Slashers We Love: “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare” and “Last House on the Left”

The favorite slasher contest is over and thank you everyone for your great submissions. Congratulations to Ryan Howe and Brian C Tyler for winning autographed copies of Teddy. This week on the Slasher Studios Facebook Page we are asking you to submit your favorite slasher movie death scenes and why they love them so much. Should be interesting. After all, a slasher lives or dies on it’s death scenes…literally. What follows are two extra reviews that Brian and Ryan wrote for favorite slasher question.

Brian C Tyler-“Wes Craven’s New Nightmare”

Another favorite of mine is this 1994 love letter to both the fans and the people behind the original Nightmare on Elm Street. Wes Craven returns to the series along with Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, John Saxon and Bob Shaye to tell a chilling story that draws from both the original film and real life. The evil that Craven trapped in the Nightmare series is now set free after the previous film killed Freddy for good, and he’s after Heather and her son. There’s lots of great homages to the original film along with brand new, original and very unique fright sequences but the best things about this film… Craven puts Heather/Nancy back in the spotlight and makes Freddy scary again.

Ryan Howe-“The Last House on the Left”

Ok… a very brief breakdown of “Last House on the Left”. First off this movie proves that Wes Craven is still a genius at helping guys get laid. My friend Sam invited me and a couple of young Russian girls over to watch this movie. The girls had never heard of the movie.
20 minutes in… a rape and a murder… the girls are huddling together on the couch.
40 minutes in… gruesome rape being performed by the dad from “Raising Hope”…. the girls are practically crying.
1 hour in…. brutal, gruesome rape, twisted sordid kind of stuff… I have a beautiful Russian girl in my lap… physically in my lap.
1 hour, 20 mins in… I was wishing that I was straight or horror movies had the same effect on hot guys.

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Guilty Pleasure Giallo: “Cat in the Brain” Review

Released in 1990 Cat in the Brain, which also goes under the title Nightmare Concert came out when Lucio Fulci had clearly seen better days. After the release of The New York Ripper in 1982 Fulci seemed to really lose it and started a major decline in his career. His later movies really lacked and even if they delivered on the gore most of these movies were rather dire and really the only late day Fulci flick I enjoyed was Zombi 3 due to how bad the movie was it ends up being really enjoyable some of the scenes for Zombi 3 were shot by Bruno Mattei, but even the Fulci scenes had a silliness to them, but even though I enjoyed the movie it was sad to see how far down Fulci’s career had gone. If your first introduction to Lucio Fulci came in his post-New York Ripper era I doubt many would have bothered to seek out his previous work and I really can’t say I’d blame them. Also when Cat in the Brain came out not only was Lucio Fulci making some of his weakest movies, but Italian horror in general really seemed to be in a rut and based on what was coming out at the time it really isn’t much of a surprise their film industry was dying.

It’s hard to really explain why I liked Cat in the Brain so much, but this is the only late day Fulci I really liked a lot and while this may not reach the heights of some of his earlier work I’d go as far to say I liked this more than City of the Living Dead & The Beyond. I really can’t defend the movie in terms of why I liked it better than some of his more popular movies or why this is even a good movie. I don’t have any response to debunk any of the negative reviews, but Cat in the Brain really won me over and while Fulci made a couple of more movies after this, Cat in the Brain makes for the perfect swan song and I personally see this as his last movie.

Despite popular belief Lucio Fulci was much more than a gore director with his movies such as Don’t Torture a Duckling and Seven Notes in Black, Fulci was a filmmaker who could tell a story and create scenes with suspense and tension. Even though Zombi 2 started his splatter era it’s also a movie driven by suspense and tension and some really great atmosphere. And while some of these qualities were in his splatter flicks of the 80s they were more of a showcase for over the top, but excellent gore F/X. Cat in the Brain is sort of a combination of both styles. The gore level is very high and most of the footage is taken from other Fulci directed or produced movies. Rather than use gore footage from his more popular titles, Fulci uses gore scenes from such movies as Touch of Death and Andrea Bianchi’s Massacre and Mario Bianchi’s Murder Sect, which Fulci supervised. Some have hailed this as one of the goriest movies ever made and even if most of the gore scenes are taken from other movies I suppose that doesn’t matter, but I don’t think this is one of the goriest flicks ever made, but gore-hounds surly won’t be disappointed.

