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.