Dr. Gore's Funhouse.com » Slashers

REVIEW – Absurd

Christian Sellers — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:13:09 +0000

Having spent the 1970s shooting a variety of sexually explicit adult horror flicks, Joe D’Amato eventually decided to aim for a more commercial market with The Anthropophagous Beast. Notorious for the scene in which the cannibal monster (portrayed by frequent collaborator and writer George Eastman) removed a foetus from a woman’s womb and devours it, the film soon found its way onto the UK’s ‘video nasty’ list under the alternative title The Grim Reaper. Having followed its minor success with such dubious efforts as Porno Holocaust and Le notti erotiche dei morti viventi/Erotic Nights of the Living Dead, it wasn’t long before D’Amato decided to direct another horror movie for the American crowd. Once again penned by Eastman, 1981’s Rosso sangue (literally translated as Red Blood) was a brutal slasher that would also encounter censorship issues in Britain, whilst during its run it would be released under a variety of different names including Absurd, Horrible and Antropophagus 2.

Mikos Stenopolis (Eastman) is a dangerous psychotic on the run from a priest (Edmund Purdom). Whilst attempting to climb over a gate his abdomen is sliced open by the railings and is believed to have died. Yet Mikos is the victim of a scientific experiment in which his tissue is able to regenerate itself, making him almost indestructible. But when Sgt. Engleman (Charles Borromel) begins to investigate, the priest informs him that Mikos brain is still vulnerable and it must be destroyed before he kills again. He soon sets his sights on Emily (Annie Belle), a beautiful young woman who is babysitting two children (Katya and Kasimir Berger). But can Engleman and the priest find Mikos before he strikes or is Emily doomed?

Each one of D’Amato’s horror movies has suffered from the same shortcomings – he was not a good director. The reason for his popularity and cult status is his willingness to show what many of his contemporaries shy away from. Whilst most filmmakers understand that too much of a good thing can eventually dilute its impact, D’Amato (much like his Spanish counterpart Jesus Franco) clearly felt that filling the screen with excessive violence, nudity and stomach-turning special effects were enough to guarantee them notoriety. In this respect he was correct and many of his movies have encountered all manner of controversy over the years. Whilst Italian cinema during the early 1980s was renowned for its unflinching portrayal of violence and bodily mutilation, few relied on it as strongly as D’Amato, whose films would often feature no other redeeming values.

The viewer’s opinion on D’Amato’s horror movies will depend on how much they value characterisation, plot, tension and other elements that both fans and critics often comment on. Fans of mindless splatter will no doubt revel in the excessive violence, although his decision to neglect every other aspect of his films means that the scenes in between each grotesque set piece can become long, drawn-out and tedious affairs. Whilst The Anthropophagous Beast had the exotic location and the isolation that created to help fill in the gaps, Absurd’s contemporary setting and all too familiar set up (a babysitter stalked by the boogeyman) add little to relieve the boredom. Eastman’s script is so full of inconsistencies and pointless scenes that it seems to be the violence alone that saves the movie from being unwatchable.

Where D’Amato often does succeed is with the brutal violence and gruesome effects. Although his staging of these scenes is somewhat less effective than Lucio Fulci, whose own work was often criticized for its barbaric nature, D’Amato does score points for giving horror fans what they really want. One of the murders are as memorable as The Anthropophagous Beast’s foetus showstopper, but several of the kills are unpleasant and sleazy. Whilst Paramount would often back down to the MPAA with the violence on display in the Friday the 13th movies, Absurd makes no such compromise. Thus, those that feel that American slashers often short change fans will no doubt enjoy watching Eastman mutilate his victims in all manner of grizzly ways.

Although the role of Mikos hardly required a talented actor, Eastman at least attempts to give a menacing performance, although more often than not it is more humorous than scary (his turn in Mario Bava’s Cani arrabbiati/Rabid Dogs was far more effective). Belle is certainly no Jamie Lee Curtis, despite the movie being modelled on John Carpenter’s Halloween, but she makes an adequate final girl and Eastman receives a suitable demise. Whilst the score (composed by Carlo Maria Cordio, who would later work on Troll 2) lacks any kind of style or tension, the special effects are without a doubt the star of the show. Viewers may want to watch out for appearances from future filmmaker Michele Soavi (La chiesa/The Church) and early ’80s veteran Edmund Purdom (Pieces, Don’t Open ‘Til Christmas).

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REVIEW – Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives

Christian Sellers — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 17:53:55 +0000

By the time the Friday the 13th franchise had reached its sixth instalment it had long ceased being scary. Having successfully killed off its infamous antagonist, Jason Voorhees, at the end of fourth movie (which had labelled itself as The Final Chapter), the money-hungry producers had decided to bring the series back from the dead with A New Beginning: a movie which not only disappointed critics but also many of the die-hard fans. Paramount wisely decided to try a new approach and instead poked funs at the slasher subgenre, whilst making sure the body count remained high throughout. The result was Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, a tongue-in-cheek flick that beat Scream by a decade by toying with its own rules. Although by this point the series was in decline, with Jason Lives being the first not to break the $20m mark at the box office, there is no denying how enjoyable the movie actually is.

