Greatest Slashers from the 70's and 80's for the TRUE Slasher Lover

"Halloween"

Hands down the best Horror movie ever made..

Stick with the original,not The Rob Zombie Remake..

One of the forefathers of slasher movies.

Actually the granddaddy of the maniac on the loose with a butcher knife or any other sharp object flicks.

Jamie Lee Curtis began her reign as Scream Queen in this film and it's cult status and popularity speak volumes where this movie is concerned.

It is still effective and holds up today.

not heavy on gore but heavy on thrills chills and big scares.

This early slasher film is in my opinion far superior to Friday the 13th.
First off "Cropsy"(The horribly disfigured caretaker burned in an accident caused by the teen campers" is much more terrifying than Pamela Vorhees.
The raft scene is one of the most notorious in slasher history and very deserving.
Tom Savini's FX work is exceptional and stands up to today's standards.
The people I see talking it down are of the CGI fed generation that would rather see a semi cartoon looking effect than a real in your face FX,.
Plus nothing beats the somewhat grainy gritty feel of an 80's slasher flick some of the newer ones can seem so clinical in comparison.

Friday The 13th part 2 In my opinion the best Friday in the series.
After seeing The heroine from part one "Alice"get an Ice pick through the brain and The decapitated head of Mrs Vorhees in the Fridge I knew this was going to be great.
In Part 2 we get the first glimpse of Jason as an adult and he is far more menacing than his mother who was a 50 year old woman.
The original gets props for originality but not for it's plausibility.
Also ,Amy Steele gives a much better performance than the original heroine Adrienne King.
The kills in part 2 were better as well as the characters"sorry Kevin Bacon".
Even though in the first Friday in the end we do get the jolt of a young deformed Jason jumping out of the lake to drag The last girl standing"Alice" into the water"very scary".
In part 2 we get that same jolt when an assumed deceased Jason jumps through the window after the encounter at the shack with "Genny "and "Paul" where he has set up a shrine to his beheaded mother Pamela Voorhees .At this time in the franchise we didn't know Jason was indestructible so it was fair to assume he was dead even though I was hoping he wasn't "YET".
In Part 2 see him wearing a burlap bag over his face save one eye as well as his hideous face for an instant when "Genny" pulls the bag off."gnarly".The infamous Hockey mask was not introduced until part 3.
All in All one of my favorite Slasher movies of al time.

"My Bloody Valentine" is what a slasher should be, it has horny teenagers a psycho wearing a mask and good death scenes.
Not overly gory but the kills are effective and its scary too , I love all slashers obviously thus my name "Slasher Diva". You can tell by the first kill if a slasher flick is going to be rewarding or not and this one starts off right. Has Harry Warden come back to Valentine Bluffs to wreak havoc and spill blood or is it someone else?
Common slasher fare but that's why we love them.
Don't open the dryer~!!! Watch out for the hot dogs~!! And never have sex with a man in a miner suit and mask. Buy it especially if you're a slasher lover.

"Hell Night"
This review contains an obvious spoiler.
I didn't think I would like this movie when I heard about it
"WAS I EVER WRONG"
Hell Night has all the elements needed for a great
slasher movie, Sexy people, good kills and a freaky killer on the loose..
I personally love movies where the killer is in some way disfigured yet still human and in this movie that is delivered.
Sorority newbies spend the night in Garth Manor Known for its legend about Raymond Garth and his deformed children and how he killed them all and then himself .Supposedly Andrew Garth The most hideous of all the children escapes being killed and lives in tunnels under Garth Manor "so the legend goes".
Linda Blair is all grown up and quite the good herione also starring the FINE Vincent Van Patten and cute Peter Barton.
The final showdown between Blair and the villain is grade A entertainment and the rest of the movie does not disappoint either.

