A madman escapes from an asylum. A group of female friends have a slumber party. Join the dots. Mary Holden Jones brings to the screen a screenplay by Rita Mae Brown. This was supposed to be a 'feminist' slasher movie in what is considered to be a deeply misogynistic genre. Hence we have young women …
Continue reading Day 20- 31 Days of Halloween- Slumber Party Massacre (1982)
Two couples decide to go camping in the woods. Arriving separately (darn that wonky radiator!), they soon realise that the woods aren't as peaceful and reinvigorating as they first thought. It is in fact a killing ground for a father who mudered his philandering wife, went mad and took his two young children to live …
Continue reading Day 18- 31 Days of Halloween- The Forest (1982)
Cropsey, a summer camp caretaker is burnt alive as an unfortunate consequence of a prank that goes horribly wrong. After five years he returns to the summer camp with vengeance in mind. This is the slasher movie that helped form Miramax Films and gave a young Harvey Weinstein a career as a film producer. The …
Continue reading Day 10- 31 Days of Halloween- The Burning (1981)
This movie was on my 'must see but haven't got round to yet' list for the longest time. But whilst other titles on said list turned out to be great (take a bow Pieces and Madman) can the same be said for The Mutilator? Can a movie with such a great poster and tagline live …
Continue reading Day 5- 31 Days of Halloween- The Mutilator (1984)
I remember one of the first films my family rented when we first got a video recorder (VCR to my American buddies) in 1983 was the Charles Bronson sleaze-fest 10 To Midnight. OK, I know it sounds weird that such a lurid piece of exploitation was hired for a cosy night of family movie watching, …
Continue reading 10 To Midnight (1983)- J. Lee Thompson’s Vigilante Slasher Sleazefest
Whilst it's widely thought that it was John Carpenter's Halloween that initiated the slasher genre those who actually know anything about horror know that it was actually Bob Clark's Black Christmas made in 1974. In fact, Clark and Carpenter worked together on a project after Black Christmas was made. Clark said to Carpenter that he …
A killer stalks a high school. And thats the plot. This is a cookie cutter slasher film. The only interesting thing about this movie is it's historical value as an atypical sub-genre piece. You get to see the sheer rubbish that was made to generate ticket sales and box office. Movies with no artistic merit …
Continue reading 31 Days of Halloween- Day 17- Final Exam (1981)
A double date decide to investigate a travelling carnival that has just come into town. After strolling around the different attractions they decide to hide overnight in the actual funhouse (like a ghost ride) which is on the grounds of the carnival. This film starts out so well with the carnival and the people who …
Continue reading 31 Days of Halloween- Day 11- The Funhouse (1981)
A children's game goes horribly wrong and a child falls backwards from the first floor window of an abandoned building and dies. The remaining kids vow to never tell anyone about what happened. It's now 7 years on and the children in the gang are preparing for their prom night. They one by one start …
Continue reading Day 29- 31 Days of Halloween- Prom Night (1980)
Yes we know the slasher film conventions. Instead of the most irritating characters to be committed to celluloid explain them to us how about integrate them into the script and make an intelligent horror classic. Instead of the mediocre franchise starter that this is. Oh and if the film wasn't bad enough Nick 'Goth for …
Meathook Cinema 