Category: Summer of Slashers

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As mentioned in previous reviews, numerous studios were trying to capitalize on the slasher boom of 1981. For every polished effort from a major like Paramount or MGM, you also had a low-budget quickie. Enter James Bryan, a Texas-born filmmaker who started making soft-core films like Escape to Passion and The Dirtiest Game. After filming 1977’s Boogie Vision, Bryan decided to make a horror film set in the Rocky Mountains for his next project. With a budget of $150,000, they shot the movie in the summer of 1980 in the Sierra Mountains. While they filmed most of the death scenes on the weekends, the scenes with the main cast took ten days. Though the original script was titled Sierra, the distributor Seymour Borde & Associates wanted to change the title. The film was given a limited release in November 1981 as Don’t Go in the Woods!

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Synopsis

Friends Peter (Jack McClelland), Joanne (Angie Brown), Ingrid (Mary Gail Artz), and Craig (James P. Hayden) decide to go camping. As they’re trekking through the woods, they’re unaware that there’s a maniac (Tom Drury) running around killing random people. His victims include honeymooners Dick (Frank Millen) and Cherry (Carolyn Braza), an artist, some campers, and a fisherman. Unfortunately, Peter witnesses the fisherman getting killed, so the maniac chases him, killing Craig in the process. Joanne gets killed as well, though Peter and Ingrid barely manage to escape from the maniac. They make their way to a nearby town and alert the Sheriff (Ken Carter) about the situation. While Ingrid recovers in the hospital, a grief-stricken Peter decides to return to the woods and go after the maniac. There’s a good reason why people try telling you don’t go in the woods….alone!

Review

Honestly, it’s challenging to review Don’t Go in the Woods, as it’s objectively terrible, but the filmmaker might’ve intended it. Given the movie’s box cover, you would think this will be some sort of blood-drenched forest slasher. While there’s plenty of blood to be had, the film has a weirdly goofy tone throughout, exemplified by the music. James Bryan was trying to go for a horror-comedy, but it has more unintentional laughs than intentional ones. Most of the cast would later work behind the scenes, and you can see why since they’re all terrible. Everyone’s delivery is flat, no one has any natural chemistry with each other, and they come off as bland. I’d say the only actor who does a halfway decent job is Tom Drury, whose dialogue mainly consists of grunts. At least he has a unique look as a sort of forest-dwelling hobo with a jingle stick.

It’s hard to judge the filmmaking on display considering how low the budget was, but even still, it’s not good. The editing feels choppy; characters are randomly thrown in and killed almost immediately, and nothing makes sense. We’re not told who the killer is, their motivation, or how the main characters know each other. While Halloween didn’t give Michael Myers any motivation, we at least knew his history and understood why he’s dangerous. Though giving too much backstory can lessen a killer’s impact, no information makes it hard to care about them. One positive I can give this movie is that there are some pretty bloody death sequences. Even with its 82-minute runtime, there are tons of dead spots that makes this a rough sit. Overall, hardcore slasher fans might find something worthwhile, but Don’t Go in the Woods is a trip not worth taking.

Buy Don’t Go in the Woods from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WyvDrl.

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Following the release of Antropophagus, director Joe D’Amato wanted to make a sequel, but writer/star George Eastman opposed it. He felt that given how the film ended, it wouldn’t make sense to do a sequel, but D’Amato wanted it. Eastman agreed to star and write after the original treatment was considered lackluster, taking some inspiration from Halloween. D’Amato shot the film in English and set it in the States to try and appeal to the US market. In addition to Eastman, English actor Edmund Purdom, best known for starring in 1954’s The Egyptian, was cast opposite him. The film was shot quickly in May 1981 and rushed out to meet a theatrical release that year. Like many Italian exploitation films, this one had numerous alternate titles, including Horrible, Antropophagus 2, and Zombie 6: Monster Hunter. However, its most widely known title is simply Absurd.

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Synopsis

After being subjected to church-sanctioned experiments that drove him insane, Mikos Tanoupoulos (George Eastman) is on the run. A Vatican priest (Edmund Purdom) who oversaw the experiments is tracking him down fearful of what he’ll do. Mikos gets impaled and disemboweled, but he’s taken to a hospital and revived before he kills a nurse and escapes. The priest informs Sgt. Engleman (Charles Borromel) that the only way to kill Mikos is to ‘destroy the cerebral mass’. Meanwhile, Ian Bennett (Ian Danby) and his wife Carol (Hanja Kochansky) leave their kids with their babysitter Emily (Annie Belle). Soon enough, Mikos makes his way to the Bennetts’ house and kills their family friend Peggy (Cindy Leadbetter). To make matters worse, their daughter Katya (Katya Berger) is bedridden due to a spinal injury. Will the authorities make it in time, or will Mikos make these children his next victims?