Having killed off Jason when he was a child, Tommy Jarvis (Thom Mathews) has spent several years in mental institutions, plagued by the memories of his family being brutally slaughtered by a seemingly unstoppable killer. Determined to prove to himself that the nightmare is over, Tommy travels to the cemetery to destroy the remains, only for Jason (C.J. Graham) to be resurrected by a lightning bolt. Unable to convince the local sheriff (David Kagen) about the impending doom the town now faces, he is thrown in prison and banished the following morning. Joining forces with the sheriff’s teenage daughter, Megan (Jennifer Cooke), Tommy sets out to Crystal Lake (now renamed Forest Green), Jason’s old stomping ground, where he faces him for one final battle.

There are countless flaws to the script of Jason Live that are immediately apparent: how come after several massacres the summer cam is still open and why wasn’t Jason’s body cremated as he had already escaped from the morgue in the fourth movie? But if plot holes are a concern then you should not be watching a Friday the 13th movie. Truth be told, Jason Lives is highly unoriginal and simply copies the templates of its predecessors: a group of horny kids and hacked off one by one. But there is a playful element to this film that makes it one of the more enjoyable sequels, as well as one of the most entertaining of the ’80s slashers. Writer-director Tom McLoughlin (whose wife also had a cameo in the picture) pokes holes at every aspect of the genre and clearly has fun doing so, with drunken caretaker Martin (Bob Larkin) having many of the best lines.

Mathews, fresh from his success with The Return of the Living Dead, makes for an excellent hero and was a vast improvement on A New Beginning’s John Shepard. Likable, charming and pro-active, Tommy finally has the courage to man-up and face his nemesis. Likewise, Cooke (most known for her recurring role in the hit show V) is one of the best final girls of the franchise, more than matching Mathews in the hero stakes. The two make a charismatic pair and their chemistry helps the audience to root for them during the finale. Graham, who was the first to take the character of Jason into superhuman, undead territory, is perfect as the villain, even surpassing fan favourite Kane Hodder at times. The paintball scene, which the producers insisted be included to increase the body count, had featured stuntman Bob Larkin (most recently a stunt coordinator for Spider-Man 3 and The Bourne Ultimatum) in the role of Jason but was replaced after one day by the producers for the more athletic Graham.

The supporting cast are all adequate enough, with Kagen and Vincent Guastaferro (as the sheriff and deputy) on fine form. The gore is kept to a minimum, largely due to the MPAA insisting on various cuts, but thankfully the script is fast paced and the dialogue snappy enough to remain entertaining throughout. Tom McLoughlin proved to be a stylish director, with Jason Lives being one of the more attractive of the movies. Some fans dismiss this film due to its humour and lack of bloodshed, but there are enough distractions to make up for any of its shortcomings. The inclusion of three new tracks from shock rocker Alice Cooper also give Jason Lives a little extra charm.

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REVIEW – The Boogeyman

Christian Sellers — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:38:41 +0000

Whilst Friday the 13th was the catalyst that was responsible for the slasher boom of the early 1980s, many of the filmmakers that were first to jump on the bandwagon were more influenced by John Carpenter’s classic Halloween, which had been a major success two years earlier. One such movie to draw inspiration from it was The Boogeyman, Ulli Lommel’s supernatural slice ‘n’ dice flick that would later gain notoriety (along with 1983’s Boogeyman II) after its inclusion on the UK’s ‘video nasty’ list. Taking many plot points from Carpenter’s seminal slasher (including its title, with Halloween’s Michael Myers often referred to as ‘the boogeyman’) and capitalising on the recent spree of demon and haunted house movies, Lommel’s effort would become a surprise success and would mark his commercial breakthrough after years of acting and collaborating with the likes of Russ Meyer and Andy Warhol.

When Willy (Jay Wright) and Lacey (Natasha Schiano) are caught spying on their mother making love with her boyfriend, Willy is tied to his bed as punishment. After being released by his sister, Willy takes a knife and brutally murders them both as Lacey watches on helpless. Years later, Lacey (Suzanna Love) lives with relatives on a farm and is now married with a child, whilst Billy (Nicholas Love), who has remained silent since the incident, remains under her care. In an effort to face her fears, Lacey returns to her childhood home but panics when she sees the reflection of the murdered man in the mirror and smashes it. Her husband (Ron James) collects the pieces of the mirror and brings them home, piecing it back together and forcing Lacey to confront it as proof that it is all in her mind. But soon the spirit from within the mirror begins to exact bloody vengeance against Lacey and her family.

As with the majority of ‘video nasties,’ The Boogeyman fails to live up to its notorious reputation, lacking any overtly offensive or shocking elements. There are several murder sequences, and one in particular (in which a young girl is stabbed with a piece of the mirror whilst semi naked) may satisfy slasher fans, but hardly warranted the controversy that it caused. Much of the film relied on atmosphere as opposed to non-stop gore, so the majority of the running time simply builds up to the violence, whilst the deaths themselves are few and far between. The fact that a child murdered his mother may have been a factor in the decision (an element also present in Romano Scavolini’s Nightmare in a Damaged Brain), but if that is the case then it would seem strange that Halloween or even Juan Piquer Simon’s sleazy and violent Pieces would manage to avoid the list.

