Underrated College Slashers: “The Initiation” (1984) Review

Slasher Studios*College Slashers

Larry Stewart directs one of my personally favorite 80’s “college” slashers, The Initiation, which was came out in 1984, and 1984 was considered the last year of the “Golden Age” of the slasher genre.

Kelly Fairchild (Daphne Zuniga) is just wanting to get into a pledge,but with bizarre and terrifying nightmares it’s hard to focus on anything else for Ms. Fairchild. Also, the fact that her family holds a dark secret that Kelly just can’t remember. On the night of Kelly and her sorority sister’s last pledge, the girls must stay the night and finish a prank in a department store that is owned by Kelly’s stepfather. But the girl’s aren’t alone because someone is watching, stalking, and killing the pledges one by one. Could this killer be a stranger or could it be someone that has emerged from Kelly’s dark family secret.

When I hear most slasher/horror fans mention slasher films, I rarely hear people talk about The Initiation except for a rare few horror fans, and if people have heard about it then they just have never seen it. In my opinion, this film is very underrated and was the last of the slasher films of 1984 that just seemed to drift away under many other slasher films. I found this to be one of the best slashers films, and one of the best “college” slasher films. The first half of the film has some slow moments,but it really starts picking up when the pledges enter the department store and the killings start really happening. Watching the film again last night, I found some of the acting to be cheesy especially coming from some of the side pledges who have some of the funnest screams I have ever seen in a horror film.

But with those moments and some other cheesy bizarre moments, I find this film to be a fun ride and I just love it!! It’s great to see Vera Miles (Psycho) and Clu Gulager (The Return of the Living Dead) make an appearance in this low budget slasher film, and the beautiful Daphne Zuniga, who also appeared in the 1980’s slasher film, The Dorm That Dripped Blood. Some slasher fans might not all love this film like I do,but if anything I think every slasher fan will have a fun time watching it. So grab some popcorn, a good drink, and some skittles while watching this early 80’s slasher gem.

–Justin Rhine

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Tim’s Slasher Tweet Reviews: “Leprechaun 2” (1994)

Slasher Studios*Slasher Tweet Review

Now for the second half of our Irish double feature as our Twitter reviewer Tim Schilling brings you a tweet by tweet review of “Leprechaun 2.” Tim admired the corniness of the original but will the sequel be just as fun or has the joke run its course? Hopefully for Tim’s sake, it’s still fun. He still has at least two more movies to watch in the franchise…

Thoughts before the film:
Gonna brave it out a second night in a row and watch #Leprechaun2. So what’s everyones’ take on this series, really bad continuity, a different leprechaun every movie, or something else?

Thoughts while watching:
0:08 What’s wrong Jenny, too good for sequels?
0:16 I’m not sure what this haunted tour thing is all about, but I’d kill to go on one!
0:20 Super charged leprechaun in this one.
0:21 If I have teeth nightmares I’ll know why.
0:24 How can there be 6 seatbelt violations if there were only 5 people in the car!
0:30 I bought you chili dogs, why won’t you sleep with me?
0:32 No wonder why this guy is in Harry Potter, he already is a wizard in this movie.
0:46 Let leprechaun crossed his fingers, we got a badass here.
0:51 The leprechaun really is creepy looking in this one, I’m not too sure what about him though.
0:54 No drinking & levitating.
1:08 “the whole town is looking for you” But he didn’t do anything…
1:11 This movie is the ultimate corn of corny movies. Well, one of the most at least.
1:20 Bridget has such an annoying voice.

Overall:
I liked #Leprechaun2 more than the 1st. Though the inconsistencies it had were ridiculous,it flowed better than the 1st & was a little funny.

To follow Tim on twitter: https://twitter.com/schillingt
To follow Slasher Studios on twitter: https://twitter.com/slasherstudios

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Tim’s Slasher Tweet Reviews: “Leprechaun” (1993)

Slasher Studios*Slasher Tweet Review

Today for you slasher fans we have a special double feature of the luck of the Irish. First off, we have our resident Twitter reviewer Tim Schilling with a brand new tweet by tweet review for the one and only “Leprechaun.” Is it worth your time or has your luck just ran out?