"The Prowler" is another of my favorite slasher films.
I didn't see it at the theatre because I didn't like the name,"I had he pleasure of seeing most 80's slashers during their first run in theatres, I wish I would have seen it on the big screen. The story is the usual slasher fare, years earlier something traumatic happened and left someone either bitter, scarred, disfigured or just mad as hell.
In my opinion the love of the genre comes from knowing the formula of the film just different characters,kills,herione/hero and killer, and this movie delivers what you expect from a slasher plus good acting and good kills plus excellent effects by the great Tom Savini. "The Prowler" is easily in my top 5 Slashers of all time.Get the DVD while you can. It could become as hard to find or as expensive as "The Burning"

I was so glad when "Just Before Dawn" came out on DVD, I would rent the VHS about 5 times a year when I was younger..
The acting is good for the genre, the kills are good, "Not extremely gory" but that's fine, it still works.
The killer or killers are original and creepy even though we've seen inbred Maniacs before ala The Hills Have Eyes,The Unseen and recently in Wrong Turn.. Etc. I love the soundtrack it's very apropos for the setting.
George Kennedy lends a reputable name to the film I also like Jamie Rose as the make up obsessed party girl.Of course I prefer the original VHS cover for the movie but the new cover is nicely done.
Another must have for the 80's slasher collector, Due to limited release it will be hard to find in a few years and if you can it will be very expensive like "The Burning".

Happy Birthday To Me" isn't going to win an Oscar or any other Hollywood awards BUT~!! It is a good slasher flick.
Creative for the genre ,a genre that I love.I hear people complain that theres not enough blood or gore in it ,blah blah blah..but I am a die hard slasher fan and it satisfied me.
The kills are creative and the plot has some good twists and a satisfying ending ,you have your jock ,nerd, popular girl, new girl, and all the usual suspects .Glen Ford lends his talent and name to make this movie more credible , and you also have Mellisa Sue Anderson of Little House On The Prairie fame as the heroine .and a young Tracey E Bregman of The Young & The Restless who gives an impressive performance.
Instead of the woods you have a collage campus as the setting.If your into 80's slashers this movie satisfies, it's a must for the collector.

"Madman"
I have to disagree with the masses; I completely enjoyed this movie and still do.
First off it's a maniac in the woods flick "my favorite" .I liked the premise of the movie.
Does Madman Marz look cheesy ? a bit, yes, but that's ok the kills are good and its suspenseful and I like the legend of madman told by the fire and how they reenact it I liked the characters except the girl who looks like a rat that is always whining and whos boyfriend is much too HOT for her..
Sorry I'm a woman. We notice these things, all in all it's a good slasher its in my top 15.
And a tip "never work on your engine with your head underneath the hood when there is a madman running loose!!"

The Mutilator Previously released as Fall Break is another of my top 10 Slashers of all time .I have the un rated bootleg and it's fantastic as far as I'm concerned..

it has an ok plot with GREAT gory kills..it takes place at a somewhat deserted beach house instead of the woods.

Actually it has everything in it you want out of a slasher.

Something Traumatic happens years earlier then FLASH to the present and you have a disgruntled maniac on the loose cutting sawing chopping hooking and hacking teenagers to death.

Sound Good? it is..

I believe that there are plans to release this on a real DVD soon..

"The Funhouse" is another of my favorite slasher movies from the 80's.
I love the carnival setting in this movie, As a kid I always loved freak shows ,I loved the way they incorporated the freak show into the story and when the barker aka "the creatures father" says to the creature "You could have ended up like your little brother in there" referring to a horribly deformed stillborn baby in a big jar of formaldehyde that the teenagers see while going through the freak show tent.
The creature in this movie is very effective.
As a woman it was even more disturbing because of the scenes where the creature is intimate with the fortune teller and then when he is kissing and drooling all over the girl that's trapped in an air vent or whatever it is.
You know he has the same sexual needs and desires as a normal man and I actually felt sorry for him because he was a product of his upbringing and his deformity.
Hooper somehow seems to humanize him no matter how hideous he is.
It has some good kills and a good feel to it "creepy"...It's another must for the collector.

