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Slasher film
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The slasher film is a sub-genre of the horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner. Although the term "slasher" may be used as a generic term for any horror movie involving graphic acts of murder, the slasher as a genre has its own set of characteristics which is set it apart from related genres like the splatter film.
lass="link1" onMouseover='showByLink("m742602",this)' onMouseout='hide("m742602")'href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Agatha_Christie">Agatha Christie's famous mystery novel (and subsequent play) And Then There Were None, set in an isolated location with a psychopathic killer murdering a series of hapless victims, can be seen as an early precursor to the genre.
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The slasher film is a sub-genre of the horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner. Although the term "slasher" may be used as a generic term for any horror movie involving graphic acts of murder, the slasher as a genre has its own set of characteristics which is set it apart from related genres like the splatter film.
Origins
Agatha Christie's famous mystery novel (and subsequent play) And Then There Were None, set in an isolated location with a psychopathic killer murdering a series of hapless victims, can be seen as an early precursor to the genre. Christie's theatrical adaptation even expands the concept, with the revised stage ending featuring the female protagonist having a showdown with the killer in the classic "final girl" tradition.
Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is often credited with creating an early basis for the slasher genre. The way in which a mentally disturbed killer, disguised as they stalk their prey, sneaks up on female victim in a vulnerable moment and literally slashes them to death would become a key element in the slasher genre .
Another possible influence for the slasher genre was the Italian Giallo genre. This film genre was made up of films done by various Italian directors including Mario Bava, Lucio Fulci, Umberto Lenzi, and most notably Dario Argento. These films were known for extended, graphic murder sequences and bizarre storylines. The first giallo, directed by Mario Bava is titled The Girl Who Knew Too Much (1963) Other notable giallos include Blood and Black Lace (1964), The Bird With The Crystal Plumage (1969), Lizard In A Women's Skin (1971), Don't Torture A Duckling (1972), Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971) and Deep Red" (1975)
While Italy had basically created its own genre of film, America was too casing off of the success of Psycho. Many of these film "rip-offs" came soon after the release of Psycho, and one of the most notable ones is Francis Ford Coppola's Dementia 13. Another extremely popular one with the gore hound crowd is Herschell Gordon Lewis's Blood Feast (1963). This is one of the first movies to have an extremely high gore content, and would soon be followed by several other low budget films directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis.
However 1974's Black Christmas is noted as one of the earliest film to present most of the characteristics that the slasher film would come to be known for: A mysterious stalker, a set of adolescent victims (in this case female college students), a secluded location cut off from adult interference and assistance (in this case a sorority house), point of view shots showing the killers perspective as the victims are at their most vulnerable, and graphic depicts of the killings.
It wasn't until the huge box office success of John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) that a long succession of slasher films will start to be produced. Although Halloween is noted for having far less graphic violence then the slasher genre is otherwise know for. The success of Friday the 13th (1980) is also credited with creating the "slasher boom" of the 1980s.
Formula and Typical Elements
The victims are usually teenagers or young adults who are away from mainstream society or far away from help. These films typically begin with the murder of a young woman and typically end with a lone female survivor who manages to subdue the killer. The most desirable victims are attractive young females, and it could be said that the purpose of the genre is the punishment of beauty if it is unattainable. The content is possibly cathartic.
In a slasher film, the killer almost always uses hands-on weapons, such as knives, chainsaws, cleavers. There is often a backstory that explains how the killer developed his or her mental state, and why s/he focuses primarily on a particular type of victim or haunts a particular location. The killer is almost always male, and is often able to withstand most or all of the victims' attempts to defend themselves. Thus, even after being shot, stabbed, bludgeoned etc. the murderer is not only alive, but able to continue stalking his victims.
He is almost superhuman in that respect. While the killer is usually portrayed as "pure evil" (i.e., lacking any humanizing or sympathetic characteristics), there are some films which show the killer to be pitiable, or at the very least misunderstood. Notable among these are Silent Night, Deadly Night, Slaughter High, The Funhouse, Castle Freak, Creep, Offerings and Midnight Ride.
Early 1970s
The coming of the 1970s would bring a great deal of new filmmakers onto the map. Many of these directors were young, but would soon be considered amazing horror directors, directors such as Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper and others.