Thoughts before the film:
I’ve actually never sat down and watched this entire movie. I’ve only seen parts. Maybe parts is enough. I saw most of three and actually liked that one too but it’s been a while. I’ll be watching the first 4 over the next week or so. #Leprechaun

Thoughts while watching:
0:10 Continuity people, geez!
0:12 If only Jennifer Aniston was still this young…
0:15 “Oh, you mean this place here?” You mean the house I just watched you walk out of?
0:18 You’re like 4 years old, do you even know what beer is?
0:22 Why I’m a leprechaun!
0:28 Ozzy is in the running for the most stupid movie character ever.
0:33 Whoever did the killings is back because they like it it. How did this not win the Oscar?
0:31 Jennifer, you SAW Nathan walk away. How would he get under the truck!?
0:33 A leprechaun on a tricycle is terrifyingly… Funny.
0:37 This dude isn’t a leprechaun, he’s a vampire.
0:46 He realized he was ugly as fuck.
0:51 Why would you even paint your house that shade of blue…
0:55 But why is it daytime outside when it was just the middle of the night?
1:00 I wish I had a cell phone like that. I didn’t even know they had phones back then…
1:02 Come on Jen you met these people just earlier today, don’t be such a bitch.
1:05 “me golden delicious gold” why did this not win the Oscar for best screenplay.
1:10 I may have actually just jumped when the leprechaun came through the floor… Don’t tell anyone.
1:26 I bet this kid needed to get permission to swear from his parents.

Overall:
At least #Leprechaun was entertaining to watch. It’s cornyness is what is going to keep the movie known and talked about and not be forgotten like a lot of ‘good’ movies are.

To follow Tim on twitter: https://twitter.com/schillingt
To follow Slasher Studios on twitter: https://twitter.com/slasherstudios

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College Horror We Love: “The Unnamable” (1988) Review

Slasher Studios*College Slashers

I’m not too big a fan of College Themed slashers or horrors. The setting just isn’t exciting for me. I was going to the let week slip by until I remembered my love for this only-on-VHS gem from the 80s that takes place at a college and the majority of the victims are college students, so I guess this fits the bill?

Now due to Stuart Gordon’s exceedingly brilliant based on a H.P. Lovecraft short story”Re-animator” raking in the cash greedy producers do what they do best and combed through the material finding ways to exploit it’s success and suck up more money and the late 80s-early 90s had a hand full of flicks based off of Lovecraft short stories. “The Curse” with Will Wheaton was sort of a good one and this one, The Unamable is probably my fav after Re Animator.

The movie opens with some old Vincent Price wannabe tending to a Screaming, foul, unseen creature in a decrepit mansion while his candle flame flutters in the wind. Not sure what he was expecting trying to calm a demonic she beast locked in attic but he gets a clawed hand punched through his chest and his heart pulled out for his stupidity. Cut to 30 years later and the mansion is now condemned and isolated, but is neighbors to a California university. The students are aptly aware of the “legend” that a creature roams it’s halls looking for victims.

Now this is the 1980s, do I even have to tell you that the rest of the movie consists of a group of students, every single one of them a blatant stereo type, not believing the legend and they decide they must set things right by spending the night in the hovel? And that violence ensues, brain dead characters get fate handed to them on, the ultra slut bitch meets the she bitch face to face, and the nerd and good girl escape while wannabe sorcerer spews an enchantment that can cause trees to uproot and sooth the savage beast?

This movie isn’t very original I’m sure you can tell, and not very faithful to the short story but it’s all in the execution and the directors approach gets the job done and is so 80s. This movie reminded me of Night of the Demons with it’s set-up and tone. The mansion that homes the demon from hell is very similar to Hull House. The lighting and shadows are superb, very creepy.

The movie suffers from slow pace at the start and the acting is very bad, sort of typical of genre at this point in time so it’s not that grating. The music is all right, kind of generic. The token slut was cringe worthy.

The movie’s main plus is the creature and it’s design. Wow talk about effective. I remember being terrified of this creature as a kid. There’s one scene where one characters tells his girlfriend that she’s stupid and there’ isn’t a face in the window and looks and indeed, does see the horrifying face hissing. Very effective and creepy. It made me hesitant of looking out murky windows at night. There’s something very unsettling about the look of this monster, the naked pale ass, the hooves, the horns, the breasts, the fur…it’s all very Lovecraftian and I adore it. This movie works best when it switches into slasher mold of the she-beast stalking it’s prey in the halls of the creepy mansion. That’s all you need in certain flicks.

Followed by a sequel that picks off seconds after this one with the same director, producers, actors, and a bigger budget but is somehow less satisfying and loses that great 80s feel. Sadly, it’s the only one on DVD and I had to cough up a lot of dough to get a worn VHS of this, so worth it though. Only seek out the unrated version!