The screenplay by Lucio Fulci, Giovanni Simonelli & Antonio Tentori was fairly interesting; the plot follows Lucio Fulci (sort of playing himself in a sense) and after years of making horror movies he’s starting to lose his grip on reality and is haunted by violent images and is beginning to have a breakdown on what’s real and what’s fantasy. The script in many ways can often repeat itself as the same scene basically plays out over and over again. Many of Fulci’s 80s work featured plots that were incoherent and while as director Fulci was able to create a nice use of atmosphere, but when there were lulls in the action the messy script and incoherent plots would in my opinion hinder the films whereas his 70s work was very much driven by characters and the story and the films would remain interesting regardless of action. Cat in the Brain is a bit incoherent and while I felt that hurt movies like City of the Living Dead and The Beyond here it really helps the movie since we’re seeing the breakdown of Lucio Fulci and when suffering a breakdown things often lack any logic so that works to the films advantage as Fulci is quite confused on what’s happening and it does add to some character development.

At times the script never really moves forward and like I said we often get the same basic scene played out a few times, but yet it still works and Cat in the Brain is very much driven by Fulci as he’s in almost every scene. The motivation for the killer is never really made clear and while the script at times does lack depth it was nice to see Lucio Fulci attempt a more character/plot driven movie like he did back in the 70s. Cat in the Brain is also sort of a satire of Lucio Fulci’s work and horror in general; it’s an interesting idea to see how years of horror films impacted Fulci and sort of drove him near the brink of madness. Cat in the Brain isn’t a straight up satire, but the satirical elements work very well and while Fulci, Simonelli & Tentori may not write the greatest script they do deliver an excellent movie despite the flaws.

Let’s be honest here Cat in the Brain is a movie by a director who is past his prime and clearly seen better days. As much as I enjoy the films of Lucio Fulci again I really had a dislike for the majority of his post-Ripper movies and I think even the most loyal of Fulci fans would most likely agree. But with Cat in the Brain, Lucio Fulci showed he had one more excellent film left in him. While Cat in the Brain may not have the eerie feel of some of his past movies, Fulci creates a movie that is weird, twisted and sometimes funny. The pacing of Cat in the Brain can be a bit sluggish in some spots as like I said the same scene often repeats itself, but Fulci still manages to keep things interesting with the exception of a few scenes that can drag.

Besides a few lulls in the action, Lucio Fulci is mostly able to deliver a really entertaining movie that while not his last film it does serve as a nice ending to a legendary career even if he did make a couple of more films after this. Cat in the Brain may not have anything really special going for it, but yet Fulci still is mostly able to deliver an excellent flick flaws and all. Based on the past few films he made I’m surprised Cat in the Brain turned out as well as it did and again this may not be the best Fulci flick, but its highly entertaining.

Cat in the Brain is sort of a highlight reel of gore F/X as I stated most of the gore is recycled from prior Fulci directed or produced movies. Cat in the Brain is really gory with body parts chopped off, slit throats, decapitations and even if most of the footage are from other movies it still works well and is enjoyable even if you’ve seen the movies the gore scenes are taken from.

Overall I greatly enjoyed Cat in the Brain, but I really can’t defend the movie as much as I’d like to since I very much understand the negative reviews, but regardless I really liked the movie and as long as you aren’t expecting Lucio Fulci to deliver what he did in his prime I think you’ll be pleased, but this movie is really only meant for fans of Lucio Fulci and this film is best watched after you’ve seen a majority of his flicks. Lucio Fulci actually claimed Wes Craven’s New Nightmare was a rip-off of this movie and while they have a few things in common I don’t think New Nightmare ripped this movie off at all. Also Brett Halsey plays a pretty big part in the movie, but yet all his footage was taken from previous Fulci flicks and he actually doesn’t appear in the actual production.