The 1970s would be the Golden Age for the exploitation film, which is a genre made up of low-budget films meant to be shocking. Many of these films were slasher films, usually very powerful or shocking.
One of the slasher movies of the early 1970s that would one day gather a cult status was Wes Craven's film Last House on the Left (1972). This film followed two teenage girls who would be captured by a group of escaped convicts. These convicts would precede to rape and assault these two girls. Both girls would end up dead, right as the gang of convicts would experience some car trouble. Needing a place to sleep, they stay at a nearby home. It would turn out that the home they stay at belongs to the parents of one of the girls. The parents take revenge on the convicts in some very bloody, violent, and shocking ways. Last House on the Left would be considered one of the first Rape and Revenge films, which is another genre of the slasher film.
Another well-known early 1970s slasher is Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) directed by Tobe Hooper. This is a slasher film about a group of teenagers who are vacationing in rural Texas who meet up with a family of cannibals, one who wields a chainsaw. This is a movie that would influence so many movies to come after it. The Leatherface character is an extremely popular horror icon, as this movie would spawn 3 sequels, a remake, and a prequel to the remake.
The movie that would be considered the first proper slasher film, was Black Christmas (1974) directed by the director of A Christmas Story Bob Clark. This would start many of the repeated patterns in slasher movies, which we still see today.
Golden age (1978-1986)
The films most often charged with igniting the slasher film "craze" of the 1980s are John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) and Sean S. Cunningham's Friday the 13th (1980), both of which spawned numerous sequels and countless imitators that endlessly recycled their predecessors' character archetypes and plot. Halloween, though not the first film of its kind, was the first to introduce the concept of the slasher as an indestructible evil force and is often considered the film responsible for the rise of the slasher trend, popularizing many of what would become key elements in the genre. Black Christmas (1974), released four years earlier, had introduced many of the elements that were used in the higher-profile Halloween and many subsequent films. Directed by Bob Clark, the film featured point-of-view shots from the killer's perspective and threatening phone calls made from inside the victim's house, which would be reused by later filmmakers for decades to come.
Following a trend set by Black Christmas, Halloween, and Friday the 13th, many films of the era focused on holidays or specific dates, such as My Bloody Valentine, New Year's Evil, Happy Birthday to Me, April Fool's Day, Prom Night, Mother's Day, and Silent Night, Deadly Night (followed by such others as Bloody Birthday, Hell Night, Terror Train, Visiting Hours, Mortuary, and Night Warning). During the height of the genre's popularity, despite a strict formula developing within the genre, audience interest was maintained by developing new, increasingly "novel" ways for victims to be killed (as the Friday the 13th series is best known for), as well as increasingly graphic and realistic special effects (Some of the most effective were The Burning, The Prowler, and Maniac). Some series, such as Nightmare on Elm Street and later Child's Play, added supernatural twists to the slasher formula, as well as comedic elements as the respective series progressed. Earlier films, such as Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, were also revived and given a series of increasingly gory sequels in attempts to compete with other franchises. The genre arguably peaked in 1983, a year in which, according to the book Crystal Lake Memories, nearly 60% of all box-office takings were for slasher movies.
Long-running franchises in the genre tended to focus more and more on the returning villain than on surviving victims, effectively transforming characters once viewed as frightening monsters into anti-heroes who would be cheered on by audiences. Nevertheless, by the end of the 1980s audiences were tiring of "unstoppable" masked killers and predictable plots. The profitability of the slasher genre began to dwindle, and controversy over the subject matter would eventually persuade some studios to stop producing and distributing slasher films. Sequels to the most popular slasher series, as well as new series such as Leprechaun, would continue to be released in theaters or direct-to-video throughout the early to mid-1990s. However, few gained the success of the genre's earlier productions, and even entries in the established Halloween, Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street sagas became less frequent.
Revival of the 1990s
The slasher genre resurfaced into the mainstream in the mid 1990s, after being deconstructed in Wes Craven's Scream (1996). The film was both a critical and commercial success, which attracted a new generation to the genre. Two sequels followed, and the series was even parodied in Keenen Ivory Wayans' Scary Movie (2000), which began its own series, parodying the entire horror-film genre.