—Vince Fontaine

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Terrible College Slashers: “American Psycho 2” (2002) Review

Slasher Studios*College Slashers

How do you fuck with the minds of those who enjoyed the film American Psycho? How else can William Shatner embarrass himself? Well if those questions ever entered your mind, than here is your answer.

This sequel to the hit film starring Christian Bale(pre-Batman)is more of a loose sequel, only referring to Patrick Batemen in the beginning(and having a guy masked up to play him). While the film ends with us questioning the sanity of the man we have been watching for over two hours, this throws that all away by just claiming he actually did kill people and that it left its mark on a little girl to grow up to be Mila Kunis(post That 70’s Show) and than to top it off she becomes fascinated with her college professor, while studying to be an FBI agent.

William Shatner doesn’t have a lot to do in this film, as he merely is the motivation for why the character begins knocking off a few of the other students, using her knowledge of the way the FBI does things to cover it up(which could have been an interesting concept if it wasn’t thrown out so quickly).

I caught this on late night cable and was sickened that this film was even tried, they didn’t even have the common respect and courtesy to involve the original films author at least write the script(or maybe they did and he refused). Its really just a bad way to capitalize on the success of the previous film and to add the sex appeal Mila Kunis adds. William Shatner is just the big name they managed to get in hopes of having history repeat itself(by this time Bale had become something).

I would suggest if you wanna own it by it as part of collection of films, this way you get your money’s worth.

–Eric Curto

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Surprisingly Decent College Slasher: “Cut” (2000) Review

Slasher Studios*College Slashers

I went into this film thinking this would just be another run of the mill direct to video horror with a big name actor headlining (most likely dying quickly). When I was done watching this film, I was very surprised at how well it was made. The start of the film is slow moving, but once everyone gets to the “murder” house, things really begin to pick up.

Molly Ringwald is the “big name” actor I was talking about, but let me make it clear she is a big name to anyone who grew up in the 80’s, from The Facts of Life to the John Hughes films, this actress will always be in peoples heads, so to see her in a film that many feel is beneath them, once they reach success in any form, its great. She isn’t too bad, after her initial opening scene(which made me laugh at how cheesy the acting was), the actress begins to give layers to her character, making it more than it appears at first.

That’s the element of the film that surprised me, we actually have a set of characters that are given depth, its not long range depth, but it shows the writer didn’t just want to have characters to hack away at. The deaths are pretty good, especially one involving a vice, it combines old school horror ways with today’s “torture porn” ways.

The main heroine Raffy(Jessica Napier) is well played and, while she is somewhat in the background a lot, her character does shine, especially after the reveal of her connection to the opening films murders.

Now my opinion on the killer, let it be known that I have watched these types of films since I was around 4, the first films I remember seeing are F13TH6, ANOES 4 and Sleepaway Camp, so not much shocks me, I’m pretty numb to this stuff, but the way the killer proceeds in this film is quite chilling, the lighting helps it a lot as he is kept in the dark and the mask is very new and fresh and cool.

Watching this film I couldn’t help but want Joe Bob Briggs doing his “Drive-In” totals and giving some funny commentary. This film is not a masterpiece, but its a joy to watch and its on Netflix. Depending on what features are available this will be in my DVD collection soon.

–Eric Curto

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Disappointing College Slashers: “Urban Legends: Final Cut” (2000) Review

Slasher Studios*College Slashers

Monday night I decided to watch Urban Legend and Urban Legends: The Final Cut, and while I always love the first film because it is entertaining, kinda creepy, and so much fun. The second film loses a lot of what the first film I had.
To make the plot simple without spoiling anything, Urban Legends: The Final Cut surrounds a group of college filmmakers set out to make a horror film for a college project led by lead actress (Jennifer Morrison). But once the camera starts rolling the crew of students start getting killed, and Morrison’s character tries to stay alive before the final cut! Who will survive to see the movie in the end?

After watching Urban Legend, I thought I would give Part 2 a watch to see if I liked it still. But after watching how fun the first film is, the second film is a letdown and misses a lot of what the first film has. While the first film is entertaining and a fun ride, this film is just weak and boring after the first 30 minutes. The movie starts off good,but slowly turns for the worse because the pace is slow, most of characters are weak besides a few, the kills are nothing special, and even though the killers reveal is pretty shocking the first time you see the film it still doesn’t shock you as much as when the killer is revealed in the first film. The only goods things that make this film worthy to watch are some of the characters, one kill involving a bathtub and ice, the killer’s outfit, the first 30 minutes, and the last scene involving a familiar face from the first film.