Today I am speaking with Jonathan Tiersten one of the stars of the cult classic "Sleepaway Camp" and the soon to be cult classic "Return To Sleepaway Camp".
Jonathan is also an accomplished and very talented singer song writer who has a successful band called (Ten Tiers)

Dayna-Thanks for giving me some of your time today Jonathan even though you haven't won your Grammy yet..haha.."inside joke'.This is a treat for me because I'm such a huge slasher movie fan and Sleepaway Camp is one of my all time fav's
plus I checked out your music I really like your style and your voice is very Unique. Im going to ask you some questions about your band later in the interview but before we get to those I would like to start with some Sleepaway Camp questions if that's ok with you ?

Jonathan-I think the way a lot of folks get to know my music is through Sleepaway Camp so fire away.

Dayna- You were pretty young when you Played Ricky in Sleepaway Camp.
At the time you were filming did you understand the whole Angela scenario ,That seems kind of heavy for the early 80's and for someone at the age that you were?

Jonathan-I think I was pretty aware of what was going on. I am not sure I understood all the homo-erotic undertones, but I knew it was interesting and unusual. It seemed like there were two groups of films back then. Teeny bopper stuff with topless teenage girls(Last American Virgin) and films dripping with poignancy(Terms Of Endearment, Yentl). We didn?t fit in either category.

Dayna-That film was so groundbreaking and has such a HUGE cult following.
At the time did you think it was going to blow up like it did and what are your thoughts "now" on being part of something so Iconic and
Timeless?

Jonathan-
I can honestly say that we knew we had a certain chemistry on the set. I certainly did not think it would be the thing I would be known for for the rest of my life. For about the first 15 years after the film no one really knew I was in it. Not until the internet generation came along did it really catch fire again. It has been a snowball rolling downhill ever since. I keep waiting for it to die but it really has a life of it?s own.




Dayna-I hope it doesn't bother you but I want to get into Ricky's head as well as yours.
In the original Sleepaway Camp was Ricky aware that Angela was genetically male or was he unaware of this too?
I ask because Ricky was so protective of her and that was very endearing and sweet to me especially since I'm a transgendered woman myself.
Jonathan-Ricky(according to the script) had no idea about Angela?s gender. However I have a feeling we may learn more in Reunion about what Ricky did and did not know. I don?t think it would matter to him. He still visits her/him in the looney bin(as Aunt Martha does not).

Dayna-In "Return to Sleepaway Camp" Ricky gets very hostile and protective when anyone calls Angela a man or uses masculine pronouns to describe her Do you think that's because he knows that she cant help what she has evolved into or because he sees it as blatant disrespect or both?


Jonathan-I think loyalty of family and friends means everything to Ricky. With his wacky mom and screwed up upbringing it is all he has. It is his compass to normalcy. Ricky has a code and anyone who violates that code deserves to get beat. You just do not mess with people either verbally or physically who Ricky loves.

Dayna-I loved "Return To Sleepaway Camp" I found it to have a very old school feel to it and that's something allot of newer slasher movies have tried to do and failed. I've watched it about four times already.
My only gripe is that you weren't in it long enough but the time you were on camera you shined.
One of the reasons I was so excited to see this film was due to the fact that yourself, Felissa Rose and Paul DeAngelo were recast as your original characters.
I watched the extras on the DVD and it seemed that everyone had fun during filming,how was the experience for you being back with old friends and reprising your role as Ricky?




Jonathan- Fantastic. These people are like family to me(I actually just got off the phone with Paul DeAngelo). Felissa Rose is my best friend. The only thing I honestly worried about was whether or not I could still pull off Ricky. I had a lot of screwed up things going on in my life at that time and it was hard for me to focus on the task at hand. I would run ten miles everyday and that seemed to help get rid of the cobwebs.

Dayna-In reality you could make a living just going to horror events and cashing in on the whole Sleepaway Camp phenomenon But you started a band "Jonathan Tierston and Ten Tiers" that say's to me that your very passionate about music.
What is it about music that moves you so much?

