Slashers
The slasher genre is often linked to the 1980s, but its roots can be traced back to Hitchcock’s Psycho in 1960. While Italian giallo films cranked up the gore and misogyny factor in the 1970s, it wasn’t until Black Christmas and Halloween that the genre truly found its footing, paving the way for the slasher boom of the early 80s. By 1984, the formula was starting to wear thin, but like the final girls who survive these films, the slasher genre refused to die. The 1990s saw a self-referential cycle, and today, slashers still pop up on occasion.
With so many of these bloody flicks in circulation, there are plenty to choose from – the best ones are a blast, while the worst can usually still make for a fun ride.
Links take you to the IMDd. Circled titles: A Point Blank Films fav!
Alice, Sweet Alice (1976) 8/10
Original, thought-provoking Catholic slasher – 90 minutes of mayhem in superb Hitchcockian style. aka Communion; Holy Terror
A psychiatrist’s family are besieged by four escaped loonies in better than average slasher with good cast (Jack Palance, Donald Pleasence, Martin Landau), dark humour, and effective twist ending.
Black comedy slasher with beautiful British Columbia locales – lots of fun but hampered by two surprise endings that will leave you feeling a little cheated.
A mysterious killer stalks a sorority house in this highly effective, creepy and suspenseful Canadian horror movie that was a big influence on the slasher genre. See also Canuxploitation
Blood Rage (1987) 6/10
Psychotic twins go on the rampage resulting in the deaths of many sexed-up teenagers in directionless but inventively gory slasher filmed in 1983, which unfairly flew under the radar.
Bloodmoon (1990) 2/10
Dire Aussie slasher that spends most of the runtime focussed on teenage soap operatics. See also Ozploitation
Bloody Moon (1981) 5/10
Jesús Franco’s shoddy attempt at a slasher has strong gore and ended up on the video nasty list but is just a series of cheap and sleazy set pieces strung together at length. aka The Saw of Death
The Burning (1981) 8/10
Miramax’s sleazy debut is an excellent Friday the 13th rip-off featuring Jason Alexander, Holly Hunter, and gory Tom Savini FX.
Curtains (1983) 7/10
Ambitious actresses auditioning for a film role are bumped off by a masked killer in Canadian slasher that seems to want to be a giallo, making for a classy outing, though it suffers from pacing issues. See also Canuxploitation
Don’t Answer the Phone! (1980) 4/10
Proudly misogynistic slasher with seedy LA locales – much like Maniac you know who the killer is from the outset, but this is not well-made and leaves you feeling filthy.
Don’t Go in the House (1980) 6/10
A disturbed young man stalks women with a flamethrower in cruddy but notorious slasher.
Don’t Go in the Woods (1981) 1/10
Dire backwoods slasher, inept in every department and not funny enough to be so bad it’s good.
The Driller Killer (1979) 4/10
Abel Ferrara’s indie psychodrama features many of his trademarks – gritty New York locales, religious themes, violence – but is too dreary to provide any enjoyment whatsoever.
Another Euro slasher filmed in California about a town assailed by a masked maniac; pacey, padded out and not gory enough, though it has a half-decent ending.
Evil Judgment (1984) 4/10
Mystery thriller with slasher elements filmed in Montréal – it sat on the shelf for three years and you can see why, as there’s just not enough to maintain interest. See also Canuxploitation
Evil Laugh (1986) 3/10
A group of med students fix up an old house and are stalked by a masked assailant – mayhem ensues, none of which is particularly entertaining.
Fatal Games (1984) 4/10
A mad javelin thrower kills teenagers who look too old to be in school in limp slasher with wacky ending.
Modest slasher set in the woods with smarter than usual characters and gorgeous scenery – the cast were yet to be famous, which may have hindered the film’s fortunes.
The world’s most famous slasher is far from the best, but it has classic moments, Kevin Bacon and gore by the maestro, Tom Savini.