Scream kicked off a new slasher cycle that still followed the basic conventions of the 1980s films, but managed to draw in a more demographically varied audience with improved production values, reduced levels of on-screen gore, increased self-referential humor, more character development, and better-known actors and actresses (often from popular television shows). This style continued for the duration of the 1990s with competing series such as I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend, Final Destination, Valentine, Cherry Falls, New Nightmare and Jason X
In 1998, the Halloween series was revived, playing off the success of the Scream franchise. The new film, Halloween: H20, was conceived as a direct sequel to 1981's Halloween II, and would lead to one further sequel, Halloween: Resurrection. Shortly after, other "classic" slasher faces would also be revived: A nearly shot-for-shot remake of Psycho was released a few months later, in December 1998. Chucky of the Child's Play series also returned to the screen, first in Bride of Chucky and later with Seed of Chucky. In 2003, two of the largest slasher series, Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th, were combined by New Line Cinema in the film Freddy vs. Jason.
Another revival attempt came in 2003 when a remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was released. It was financially successful, and a prequel, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, was released in 2006. The success of TCM would soon lead to a slew of other slasher remakes, including The Hills Have Eyes, Black Christmas, The Hitcher, the "reimagining" of John Carpenter's Halloween, Prom Night, My Bloody Valentine 3D and the recently released Friday the 13th remake and A Nightmare on Elm Street prequel, which supposedly will narrate the life of Fred Krueger before being burned.
The New Wave of the 21st Century
Many new directors paying homage to their old favorites have come into the light such as Rob Zombie with his films House of 1000 Corpses (2003) and The Devil's Rejects (2005). Another new director popular for paying homage is Eli Roth, with his film Cabin Fever (2002).
Up until 2004, most slasher films followed the trend of Scream (1996). That was until a clip shot by James Wan had been seen around the internet. This short clip would soon be turned into the film Saw. The Saw franchise is currently made up of 5 movies with a 6th in the works.
In 2005, horror director Eli Roth would make an even more gruesome film following the success of Saw. This film is Hostel (2005). Many people strongly dislike this movie, but it influenced films like Turistas and Captivity. The films following the successful style of Saw and Hostel would become known as Torture Porn.
Putting the Torture Porn craze aside, there have been many movies following the success of the 2003 remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. These include things like Wrong Turn (2003) which was followed by Wrong Turn 2,a direct to video sequel and Wolf Creek (2005).
Putting aside America in general, France is putting out quite a few slasher movies that have taken note of many. Haute Tension (2003) directed by Alexandre Aja and Them (2006) directed by David Moreau are two of the many. French Slashers are favorites among many new horror fans.
Critical analysis
The slasher genre has been widely derided by critics, and has frequently come under fire from censorship advocates, such as Christian campaigner Mary Whitehouse, who once led a crusade against video nasties.
Roger Ebert famously coined the derogatory nickname "Dead Teenager Movies", and has been accused of bourgeois elitism in his rampant derision of the genre. Meanwhile, Carol J. Clover defined the Final Girl stereotype in her book Men, Women and Chain Saws, an academic study of gender roles in the classic slasher film. Generally, editions in this category of cinema have been widely dismissed by most serious critics, and after a brief revival in the mid-90's following on the surprise success of Scream (a more warmly received, self-aware parody of slasher films), the genre has since lost favour with wider audiences. There have been a few exceptions to this rule, most notably the Saw films. However, the recent success of remakes such as My Bloody Valentine and Friday the 13th suggest renewed interest in the more traditional slasher film.
Notable Slasher Films
Most of the following are followed by numerous sequels.
- Thirteen Women (1932) - Possibly the earliest film that could be called a slasher,
Thirteen Women tells the story of an old college sorority whose former members are set against one another by a vengeful peer, seeking penance for the prejudice they bestowed on her because of her mixed race heritage.
- Psycho (1960)Described as 'the mother of all slasher films',
Psycho nevertheless deviates from the classic formula in that the storyline and characters are far more complex than just set-ups for gruesome death scenes, of which there are only two. However, the infamous shower sequence has become since a classic of horror cinema, and the film, once again unlike a lot of slashers, has been hailed by contemporary critics as a modern masterpiece. The film was followed by three sequels made between 1983 and 1992 and a remake in 1998.
- Twitch of the Death Nerve (1971)A Giallo by Mario Bava, an atmospheric film predating the full development of the slasher genre. A gory mystery film, with shock values that helped encourage the new class of films.