Review

While clearly an imitation of John Carpenter’s 1978 classic, Absurd is still a solid Italian-made slasher film. The real highlight of the film is George Eastman, who is a beast of a man with some wicked faces. Much like in Antropophagus, Eastman fully embraces the character and makes for a truly terrifying killer, especially with no lines. Even though he’s filling in the Donald Pleasence role, Edmund Purdom brings plenty of class to the production. There are some pretty gruesome kills here, including a drill to the temple and a bandsaw to the crown. Granted, these don’t quite compare to the fetus-eating scene from the previous film, but they’re certainly up there. Also, the filmmakers take full advantage of the nighttime shooting to create a real sense of dread in the proceedings. For as much flack as he gets, D’Amato can be a decent director.

Admittedly, it’s hard to ignore the similarities between this and Halloween, such as mentioning the Boogeyman and even the music. That said, there are a few differences to help it stand out, so it’s not a complete rip-off. For instance, both the babysitter and the main authority figure are killed, and one of the kids dispatches the killer. Given how quickly this was rushed out, it’s impressive they were able to get a full movie this decent made. While it moves at a decent pace at 96 minutes, there are several dead spots of characters sitting around talking. It doesn’t help that there are some really annoying kid characters, most especially Willy, who acts like an obnoxious brat. Even if it’s not as slickly made as its American counterparts, this is still a decent watch for horror fans. Overall, Absurd is a good alternative to more conventional early 80s shockers.

Buy Absurd from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xhEsmb

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Jesús “Jess” Franco was a prolific Spanish filmmaker known for making tons of exploitation films up until his 2013 death. While he had been working in the industry since the 50s, his career soared with 1961’s The Awful Dr. Orloff. He’s probably most well known for 1969’s The Castle of Fu Manchu, which was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000. The film starred Christopher Lee, who starred in several of Franco’s movies including Count Dracula released the same year. Much like Joe D’Amato, his movies were a mixture of erotic and horror, and they were pretty shameless. With the rise of slasher films in the early 80s, production manager Erich Tomek hired Franco to direct his script. It was basically work-for-hire for Franco, who was upset that he was promised a lot that wasn’t delivered. Franco’s Bloody Moon, also known as The Saw of Death, was released in March 1981.

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Synopsis

After killing a young woman, the disfigured Miguel (Alexander Waechter) is institutionalized in a mental asylum for five years. He’s released to the care of his sister Manuela (Nadja Gerganoff), with who he has an incestuous relationship. Manuela runs a boarding school with their Aunt Maria (María Rubio), who believes that she is plotting to kill her. Meanwhile, Angela (Olivia Pascal) arrives to attend classes but is being stalked by Miguel and is scared for her life. Before too long, girls at the school are being killed off one by one by an unknown killer. As the bodies start piling up, Angela wants to leave the school before she’s the next victim. A foreign language teacher, Alvaro (Christoph Moosbrugger), tries consoling Angela, but it turns out there’s something sinister going on. Just who is killing the girls at the school, and what could their motivation be?

Review

Compared to most other slasher films released around the same time, Bloody Moon stands out in some ways. For one, there are some fantastically gruesome kill scenes, most infamously a decapitation-by-saw scene prominently featured on the poster. There’s also a sequence where a woman is stabbed through her breast, as well as a woman strangled with thongs. While the effects aren’t quite on par with Savini’s work on The Prowler or The Burning, they’re still effective. Also, for a work-for-hire project, Franco manages to inject some style here, using various lighting techniques and camera positioning. The plot mixes in themes of incest, betrayal, secret affairs, and blackmail that add an extra layer of sleaziness. It’s also interesting that they use Miguel as an obvious red herring given that he did kill someone early on. Still, you’d have to be dumb if you didn’t realize that he’s not the main killer.

Given that this film is entirely dubbed, it’s somewhat difficult to judge the acting without hearing their real voices. Granted, the acting doesn’t really matter in this type of film, suffice it to say the actors do their job. On top of being gorgeous, Olivia Pascal is decent as final girl Angela, even if we don’t really know her. Even if the makeup appliance used for his disfigurement is laughably cheap-looking, Alexander Waechter is pretty creepy as Miguel. Aside from them, most everyone else is just cannon fodder to get picked off by the unseen killer

Buy Bloody Moon from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3C2lGCL

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In 1974, Texas-born filmmaker Tobe Hooper shocked the world with the horror classic The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. Made on a budget of roughly $140,000, the film grossed over $30 million and is considered a groundbreaking film. Hooper followed this up with 1977’s Eaten Alive, a similarly themed backwoods killer movie that’s since developed a cult following. In 1979, Hooper was hired by Warner Bros Television for the Salem’s Lot miniseries based on the Stephen King book. After Friday the 13th was a massive hit in 1980, numerous studious were trying to make their own slasher film. Universal received a script from writer Lawrence Block that fit the slasher formula, and they hired Hooper to direct. With a budget of roughly $3 million, this was the most expensive film Hooper had made at the time. On Friday, March 13th, 1981, The Funhouse was released to theaters.

