Despite committing suicide in the first movie, Deborah once again appears in flashbacks to Michael’s juvenile incarceration. As to how this exactly fits into the new sequel, find out next month!

Source: Rob Zombie

Outside of the usual slasher formula, one of my favourite ‘killing teenagers’ movies from the eighties was Heathers, a black comedy which introduced audiences to the coolest pair from the ‘brat pack’ – Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. Released back in 1989, the movie was directed by first-timer Michael Lehmann and penned by Daniel Waters (who would later work on Batman Returns).

The film told of a group of spoilt students at Westerburg High School in Columbus, Ohio, known as the ‘Heathers.’ These include Heather Chandler (the late Kim Walker), Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk) and Heather Duke (Shannon Doherty), who have invited former nerd Veronica Sawyer (Ryder) into their ranks. Disillusioned with her new fake life, she finds comfort in the arms of rebel J.D. (Slater), and when she starts to develop the urge to rid the school of their negative influence, J.D.’s methods turn somewhat homicidal.

Over the years, there has been talk that a sequel may one day be in the works. On the documentary Swatch Dogs And Diet Cokeheads that was included on the Anchor Bay disc, the principal cast members and Waters all expressed interest in making a second Heathers film. And with both Slater and Ryder’s careers not what they were twenty years ago, perhaps this what they both needed to regain some credibility.

But recently Lehmann was asked during an interview if there will ever be a new movie, sadly his response was not very positive. “Winona’s been talking about this for years - she brings it up every once in a while and Dan Waters and I will joke about it, but as far as I know there’s no script and no plans to do the sequel,” says the filmmaker, who followed Heathers with a string of disappointing efforts (Meet the Applegates, Hudson Hawk, 40 Days and 40 Nights).

“A couple weeks ago everyone started talking about it and I guess Winona said the movie was gonna get made, and I thought, “I don’t know, maybe they did this without me?” But I got in touch with Dan Waters and he said he didn’t know anything about it. So I don’t think there’s any truth to it.”

Source: Movieline

Check out these new images from the movie…

Source: DVD-Forum

By 1983 there had been so many slasher films – both independent and studio financed – that the best way for a movie to stand out amongst the pack was by adding a ‘money shot.’ Friday the 13th had the arrow-though-the-neck gag, The Burning had the raft massacre and Just Before Dawn had the fist-down-the-throat finale. Sleepaway Camp, meanwhile, had a chick with a dick. In fact, Robert Hiltzik’s directorial debut was loaded with so many taboos (a paedophile chef being the most unpleasant) it was a wonder it was ever made. Allegedly inspired by an incident from his childhood, Hiltzik was just twenty five when he wrote and directed this deviant and bizarre summer camp slasher, with its various sexual subtexts and twist ending guaranteeing Sleepaway Camp a cult following. Several sequels would follow but the original would remain the most unique and unsettling of the series.

Enjoying a day at the lake, John (Dan Tursi) and his children, Angela (Colette Lee Corcoran) and Peter (Frank Sorrentino), sit leisurely in a sailboat whilst they watch the various other vacationers having fun. The two youngsters eventually cause the boat to overturn, sending them all into the water. Further up the lake, Craig (Paul Poland) is riding his motorboat with Mary Ann (Alyson Mord), whilst their friend Dolores (Carol Robinson) is waterskiing behind them. Suddenly the boat finds itself crossing baths with the family and the father and one of his kids are mowed down, killing them instantly. John’s ‘friend,’ Lenny (James Paradise), who had accompanied the family, looks on helplessly. Eight years pass and Angela (Felissa Rose) is now in her early teens and living with her creepy Aunt Martha (Desiree Gould). Since the accident, Angela has become a shy and awkward soul, unable to cope with the loss of her family.

With the summer holidays arriving, Angela and her cousin, Ricky (Jonathan Tiersten) are sent away to Camp Arawak. The staff are made up of a selection of despicable and unpleasant characters, including the obnoxious owner, Mel (Mike Kellin) and the chef, Artie (Owen Hughes), who seems to have an unhealthy appetite for young children. Upon arrival, Angela meets Ricky’s friend Paul (Christopher Collet), whom she seems to share a connection with. Ricky’s girlfriend from the previous summer, Judy (Karen Fields), now seems to have distanced herself from him and looks down on Angela like she is a freak. One of Judy’s friends, Meg (Katherine Kamhi), informs the head counselor Ronnie (Paul DeAngelo) that Angela has not been eating, but matters become worse when Ronnie brings her to meet Artie, who takes an instant shine to her. But when he takes her into the pantry and begins to unzip his trousers, Ricky manages to catch them in time.

Some time later, as Artie is preparing a meal in a huge pot a figure appears behind him. Grabbing and thrusting him forward, Artie begs for his life, indicating that the perpetrator is a ‘kid.’ But as he falls forward the pot loses its balance and the boiling water pours over him. Desperate to keep the news from the counselors, Mel asks another cook, Ben (Robert Earl Jones), to fill in for Artie whilst he tries to avoid the parents hearing about the incident. Angela continues to keep herself distanced from any social activities, including skinny dipping. In fact, the only person who she seems comfortable around is Paul, who is obviously attracted to her. But as the bodies soon begin to pile up, suspicion immediately falls on Angela, mainly due to her odd behaviour, but eventually the truth is revealed in one of the most twisted endings to any slasher film.