-Dave Kaye (Last Road Reviews)

To order from Amazon: Cat in the Brain

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Slashers We Love: “Black Christmas” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master”

Two more mini reviews from fellow fans of the slasher genre as they each talk about their slasher favorites. Thank you Cory and Wesley for your awesome selections! Only a few hours left to enter the contest so make sure to write your reviews soon! All you have to do is go to the Slasher Studios Facebook Page and select a picture from your favorite slasher movie and do a small write up and we will feature you and your review on our site. One special review will win a free autographed copy of Teddy!

Wesley James Skelly- “Black Christmas”

Black Christmas (1974) may not actually hold the crown for starting the slasher genre but it pioneered so many of the elements we love in the genre, such as the killers POV (yes as did Peeping Tom). What’s more it used them more effectively then a number of copycats that would follow. Utilizing the warm atmosphere of Christmas time but turning it into one of dread. Mixing shocks, tension, character moments and black humor to make a more rounded film overall.

It also perfectly sets most of the story in a generally creepy on its own merits sorority house while offering audiences insights into the mind of a truly frightening serial killer the film manages to create a sense of dread as the story progresses. It eloquently paints it killer bit by bit blending back story with the multi-layered personality at the end of the phone. The audience hanging on every eerie word spoken, unlike most phone horror’s the film’s calls stand head and shoulders above all others.

The cast do a fine job of behaving believably in the situations, including final girl Jess going back upstairs for her friends despite the news she has been given by the less then tactful police officer Nash. The girls are drawn as humans with thoughts feeling and emotions and not types, Margot Kidder standing out whist drowning her sorrows at the bottom of a bottle while providing some subtle comic relief.

The perfectly staged ending that plays on the audiences suspicious of who this killer may be and the wry promise of a reveal to ‘whodunit’ leads to a pitch perfect epilogue that manages to leave you as chilled as the snowy surrounds of the sorority house and is a truly perfect end to in my opinion the quintessential slasher film.

Cory Allen-“A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master”

Another favorite slasher film of mine is A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master. As a child walking down the horror aisle in my local video store so many VHS covers caught my attention but none like Nightmare 4. Freddy was at his greatest in this sequel. I love everything about this film. From Freddy’s sweater to his one-liners to the soundtrack and then the creative kills. This is my favorite Nightmare on Elm Street and I seriously doubt that opinion will ever change :P plus if John Hughes made a horror film this would be the outcome. Also the cast is pretty great as well!

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Slashers We Love: “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” and “American Gothic”

Two more mini reviews from fellow fans of the slasher genre as they each talk about their slasher favorites. Thank you Jayme and Ryan for your awesome selections! Today is the last day of the contest so make sure to write your reviews soon! All you have to do is go to the Slasher Studios Facebook Page and select a picture from your favorite slasher movie and do a small write up and we will feature you and your review on our site. One special review will win a free autographed copy of Teddy!

Jayme Karales-“A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors”

How can you not love this installment of the NOES franchise? Easily my favorite slasher flick. You have Englund at his peak – producing a Freddy that delivers the perfect combination of being menacing and humorous, in addition to a cast of original and relatable characters. “Welcome to prime time, bitch,” remains a classic line in horror history to this day. Also, you have Roland Kincaid (the first victim of NOES #4) calling Freddy a “burnt face pussy.” You just can’t get any better than that.

Ryan Howe-“American Gothic”

Another favorite slasher film is “American Gothic”. It’s your classic 80’s campers in the woods scenario with a down home twist. They encounter a freaky family with ma, pa and their three adult babies (always fun). Ma is played beautifully by horror legend Yvonne De Carlo (“The Munsters”) and the “baby” of the family is played by super creep Michael J Pollard (House of 1000 Corpses, Sleepaway Camp 3). The standout character is definitely Fanny… a 50 year old overweight little girl pageant princess who swings a character to death on her swingset. Convinced to watch yet?