Jonathan-I have tried so often to put this into words and it always sounds so hollow. I think people have to see me perform to know what it means to me. I just read an interview with Van Morrison. He is one of those people I try and emulate. Put yourself into the song. That is what it is about. When Marlon Brando plays Vito Corleone is it interesting because Vito is interesting or Marlon or both? Who cares. It is Brando putting himself out there and taking chances and being vulnerable. People think I take my shirt off on stage to show off. I take it off to expose myself to the audience. Not because I am an exhibitionist, but because I want to fell closer to them and them to feel closer to me.

Dayna-I know you write songs,what inspires you when you write.
do you write about things that happen to you personally or do you just go with whatever pops up in your mind?

Jonathan-I would say both. I tend to be more philosophical and abstract than narrative. I guess I am on the never ending search to give my life meaning. I don?t think there is a meaning of life other than what you make of it. How existential. That being said. Only through fear and weakness do we discover strength and courage.

Dayna-I especially love your track If I Die/The Last Day of My Life..Could you tell me what inspired that song ?

Jonathan-I think half of it is trying to help someone with the wisdom you have learned and the other half is a little anger that it will be ignored. Will anyone remember me? Did I matter? I learned these things and maybe they can help you. Or maybe I should just shut up. What would you write on my gravestone? What cocktail would you drink by my plot?

Dayna-Here's the link to Jonathan's myspace page and you can catch his tour schedule plus listen to his tunes..
www. myspace. com/tentiers Even though I'm a Disco baby I really like acoustic and progressive indie rock it has more soul to it than some people would give credit to.
So Jonathan what can we look forward from you in the near future and If there are more Sleepaway Camp films would you be willing to lend your talents and give us more Ricky ,as I don't think we as a fan base will ever get tired of his character or your portrayal?

Jonathan-I would love to give more Ricky. I am currently working on a new CD with some incredible players. I am headed to New Jersey for Chiller Theatre April 17-19. The band is going to play at Texas Fear Fest in August and I am planning to get out to L.A. sometime in between then. We are also going to be headlining some shows in The Colorado area where I live. I am also going to be doing some more score/soundtrack work for some friends of mine from the West Coast and Washington D.C.(XM). Lastly I am hoping to do some acting for my best friend Felissa Rose as she is starting her own production company.

Dayna-This was short and sweet and again a treat for me so thank you very much Jonathan.
I have used one of the graphics I made for you to put with the interview I
All the best to you and we will speak again soon
Dayna

Jonathan- Thank you so much Dayna!
..

"Maniac" is one of those movies that make me want to take a bath after I watch it because I feel gritty.

That in itself tells me it was a highly effective, realistically sick movie and did what it was set out to do.

Joe Spinell is so good in this movie he had me scared to go into a public ladies room for weeks after I saw it when it came out in theatres much like Jaws and the water and Psycho and the shower. Of course Tom Savini is the master of gore in my opinion and he doesn't disappoint in this film, is it gratuitous? Sure it is, isn't that why we watch a slasher or horror film to be shocked or scared ? Of course it is.

Maniac is so scary and effective because it could really happen, There are really Franks "Spinell's character" out there . "SHUDDER"

"Prom Night" Is another of my favorite early Slashers.

I love the disco soundtrack and the whole late 70's feel of the movie. Ever since I saw Halloween I craved more Jamie lee Curtis and this gives you a healthy dose.

The plot is pretty usual but the killer wasn't predictable like a lot of slasher movies.

It's a horror/slasher classic,not much gore but still effective .

Can I say as a woman I would never take a ride from a fat boy in a VAN~!!

Jude~! what were you feelin girl?

And in the 70's and 80's slashers the jocks usually didn't have any muscles

But the girls always had big [...]. go figure. ANYWAY..buy the movie it's slasher royalty

"The Slumber Party Massacre" Is another movie I can watch over and over again..