The screenplay, co-written by Lommel and Suzanna Love (who was married to the director at that time), takes many key plot points from Halloween and transports them to a supernatural setting. A boy killing a family member and then remaining mute into adulthood was reminiscent of Michael Myers, although this time the boy would not grow up to become the villain. The spirit possessing the mirror gave the formula a new spin, avoiding the usual killer in a mask gag that had become commonplace within the genre. This deviation from the standard killer would cause the movie to divide the slasher fan base, with many disappointed that the film lacked a recognisable antagonist. Whilst this decision would make merchandise impossible, the evil spirit influencing violence in the real world makes The Boogeyman closer in tone to Damiano Damiani’s 1982 classic Amityville II: The Possession, which saw a possessed Jack Magner massacre his family.

The acting on display is relatively generic, with both Suzanna and Nicholas Love giving competent if average performances. This is one aspect that The Boogeyman shares with many slasher films of the era, as the genre became notorious for its inexperienced and at times cringe-worthy acting. Lommel proved to be a stylish director, with the opening sequence shot in an eerie blue light. Whilst he is clearly no John Carpenter, he demonstrated a style rarely seen in American slasher films, instead drawing inspiration from European horror. Although the material is a little derivative and ludicrous, his talents as a filmmaker manage to keep the movie from becoming too stale and creates an unsettling atmosphere. The murder set pieces are impressively staged (particularly the aforementioned bathroom death), but viewers expecting a no holds barred ‘video nasty’ may be disappointed.

/>The Boogeyman is certainly not one of the best slasher movies ever produced but does not rank amongst the worst either. It has style and despite stealing wholesale from other movies, manages to give the material a fresh spin. The sequences in between the kills do drag a little too much and the film could have done with a couple more brutal murders, as well as a more effective climax, but on a whole it is far more effective than many of the no budget American atrocities that were unleashed on slasher fans at that time. Whilst it certainly did not warrant a sequel (something even Lommel admitted), The Boogeyman is an interesting diversion from the standard formula and is an above-average thriller than any true slasher fan should seek out.

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REVIEW – The Slumber Party Massacre

Christian Sellers — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:48:41 +0000

The slasher genre was always referred to as somewhat of a boys’ club. Films full of naked female flesh and an absence of male nudity, killers with phallic weapons, all catering to their teenage audience which was predominantly consisting of young boys. Critics would also pull the slasher to pieces due to its treatment of women and the men that directed these films would find very little respect within the industry (with perhaps the exception of John Carpenter). Why were the girls the victims, often wandering out into the dark or rain in just their underwear and slaughtered by a male killer? What role did feminism play within the genre with its portrayal of the final girl, that lone survivor who finally defeats the killer in the last reel? Both fans and critics often speculated over what a slasher film would be like if it was directed by a woman. In 1982, with the release of The Slumber Party Massacre, they finally found out.

With her parents away for a few days, Trish (Michelle Michaels) prepares to host a slumber party with several of her closest friends. Meanwhile, notorious murderer Robert Thorn (Michael Villella), who had killed five young women over a decade earlier, has escaped from his incarceration and headed back to town. He immediately begins stalking the various students at school and slaughtering them on-by-one with the help of his drill. New girl Valerie (Robin Stille) had been unable to fit in with her classmates and so decides that instead of attending the party she will stay at home with her younger sister. But inevitably Thorn soon appears at Trish’s house and slices his way through all the horny young teens.

Based on a script called Don’t Open the Door by feminist author Rita Mae Brown, The Slumber Party Massacre was rewritten and directed by former Roger Corman editor Amy Holden Jones and would hold the distinction of being the first slasher to be directed by a woman. But those critics waiting for some kind of revolutionary step forward would be extremely disappointed, as Jones would take the accusations of misogyny that the genre had been accused of and took it to the limits, with the camera zooming in on women’s buttocks in shorts and their naked bodies as they have group showers. To push the point even further, Thorn’s weapon of choice, a huge drill, would be thrust out towards his female victims like some kind of penis. As if trying to end the story with a feminist spin, the girls manage to break off the end of his drill, thus castrating him.

What was impressive about The Slumber Party Massacre was that Jones managed to shoot such a professional looking feature on a budget of just $200,000. This in part was thanks to Corman, who had made a career out of producing films on schedules of just a few days with very little money. Having become something of an expert in the field, Corman’s experience would be a valuable asset to Jones, who herself was making her directorial debut. Corman’s touch gives the film a style and sophistication that most other filmmakers would not have been able to achieve with such a miniscule budget. To prepare for the shoot, Jones had filmed an eight-minute short with her husband Michael Chapman (cinematographer of choice for Martin Scorcese) that served as a demo for Corman, displaying both her talents and intentions with the feature.