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Be Young, Stay Young… and Die Young: “The Initiation” Review

Here we go again with yet another entry into this slasher film this we have The Initiation from 1984. This movie came at a time when the slasher flick was hitting a bit of a decline. One could say that the decline started earlier and I would sort of agree. 1980 and 1981 saw a slew of these movies released and by 1982 things were getting a bit stale even if still fairly enjoyable. By this time all creativity was pretty much gone since it was kinda late into the game and you just make the best film you can and hope for the best. The Initiation doesn’t add anything new to this type of film. But it does try and be different than the basic stalk and slash film.

The Initiation is a semi-forgotten movie and if not for a 2002 DVD release by Anchor Bay then a re-issue as part of a double feature a few years later and a September 2011 release, which seemed to go totally unnoticed this film would be long forgotten and even with the DVD releases of the years not many people seem to remember this film, which is quite surprising seeing as the movie has an excellent cast; we have Clu Gulager (Return of the Living Dead), Vera Miles (Psycho) James Read (Charmed) Hunter Tylo (The Bold and the Beautiful) going under the name Deborah Morehart and of course the star the very sexy Daphne Zuniga. I think part of the reason The Initiation isn’t all that remembered is it came out the same year as A Nightmare on Elm Street and it’s nowhere near as creative or scary, also that year came Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter and it isn’t as gruesome or crowd pleasing and finally Silent Night, Deadly Night and it failed to stir up the controversy of that movie.

The script by Charles Pratt tries to be different than the typical stalk and slash movie of the 80s and adds a little bit of psychological horror with slasher movie elements mixed in and while this was an interesting idea and I give credit to Pratt for trying to add more depth to the movie, but it just didn’t fully work. Kelly Fairchild (Zuniga) is a sorority pledge who is being plagued by horrible nightmares since childhood; the dream involves Kelly walking in on her parents having sex she attacks her father and then a man enters the room and a fight breaks out and the stranger catches fire. Kelly is told she suffered amnesia as a child and it’s only a dream, but Professor Peter Adams (Read) is determined to find out the truth on if it’s really a dream or a dark buried secret; on pledge night Kelly and a few of her friends enter the mall her father owns, but somebody has followed them inside and dispatches everybody on their path to Kelly.

The reoccurring nightmare Kelly is having doesn’t really serve much of a purpose besides to set up the twist at the end and the first half of the movie doesn’t really fit in either with the 2nd half as the movie becomes the standard slasher flick and quite honestly you could probably miss the first half and not lose much on the plot or characters. When all is said and done I suppose the first half is just sort of pointless even if the idea was interesting. Pratt does try and add some depth to not only the plot, but the characters as well, but when all is said and done with the exception of Kelly all the characters are rather forgettable and clichéd. Pratt’s script might be a little deeper and complex than most of this type of film, but it’s still brought down by the typical clichés, but overall the script isn’t bad, but just sort of pointless.

Director Larry Stewart makes his feature film debut as prior to this film and after it as well all his credits are TV productions. From a technical standpoint, The Initiation is fairly well-made this isn’t exactly John Carpenter’s Halloween in terms of production, but Stewart does deliver a decently made flick with decent production values. The pacing of the film can be a little sluggish and while the first half of the film can be a tad bit slow it’s never really boring either. However after a while it does start to repeat itself in many areas. Once the characters enter the Fairchild Mall the pacing does get a bit better, but it’s still a bit drawn out at times and it does feel a little overly long at 96-minutes. The suspense and tension are fairly light as the death scenes are all pretty much the same and it really offers nothing that we haven’t seen in previous slasher flicks.

I think what hurts the movie is this late into the game the element of surprise is gone and unless you’ve never seen a slasher movie before there shouldn’t be any surprises in the fate of the characters. Compared to other slasher flicks The Initiation does lack the excitement these films are often known for and everything is pretty much by the books. Stewart also never really takes advantage of his settings either. When all is said and done Larry Stewart delivers a fairly entertaining flick that while gets the job done, but again lacks the excitement slasher flicks often have.