- Torso (1973)A giallo by Sergio Martino that (like Twitch of the Death Nerve) had a heavy influence on the slasher genre. Torso includes a psychopathic killer who murders sexually charged teenagers, stalking them through the woods, and we see this in his own visual point of view.
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)The film most often credited with establishing the "staples" of the slasher genre, including young people poking around in places where they don't belong (and harm consequently befalling them), the lone female survivor (or Final Girl), the lumbering masked killer who never speaks, etc. The film was followed by three sequels, a remake, and a prequel to said remake.
- Black Christmas (1974)One of the first films to combine the elements of a murder mystery with the slasher genre. Notable for use of long tracking shots from the point of view of the film's killer, an element that would later be cemented by
Halloween as a staple of the genre. Later remade by Dimension Films.
- Halloween (1978)Popularized the "classic" slasher formula and, together with
Friday the 13th, helped kick the slasher film craze of the '80s into high gear. Also established the tropes of the innocent, virtuous "Final Girl" (as opposed to her more free-spirited, promiscuous friends), the long tracking shot representing the point of view of the villain (often accompanied by ominous breathing), and the unstoppable, seemingly immortal masked killer. Halloween was followed by seven sequels, and a remake. Certain slasher movies afterwards (such as Offerings and Sorority House Massacre) closely emulated this motion picture.
- Friday the 13th (1980)The first in one of the longest and best known slasher series. Notable for the increased level of gore when compared to earlier genre entries, and increasingly elaborate or unique death scenes. Followed by ten sequels and a 2009 remake.
Little House on the Prairies Melissa Sue Anderson and 80's scream queens Lesleh Donaldson and Lenore Zann. The DVD release has caused some controversy because Columbia TriStar released the DVD without the original theatrical music score. A slightly longer, uncut version of the film exists in scarce quantity on VHS PAL formatting.
- Terror Train (1980)This Canadian-lensed slasher is known for starring the original Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis and still looks crisp and well-produced even by today's standards. Set on New Year's Eve and aboard a moving train in the northern snow, the film does a good job developing a sense of claustrophobia and suspense (who's sympathetic antagonist constantly changes his costumes in between his murders to avoid detection). A loose remake entitled Train and starring Thora Birch is expected to be released in 2009.
- Prom Night (1980)A famous slasher film considered a mixed bag by most, there is generally much divisiveness over this slasher earning its classic status within the subgenre. This Canadian-lensed slasher starring famous Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis was the first film to tread the grounds of being too cliche, even though it tread the grounds of its immediate predecessors far better than most. The movie provides a good amount of character development and some adequate chase and death sequences, but expectations were high at its release and most critics felt it failed to deliver the goods in the end. A loose remake starring Brittany Snow was released in 2008.
- Hell Night (1981)Starring veteran scream queen Linda Blair of The Exorcist fame, this tame entry into the subgenre has less gore and barely-partial nudity, instead relying heavily on character and suspense instead.
- The Burning (1981)Largely written off as a shameless
Friday the 13th rip upon initial release, this inspired 1981 effort has since developed its own cult following in the ensuing years. Particularly notable for two reasons: its decidedly grim and mean-spirited tone, distinctly lacking the tongue-in-cheek sense of fun that pervaded many of its brethren; and its gore and make-up effects by Tom Savini. The single largest contributor to the film's fame is a particular sequence, often dubbed simply "The raft sequence" or "raft massacre", which demonstrates the two aforementioned qualities in equally strong measures. Also noteworthy as one of the very few 80's slashers that discards the familiar trope of the morally pure "final girl" in favor of a morally suspect "final guy" (who violently executes the more pitiful killer).
The Burning, this 1981 slasher is notable for having both a decidedly mean-spirited tone as well as the make-up effects talents of Tom Savini. The camera lingers on bloodshed for an uncharacteristically prolonged amount of time during several of the film's gruesome death sequences (due to a somewhat moderate bodycount), seemingly reveling in the carnage whilst encouraging the viewer to do the same. As with William Lustig's Maniac (1980), a strong current of misogyny is present. Tom Savini has been reported as saying that this film showcases some of his best work as an artist.
- My Bloody Valentine (1981)One of the slashers most heavily butchered by the MPAA, this has nevertheless achieved major cult status.
