Part 2: Continuing Our Slasher Journey

    

The last time we were here, I explained the slasher genre along with the origins of the slasher and the other genres that were NOT slashers but resembled the genre. The slasher genre also had a popular timeline where successful ones and non-successful ones were being made. The Golden Age of the Slasher Genre was from 1978 (when HALLOWEEN came out) all the way to 1984 (when SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET came out).

Now, after mentioning that BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) was the first proper slasher film and also mentioning that I'm pretty good at labeling slashers, it's time to move on and continue this fabulous slasher genre journey.

We continue the journey after the golden age. We will start at 1985. At the time there were lots of slashers released on video. The first shot-on-video slasher was the 1983 horror film SLEDGEHAMMER. There were many slashers later to be released that had the same filming origin just like this movie.

But by 1985, there were a lot of slashers that were filmed before that year but released that year. TOO SCARED TO SCREAM was also that slasher that was filmed before 1985. 

THE MUTILATOR was a slasher that brought FRIDAY THE 13th back to mind. 

Speaking of Friday the 13th movies, remember FRIDAY THE 13th: THE FINAL CHAPTER was supposed to end the series? Well, unfortunately, there is actually a lot more movies to come. FRIDAY THE 13th: A NEW BEGINNING was obviously the fifth and one of the worst sequels ever made in my personal opinion. This sequel actually has psychological horror elements just like SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT except it was not as controversial as the other. Also, spoiler alert, it was not really Jason who was the killer.

FRIDAY THE 13th PART VI: JASON LIVES brought the real Jason Voorhees back, except who was much more supernatural than he ever was before. It also features Alice Cooper music.

FRIDAY THE 13th PART VII: THE NEW BLOOD featured a girl who was just like Carrie from that well-known Stephen King novel and its famous adaptation with Sissy Spacek.

FRIDAY THE 13th PART VIII: JASON TAKES MANHATTAN sadly took Jason away from the many camps he's been at and took him to New York. 

Later, Sean S. Cunningham came back with New Line Cinema and took the bastard straight to hell in the ninth movie JASON GOES TO HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY. Although there were more sequels, the ninth one was supposed to end the Friday the 13th movies for good. But Jason could not stay dead no matter what. The movie also foreshadowed a battle against Freddy Krueger.

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET spawned many sequels as well. Fred came back in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 2: FREDDY'S REVENGE, which was yet another sequel for me that sucked. The third one was THE DREAM WARRIORS, the fourth one was THE DREAM MASTER, and the fifth one was THE DREAM CHILD. In my personal opinion, the first one is pretty much the only good one in the series after finally watching them.

Freddy Krueger himself also had a movie in the 90's that was supposed to end it all and it was called FREDDY'S DEAD: THE FINAL NIGHTMARE.

And then he took Jason's mask to hell with him and also appeared in Wes Craven's NEW NIGHTMARE.

Then, he later battled Jason even though he was supposed to battle him back in the late 80's but did not anyway.

HALLOWEEN 4: THE RETURN OF MICHAEL MYERS gave Michael Myers a chance to return to his movies because he was absent for the third unrelated part of the series which was completely unnecessary. So basically, the fourth one is the real third story of the series.

HALLOWEEN 5: THE REVENGE MICHAEL MYERS kept Michael in the series and also made him go after his niece. He's a nice uncle after all.

HALLOWEEN: THE CURSE OF MICHAEL MYERS was from the 90's which was supposed to be the last in the series but, again, later had HALLOWEEN H2O: 20 YEARS LATER which returned Jamie Lee Curtis. Busta Rhymes would later star in HALLOWEEN: RESURRECTION.

PROM NIGHT had unrelated sequels, which obviously sucked. HELLO MARY LOU: PROM NIGHT II featured a non-realistic serial killer and instead a supernatural girl killing people. But at least it took place at the same school.

She also returned in PROM NIGHT III: THE FINAL KISS.

Then there was a supernatural horror sequel PROM NIGHT IV: DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

There would later be a terrible remake of the first one back in 2008 just like the Jason movies, the Freddy movies, and even the Michael movies. The first proper slasher film BLACK CHRISTMAS would also become a remake from 2006 which basically made it look more like a dark comedy.

THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE would also spawn unrelated sequels just like the second one where a rock-and-roll singer is a supernatural-type of serial killer UNLIKE the killer from the 1980 slasher TERROR ON TOUR.

Anyways, back in 1985, there were more slashers to be made for video just like BLOOD CULT. THE NAIL GUN MASSACRE might be a slasher with rape-and-revenge elements just like the 2008 slasher GUTTERBALLS.

In 1986, you see slasher movies like SLAUGHTER HIGH bringing back Halloween-influenced slashers. It was also a slasher with a prank-gone-wrong backstory just like THE BURNING or TERROR TRAIN. It was originally titled "April Fool's Day", but at the time Paramount Pictures already had a movie that was filled with pranks and no real killer just like the 2005 slasher CRY_WOLF. I don't really like slashers that have fake killers like that because I'm more of a "real slasher" geek than a "fake slasher-killer movie".

Paramount Pictures also brought you FRIDAY THE 13th and MY BLOODY VALENTINE.

SORORITY HOUSE MASSACRE is also a HALLOWEEN-influenced movie and was in the same realm as THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE.

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE spawned a sequel finally and also used slasher tropes unlike the first one and used splatter-cinema elements to add some more shock.

In 1987, STAGE FRIGHT was released in Italy and what made this slasher unusual was its style. Although not necessarily a giallo, some people mistakenly call it a giallo even though it's more of a slasher that was also inspired by Halloween. This slasher featured a killer in an owl-looking mask.

Sadly, it doesn't have a sequel. What makes me mad is that MY BLOODY VALENTINE and STAGE FRIGHT don't have sequels because they're both great movies but they have continuations in it. MY BLOODY VALENTINE left out the Harry Warden copycat threatening those two who survived and he's still in the mine.

Because of my time, we have to speed it up a little bit so here's to the slashers of 1988.

For some reason, when people talk about slashers, CHILD'S PLAY is never brought up even though it has supernatural elements unlike Halloween it is a slasher as well. That's right ladies and gentlemen, Child's Play is a supernatural slasher. MANIAC COP kind of has some supernatural elements but not as much as THE BOOGEYMAN.

In 1989, OFFERINGS came out and also brought HALLOWEEN to mind. This is where slasher movies start becoming annoying because they keep ripping off HALLOWEEN and not FRIDAY THE 13th. Unless you watch the CUTTING CLASS movie with a young Brad Pitt. CUTTING CLASS is also part-slasher and part-dark comedy just like SATAN'S LITTLE HELPER.

Now, we're finally here in 1990 where we see movies such as THE NIGHT BRINGS CHARLIE and BLOOD MOON.

HAPPY HELL NIGHT and the blaxploitation slasher comedy AX 'EM took over in 1992 and they both sucked but AX 'EM sucked a lot more.

In 1993, LEPRECHAUN came out but it wasn't a slasher film sadly.

In 1995, JACK-O came out as some supernatural-ish, fantasy-type of slasher film and it was at a lower budget.

Slashers kept sucking at it until 1996 came.

Almost based on the Gainsville Ripper case, Kevin Williamson took a lot more inspiration from slasher movies such as HALLOWEEN, PROM NIGHT, and FRIDAY THE 13th.

The name of this film was SCREAM, which was a completely different movie with the same title as the 1981 slasher SCREAM.

Anyways, the 1996 slasher---or neo-slasher to be exact---was directed by Wes Craven and was a complete satire to, not only slashers, but movies in general. This neo-slasher also spawned sequels. It would later spawn a TV series on MTV called SCREAM: THE TV SERIES.

SCREAM was an inspiration for the neo-slasher movement. As in 1997, SCREAM 2 came out and so did I KNOW WHAT YOU LAST SUMMER.

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER was loosely based on the 1973 suspenseful novel by Louis Duncan and also the urban legend about the hook. The author did not like the adaptation because it was meant to be for young adults; but instead, they made it into a neo-slasher. It also spawned sequels called I STILL KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER and I'LL ALWAYS KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER.