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Synopsis

Young Amy Harper (Elizabeth Berridge) is going out with her boyfriend Buzz (Cooper Huckabee) to the local carnival. They’re on a double date with her best friend Liz Duncan (Largo Woodruff) and Liz’s irresponsible boyfriend Richie (Miles Chapin). While exploring the carnival, Richie comes up with the idea to spend the night at “The Funhouse”. That night, they accidentally witness the mute worker Gunther (Wayne Doba) murder the fortune teller/prostitute Madame Zena (Sylvia Miles). The Funhouse’s carnival barker Conrad Straker (Kevin Conway) discovers what happened, but he also sees that their money is gone. Turns out Richie stole the money while the group was trying to leave, so Conrad sends Gunther after them. The group is soon picked off one by one through various traps and props in the attraction. It’s a carnival of terror as our heroes try to survive The Funhouse!

Review

Though not quite on par with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Poltergeist, The Funhouse is an underrated gem. In anyone else’s hands, this would’ve been a cheap, fly-by exploitation flick, but with Hooper directing, it’s something more. Carnivals have always had a somewhat creepy vibe to them, especially late at night, and this film nails that. The use of colored lighting mixed with the shadows and darkness gives the funhouse set a very nightmarish quality. The score by composer John Beal further adds to the foreboding mood, sounding very off-kilter and bizarre. We first see Gunther wearing a worn-out Frankenstein mask, which is already creepy, but his face reveal is something else. The make-up effects were designed by Rick Baker, who later won an Oscar for An American Werewolf in London. Even though it’s just a mask, it has a very unique design and impressive features.

Speaking of Gunther, Wayne Doba does a good job given that he has no lines and utilizes his body language. He gives what could’ve otherwise been a mindless monster a sympathetic quality like he has a child’s mind. This is complemented by Kevin Conway’s performance as the barker who’s also Gunther’s father, who clearly cares for his son. Conway gives a very sinister tone as a villain who believes that he’s doing good despite doing evil things. Elizabeth Berridge makes for a fairly likable lead, though the other leads come off a bit standoffish and rude. The late character actor William Finley has a small but memorable role as the eccentric magician Marco The Magnificent. Though more so relying on terror than horror, this is still a very creepy and chilling horror film worth watching. Overall, The Funhouse is one hell of a thrill ride you won’t soon forget.

Buy The Funhouse from Amazon: https://amzn.to/49LIA3e.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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Where to watch The Funhouse (1981)

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Writers Glenn Leopold and Neal Barbera, son of famous animator Joseph Barbera, got their start writing for Hanna-Barbera cartoons. After working on shows like Scooby-Doo, Yogi Bear, and Shmoo, they decided to write something far more mature. Around the same time, Joseph Zito was an up-and-coming director who had already made 1975’s Abduction and 1978’s Bloodrage. He read Leopold and Barbera’s script and was drawn to it, saying “It had this strange, dreamlike mood in it.” With a budget of $1 million, the largest budget Zito had at that point, they shot in Cape May, NJ. Though the cast consisted mostly of young, unknown actors, they landed two veterans: Farley Granger and Lawrence Tierney. Tom Savini, who had just done the effects for Friday the 13th, was hired to create some truly gruesome kills. After a six-week shoot, The Prowler was released in the fall of 1981.

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Synopsis

In 1945, Rosemary (Joy Glaccum) and her boyfriend Roy (Timothy Wahrer) are killed by her ex-lover after returning from WWII. Since then, the town of Avalon Bay has not held a graduation dance for 35 years due to the murders. In 1980, college senior Pam MacDonald (Vicky Dawson) is working on starting up a new graduation dance. While visiting her boyfriend, Deputy Mark London (Christopher Goutman), Pam hears a report about a mysterious prowler on the loose. To make matters worse, Sheriff George Fraser (Farley Granger) is going out of town for a fishing trip. Soon enough, the prowler starts killing Pam and Mark’s friends one by one using a pitchfork and a bayonet. As the bodies keep piling up, our heroes discover that the prowler was Rosemary’s killer but was never caught. Will this masked killer be stopped, who will be the prowler’s next victims?