My Bloody Valentine is one of the best executed slasher films of the golden age. It now has been released UNCUT by Paramount and Lionsgate. Which adds 3 mins of gore back onto the screen. Though the film has a high body count and graphic gore, it still accoplished in having an overall creepy atmosphere and grenerate very good suspense. A loose remake on the film 3-D remake, starring Jensen Ackles and Jaime King has been released by Paramount and Lionsgate. This film also inspired name of My Bloody Valentine, a band from Ireland. A 2009 remake was filmed in 3-D.
- The House on Sorority Row (1983)Considered one of the classier films in the subgenre, this film relies heavily on story, suspense, and the character developments of the ensemble cast rather than nudity or gore (although both of the latter are present). Questionable as to whether it could ever live up to the cult status of its sorority house predecessor Black Christmas, HOSR manages to take an effectively different approach while remaining true to the slasher subgenre formula. A remake by Summit Entertainment is in the works for this film, expecting an early 2010 release.
- Sleepaway Camp (1983)Its characters, drama, and various methods of murder gave it a cult following on VHS. The film is best remembered for its disturbing climax. It was followed by two sequels, an unfinished sequel, and another sequel released fall 2008.
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)First in the series that gave slashers a supernatural twist. Unlike some of its darkly lit, shadowy predecessors,
Nightmare on Elm Street films used make-up, special effects and post-production techniques to create startlingly realistic horror images. Followed by seven sequels, and a television spinoff.
- Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)Most notable for the amount of controversy surrounding it during its release: the film was condemned by critics such as Siskel and Ebert, and was protested by various parents and religious groups for its depiction of Santa Claus as a murderer (noted also for focusing primarily on this antagonist). Followed by four sequels.
- Slumber Party Massacre (1984)Although criticised as misogynistic by various feminist groups, this film was produced entirely by women and thus could be seen as a satire of gender roles in cinema, masquerading under the guise of a lurid slasher flick. The story (such as it is) focuses on a sadistic psychopath who murders scantily clad teenage girls with an electric drill. The promotional material features a picture of the killer towering over some terrified victims, the aforementioned drill hanging between his legs in a clearly phallic manner.
- April Fool's Day (1986)One of the only slashers that follows the set up of Agatha Christie's
And Then There Were None. A particularly well known slasher film, that perhaps most known for its ending in which a girl has her throat cut and her friend comes behind her and shows that it is not real. A remake was released in 2008.
- Deliria (1987)Known for combining Giallo with elements of Halloween's "classic" slasher formula. It also delivered some rather clever symbolism (notably the killer's choice in mask). Whilst depicting, its antagonist: Irving Wallace; The Night Owl as having a classical thespian past, displaying in his behavior and movements as being warped, but also (in a way almost) flamboyant & dramatic flair, who played deafening pieces of opera music in between his murder-spree only to later on proceed to position his slain victims in artistic & theatrical poses (later as did the character, Francis Dolarhyde: Irving even situates himself amongst their now almost lifelike corpses, as if struggling to be part of this group).
- Child's Play (1988)Another notable series in the genre to combine traditional slasher elements with both humor and a supernatural twist. Followed by four sequels.
- Scream (1996)A self-aware parody of the slasher genre, whereby the characters realised they were in a horror film and didn't make all the usual mistakes (i.e. saying "I'll be right back"). Critics lauded
Scream for its fiendishly clever storyline and three-dimensional characters, with more of a focus on suspense than gore. The script carried its own learned analysis of slasher films, and was directed by Wes Craven, a popular maestro of the genre who also created such classics as Last House on the Left and Nightmare on Elm Street. Followed by two equally successful sequels; all three starred Neve Campbell as main character Sidney Prescott, an attractive, intelligent and resourceful young woman whose characterisation both mocks and typifies the Final Girl stereotype. To date, the most commercially successful film series in the genre, earning a combined total of over $290 million in the US, and over $500 million worldwide.
Scream cash-ins. The screenplay was written by Kevin Williamson, who also wrote Scream. Followed by two sequels.
Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street franchises, as the main killers from the two series' clash after crossing into each others' killing territory. The eleventh film in the Friday the 13th series, and the eighth in the Nightmare on Elm Street saga.
See also
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