80's Slashers: A Cut Above

(Yes I know, clever title. Sometimes I surprise even myself.)

The 1980s were a very important time for horror films. After the extremely successful release of John Carpenter's Halloween in 1978, (a movie that was made with a budget of $300,000 and went on to make an estimated $60,000,000) everyone wanted to capitalize on it's success. So throughout the 80's pretty much all major and independent production companies started churning out these boogey man/crazed killer movies by the boat load, that affectionately came to be known as "slasher" films.

During this decade the world was blessed with not only many a delightful power ballad by Bon Jovi but also, 8 (count em, 8!) Friday the 13ths, 5 Nightmare on Elm Streets and 4 more installments to the Halloween series. But these are all movies everyone knows. Show a picture of Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger to anyone over the age 10 and they will without a doubt recognize these horror icons. I'd like to take this time to pick out and share with the public some of my personal favorites of the slasher genre that, more often then not get over looked.

Without further adieu here is a list of my favorite wonderfully terrible 80's horror flicks.

1. Sleepaway Camp - The ending of this movie is one of my favorite endings to a film of all time. If you thought Andy Dufrain tunneling through a wall and crawling through a "river of shit" was a surprise wait til you see what Angela has in store.

2. The Burning - Once again, nothing says slasher movie more then a summer camp. Keep an eye out for a young Jason Alexander (aka George Costanza).

3. The Mutilator - This movie proves just how easy it is to accidentally shoot your mother in the face.

4. Prom night - This one is a little more known, mainly due to the godawful 2008 remake. As is most often the case, the original is way better.

5. The Slumber Party Massacre - If you think slasher flicks are just another way for the media to exploit and degrade women, you're probably right. But this movie was written and directed by a woman, so how you like them apples!?

6. Night Warning - It may be a low budget, cheesy horror film but for a movie released in 1982 that tackles the issue of homophobia, I'd say it was pretty ahead of it's time. Fast forward 11 years and 'Philadelphia' is taking home academy awards for the same subject matter. who knew? Often times these "lowbrow", "distasteful" films tap into more under lying social issues then anyone wants to give them credit for. But that is a topic for another time...

If you care to watch any of these titles I'm sure they're pretty readily available on line. If you can't find them there I suggest checking the vhs section of your local thrift store.