Urban Legends: The Final Cut is one of the weakest “college” slashers next to Sorority House Massacre 2, and Blood Sisters. Urban Legends: The Final Cut is not the worst film,but not the best either. It’s one you can watch once in a while or possibly after watching Part 1 as a double feature. Part 2 however is better than Urban Legend: Blood Mary, which has no reason to be apart of this series.

–Justin Rhine

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College Slashers We Love: “Urban Legend” (1998) Review

Slasher Studios*College Slashers

Let me start off by stating this fact; love or hate this film you have to admit it provided something a bit different in terms of content and you were wanting to see this when that first trailer first aired.

I love this film. Sure it has its cliches, but it turns the tables and continues the “whodunit” element seen in the Scream films with a nice little twist. Of course it doesn’t hurt that this was littered with many of the “hot” stars of the time (Robert Englund in a nice red herring capacity, Brad Dourif, Natasha Gregson Wagner, daughter of Natalie Wood, in a nice little cameo, Joshua Jackson, Rebecca Gayheart, and my favorite Danielle Harris, in a hot ass goth look “SHUT THE FUCKIN DOOR”). The film also adds the element of a killer having an MO. Llet’s face it as we enjoy saying Jason wields a machete, he rarely kills anyone with it. The way Urban Legend uses the legends leaves it open to a long list of ways of different murders.

The college setting here isn’t a huge thing, but it does give us a way for our heroine to figure out what may be the killers next move and a way to lead her to a dead end. I love the way the deaths are executed, while the sequels tried to keep up the films use of Urban Legend deaths they strayed away, this film doesn’t do that. I also love the reveal of the killer and how nuts they transform in a quickness. The motive is a bit disappointing as its just another “I lost someone I cared about” motive, but I guess it had to come from somewhere.

A few notable appearances are that of Tara Reid (American Pie films) and Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, DCAU), the reason I point them out is because their characters are basically throw-away, but they made their presence known. How long has it been since we see a character weep about not wanting to die? Rosenbaum is remembered by me because he was just so out there. When you watch the gag reel feature on the Smallville DVDs, you can see this character come out. Besides he sees his dog cooked in the microwave..how messed up is that? The roles are for some forgettable, but for me I remember it well.

Alicia Witt, plays out heroine and although she will never be a scream queen, I still enjoyed her performance, she plays the heroine that survives because she is proactive and doesn’t just survive cause she can ware down the killer. I will admit the film isn’t the best example of a really good “college” surrounded slasher, but I really liked it.

—Eric Curto

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College Slashers We Love: “Terror Train” (1980) Review

Slasher StudiosTerror Train

It was hard to choose which college slasher to go with because I love a lot of of them. College slashers are my favorite type of slasher films. You have The House on Sorority Row, Killer Party, Black Christmas, The Initiation, Urban Legend, Scream 2, Girls Nite Out, Final Exam, Night School, and Sorority Row. But I decided to go with Terror Train because it’s one that stands out from most of them because instead of taking place on a college campus or in a Sorority house it takes place on a train!

The basic plot opens the film up with a college party happening where I horrible prank goes wrong with one of the college students. Years later to celebrate their last New’s Party before going out into the real world, Alana (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her friends decide to celebrate on a train,but what they don’t know is someone (not invited) comes aboard and starts slashering away one by one through the college students before getting to Alana. Could this person be someone they know who wants to get revenge or could it be just a random psycho in many disguises? Step aboard Terror Train!

This is a personal favorite slasher film of mine, and one of the best college slasher films. There are many things I love about this film. One, Jamie Lee Curtis who started her career in the horror genre and this genre is some of her best work in my opinion. I don’t think anyone will forget her in John Carpenter’s Halloween either. Second, I love the creepy atmosphere and the killer. What I think makes this killer so creepy is that he or she always dresses in many costumes through out the film and some of those costumes are pretty creepy. I love that the killer uses their eyes to show some type of personalty which is very creepy. Also, I love that you try to guess who the killer might be and when you find out who the killer is at the end it is pretty shocking the first time you see the movie. Third, I love that they put these college students on a train and when in danger it’s hard to runaway from the killer. The kills aren’t too special in this film,but their many other things that make up for this film that I mentioned. If you haven’t seen this 80’s gem then I highly recommend it especially since it is getting a new DVD/Blu-ray release coming soon from Shout Factory. Perfect film to watch around the Halloween season. So get some popcorn with a good drink, and watch this fun slasher film.