One of the weaker aspects of the film is the acting which, whilst hardly the worst of the genre, lacks any standout performances. Each actor seems to sleepwalk through his or her role and comes across as somewhat stale and generic. Final girl Robin Stille (who sadly took her own life in 1996 after struggling from alcohol abuse) is unable to compete with other heroines of the genre and lacks any kind of charisma. Villella is given very little material to work with, remaining silent and mostly in the shadows like a second rate Michael Myers. The character is slightly menacing but proves to be too uninteresting to really be effective.

With Jones having performed extensive rewrites on the script, it would have been interesting to have seen exactly what Brown had intended with her original draft. Perhaps it would have added the feminist spin that critics had been expecting, or maybe it was even more generic than Jones’ version. But a producer like Corman has very little interest in feminist statements, instead he wants to money shots and gimmicks that have allowed him to enjoy a successful career as an exploitation filmmaker: breasts, blood and mayhem. And The Slumber Party Massacre certainly had its share of breasts, proving to be one of the sleaziest entries in the genre and paving the way for other T&A slashers directed by women (including Slumber Party Massacre II and Sorority House Massacre).

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REVIEW – The Toolbox Murders

Christian Sellers — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 13:46:24 +0000

There are few films that capture the retro sleaze of the 1970s exploitation flick quite like Dennis Donnelly’s The Toolbox Murders. Starring ageing veteran Cameron Mitchell, previously known for his turn in Mario Bava’s 1964 giallo Sei donne per l’assassino (Blood and Black Lace), the movie became a fixture in grindhouse theatres before falling foul of the British censors and the dreaded ‘video nasties.’ Full of nudity and graphic violence, The Toolbox Murders gave the public what they wanted: breasts and gore. Although inspired by the success of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Donnelly would choose not to produce a subtle or atmospheric thriller and instead assaulted his audience with an array of disturbing images. The film was often dismissed as misogynistic, particularly due to one scene in which future porn star Marianne Walter masturbates in the bath before being chased and then slaughtered whilst still naked.

Vance Kingsley (Mitchell) is a deranged serial killer who targets the beautiful, young residents of an apartment block. Carrying hid toolbox full of all manner of grizzly implements, he travels from one home to another, brutally slaughtering the nubile, scantily clad girls whilst obscuring is features behind a ski mask. Using such weapons as a drill and a hammer, Kingsley shows no mercy or remorse as he hacks his way through each floor. It is soon revealed that he is in fact the landlord who, when exposed to one of his victims, claims that he hates the sight of blood. To help with his investigation, the police request that he provides a list of all current and recent tenants. Meanwhile, Laurie (Pamelyn Ferdin) lives with her unreliable mother (Aneta Corsaut) and well-meaning brother Joey (Nicolas Beauvy) but their lives are thrown upside down when she is kidnapped by Kingsley, prompting Joey to launch an investigation of his own.

The Toolbox Murders is by no means a piece of art but has far more going for it than many would lead you to believe. Whilst the first twenty minutes would leave the viewer to believe that the movie is just one senseless slaughter after another, the writers do eventually make some effort to flesh out the character of Kingsley instead of leaving him as a faceless (and thus pointless) killer. Mitchell was clearly at that point in his career where he was desperate for work and willing to take such a despicable role, something which he would have most likely turned his nose at a decade earlier. What was surprising was just how much he invested himself into the role, clearly relishing the opportunity to play a sick and twisted pervert. It is his willingness to run with the character that keeps the movie together, as any hesitation on his part would have seriously undermined the material and reduced it to mere schlock.

The supporting cast on the whole is above average, portraying their characters with minor competence. Credit should be given to Walter (born: Kelly Nichols), a former model who had yet to take part in the adult industry, but was required to not only pretend to pleasure herself (which had not been in the original script) but then provide full frontal for the camera before being murdered. With the actress not only enjoying the experience but then pursuing a pornographic career afterwards, it makes this sequence feel a little less sleazy, although no doubt the censors would have had a heart attack when they saw it. Another strong performance came from former child star Pamelyn Ferdin (who had previously appeared in episodes of The Littlest Hobo, Bewitched and The Brady Bunch), who spends the majority of the running time tied up but manages to add some depth to her character.

There are certainly some weak performances, most notably Beauvy, who is supposedly the hero, desperate to find his sister before she becomes the next victim. Wesley Eure, as Joey’s best friend Kent Kingsley (and thus the son of Mitchell’s character) is also another weak link, hamming up his role during the twist ending and almost pushing the film into pantomime territory. The director’s brother, Tim Donnelly, gives an average turn as Detective Jamison, lacking anything other than a by-the-numbers performance, although his character is gives him very little to work with. Yet, despite a few less than impressive turns, the majority of the cast manage to bring something to their roles, although most of them clearly lack any real experience and seem to have been pulled in off the street.

The Toolbox Murders is certainly an acquired taste: it’s extremely sleazy and its justification for the killings is hardly convincing. It has a rather depressing and nihilistic tone that may not cater to those that enjoy mindless fun like Friday the 13th. Whilst there is plenty of gore and flesh on display, the movie is not necessarily enjoyable due to its dark nature, and thus some of the viewers may feel alienated by this. But for those that have grown tired of all the countless generic offerings that floored the market during the early 1980s, The Toolbox Murders provides its audience with a brutality rarely seen in the genre, thus making it a curious affair. Although it is by no means a perfect movie and is full of plot holes and weak performances, on the whole it is an effective thriller and a must for fans of sleaze.