Friday the 13th: Part 2 (1981) 7/10
This has mean-spirited kills, including one lifted from Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood, and is overall an entertaining, if mindless sequel. aka Friday the 13th: Part II
Friday the 13th: Part III (1982) 5/10
Despite the 3D, this is a one-dimensional slasher with bland characters and faceless killer (literally now that Jason wears a hockey mask). aka Friday the 13th: Part 3
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984) 7/10
This is the best Friday the 13th movie because it is the sleaziest, goriest, and most 80s, with a young Cory Feldman, and Crispin Glover’s ridiculous dancing.
Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985) 4/10
Particularly sleazy sequel without the Jason character which doesn’t work. aka Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning
Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986) 6/10
Fun sequel with resurrected Jason and decent script, but toned-down gore. aka Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) 5/10
By this point in the series, Jason has jumped the shark, which makes his fight against a young woman with psychic powers somehow more palatable.
Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989) 3/10
Jason takes a cruise to Manhattan in this low-budget and poorly made sequel.
The Funhouse (1981) 6/10
Tobe Hooper tried his hand at the slasher genre in this tale of a deformed killer stalking a group of teens – straightforward thrills much like the carnival ride at the centre of the story.
While high schoolers are stalked by a masked killer, Linnea Quigley takes her top off, but it’s not enough to spice up this limp effort with poor FX and film stock that seems to vary in quality.
Halloween (1978) 10/10
What can you say about John Carpenter’s classic slasher except to point out its finest qualities which are the cast, cinematography, score, and genuine scares instead of prosthetics and gore.
Halloween II (1981) 6/10
Picking up exactly where part 1 ended, Michael Myers features much more prominently here, and the film ups the gore and slasher factor – but it’s a far cry from the original.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988) 6/10
Picking up where part 2 left off, this sequel, while not as technically strong as its predecessors, does have effective and nasty moments.
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989) 4/10
Last watchable Halloween sequel, the plot is too hard to swallow by this point, and there’s not enough of interest to keep you entertained.
Happy Birthday to Me (1981) 7/10
Thanks to director J. Lee Thompson, this Canadian slasher is more competently made than its contemporaries, and despite an idiotic plot is pleasingly gory right through to the ghoulish finale. See also Canuxploitation
Hell Night (1981) 5/10
Linda Blair stars in clichéd slasher about four college pledges forced to spend the night in a deserted mansion – partying 80s characters can’t quite liven up its 100-minute runtime.
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987) 7/10
Mostly unrelated to the original, this focusses on its central character’s gradual supernatural corruption and has enough shocks and surprises along to way to make it a far superior sequel.
Home for the Holidays (1972) 7/10
Four sisters come home for the holidays while someone in a yellow raincoat dispatches them one by one; a good yuletide horror but a little soapy. See also TV Movies
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) 5/10
A bunch of 90s teen heartthrobs are stalked by a hook-wielding maniac in slasher update with paper-thin characters and stupid plot.
Intruder (1989) 7/10
An anomaly, this well and truly brought gore back to the slasher genre, with Bruce Campbell, Sam and Ted Raimi in the cast, making for an interesting and very entertaining entry.
Madhouse (1981) 6/10
A woman is pursued by her psychopathic twin sister in the days leading up to their birthday in decent slasher with slow but atmospheric first hour, and gory finale similar to Happy Birthday to Me. aka There Was a Little Girl
Madman (1981) 5/10
Forgotten summer camp slasher set entirely at night – similar to The Burning in some ways but not as effective.
Maniac (1980) 7/10
New York has never looked grimier than in William Lustig’s notorious slasher with Tom Savini gore FX – grim but essential viewing.
Midnight (1982) 5/10
Slasher about a Satanic cult, despite interesting talents (John A. Russo directing, Tom Savini FX, Lawrence Tierney as a sleazy cop), this is mediocre and shows its low budget.
Mortuary (1982) 5/10
Young Bill Paxton plays a mad mortician and makes this slasher just watchable.
The Mutilator (1984) 5/10
A college student brings his friends to his father’s fishing cabin, only for his past to threaten them all in formulaic and goofy slasher, featuring strong gore and a sudden ending. aka Fall Break
My Bloody Valentine (1981) 6/10
A small Canadian mining town is the setting for this holiday-themed slasher that was completely neutered by the MPAA; not particularly good even in uncut form despite its cult following. See also Canuxploitation
Fun and very trashy slasher that knows exactly what it is; despite the shoestring budget, the kills are decent, and it features a great deal of sex and nudity.