–Justin Rhine

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“The Turnpike Killer” is Sick, Twisted, and One Hell of an Exploitation Flick

Slasher StudiosTurnpike Killer

Exploitation is one of the hardest subgenres of horror to get right. Especially when a young filmmaker is attempting to do an homage. The best exploitation films of yesteryear (I Spit on Your Grave and Last House on the Left) are films that take their subject matter deadly serious. Rape, torture, drugs, and murder..most of these topics are skimmed over when it comes to horror today. How does a filmmaker recreate this style of exploitation without even a hint of irony? If anything, irony is the mainstay of slashers today and the death of exploitation. As soon as a filmmaker becomes aware of the “joke”, the movies themselves cannot be viewed as Grindhouse or exploitation. These movies worked because they were all marketing, style, and low budget talent. It is with this in mind that I took in the latest 80’s style exploitation flick, “The Turnpike Killer” written and directed by Evan Makrogiannis and Brian Weaver. With a groovy marketing campaign (check out the details of the “VHS big box collection” below) and one hell of a premise, this film appears to have everything. Is this one of those cases where looks are deceiving? Let’s find out.

First of all, before I even go into discussing the merits of this film, let me remind you of one thing: “The Turnpike Killer” is low budget..ultra low budget. Gritty, grainy, occasionally out of focus..the film looks to be a mess (more on the later). If you want glossy, big budget Hollywood horror…well, I would say rent something else but why are you even reading this review in the first place if that is the case? So, with that out of the way. Let’s dig in.

“The Turnpike Killer” begins with a group of girls being held captive in a small building. Tied, bound, and naked, the girls are tortured (some are even death before the film has even begun) and killed by a masked man who is hearing voices in his head. This man is amply named John Beest and the voices are coming from his deranged father who drones on about Beest being the chosen one and these women are simply dying for their sins. Whatever sins they might be is a little unclear in this case but we are off to a ugly start as the opening sequence of this film contains more blood, guts, and nudity than I’ve seen in a horror flick in a while. I call this ugly but isn’t that the point? This is exploitation and who wants exploitation to be pretty and who even says murder is or should be pretty?

After his bloody vengeance, John Beest meets a young woman in the park. The woman has forgetten her cell phone and John needs directions. The way the actors interact in this scene feels unnatural and uncomfortable. In any other movie, I would say this is a problem. But here it merely adds to the tension. Beest gets quite angry when he finds out the young woman used his cell phone to call her boyfriend. She’s just a whore just like all the other women and she MUST be killed along with her boyfriend. This is when the threatening calls begin and the fun has only just begun. The detectives are on the case to try to figure out who the murderer is but can they stop Beest before he kills again.

Powered by a tour-de-force performance by Bill McLaughlin in the title role, “The Turnpike Killer” is the rare horror movie that actually made me feel disgusted and revolved while I was watching it. I don’t mean this as a criticism as I feel this is exactly what the filmmakers had in mind while they were making this grimmy little gem of a Grindhouse flick. The movie won’t win any awards for originally (“Maniac” followed a similar formula and had overall better production values) but you can tell that the people involved in this film did everything in their power to shock and revolt their audience. This is a film that I won’t soon watch again but it is also a film that I won’t soon forget. ‎”The Turnpike Killer” is sick, twisted and depraved. In other words, everything that I wanted it to be. For those of you that love your exploitation hardcore with a wicked edge, this is the one for you!

If you order through the website below you can receive the flick uncut on VHS and also include a limited edition DVD featuring uncensored cover art and the two bonus movies: Donuts and a Double Homicide – The Making of a Micro-Budget Horror Movie in New York City – a full-length documentary about the making of The Turnpike Killer and Devil Moon – a throwback to classic werewolf movies and other cult ’80’s favorites such as The Monster Squad and the original Fright Night.

The best part? All of this old school horror is packaged in a retro VHS big box! The VHS box cover poster features a Frank Frazetta inspired painting by distinguished NYPD homicide composite artist and ’80’s VHS graphic artist Robert Philios. Special bonus in this cult collector’s VHS big box is a VHS poster autographed by horror icon Ruby LaRocca.

To order: http://www.turnpikekiller.com/

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