In 1998, BRIDE OF CHUCKY used dark humor and also was the fourth in the Chucky movies. CHILD'S PLAY 2 and 3 were both released in the early 90's but did not end the Chucky series.

URBAN LEGEND was another neo-slasher that features a killer who is inspired by real urban legends. Just because they're not true doesn't mean that they won't inspire atrocious crimes.

THE CATCHER was a slasher throwback that may have been an inspiration for the 2013 slasher film BILLY CLUB. 

In 1999, CAMP BLOOD, a low-budget slasher, was released using clowns as serial killers; although it was not the first slasher to use clowns.

Camp Blood was also the nickname for Camp Crystal Lake.

THE DEADLY CAMP was a slasher from Asia that was a reference of Friday the 13th.

LOVER'S LANE was a rip-off of both SCREAM and I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER.

In Part 3, we will finish this....

SLASHER KNOWLEDGE---PART 1

                      Introducing the SLASHER Genre

Have you ever asked yourself, "What was the first true slasher film?"

What if I told you that the answer to that question was the 1974 movie BLACK CHRISTMAS?

Now, I know that some of you people would expect a better answer for you but movies like Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO is more of a psychological thriller-horror film; not really a slasher. But it is, however, considered the MOTHER of all slasher films because it is the MAIN inspiration for the genre.

Also, there was a movie that was released before Black Christmas in 1974 and that movie was called THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE! Although not a true slasher film because the clichés to the movie were a bit off, it still was an inspiration and was the "prelude" to the genre just like Psycho.

This movie could be considered more of a splatter film without the GORY-GORY parts. Texas Chainsaw and Psycho were not the only ones that influenced the slasher, though! There was, in fact, a lot more than that.

PEEPING TOM was another inspiration from 1960, except it came out before Psycho. The 1928 horror-mystery film THE TERROR was an early inspiration for the slasher even though it was not a movie to fit in the "genre pieces". There were giallo movies which were Italian murder-mysteries which were more erotic and stylish and older than the slasher. Examples include TORSO, A BAY OF BLOOD, STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER, DEEP RED, BLOOD AND BLACK LACE, and even the first true giallo film called THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH.

Some splatter films were also inspirations for the slasher. Examples include the first splatter film BLOOD FEAST, TWO THOUSAND MANIACS, and COLOR ME BLOOD RED.

Giallo movies are more similar but their clichés are different. Giallo films are more stylish and much more erotic. There mostly for Italian audiences but some American movies were inspired by giallo. If you think about it, the movie ALICE, SWEET ALICE is more of an American giallo-type of movie than an actual slasher. Also, The Flesh and Blood Show, a British horror-mystery, was inspired by the Italian giallo. Sometimes the giallo would mix with the slasher genre.

Examples of slasher-giallo movies: BLOODY MOON (1981), PIECES (1982) (also a splatter), EYES OF A STRANGER (1981),

Movies like NIGHT SCHOOL (1981) is more giallo-ish than slasher. Night School is basically a slasher mocking the giallo movies such as Strip Nude for Your Killer.

Splatter movies, on the other hand, seem to be more focused on blood, guts, intestines, and anything else that is gory. Splatter and giallo seem to focus more on the bodies than the killer, unlike the slasher genre. I've already named some splatter movies except for the 1973 one called SCREAM BLOODY MURDER.

Splatter-slasher movies include: HAUTE TENSION (a 2003 French psychological thriller slasher-splatter film), NIGHT OF THE DEMON (a 1980 splatter-monster-slasher film),

Splatter-giallo movies include: A BAY OF BLOOD (1971)

Psycho (1960) was also an inspiration for movies such as HOMICIDAL (1961), STRAIT-JACKET (1964), and even Francis Ford Coppola's DEMENTIA 13 (1963) which was another inspiration for giallo films. There was also, yet, another giallo-type of movie that took inspiration from Psycho except it featured more blood and more murders. The movie was called BERSERK (1967).

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Psycho were both inspired by a real-life cannibalistic serial killer named Ed Gein. Texas Chainsaw would later spawn sequels that would resemble more like slashers even though the very first one was not. Same thing happened to Psycho. These movies would also become remakes.