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REVIEW – Slaughter High

Christian Sellers — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:41:44 +0000

Whilst the slasher genre has often been ridiculed and criticized for its lack of sophistication, subtlety or worth, most filmmakers had made some kind of attempt to prove them wrong. But whilst some had tried to emulate the more stylish directors like John Carpenter or Tobe Hooper, others had taken the Troma approach of simply pointing and shooting. First-timers George Dugdale, Mark Ezra and Peter Litten tried the latter technique when they shot Slaughter High (originally under the title April Fool’s Day), a camp and extremely low budget high school horror in which the students, who despite British kids leaving school at sixteen, all look suspiciously in their late twenties. Still, over the years the movie has gained a cult following despite all its flaws.

The nerd and butt of all jokes at Doddsville High is Marty Rantzen (Simon Scuddamore), a painfully shy science geek who, on his birthday (which happens to fall on the 1st of April), is lured into the girls’ changing room by the feisty Carole (Caroline Munro) and convinced to strip, when suddenly all his classmates appear in front of him. After taunting with chants of ‘Where’s the beef?’, Marty is further bullied before having his head plunged down the toilet. Later that day, he is given a joke joint, which results in him accidentally being set on fire. Ten years later and those responsible have been brought back to the derelict school for their class reunion, only to fall foul of Marty and his brutal vengeance.

The first thing that becomes apparent from the very beginning of Slaughter High is the casting of the movie, with Munro portraying a teenager at the age of thirty-six! None of the actors look anywhere near young enough to be at high school and it makes the entire film laughable but for all the wrong reasons. And whilst Munro displays her usual sex appeal (which she had previously shown in everything from Dracula A.D. 1972 and The Spy Who Loved Me to the notorious grindhouse flicks Maniac and The Last Horror Film). Unfortunately, the majority of the cast seem to sleepwalk through the movie and lack any kind of dimension or individuality to provoke sympathy from the viewer.

The most tragic aspect of Slaughter High, however, was the fate of its star, Scuddamore, who sadly took his own life soon after the release of the movie. Making his one and only film appearance, Scuddamore was only twenty-eight when he died, cutting short a promising career as he had proved with his sole starring role that he was daring and had excellent comic timing. The genius with the character though was how the filmmakers and Scuddamore succeeded in transforming Marty from the class nerd to a genuinely creepy villain, who would wear a jester’s mask as he offed his villains in all manner of grizzly ways.

The make or break with many slashers is the manner in which the antagonist dispatches of the characters, with some otherwise mediocre efforts being saved by inventive kills (such as Buddy Cooper’s obscure gem The Mutilator), whilst more promising affairs lacked any kind of inspiration (as with Prom Night). Amongst the standout moments were an electrocution and a rather gruesome bath sequence, although the characters are so repugnant and bland that there is little emotional impact when each one of them is dispatched. But perhaps the most irritating element is the music, with the theme tune constantly repeated throughout the film, almost making it unbearable.

The ‘geniuses’ behind Slaughter High were not the directors but Dick Randall and Steve Minasian. The former had worked on a variety of softcore exploitation flicks throughout the 1970s before turning his attention to horror with the likes of Mil gritos tiene la noche (Pieces) and Don’t Open ‘Til Christmas, whilst the latter had co-financed such classics as The Last House on the Left and Friday the 13th with his Boston-based business partners. Slaughter High is too ridiculous and amateur to work as a convincing horror but it will appeal to fans of bad b-movies like Class of Nuke ‘em High, whilst Scuddamore’s performance, Munro’s body and the inventive kills should satisfy those who are easily pleased. A far from perfect example on how to make a slasher but a guilty pleasure nonetheless.

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REVIEW – Final Exam

Christian Sellers — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:20:03 +0000

As a rule there were two prototype slashers that filmmakers during the early 1980s tried to model their own movies from: Halloween and Friday the 13th. The gorier would be closer in tone to the latter, with the likes of The Burning and Madman even copying the summer camp setting. Others, such as Prom Night and Jimmy Huston’s 1981 effort Final Exam, would attempt to capture the magic of John Carpenter’s Halloween. Low on body count and instead boasting a faceless killer that stalks a group of sexually charged teenagers, the movie clearly owed a debt to Carpenter. Unfortunately, however, the film would fail to find the success that many inferior slashers would enjoy (possibly due to the lack of a recognisable, and thus marketable, villain) and has since become one of the more obscure offerings of the era.

Two young lovers from March College are brutally murdered by a psycho whilst making out in their car. In the nearby campus of Lanier College, class nerd Radish (John S. Rice) informs his so-called friends – Courtney (Cecile Bagdadi), Lisa (DeAnna Robbins) and Janet (Sherry Willis-Burch) – about the tragedy, but soon afterwards the college is under attack by terrorists. It is revealed that the stunt was a ploy for one of the Gamma Delta fraternity to cheat his way out of an exam. But another presence has appeared on campus and begins to stalk each of the kids, who continue to fool around unaware of the fate that awaits them. Radish has tried to warn his friends about serial killers but they constantly dismiss his ramblings as fantasy, until one by one they fall victim of the mysterious killer.