Overall despite the flaws I mostly enjoyed The Initiation and the only things that really bog the movie down is some sluggish pacing and the death scenes could have used a little bit more gore as well. While this film won’t go down as one of the elite slasher flicks of the 80s I actually enjoy it more than such films as Prom Night and Sleepaway Camp. The twist at the end did sort of catch me off guard and while I suppose it might obvious to some I actually didn’t pick up on it though looking back at the film it isn’t too difficult to possibly figure out and while it is a bit silly it does sort of work as well for reasons I can’t fully get into since I don’t wanna spoil the movie. Overall The Initiation is a fun if not flawed movie and while you can do a lot better than this you can also do a lot worse.

The credits state Introducing Daphne Zuniga, but that’s actually a mistake since her first credit was 2-years prior in The Dorm That Dripped Blood and while her role was small she was credited. The Initiation was produced by Bruce Lansbury the brother of Angela Lansbury and he also produced her hit series Murder, She Wrote.

-Dave Kaye (Last Road Reviews)

To buy from Amazon: The Initiation

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Slashers We Love: “The Fog” and “High Tension”

Once again, you guys have yet to let us down! Two more mini reviews from another great fan of the slasher genre. Thank you Brian C. Tyler for two more of your awesome selections! Want to submit your own mini review? Just go to the Slasher Studios Facebook Page and select a picture from your favorite slasher movie, do a small write up and we will feature you and your review on our site. One special review will win a free autographed copy of Teddy!

“High Tension”
And another one. Probably my favorite slasher film made in the last ten years this actually manages to be dark and scary. High Tension returns to the feel of the most twisted 1970’s horror/exploitation films with a terrifying villain known only as “The Killer” who doesn’t discriminate, brutally killing men, women and children for no apparent reason. We also have a great heroine and we’re in her shoes every step of the way, I felt so much suspense especially in that public bathroom scene and early on in the house when she’s trying to erase all the proof of her being there. And that twist I definitely did not see coming and I thought it was awesome!

“The Fog”
Not really considered a slasher film, but it does have people getting stabbed with hooks and machetes and getting their eyes poked out. I find John Carpenter’s The Fog to be a very underrated horror film. It has it all: a great setting, spooky atmosphere, a perfect cast for a horror film (Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Tom Atkins etc.), a good story, creepy death scenes, lots of suspense and in my opinion a score almost as good as Halloween. And what a great ending!

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The Original Buzz Still Has an Edge: “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” Review

If I were to rate my favorite horror flicks of all time Tobe Hooper’s 1974 masterpiece would rate in my top 3 along with Halloween (78) and Night of the Living Dead (68) and I love all 3 films so much it’s hard to pick one over the other since I love them for different reason, but the one thing I can say for certain is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the most terrifying movie that I’ve ever seen. A movie like this would never work with a Hollywood sized budget and Hollywood style filmmaking; while I didn’t hate the remake I thought it was ok, but it fails compared to the original.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was produced on a very low budget and was shot on 16MM and it gives the movie almost a documentary type look; the picture quality is a little rough looking with dirt and grain and while that can sometimes maybe hurt a movie, but in the case of TCM that adds to the power of the movie and also elevates the movie to greatness.

I’m a big horror fan and I love the genre and I also love all different eras of the genre and I’ve seen them all from big budget to lo budget and mainstream to barley known, but of all the horror flicks I’ve seen TCM is the one I found to be the scariest of them all and even with repeated viewings TCM holds up. Back when TCM was made nobody involved had a lot of experience and the conditions on set weren’t exactly the best and they also shot in extreme heat and all these elements can really hurt a film, but with TCM I think these elements are what help make this movie the brilliance that it is. The poor conditions in many ways I think makes the movie even better and all these things that could have been negatives are really the backbone of the picture.

The reputation of the film is being a really gory flick, which is actually kinda funny seeing as there is almost no blood in the film. The violence is rather brutal and raw and I think that’s where the gory reputation comes from. People forget that a movie can be really graphic, but yet have very little gore. I think the violence in the movie is quite graphic and when you think about it you forget that there is very little blood, but the graphic nature makes you think you are seeing more than you actually are.

The screenplay by Kim Henkel & Tobe Hooper was fairly good, but a movie like this doesn’t need a great screenplay; the script serves its purpose and works well, but none of the characters are very well developed, but they serve their purpose for the film. If anything the script might be the only flaw I can find with the movie. Again the script isn’t bad or anything; it’s entertaining and gets the job done, but it isn’t anything special.