I love the characters in this movie they are completely over the top and fun.

The gore in this movie is abundant and will satisfy a true gore hound and its also is laugh out loud funny at times without losing the feel of the over all premise.

I especially love the character of Trish's little sister Courtney who steals playgirl magazines and talks about how a boy French kissed her and I can quote the movie I have seen it so many times she say's "Ew it was all slimy and stuff I thought I was gonna throw up" I was LMAO ,its actually the way she says it ,she's quite the good little actress.

The final showdown is great and so is the rest of the movie, it's great fun and a slasher lovers delight ,lots of blood and nudity. A must for the collector.

"The Final Terror" wasn't a bad movie but it was a bad slasher movie.
Nary a drop of blood ,ok maybe a drop or 2 but WEAK kills .Great cast ,I was in love with Adrian Zmed when I was a teenager, him without a shirt on was enough for me to buy it. .Darrel Hannah, Rachel Ward and Joe Pantoliano were virtual unknowns at the time and lend to the credibility of the cast today.
It reminded me somewhat of the movie "Southern Comfort "because of the boobie traps and atmosphere although Southern Comfort was highly superior , too bad you cant see very much of whats going on in this movie due to the terrible quality and lighting of the disc.
I own it because I have every movie available that is in the slasher genre.This could have been fantastic if there were BLOOD~!! You could SEE IT~!! and it were given more thought.






"The Final Terror" wasn't a bad movie but it was a bad slasher movie.

Nary a drop of blood ,ok maybe a drop or 2 but WEAK kills .Great cast ,I was in love with Adrian Zmed when I was a teenager, him without a shirt on was enough for me to buy it. .Darrel Hannah, Rachel Ward and Joe Pantoliano were virtual unknowns at the time and lend to the credibility of the cast today.

It reminded me somewhat of the movie "Southern Comfort "because of the boobie traps and atmosphere although Southern Comfort was highly superior , too bad you cant see very much of whats going on in this movie due to the terrible quality and lighting of the disc.

I own it because I have every movie available that is in the slasher genre.This could have been fantastic if there were BLOOD~!! You could SEE IT~!! and it were given more thought.

Eyes Of a Stranger is a forgotten gem that is a must see and must have for the Slasher collector. A young Jennifer Jason Leigh is introduced in this movie it also stars Lauren Tewes from Love Boat.
The story is good and so is the acting, the gore is up to par for the early 80's slasher's.
I wasn't bored for a minute. It takes you right to the meat from the beginning till the end.
I was so glad to find this lost treasure and I couldn't wait to order it.Watch out for the FISH TANK~!!!

Ten to Midnight is one of those movies I pop in the dvd player at least once a year.
I love revenge movies and I love Bronson, and Andrew Stevens who plays his sidekick .The fact that the killer "Gene Davis" is a hot looking guy that kills women totally in the nude isn't a bad angle either.See, killing while naked was fashionable way before Christian Bales"Patrick Bateman" did it
You could call it a slasher because the killer does slash his victims and there are some good kill scenes, but it's basically a psychological thriller..
The story is good and the action is nonstop.Bronson is on top of his game Playing a cop who's daughter"Lisa Eilbacher" lives in the student nurse dorm that is being terrorized by the killer. It also has a good kill scene with "Ola Ray" the girl from the Michael Jackson Thriller Video.
If I were you I would buy it for your collection.

The Fan"

Is another movie cashing in on the 80's slasher pool,this one done right.

If you're looking for over the top gore you wont find it here what you will find is a well acted movie with

Good Broadway numbers by Bacall and a sophisticated slasher flick with few but good kills.

The straight razor scene being the best. Bacall as Sally Ross plays the diva to the hilt and is superb as is Michael Biehn as the obsessed fan ala "Fatal Attraction".

I might be in the minority but I loved this movie. Bacall's solo number "Hearts Not Diamonds" is wonderful.This is another movie I watch over and over.