Final Exam is not popular amongst many fans of the slasher genre due to the filmmakers’ decision to keep its antagonist’s identity and motives a secret. Although the cycle is often criticised for its repetition, it is this familiarity that many of the fans find so appealing and the pop culture status that the more popular villains have since received (such as Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger) indicates how viewers love iconic killers. Yet the silent assassin in Final Exam lacks any kind of personality and his face is never seen, not voice ever heard. Sometimes the reveal of the maniac can be an anticlimax due to them lacking any kind of style or individuality (such as with The Slumber Party Massacre and The Dorm That Dripped Blood), but the more popular slasher films contain a killer whose identity is revealed, if only in minute detail.

The villain in Final Exam was played by Timothy L. Raynor, a martial arts trainer who did some minor work as a stuntman. His background in body movement helped develop the physical aspects of his silent character, but most of this failed to translate on screen. In some ways, Huston’s refusal to give his audience an Agatha Christie-style reveal at the end of the movie gives Final Exam an edge, as some slashers (even including the more respected ones like Scream) come dangerously close to Scooby-Doo territory when they decide to unmask their killer. But Huston decided to barely show his villain at all, only shooting him from behind or far away in order to keep his appearance a mystery. His overall image seems more in tone with the killer from Alexandre Aja’s modern slasher Haute Tension (Switchblade Romance), whose antagonist was a truck driver who killed for pleasure (until the twist ending ruined the effect).

One aspect that Final Exam does well with is developing the teenage protagonists, with a large portion of the movie devoted to the usual teen movie shenanigans, such as getting drunk, getting laid and playing pranks on frat pledges. Bagdadi proves to be a competent final girl and manages to portray the role in a likable manner. By far the best performance comes from Rice, whose turn as Raddish not only sets him up as a possible suspect but would also pave the way for movie-obsessed characters such as Randy in Scream. Raddish proves to be the most well realised and thus the most sympathetic, with his death being the one that has the most impact. Rice’s awkward portrayal of the shy teen gives the movie both its heart and an air of creepiness as the viewer is never sure whether or not he is one of the good guys.

Whilst Final Exam may never be ranked amongst the best of the genre (it lacks any distinctive kills that fans of slasher flicks love), it is certainly not one of the worst. The cinematography is atmospheric and Huston does well with the stalking scenes. A few of the characters are interesting enough to fill the gaps in between the murders and the terrorist prank is carried out sufficiently. If the film has one major flaw it is that Huston is not John Carpenter and the movie is not Halloween. If not compared to the more acclaimed films in the genre, Final Exam stands on its own as a sufficient enough thriller that boasts a degree of style and one of the best slasher victims of the genre. But those looking for another Jason or Freddy would do best to try elsewhere.

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REVIEW – Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2

Christian Sellers — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 23:50:33 +0000

The argument against sequels more often than not is that they are pointless. Often rehashing the same formula and characters (or carbon copies) and simply recycling them to be used again, very few are worthy successors to their often superior predecessors. Two films in particular come to mind when this accusation eventually turns to the slasher film. Along with 1983’s Boogeyman II, one movie notorious for stealing whole scenes from the previous flick was Lee Harry’s Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2, a movie that shamelessly consisted over around forty minutes of footage from Charles E. Sellier Jr.’s 1984 Yuletide classic. With Silent Night, Deadly Night having caused controversy amongst parental groups and critics such as Siskel & Ebert, prompting TriStar Pictures to remove it from the screens, perhaps the lack of willing executives willing to play their job on the line to throw money at a sequel is the reason that Part 2 would only result in half a film.

Having witnessed their parents brutally murdered by a man dressed as Santa Claus, Billy (Jonathon Best) Chapman and his baby brother Ricky are sent to live at an orphanage run by nuns. After years of abuse from the Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin), Billy (now played by Robert Brian Wilson) embarked on a brutal massacre whilst also dressed as Santa. After Billy was gunned down by police, Ricky was sent to a foster home but the memories of his youth still haunted him. Now eighteen, Ricky (Eric Freeman) is the resident of a mental hospital and recounts his story to a psychiatrist (James L. Newman), confessing how the influence of the Mother Superior had caused him to eventually turn to violence himself. Knowing that his final act must be to rid the world of the evil woman, he kills his doctor and sets out to finish what his brother had started.

There are two ways to look at Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 and, depending on which view you take, may affect your thoughts on the movie. Either you can consider the first half of the film a condensed version of Silent Night, Deadly Night, removing all irrelevant scenes and instead taking the view straight into the action, then followed by Ricky’s own story which brings the film to a close, or it can be considered a waste of celluloid and a feeble attempt by producers to wring more profit out of the flick. To be fair, both opinions are probably just as accurate but its worth depends on whether or not the viewer has a high tolerance for schlock and repetition. Silent Night, Deadly Night was an interesting and enjoyably sleazy slasher that boasted an adequate cast and some tasty murders, as well as Linnea Quigley baring her breasts once again. All this and more is featured in Part 2.