Review

Admittedly, The Prowler comes off somewhat formulaic compared to other slashers from around that time, but that isn’t necessarily bad. Though this borrows elements from other slashers like My Bloody Valentine, it also stands out in many ways. For one, the idea of the killer being a WWII veteran suffering from PTSD is pretty frightening. The psychological effects of war coupled with extensive military training make for a very unhinged and efficient killer. Not to mention, the green army fatigues add a uniquely terrifying quality to the killer that helps him stand out. On top of that, Zito’s direction is top-notch, as he gives the film a very dreamlike, ethereal quality. Of course, no good slasher would be complete without death scenes, which this movie delivers thanks to Tom Savini. He considers this to be his best work, and I’m honestly inclined to agree with him.

Unfortunately, what this movie has in solid direction and effects, it lacks when it comes to its characters. Granted, none of the actors are particularly bad, but none of them really stand out as being very memorable. This could be attributed to the script simply not giving the cast much to do aside from spewing exposition. While the presence of Hollywood veterans Granger and Tierney are nice, they don’t really do much aside from showing up. Even at roughly 90 minutes, there are still quite a few dead spots where the cast just wander aimlessly. Honestly, many of the cast just feel like cannon fodder, though this does lead to those memorably murderous moments. For all of my complaints, this is still a solid little slasher that deserves to be rediscovered and appreciated. Overall, The Prowler is a flawed but gruesome slasher that horror fans should see at least once.

Buy The Prowler on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xjZrFP.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at no additional cost, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.

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Where to watch The Prowler (1981)

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In the early 1980s, Harvey Weinstein was having trouble breaking into the film industry, and he needed a hit. Recognizing the success of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Halloween, he and producing partner Michael Cohl started sharing ideas. While exchanging ideas, they remembered hearing about the Cropsy stories told at camp, so they decided to work with that. Harvey, his brother Bob, and Peter Lawrence worked on the screenplay, and Tony Maylam was hired to direct. This would be the first film produced under Miramax, which was named after Harvey and Bob’s parents, Miriam and Max. Tom Savini, who worked on the effects for Friday the 13th, was hired to design some equally gruesome kills. With a relatively-unknown cast and a $1.5 million budget, the film was shot in North Tonawanda in late summer 1980. After being sold to Filmways, The Burning was released in May of 1981.

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Synopsis

At Camp Blackfoot, a group of campers pulls a prank on the groundskeeper Cropsy (Lou David), but it goes wrong. He ends up getting set ablaze and taken to the hospital while the campers swear to keep this a secret. Five years later, Cropsy is released from the hospital after several failed skin grafts and he seeks revenge. At the nearby Camp Stonewater, one of the original campers, Todd (Brian Matthews), is now a counselor. He has a budding romance with fellow counselor Michelle (Leah Ayres) while dealing with the socially awkward Alfred (Brian Backer). Todd and Michelle take a group of campers on a canoe trip, but unfortunately, the canoes go missing. To make matters worse, Cropsy shows up and starts killing off several of the campers as they try escaping. Will Crospy’s murderous spree end, and who will die by his gardening shears next?

Review

Compared to most other slashers of the time, The Burning somewhat blends into the crowd and isn’t particularly unique. It pretty much lifts most everything from Friday the 13th, with the only main difference being the killer. Instead of avenging someone else’s death, the killer is getting revenge for almost being killed by someone else. What also helps Cropsy stand out is his design, with its warped features, imposing frame, and a black trenchcoat. Tom Savini did an incredible job on the design and created some elaborately gruesome death scenes to satiate any gorehound. The highlight is a scene where he jumps out of a canoe and kills several campers in a grisly fashion. It’s worth noting that this scene alone got the film put on the UK’s Video Nasties list. This list also included The Last House on the Left, Antropophagus, and The Evil Dead.

The cast features some fairly notable actors, namely Jason Alexander, Fisher Stevens, and Holly Hunter. While Hunter only has a few scenes, Alexander and Stevens have a fairly prominent role as comedic relief characters. It’s easy to see how Alexander would transition from appearing in this to playing George Costanza on Seinfeld. Brian Matthews and Leah Ayres make for a decent leading couple, and Lou David makes for an imposing killer. The story is fairly basic, but it gets the job done for an early 80s slasher film. At roughly 90 minutes, it moves at a fairly decent pace, though once they get stranded, it starts dragging. It doesn’t help that, while not necessarily insufferable, none of the characters are really that interesting or compelling. Still, this is worth a look for fans of slasher films, especially if you love Savini’s effects work. Overall, The Burning is enjoyable but forgettable.

Buy The Burning from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SgTsCg

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