To be quite honest I’ve never really been a big fan of Tobe Hooper besides TCM and TCM 2. Besides that I personally find most of his flicks ranging from average to below average, but I did enjoy both his Masters of Horror: Dance of the Dead & The Damned Thing. But there is no doubt Tobe Hooper created one of the all-time greats with TCM.

Like I said any possible flaws you can find with TCM is with this script, but Hooper more than makes up for that with his direction. From a visual side TCM looks amazing and it’s not visually stunning like something you’d see from say Dario Argento, but the visuals are excellent and sometimes it’s simple shots that are the most effective. TCM starts off a little slow, but it’s never boring and Hooper keeps the pace moving along thanks to the eerie sense of dread he’s able to create. Even before the violence starts, Hooper sets a really morbid tone and you get the feeling that at any moment something bad can happen.

Again of all the horror flicks I’ve seen for me TCM is by far the most terrifying of them all. The very first kill scene in the movie I’d rate as one of the scariest scenes I’ve ever seen and when Leatherface (Hansen) attacks Pam (McMinn) that is another scene I’d rate as one of the scariest. One TCM gets going it never once lets up. Tobe Hooper is relentless with the suspense and he never loses it. He’s able to make each scene as terrifying as the last and again while I’m not the biggest fan of Tobe Hooper’s work as a whole TCM rightfully deserves all the credit it gets and is easily one of the greatest horror flicks ever made; the movie is rather simple and sometimes simplicity is all you need.

Gunnar Hansen as Leatherface is one of the scariest horror movie villains’ simple as that. A lot of times performances like this are often over-looked due to the fact the killer is silent and wears as a mask so the general thought is anybody can play the part. In some ways that is true anybody can indeed play the role, but that doesn’t mean they’ll play it well. In my opinion Nick Castle who played Michael Myers in the original Halloween was by far the best and scariest, but the actors who played the role afterwards didn’t hurt the movie even though they never matched him in the scare factor, but Hansen proves that there is an art behind playing a silent killer with a mask.

Gunnar Hansen in my opinion gives a performance up there with Boris Karloff as the Frankenstein Monster; Karloff is my favorite actor and not many performances in the horror genre have come close to his, but as Leatherface, Hansen comes close. Hansen is more than some guy wearing a mask. The character is insane obviously, but there are different kinds of insane. For instance someone like Ted Bundy can function is everyday society; he was actually so well thought of people called him the next John F. Kennedy. Then you have people like Ed Gein who of course this movie was partly inspired by is someone who can sort of function, but is really weird and creepy. Leatherface is somebody so insane he cannot function in everyday society and he’s almost childlike and I don’t think has any concept of right or wrong.

He can understand, but he doesn’t seem able to speak and by the characters entering his house he seems scared and only knows violence. After he kills one character he seems sort of panicked as he looks around and then quickly goes to the window to see if there is anybody else and Hansen plays this off to perfection. The fact we know nothing of Leatherface adds to the character and makes him so much scarier. As sequels are made the character starts to lose their fear factor and loses it even more as back-stories are attempted, but in the original Leatherface easily rates as one of the scariest villains and Hansen gives a performance up with the likes of Karloff.

The rest of the cast is surprisingly good for a low budget horror flick. The performances may not be Oscar worthy, but they are solid and the Cook (Siedow) and the Hitchhiker (Neal) are really creepy and scary and Marilyn Burns as Sally makes for one of my favorite final girls. And those who know the story of the making know this movie was quite a brutal experience for the cast and crew that it makes the performance by Marilyn Burns even better.

Tobe Hooper’s goal believe it or not was to make a dark comedy and it actually works because at times TCM is funny, but the comedy is what makes the movie so scary. The Cook and the Hitchhiker are totally insane and I mean no disrespect to the mentally ill, but sometimes they can be sort of funny; if you’ve ever seen any documentaries on the mentally ill at times the things they say and do are funny and the Cook and the Hitchhiker are hysterical, but the fact they are funny because they are so insane it makes them really scary.

