Blood, Guts, and Maniacal Madmen: My Top 10 Slasher Films of All Time
May 26 '00 (Updated May 29 '00)
Well, seeing as it’s been a few days since my last specialized top 10 horror films list, I figured we’d close out this week with what is probably the toughest list I’ve done to date: My top 10 slasher films of all time.
I can hear you asking "why is a top 10 slasher film list so hard, Mike?" Well, for several reasons, actually. First, no other subgenre of film has so dominated an entire genre as the slasher films did horror from the late 70’s onward. The sheer number of films put out in that span of time that fell within the guidelines of slasher cinema is simply staggering. If you told me you’d seen every slasher film ever made, I’d laugh at you—it’s just not possible. There are literally years worth of low-budget, drive-in (and later, direct to video) fare out there…it would take a lifetime to see all of them, provided that filmmakers never made another (yeah, sure…), and that you could track them all down. So, by volume alone, this list was incredibly difficult to compile. I’ve not seen every slasher film (although I do believe I’ve seen landmark films in the field—and that means more than all the Friday the 13th films), so this list is my own personal top 10, based on my own tastes. If I haven’t seen a film, it won’t be on the list.
In that same vein, since there are so many films to consider, it seems inevitable that I’ll neglect to include some film that was more than deserving of making the cut. feel free to post alternate suggestions to the message board for this review so I that I can feel like a dork for missing some obvious choices.
The other area that presents a problem is an academic one. Slasher cinema seems to be a fairly American phenomenon. Yes, other countries have made slasher films (in fact, a Japanese one makes my list) but when one thinks of slasher films, they tend to think of America—except for one instance…the Italian gialli. The gialli are Italian thrillers, which feature a killer who murders his (or her) victims in an elaborate, slasher-esque, fashion. Most of Dario Argento and Mario Bava’s films fall into the realm of the giallo. Still, the giallo had a profound impact on early American slasher cinema—and while the two are different forms (at least slightly different) I’m considering gialli as slasher films for this list.
Okay, now that we’ve gotten all of that out of the way, onto my top 10 slasher films of all time, presented, as usual, in no particular order.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho—There probably aren’t too many people who consider this film a slasher flick, but its influence would be felt for years after its release. Norman Bates is the grandfather of the cinematic mass murderer—a madman with a powerful compulsion to kill. Hitchcock’s film is a masterwork of horror cinema, and certainly paved the way for the Freddies, Jasons, and Michael Myers of today.
Bob Clark’s Black Christmas—This under appreciated 1974 gem is a masterpiece in the slasher canon. A sorority house full of young girls are menaced by the obscene phone calls of a madman—a madman who’s calling from inside the house. The twist (that he’s calling from inside the house) would be used time and time again in subsequent years (until it became a joke), but no film would ever duplicate the insanity inherent in Billy’s crank calls. Billy plays out a twisted domestic drama, complete with screams, changing voices, and so on during his calls, making them some of the most intense, terrifying prank calls ever recorded. Scream 2 would pay homage to Billy with the opening cell phone call from the theater bathroom—where Ghostface mentions the name Billy and mimics the calls. Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about Black Christmas is how it works in opposition to what would later become slasher cliché. Our heroine isn’t virginal—in fact, she’s had sex, is pregnant, and is planning on getting an abortion—which makes her a far cry from the typical survivor in these films. If you haven’t seen Black Christmas, put it on your ‘to rent’ list…it’s creepy, cool, and it has John Saxon in it—what more could you want?
Dario Argento’s Tenebre—Tenebre is an elaborately crafted giallo from Italian auteur Dario Argento. Inspired by a real life event (wherein Argento was stalked by a crazed fan) Tenebre tells the story of Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa), an American novelist in Rome to promote his latest book Tenebrae. While there, he attracts the attention of a demented madman, who begins killing people according to the methods in the novel. Filled with style, an intriguing plot (with a great twist), a rocking Goblin soundtrack and a gory ending, Tenebre stands as one of Argento’s best films. It’s got everything a good slasher flick needs—a demented killer, naked women, gruesome murder, and John Saxon…it doesn't get any better than this.
William Lustig’s Maniac—This 1980 sleazefest starring the late Joe Spinnell as the title character isn’t your traditional slasher film. Lustig takes Maniac and makes it more of a character study than out and out stalk and kill flick, but it’s still safely within the realm of slasher cinema. Spinnell plays a haunted killer whose mother died when he was young. Traumatized by this event, he fills his apartment with female mannequins—mannequins he covers with the scalps from his female victims. Eventually, Spinnell falls in love with a fashion photographer (played by Caroline Munro)…but even love can’t stop his murderous ways as the film climaxes with a scene full of depraved imagery. Unfortunately, Spinnell would pass on before Maniac 2 could be completed. The film itself features some great gore (including the infamous Tom Savini created ‘shotgun blast to the head’ scene, which, to this day, is still the best of its kind) and an incredible sequence where Spinnell stalks a young nurse through a deserted subway station. Tracking down a copy of Maniac is well worth the effort for slasher fans.
Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street—No slasher list would be complete without mentioning at least one entry from each of the ‘big three’ slasher series’. Craven’s film is really an under appreciated masterpiece of horror cinema. It’s got an original storyline (charred supernatural maniac Freddy Krueger kills kids through their nightmares), a good cast, a great score, incredible gore (including the scene where Johnny Depp is swallowed by his bed—which then spits a geyser of blood onto the ceiling), and a real mind-bending take on what’s real and what’s a dream. Truthfully, this is the watershed slasher film—the one that improved upon all the formulaic films that had come before it, and set the tone for what was to come…and if all that weren’t cool enough for ya, John Saxon is in this film too.
