet at the start of the April Fools Day trailer there, so inappropriate.

What are the worst you've seen T.Ross?

[T.ROSS]

Which ones have you not seen Sheridan? Have you seen Happy Birthday to Me? If you like April Fools day and My Bloody Valentine then you'll like that one, they are all made by the same producers. All three of them have the same feel to them. Definitely check it out.

Yeah that April Fools Day trailer is hilarious!

[Sheridan Passell]

Ah yes I've seen Happy Birthday to Me, it's pretty good, I enjoyed the other ones more. The scene at the table at the end is classic, the identity/motive of the killer isn't well done I think.

[dalmatianjaws]

This is an awesome post!

I gotta say, for me, my thought process behind my list was not which is the best slasher, but more which slasher films are the best in terms of standalone quality.

While I understand Halloween's social commentary and importance in the slasher genre, as a film it was a complete and utter failure to me. Not scary, not funny, not realistic, not engaging. I like a single moment in the entire film, and that's when Michael pins a kid to the wall like a moth and cocks his head to the side as he stares at him. That is, in my mind, the only effective part of that movie.

I can honestly say I am at a total loss as to why folks like this movie.

That said, most of the slasher genre, all of the silly shlock stuff from the 80s, is NOT my cup of tea. So I'm really taken a lot more with the variations on the genre, not the core of the genre. So I love Severence and it breaks the rules a bit, as does Behind the Mask and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, though in their heart of hearts they are still slasher films!

Awesome list man, so comprehensive!

[T.ROSS]

Yeah Sheridan Happy Birthday to Me isn't as good as the other 2, but it is essential to the genre.

Thanks for your input Dalmatianjaws. I didn't want you to think I was dissing your list at all, it is fantastic. I think maybe why I feel so strong about Halloween is because it scared me so much as a child, the fear has always been implanted in my mind. I've been watching horror as long as i can remember. My father always played the movies when I was young and owned a lot. He never cared if we watched them. He started collecting them before I was born. So Halloween was part part of my childhood and now part of my life as well as film and horror. I like talking about the genre with you, Sheridan and everyone else on the site. Thanks for the input to you guys and everyone the shares their opinions.







-T.ROSS

[Christian Sellers]

Funny how often my tastes can change because the last time I saw Pieces I actually kinda enjoyed it. I still think it's crap but it's gory, sleazy, illogical and unintentionally hilarious. I would like to replace that one in the 'avoid' list with Unhinged, I don't think I could ever sit through that again. The biggest crime for a film is to be mediocre and that's its problem. They can be bad films as long as they're still fun in some kind of way, like The Mutilator, but Unhinged was just bad!

[T.ROSS]

Ha that's funny because I almost mentioned Unhinged. I bought it not too long ago. Its crazy and really weird. The story is ludicrous and not logical. Nobody when stay in a situation like that. Its fun to watch with friends. I actually watched it alone. Its so strange and i still don't understand the ending really... who is the killer?



Couldn't find a trailer, but here is a scene I found...




-T.ROSS

[T.ROSS]

Christian have you seen Bloody Birthday or Sweet Sixteen?

[dalmatianjaws]

Oh nope, didn't think you dissed me at all. I think it's great that we've got these different takes on these same films and get different things out of them. I think it really highlights what different folks look for in movies, you know?

[T.ROSS]

Oh yeah, if we didn't have different takes on the films, then wouldn't be as fun to discuss them. Glad you share input. I know this topic is right up your alley. We also need to plan a movie to watch, one either of us hasn't seen. Have you seen the movie Just Before Dawn? Its suppose to be real good, and campy, no pun attended. I bought it a while back and been saving it.



-T.ROSS

[T.ROSS]

I just watched Terror Train with Jamie Lee Curtis. I like this one, its different and Jamie lee is classic slasher material!






Anyone else seen it? Share your thoughts...


-T.ROSS

[Sheridan Passell]

I've seen Terror Train, it's a middling quality slasher me, not as good as April Fools Day, My Bloody Valentine, Halloween etc. I love any movie set on a train, there's something about it, especially mystery stories/horrors. You know they did a remake of it that changed its name at the last minute? - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1015474/ Not sure it's any good., or even follows the story all that much, folk don't seem to like it.

[AristotleP]

I watched Hatchet last night. It was pants.

[T.ROSS]

I've seen Terror Train, it's a middling quality slasher me, not as good as April Fools Day, My Bloody Valentine, Halloween etc. I love any movie set on a train, there's something about it, especially mystery stories/horrors. You know they did a remake of it that changed its name at the last minute? - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1015474/ Not sure it's any good., or even follows the story all that much, folk don't seem to like it.

Yeah not as good as those ones, but watchable because Jamie Lee is classic.

I watched Hatchet last night. It was pants.

So is pants a good thing or bad...? (sorry to ask)

[AristotleP]

Didn't like it.