The dinner scene is probably the most well known in TCM and this scene in particular shows how the comedy is terrifying. As Sally pleads for her life while crying the Hitchhiker begins to mimic her and it’s so mean spirited that again the comedy becomes terrifying. This scene for me is one of the most brutal even if there is no violence. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is without a doubt a classic of the genre and even all these decades later holds up as a masterpiece.

-Dave Kaye (Last Road Reviews)

To order from Amazon: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Two-Disc Ultimate Edition)

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Slashers We Love: “Sleepaway Camp 2” and “Friday the 13th”

Wow, you guys really are amazing. You know that? Two more mini reviews from fellow fans of the slasher genre as they each talk about their slasher favorites. Thank you Jeffrey and Ryan for your awesome selections! Once again just go to the Slasher Studios Facebook Page and select a picture from your favorite slasher movie and do a small write up and we will feature you and your review on our site. One special review will win a free autographed copy of Teddy!

Ryan Howe-“Sleepaway Camp 2”

My favorite slasher of all time is “Sleepaway Camp 2” because of the Happy Camper Song, the Shit Sisters and our favorite post-op camp counselor Angela Johnson. The outhouse killing if by far my favorite scene from any slasher movie!

Jeffrey Lee-“Friday the 13th”

I was debating if i should post “one of my favorites”, like Happy Birthday to Me and The House on Sorority Row, since a lot of people’s favorite slasher happens to be one of the Friday the 13th movies. But at the risk of sounding redundant, I’m going to go ahead and say that Friday the 13th (1980) is my #1 favorite slasher of all-time. Black Christmas and Halloween did it first, but Friday the 13th defined what a slasher movie is all about and fine-tuned the rules and style for all the slashers to come. I think the first Friday the 13th has the best gore effects of the entire series (you can’t argue that anyone did it better than Tom Savini), and it has an excellent atmosphere of dread and impending doom. Sean S. Cunningham really doesn’t give himself enough credit with this one. He’s said over and over in interviews that his main intent was to rip off Halloween, but I think he created a unique and terrifying slasher movie that will go down in history as the first of its kind and will never be forgotten.

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Slashers We Love: “Curtains”, “Alone in the Dark”, and “Clownhouse”

Three more mini reviews from fellow fans of the slasher genre as they each talk about their slasher favorites. Thank you Reece, Todd, and Panos for your awesome selections! Once again just go to the Slasher Studios Facebook Page and select a picture from your favorite slasher movie and do a small write up and we will feature you and your review on our site. One special review will win a free autographed copy of Teddy!

Reece Glen Donnell-“Curtains”

Curtains has to be my favourite slasher film. I remember I used to watch it at least once a week, if not more, when I was younger. I love the isolated atmosphere of the film and the amazing cast and performances. To me it’s the perfect slasher film, very well made and it’s a shame it’s never been given the attention it deserves. Curtains = a real hidden gem.

Tödd Halliwell-“Alone in the Dark”

Alone in the Dark (1982) is my personal favourite slasher for many reasons. It was just so original for an early 80’s slasher and broke so many of the typical slasher ‘rules’. I also loved that there were four killers, all of whom are known from the start of the film. Realistic and truly deep characters. And it’s the reason that all I want to see these days are the ‘home invasion’ style horror films. Brilliant casting too: Donald Pleasence, Martin Landau, Jack Palance, Erland Van Lidth De Jeude (Dynamo from Running Man) and, erm, that bleeding guy. Amazing performances by everybody involved. I could go on but i’m quivering in delight right now and am having difficulty typing…

Panos Tsiros-“Clownhouse”

Well, it’s difficult to pick one slasher film as my favorite, but undoubtedly one of my favorite flick of the late 80’s is the “Clownhouse”. Is a film that interferes with our deepest fears from our childhood. The fear that every child feels for people with make up :) But as soon as those people starts stalking you inside your own house, then the fear reach another level and the instict for survive is more intense. I Love the atmosphere of this film, the Psycho clown is very frightening and the music gives me the creeps. If you haven’t seen it yet please do so !!! …Who’s for the Circus tonight ???

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