History Of The Slasher Film
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When most people think of horror films, their minds drift to characters like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Krueger. Little do they know that those are actually only a small part of the horror genre, and they are officially classified as slashers. The slasher film is one of the most recognizable subgenres of horror, but few people know the history of the genre. For the month of October, I will be doing a five-part series about the history of the horror genre. For part one, we are going to dive into the history of the slasher film!
To start, let's talk about what a slasher film actually is. A slasher film is a film that follows a serial killer who is the, or one of, the main character(s). The killer has a backstory and a specific victim preference, kills with a specific weapon, and is typically masked. If you think of any classic slasher villain, you can check each of these boxes. The first slasher film was Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Not only was this the first film to feature explicit violence, but it was also the first horror film that featured the killer as the main character and gave the killer a backstory. This film led to countless horror films, but we didn’t see another boom in the subgenre until 1978, when John Carpenter gave us Halloween. This film did more for the slasher genre than almost any other film. It was the first film to give structure to a slasher film, but it was also the first to get an immediate sequel and the first to introduce the idea of the “unkillable killer”.
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Halloween led to the golden era of slashers, where we were treated to Friday the 13th, Child’s Play, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. We also got a sequel to Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This also led to the golden era of practical effects, which were forced to improve thanks to the creativity and gore being introduced with the new films. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and as the golden era began to fade, we saw the slasher genre dying like so many of their killers’ victims. Too many sequels, remakes, and copies of the classics led to an oversaturation of the genre. Fans began begging for something new, but it would take almost two decades for that to happen.
Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson are horror legends, and they are the saviors of the slasher genre. In 1996, they gave us Scream, which was not only a completely original slasher film but also created the idea of a self-aware slasher movie. While the characters made fun of the “rules” and stereotypes in slasher films, they also created the idea of killing for the purpose of recreating their favorite films. Now, almost three decades since the resurrection of the slasher genre, we find ourselves in another comeback. In the mid-2000s, we saw another over-saturation of slasher films, but in the last few years, we have started seeing writers and directors getting creative with the source material. Films like Fear Street and Terrifier have created entirely unique stories for audiences that were becoming bored. The slasher genre is my favorite movie genre, and I am so excited to see all the new slasher films that are expected to be released in the next few months!
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Source(s): Buzzsaw Magazine
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5 Of The Most Overhyped Horror Movies
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If you have spent any time on BookTok then you have probably seen the trend where creators list the books that they feel are the most overhyped, underhyped, and deserving of the hype. I thought it would be fun to do this trend but with horror content. With so many new and classic horror films, some of them are inevitably going to be way overhyped, so let’s take a look at 5 of them!
5. 'The Cabin in the Woods' (2011)
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I was really excited to watch this film when it first came out because it has a great cast led by Chris Hemsworth. The entire idea behind the film is to add a twist to the use of horror film stereotypes. Unfortunately, the entire film fell flat, and while the final scene has an air of dark humor, it ultimately leaves you wishing you could get those two hours back. Although the gore in this film is great and the idea interesting, it was nothing to rave about, so it really surprises me that this film is constantly raved about on social media.
If you want to check the film out for yourself, it is available to stream on Peacock.
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4. 'Sleepaway Camp' (1983)
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The only reason that I can see this movie getting any hype is the twist at the end and the nostalgia for people who grew up with this movie. It’s a horribly written and directed film, but that isn’t even the worst thing about this movie. The disgusting use of predatory behavior by the adults in the film is a line that is hard to cross in horror, but this film does it. I only made it about halfway through this film before I had to turn it off because the sexually tense scenes with the young main character were too much.
If you want to check the film out for yourself, it is available to stream on Peacock.
3. 'The Exorcist' (1973)
Image Source: Rolling Stone
I wish I could say that I understand the hype around The Exorcist, but I can’t. I am a huge fan of classic horror films, and with many of my favorites being from the golden decades of film like the 40s, I had really high expectations for this film. Not only was this movie poorly written and directed, but it was so boring which wasn’t the experience I was expecting for the “scariest film ever made”. My husband and I paused the movie more than once to check on how long it had left because a two-hour film genuinely felt like it had been on for close to three or four hours by the time the credits finally rolled. I guess nostalgia could play a role in the hype, but there are so many other horror films that came out around the same time that were significantly better.
If you want to check the film out for yourself, it is available to rent on Amazon Prime Video.
2. 'Halloween Ends' (2022)
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I do not understand the hype around this film at all. I did a full review of the film when it first came out and most Halloween fans agreed that this film was atrocious. Now that it has been almost two years since the film’s release it has gained a cult following and taken HorrorTok by storm. The film was poorly written and spit in the face of John Carpenter and everything that Michael Myers had become.
If you want to check the film out for yourself, it is available to stream on Hulu.
1. 'Terrifier' (2016)
Image Source: IMDb
I am not including the second film in this because I have not seen it, and I want to be fair. Terrifier has the biggest following of any new horror film and is known for causing people to pass out, throw up, and even have to leave the screenings due to the amount of gore. I typically love gore, so I was really excited to check this one out. Unfortunately, this film was terrible! I only made it through roughly half of the film before I turned it off. The gore was laughable, the writing was terrible, and the acting was even worse. I will never understand the obsession with this film.
If you want to check the film out for yourself, it is available to stream on Peacock.
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