The elusive Freeman (who since seems to have vanished from the face of the Earth) is undeniably hammy and robotic in his performance but there is something undeniably likeable about him, particularly when he shouts out his infamous ‘Garbage day!’ catchphrase. Whilst Wilson gave the role of Billy a certain element of creepiness and sincerity, Freeman makes no attempt at making Ricky believable, sympathetic or three-dimensional. Instead, he is a pantomime villain that the viewer may take great pleasure in watching as he chews the scenery. The fact that so much footage is reused from the original film is a problem, as otherwise these would make a great double feature, but unless the viewer skips passed the first forty minutes of the movie then it may get a little tedious.

The supporting cast is nothing special but Elizabeth Kaitan is passable as his girlfriend, Jennifer. Kaitan may be recognizable to slasher fans for her appearance in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (released the following year), although it is her turn in Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 she should be most proud of. Whilst Harry had little new footage to film, what he was able to shoot was rather bland visually, but allowed Freeman to work his camp magic. The screenplay lacks any kind of depth or attempt at making a serious horror movie, but has since become quoted by many fans online (just type in ‘Garbage Day’ on YouTube and see what comes up). Newman brings little to his role but, to be fair, he had little to work with.

On the whole, Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is definitely a waste of celluloid and is a movie the world could have lived without. It’s generic, uninspired and amateur. But these are among its charms, as the filmmakers clearly refuse to take the material seriously and instead made what could best be described as a feature length joke. But for those who had not seen the original, Part 2 is a must for slasher fans as it demonstrates the very worst the genre has to offer but is still somehow engaging. Freeman gives on of the all time camp performances and it is this that keeps the viewer interested, although it is perhaps ill advised to watch this immediately after the first film. The very definition of a guilty pleasure, but one worth experiencing.

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REVIEW – The Prowler

Christian Sellers — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:11:22 +0000

Before directing arguably the bleakest of the Friday the 13th movies (The Final Chapter), Joseph Zito had been responsible for one of the most gory and entertaining slasher flicks of the early 1980s. Released at a time when the cycle was at its most profitable, The Prowler gave fans of the genre exactly what they needed: gruesome murders, nudity and a likable cast. Often celebrated as the most convincing special effects ever used in a slasher, the work of makeup legend Tom Savini would become a focal point of the appeal of the movie and The Prowler would often be described as both brutal and sleazy. Despite this, it is also one of the more stylish as well, with Zito demonstrating why Paramount would select him to be the one to bring the Friday the 13th franchise to an end (temporarily at least).

As the Second World War comes to an end, an American soldier receives a letter from his sweetheart back home, informing him that she can no longer wait and has decided to move on with her life. Upon returning to his hometown, the soldier tracks down his former lover, Rosemary (Joy Glaccum), and brutally murders her along with her date for the Graduation Dance. Thirty-five years later and the town is preparing to celebrate graduation once again. The sheriff, George Fraser (Farley Granger), has a weekend of fishing planned and is leaving the welfare of the citizens in the hands of his young deputy, Mark London (Christopher Goutman). Mark, meanwhile, has a thing for one of the graduating students, Pam (Vicky Dawson), whom he intends to share a dance with at the party. But the soldier returns to continue his gruesome work and begins to butcher the youngsters, leaving a rose at the scene of each murder.

The slasher film was renowned for basing its action around a specific anniversary or celebration: Halloween, My Bloody Valentine, Prom Night. Graduation Day had already been covered but Herb Freed’s movie had lacked any kind of style or substance and so Zito was free to take a stab at the event instead. With the prologue of the film being set in 1945, both Zito and his cinematographer, Raoul Lomas, took great effort in adding a certain amount of class to the look of the movie, making The Prowler one of the more professional looking slashers. Zito is certainly a talented filmmaker and no more is this evident that with this movie, seamlessly blending the vintage look of the 1940s with the contemporary setting of the 1981-set sequences.

As with many slasher films, there were several respected actors amongst the cast who were reaching the end of their careers and so were willing to appear in low budget horrors. Granger had previously enjoyed acclaim for his turn in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller Strangers on a Train, whilst co-star Lawrence Tierney would later become known for his role as Joe in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. The part of London, the film’s hero of sorts, went to Goutman, a charismatic young actor who actor who looks similar to Cillian Murphy (28 Days Later). In many ways, Dawson would resemble another final girl from 1981, Friday the 13th Part 2’s Amy Steel, arguably one of the franchise’s most popular heroines. Thankfully, with the majority of the movie being set around their characters, both actors have a chemistry that makes their high school crush believable.