Anyways, we then go back to 1974 once again the first "true" slasher film Black Christmas! Directed by Bob Clark and inspired by the urban legend about the babysitter and the man upstairs. Also, inspired by real-life murders that took place around Christmas in Quebec. This Canadian slasher is the true starter of the genre. Black Christmas was also known as "Silent Night, Evil Night" for America (to keep people from considering it a Blaxploitation because of the title). The other name for it on NBC was called "Stranger in the House" which was deemed "too scary" and pulled off air. Black Christmas was the inspiration for HALLOWEEN (1978) along with Psycho which starred Jamie Lee Curtis' mother Janet Leigh. After Black Christmas, they would later film another early slasher in 1976 under the title "The Killer Behind the Mask", however, the title was changed to SAVAGE WEEKEND and was not distributed until 1979. It would later be released in that year to be considered a slasher inspired by HALLOWEEN even though it was not.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF SLASHER FILMS

In 1978, HALLOWEEN was released and was a very successful slasher during its time. This slasher took the mask from Captain Kirk and turned it into ghost-white color for Michael Myers. The movie was directed by John Carpenter, who was mostly inspired by Bob Clark and his 1974 horror film. Carpenter approached Clark and asked if he would ever film a sequel to Black Christmas. Clark said no, but if he did then it would take place on a Halloween night instead of Christmas. That's what REALLY inspired Carpenter. That's the inspiration for Halloween. That's the inspiration for "the night he came home"! Halloween was originally going to be a sequel to Black Christmas but it turned into a different movie that was not even a sequel. In fact, before they named the title "Halloween" it was titled "The Babysitter Murders"!

In 1979, there weren't too much slashers because Halloween was released in the Fall of 1978. However, there were movies like SAVAGE WEEKEND which was filmed before Halloween like I mentioned earlier. There was a movie called Silent Scream which was supposedly filmed originally in 1977 but then it went through development hell until it was finally saved and finished in 1979. It was later released and played in theaters throughout 1980. The year 1979 also had a supernatural-mixed slasher film called TOURIST TRAP. The movie featured the killer who also has telekinetic powers to move things around and bring mannequins come alive. There was also a movie filmed in 1979 and released in 1981 and that movie was THE DEMON.

In 1980, the slasher genre became much more popular than the previous years and also became a controversial genre due to the real-life murder of John Lennon and everything else that involves real-life murders. The movie MANIAC was controversial due to its violence towards women. Is it really a slasher? To be honest, I've never seen the whole movie but the trailer makes me think that it's a slasher but not just a straight-up slasher. It could be a slasher mixed with psychological splatter. Also, the movie CHRISTMAS EVIL seems like a slasher but not just a slasher just like the previous movie I just mentioned. These slashers seem to be mixtures of the slasher and other genre. Anyways, moving on. The slasher genre in 1980 featured holiday slashers just like TO ALL A GOODNIGHT or NEW YEAR'S EVIL. Holiday slashers became inspirations for the genre. All of those slashers are important pieces to the genre. Jamie Lee Curtis from Halloween returned to the slasher genre for the movies TERROR TRAIN, a slasher with a trope that has something to do with a prank-gone-wrong incident, and PROM NIGHT. One of those slashers with a "whodunit" story. THE BOOGEYMAN was another slasher with a supernatural element. HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE featured a young Tom Hanks and also a wedding theme for later slashers such as DEATH DO US PART (2014). Is the movie MOTHER'S DAY a slasher? Again, I'm being honest and always will be. I don't know because I've never seen it. However, I do know that SCHIZOID is not a true slasher but it does have the clichés just like 1973's giallo film TORSO. The most important slasher from 1980, however, was FRIDAY THE 13TH. This movie was written by Victor Miller who went to see the movie Halloween. Friday the 13th was filmed in 1979 but released on May 9th, 1980. It features Betsy Palmer (rest in peace) who plays Mrs. Voorhees. Jason was played by Ari Lehman. It also features Kevin Bacon getting killed by Mrs. Voorhees. Anyways, this movie was extremely important because it actually established the clichés to slasher movies and other types of horror genres. The movie's original title was "A Long Night at Camp Blood" and Jason's original name was Josh. Jason is a mixture of the names "Josh" and "Ian"! Friday the 13th also featured a young Jason attacking Adrienne King's character in the end which was actually Tom Savini's idea. Special thanks to Tom Savini.