Toshiharu Ikeda’s Evil Dead Trap—Don’t be put off by the lame title, this 1988 Japanese slasher flick is very cool. Nami hosts a late night video show in Japan. When she receives a videotape showing a woman being murdered, along with directions to the site, she loads up her film crew and sets out to see what’s really going on. They arrive at the isolated compound and are murdered one by one, in increasingly more brutal ways. The film is stylish and intense, and it’s only fault is an absurd, out of left field, supernatural twist ending that sort of ruins the mood. Still, this film is good up till that point—very good, in fact. And its definitely worth the effort to find a bootleg since there’s been no official American release on video.
Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th—What’s really left to be said about the film that almost single-handedly launched the whole slasher movement? Made in response to the success of John Carpenter’s Halloween, Friday the 13th is a good, solid slasher film that managed to cash in on being in the right place at the right time. Technically speaking, it’s nothing all that great. Sean Cunningham isn’t much of a director, most of the cast sucks, and the film doesn’t even actually feature Jason—but it’s still a pretty decent film that manages to pull off a few good scares during its short running time (including that last one on the lake). It seems wrong not to include an actual Jason flick on the list, so if you’d like, substitute this movie with either Friday the 13th Part 4: The Final Chapter, or Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives (which are my two favorite ‘Jason’ films—although I will admit to liking the sleazy and violent Friday the 13th Part 5: A New Beginning a whole lot too.)
Michele Soavi’s Stagefright aka Aquarius aka Bloody Bird—Dario Argento protégé and Italian auteur in his own right, Michele Soavi makes the list with this very cool 1987 slasher film. A group of actors are preparing to put on a horror musical based on the deeds of a real life mass murderer. Soon, it becomes apparent that they have their own mass murderer amongst them—but only after they’ve been locked inside the theater for an all night rehearsal and lost the key to get out. What ensues is a tense fight for survival as a sadistic killer picks the thespians off one by one. It’s no secret that I’m a huge Michele Soavi fan and this is perhaps his most underrated film. Technically adept filmmaking with a good story, cool gore, a solid cast, and a nice soundtrack make this one of the best slashers that almost no one has ever seen. And while it lacks the presence of John Saxon, it’s got something just as good—perennial Italian whipping boy John Morghen (Giovanni Lombardo Radice) who dies hard—as always. Copies of this film are hard to come by (especially the Japanese laserdisc) but it is out there—waiting for those of you with the determination to find it.
Dario Argento’s Deep Red aka Profundo Rosso —Lots of hardcore Argentophiles cite this as Dario’s masterwork—and while I prefer Tenebre and Suspiria a bit more, there is no doubt that this is a great film. David Hemmings plays a jazz pianist in Rome, who, one night, witnesses a murder. Eventually, he and reporter Daria Nicolodi begin investigating the crime—and it’s an investigation that may well cost them their lives. This is one of the seminal films in Argento’s filmography for a number of reasons. First, it’s the first film to showcase his burgeoning style. Deep Red was the first film where Argento really went crazy with the exotic visuals, the weird camera angles, and the incongruous cuts that he would become famous for. It’s also the first film that Italian horror supergroup Goblin would score for him. This one has just been released, uncut, on video and DVD…if you’re new to Dario’s work, check out Deep Red—it’s a great giallo/slasher.
John Carpenter’s Halloween—Last, but certainly not least, is John Carpenter’s 1978 low-budget masterpiece. This deceptively simple story about a madman stalking a group of babysitters in a suburban neighborhood on Halloween night took audiences by storm. Carpenter’s stylish direction, tight script, and moody score combined with solid performances from a cast of relative unknowns and Dean Cundy’s fantastic cinematography to make what might be the quintessential slasher film. Michael Myers (aka The Shape) is the perfect embodiment of absolute evil here. Donald Pleasence’s Dr. Loomis is great as the Ahab-like character trying to stop him. Simply put, this is slasher perfection. If you haven’t seen Halloween, crawl out from under the rock you’ve been living beneath for the last twenty years and get yourself to a video store…this is a must see movie.
Honorable Mentions:
Yeah, this is running long already, but there are too many other good films that didn’t make the cut that still deserve a nod…and here they are.
Mario Bava’s Bay of Blood aka Twitch of the Death Nerve—this was an early effort from Italian master Mario Bava. Basically, it’s a gory spoof of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, but it’s also had a definite influence on future slasher films. F13 2 and 3 director Steve Miner admits to borrowing several murder sequences from Bay for his films.
Mario Bava’s Blood and Black Lace—a masked killer stalks a group of models in this Bava classic. High on style and low on gore, this giallo was very stylish in terms of visuals and lighting. It also had a definite influence on the work of Dario Argento.
Lamberto Bava’s A Blade in the Dark—Mario Bava’s son directed this gory slasher about a musician staying at an isolated cabin while composing the score for a horror film. Good stuff.
Wes Craven’s Scream—the slasher film as hip, self-referential parody. Viewed on its own merits, it’s a fairly taut slasher film. Features a really brutal opening murder.
Dario Argento’s Phenomena—Cool and stylish slasher about a young girl (Jennifer Connelly) who can communicate telepathically with insects. She uses this gift to track a killer responsible for the murder of several young girls.
Lucio Fulci’s New York Ripper—not for everyone, this sleazy offering from godfather of Italian gore Lucio Fulci is gory and gross, but also unintentionally hilarious in parts—particularly with it’s Daffy Duck-voiced killer.
And there you have it…my top 10 slasher films of all time, along with a few honorable mentions. For those of you who read all the way through, thanks. I hope you find a few new films here that you haven’t seen…and more importantly, I hope you dig them as much as I do.
Thanks for reading.
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