Although he had worked on Dawn of the Dead, Friday the 13th, Maniac and many other horror films, The Prowler stands as one Savini’s best works. Scenes of throats being slit with bayonets and stomachs being punctured by pitchforks are done largely without cutting away, showing the act of murder in all its gruesome glory. Zito builds up the suspense expertly, allowing the viewer to be aware of the impending danger but not knowing when it will happen. The film is not just one gory killing after another, but the wait is always worth it as each murder manages to outdo the last, leading to one which will literally blow your mind. Although Day of the Dead is arguably his most gruesome work, Savini was at the peak of his talents with The Prowler and the set pieces easily put Friday the 13th to shame.

Thankfully, Zito never chose to make a sequel and no greedy producers attempted to milk the concept, resulting in The Prowler being a stylish stand-alone thriller. Expertly directed, competently acted and gory as hell, it is a shame that the movie failed to do the same kind of business as Prom Night or any of the other slasher films that littered the drive-ins during the early 1980s. Thus, it remains one of the most underrated horror movies of its era and demonstrated that not all slashers have to be the same as the last and lack any kind of genuine talent. Anyone interested in early ’80s slashers should definitely check out The Prowler as it is one of the best entries in the cycle.

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REVIEW – Psycho II

Christian Sellers — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:41:22 +0000

It has become commonplace now that if a movie does big business (or even above-average) at the box office then a sequel is almost guaranteed. And whilst there is always some element of financial risk, both critics and fans are usually prepared to write the follow-up off as a cash-in. With just a few exceptions (most notably Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather: Part II and Terminator 2: Judgement Day), sequels are often inferior, derivative and pointless. Tom Holland must have been aware of this when he was hired to write the screenplay for one of the most controversial sequels of all time, Psycho II. Released three years after the death of Alfred Hitchcock, whose seminal masterpiece had single-handedly re-invented the horror genre by providing it with a familiar face, the second movie arrived twenty-three years after its predecessor and the critics were waiting to tear it to pieces.

Having spent over two decades in a mental institution for the murder of several people and having lived with the decayed corpse of his mother for many years, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is finally considered rehabilitated and is released back into society, under the watchful eye of Dr. Raymond (Robert Loggia). Quick to oppose the court’s decision is Lila Loomis (Vera Miles), whose sister was one of his victims and had fought to keep him behind bars for the rest of his life. Having returned to his old motel, he fires the sleazy manager (Dennis Franz) and reports to work at a local diner, where he meets down-on-her-luck Mary (Meg Tilly). But soon people begin to disappear once again and Lila is determined to convince the authorities that Norman is responsible. But how far is she willing to push the truth to prove that he is guilty?

Psycho II was originally released as a novel in 1982 by Robert Bloch (the writer of the book that Hitchcock’s film had been based on) and was created as a satire on Hollywood and America’s newfound obsession with the slasher film. The movie, released the following year, had no relation and told a completely different plot, with only Norman and Lila returning (although both had revealed that Lila had married Sam Loomis, who had dated her sister in the previous story). Setting the film over thirty years after the events of Psycho, both Perkins and Miles had aged appropriately and the filmmakers’ decision to show Norman much older gave the movie an element of credibility. Although critics were shocked and angered by the decision to make a sequel to such a classic (as they would later do with Gus Van Sant’s remake), the surprise came when the movie was actually revealed to not be the disaster everyone had feared.

The mistake that Perkins would make with the third film was to make Norman more of a generic slasher character, yet with Psycho II he is perhaps the most sincere and thoughtful of all the principal roles. His offer for Mary to stay at his home is not out of any sadistic or sexual motive but merely because he pities her and has ample room at his house and motel for guests. Here, Norman continues to be a three-dimensional character instead of a maniac, and despite Lila’s best efforts to once again drive him insane he manages to remain stable. Although Perkins had been understandably hesitant about returning to the role after so many years, he gives a performance worthy of Psycho, whilst Miles is suitably bitter and conniving as the antagonist, despite only wanting vengeance for what Norman had done years earlier.

Tilly gives a warm and likeable performance as Mary, who becomes a close friend for Norman and tries to look out for him, despite the twist ending revealing that she is really Lila’s daughter and was sent to drive him insane. Realising that her mother is the one who is losing her mind, Mary tries to stand by her new friend and defy her mother. It is a shame that Tilly would only enjoy brief success as she was both beautiful and talented and could have enjoyed a more prolific career. Performing alongside two veterans such as Perkins and Miles, Tilly more than manages to hold her own, whilst Loggia is also up to his usual standard. It is a shame that John Gavin was unwilling to reprise his role as Sam Loomis, due to having been appointed Ambassador to Mexico by President Reagan, but the presence of the two leads is enough to cement this was a worthy continuation.

To step into the shoes of someone as respected and ingenious as Hitchcock must be an overwhelming task, but Australian filmmaker Richard Franklin (fresh from his homegrown success with Patrick and Road Games) manages to pay tribute to the original movie whilst adding his own unique style. Holland’s script is relatively cliché free (aside from the inclusion of two horny teens, added to appease the slasher crowd) and is strong on character, proving that sequels don’t always have to be generic and irrelevant. There are very few sequels that stand up to their original as well as Psycho II and whilst it may fall short of the original it comes pretty damn close. Unfortunately, however, the following two sequels would be as disappointing and worthless as critics had feared Psycho II would be.

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