In 1981, a lot more slashers came out. This was the year of the slasher. It was the year that slasher sequels came out. Friday the 13th Part 2 and Halloween II. There was also some slashers taking place on holidays. MY BLOODY VALENTINE and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME were both from the same producers. BLOODY BIRTHDAY seems to be a slasher and a dark comedy from what I've seen in the trailer but again I've never seen that slasher. Happy Birthday to Me was a slasher mixed with a whodunit element and also psychological thriller. My Bloody Valentine, like Friday the 13th, was distributed by Paramount Pictures. My Bloody Valentine and THE PROWLER both had a similar storyline. My Bloody Valentine and THE BURNING were both slashers, along with Friday the 13th PART 2 and Halloween II, to have a billion ads and posters all over the place. Halloween II was distributed by Universal Pictures. FINAL EXAM was a slasher inspired by Halloween. Just Before Dawn was inspired by Friday the 13th. The Burning was inspired by Friday the 13th and ALSO the Cropsey legend. STUDENT BODIES became a spoof of the slasher. Linda Blair from THE EXORCIST (1973 supernatural horror film) returned to the horror genre in the slasher HELL NIGHT. GRADUATION DAY was a campus-set slasher just like Final Exam except it had a whodunit story. Tom Savini from Friday the 13th and the zombie film DAWN OF THE DEAD (and Maniac) returned to the slasher again to do The Prowler effects. Night School was more of a giallo than a slasher for America. Bloody Moon was a giallo-slasher from Germany which took place in Spain. Nightmare also had supernatural elements. The Thanksgiving slasher featured little-to-no plot with a killer who is on PCP. SCREAM (aka The Outing) would later give its title to the 1996 neo-slasher SCREAM which is completely unrelated.

In 1982, the movie Friday the 13th Part 3: in 3-D featured Jason from Part 2 with a hockey mask (which was originally going to be an umpire mask)! The movie Halloween III: SEASON OF THE WITCH had nothing to do with Michael Myers or anything slashery. MADMAN was also inspired by the Cropsey legend just like The Burning from 1981. VISTING HOURS was yet another Canadian slasher just like Prom Night and Black Christmas. THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE and PIECES were probably the most controversial slashers from 1982. PIECES was more of a slasher-giallo-splatter mixture. Donald Pleasance is also in ALONE IN THE DARK; not only HALLOWEEN. Did I mention UNHINGED? That movie probably does not beat PIECES since it only has four murders. But still, it's a good slasher. PRANKS and Madman were probably the most successful slashers besides Friday the 13th Part 3.

In 1983, THE HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW came out and became an inspiration for other sorority slashers. CURTAINS was a slasher with lots of references of theatre and acting just like 1987's STAGE FRIGHT. 10 to Midnight is not a slasher but it does have slasher references in it. PSYCHO II was more inspired by Friday the 13th and it totally sucked. The most controversial slasher around this time was probably SLEEPAWAY CAMP; a Friday the 13th-clone. Known for its twist ending which I will not reveal in case you've never seen it.

Finally, we're here in 1984. This year is the end of the popularity of the slasher genre. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter was supposed to end it all except in 1985 there was "a new beginning"! THE PREY was apparently filmed before Friday the 13th Part 1 but released in 1984. Splatter University was filmed in 1981 and 1982 but released this year and is probably another splatter-slasher mixture actually. GIRLS NITE OUT (aka THE SCAREMAKER), was filmed in 1982 but released this year as well. FATAL GAMES was a rip-off of GRADUATION DAY. DON'T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS was another slasher taking place on Christmas. And then there's the most controversial slasher which features psychological horror elements. The movie is called SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT. Because of the ads showing a killer Santa, people forced the theaters to pull this movie out and get rid of it. SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT would later be released on DVD uncensored (if you know what I mean). But then, there was the supernatural fantasy slasher A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET.

That's all for now. I'll do Part 2 and 3 later.