Night Killer (1990) 3/10
A masked serial killer terrorises Virginia Beach in godawful horror – the fact that it's co-directed by Claudio Fragrasso (Troll 2) and Bruno Mattei (Shocking Dark) is all you really need to know.
Night School (1981) 5/10
Technically well-made slasher, but too trite to stand out in this crowded genre.
Night Screams (1987) 3/10
Low-budget slasher filmed in Kansas – likeable enough but near the bottom of the barrel.
Nightmare (1981) 7/10
Noted video nasty (the original UK distributor was sent to prison!), this is a psychosexual slasher with mean-spirited gore and filthy Times Square backdrops; as such, highly recommended. aka Nightmares in a Damaged Brain
Umberto Lenzi’s silly spring break slasher has an outrageous plot about a biker electrocuting his victims, with old hands Michael Parks and John Saxon phoning it in.
Nightmares (1980) 4/10
Aussie attempt at a slasher set in a theatre that replaces originality with graphic violence, nudity and sex (usually at the same time). aka Stage Fright See also Ozploitation
Offerings (1989) 3/10
Halloween rip-off with kills off-screen and a fairly lame attempt at humour.
Open House (1987) 4/10
Real estate slasher starring Adrienne Barbeau that is strictly for completists.
Pieces (1982) 6/10
Immensely enjoyable bad movie, with gratuitous gore and nudity, horrendous acting, and Bruce Le (of Brucesploitation fame) cameo, among other bizarre and uproarious moments. aka The Night Has 1,000 Screams See also So Bad It's Good
Prom Night (1980) 5/10
Canada’s highest-earning horror film of 1980 provides a standard revenge plot and generic night of mayhem mostly made up of Jamie Lee Curtis on the dance floor. See also Canuxploitation
The Prowler (1981) 7/10
A mysterious killer, clad in WWII fatigues, stalks a small New Jersey town in slasher similar to My Blood Valentine – but better all round – with great Tom Savini FX.
Scream (1996) 8/10
Wes Craven’s pastiche brought the slasher movie back in a big way and amid the laughs are genuine scares and a decent amount of gore.
Scream 2 (1997) 6/10
With tongue even further in cheek, this made for a fun sequel, but there’s nothing original to see here.
Scream 3 (2000) 5/10
The weakest of the series, the plot was getting silly by this point, with the cast phoning it in.
Scream 4 (2011) 6/10
The final Scream movie directed by Wes Craven in a series running out of steam – fun while it’s on.
Enjoyable teen revenge slasher filmed in England with pleasing amounts of gore and nudity.
Summer camp slasher with good pacing, performances and shock ending – essential viewing for genre enthusiasts.
Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (1988) 6/10
Angela is back slashing campers in bloody sequel with a more satirical tone than the original.
The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) 5/10
Written and directed by women, producer Roger Corman ensured this slasher featured plenty of T&A, right down to a gym class shower scene, making for a fairly routine entry with uninteresting killer.
Slumber Party Massacre II (1987) 5/10
Wacky sequel with killer who uses a power-drill guitar, nude pillow fights, flying frozen chickens, and everything but the kitchen sink; bad but its sense of pure madness makes it fun.
Sorority House Massacre (1986) 4/10
Halloween knock-off - about as generic as slashers come with nothing to remember once it’s over.
Terror Train (1980) 5/10
Dumb disco slasher about a New Year’s Eve party aboard a moving train – Jamie Lee Curtis is good as always, David Copperfield performs a few tricks, and there are some fun moments. See also Canuxploitation
Thanksgiving (2023) 5/10
Slasher pastiche with paper-thin characters; not a turkey, but the fake trailer from Grindhouse that inspired it promised so much more.
Strong Canadian slasher with an effectively creepy Michael Ironside – but it’s all a bit joyless. See also Canuxploitation
X-Ray (1981) 4/10
Crappy Cannon slasher with a couple of fun and sleazy moments (a topless blood pressure test comes to mind), but weak script and obvious killer. aka Hospital Massacre