It is impossible to review Sleepaway Camp without discussing the ending, so those who have yet to see it should probably stop reading about now. Whereas most other films in the slasher genre would boast a final girl, the one present in Sleepaway Camp defies all expectations. For a start, whilst they are usually shy and uncomfortable with the usual teenage activities, Angela is almost mute throughout the story, causing most of the other kids to either ridicule or just ignore her altogether. The fact that it is not revealed in the opening sequence which of John’s children actually died seems irrelevant as Angela appears in the following scene, but once the twist ending is revealed it becomes clear that the audience have been tricked for the last hour and a half. With the real Angela having perished along with her father, Aunt Martha had adopted the surviving child, Peter, but having always wanted a daughter decides to dress the young boy up as a girl.

The final revelation, where Angela stands naked with the severed head of Paul in her hand, may seem somewhat far fetched but is the sort of image that stays with a viewer long after the film has ended. Despite the scene basically showing a young boy’s penis, the effect was achieved by the filmmakers finding an eighteen year old student and loading him up on alcohol, before attaching a Felissa Rose mask over his face. The scene may not be entirely plausible or even logical, but there is very little about Sleepaway Camp which is normal. Hiltzik had fashioned a disturbing tale, full of every type of cretin imaginable, and whilst the film often fails to convince, the sheer surrealism of the script and Rose’s convincing performance help cover up its shortcomings. An acquired taste for sure, but those interested in a slasher that’s a little different may take great pleasure in this.

Check it out for yourself – the top image is the brand new one sheet, and the one below was the poster first released back in March.

As previously reported, Englund is to appear in the upcoming web series Fear Clinic, which also co-stars Elm Street’s dream master Lisa Wilcox and Halloween’s Danielle Harris.

“I’m just ready to go back and kill teenage girls again,” laughs the former bastard son of a thousand maniacs, who has since been replaced by Jackie Earle Haley. “I want to go out and I really want to sell my book. And I want to sell Fear Clinic. Because I really believe in both of them. I’m happy with both of them.”

Source: FEARnet

Head on over to Zombie’s eBay page and try your luck by following the link below. Bid ends on the July 7.

Source: Rob Zombie

“There’s very few webseries that I have seen that look good, and that kind of take their time to make it good, because they don’t have the money,” says the thirty-two year old actress. “But I think that it doesn’t necessarily take a lot of money to make something good. I’ve seen some big studio films that look like s**t, so I think it’s the passion behind it and the consistency. And I think that this might break the mold for what this looks like.”

Fear Clinic also co-stars Lisa Wilcox, who had previously fought Englund in two A Nightmare on Elm Street films.

Source: IGN

Shot in Antioch, California back in 2007 for just $10,000, Black Devil Doll tells of a young woman (Heather Murphy) who inadvertently summons the spirit of a black militant leader whilst dabbling with an Ouija board. His soul takes over a ventriloquist puppet, targeting Heather and her big breasted friends.

Whilst hardly winning points for subtlety, Black Devil Doll is as extreme as they come, with the promise of full-on nudity and graphic violence guaranteed to tempt fans of cheesy exploitation flicks.

For more information visit the official site

Whilst having enjoyed a long and distinguished career,many horror fans may recognise screen legend Karl Malden from Dario Argento’s second feature Il gatto a nove code (The Cat o’ Nine Tails), in which he portrayed a blind former journalist who investigates a series of murders involving scientists.

With Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Fred Travalena having passed away within the last week, Malden died earlier today from natural causes. Having forged a career with the likes of The Streets of San Francisco, as well as various collaborations with Marlon Brando, Malden had been working in the industry for over thirty years before starring in one of Argento’s most poorly received and misunderstood films.

Walden’s last screen appearance was in an episode of hit show The West Wing back in 2000. He passed away at his home in Brentwood at ninety-seven.

More news on the upcoming remake of the 1980 slasher Mother’s Day. As previously revealed, the film will be directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (who lensed the first three Saw sequels) and produced by Twisted Pictures.

According to Production Weekly, the six and a half week shoot will commence on August 24 in Winnipeg, Canada. Yet, Bousman’s own Twitter page has been quiet of late with regards to the project, instead commenting on drunk drivers and Repo! The Genetic Opera’s inclusion in this year’s Comic-Con.

Source: Production Weekly

Back in 2004, Tim Seeley created one of the best horror comics in recent years with the stylish and sexy HACK/SLASH. Based around the character of Cassie Hack, who travels the land fighting various slasher-style maniacs, the series became a hit and soon a feature film was in the works. Retro Slashers talks exclusively with Tim about the evoloution of HACK/SLASH…

How did you first become involved with Devil’s Due Publishing and what were your earlier duties with them?  How did Hack/Slash come about and where did you get the initial concept from?
“I met Josh Blaylock WAAAAAY back in 1996, and we kept in touch over our mutual plans to be huge in comics someday. When he got the G.I. Joe comic license, he invited me to help out as a sort of editor/artist. I worked there for almost 7 years, so it worked out alright. I came up with H/S in 2004 as a way for me to have something to write, to coincide with having plenty of shit to draw. The initial concept came from spending too much time watching every slasher movie franchise that existed, and making some kind of weird realization that all slasher films belonged in the same “universe.” Cassie and Vlad became a way to tell stories set within that larger world.”

What slasher films in particular were you a fan of when you were younger and are there any which had a major influence on the look and feel of Hack/Slash? Had your comic had created during the genre’s heyday of the early eighties how different do you think it would have been to the one of today?
“I was terrified by the Nightmare on Elm Street films as a kid, but it wasn’t until I saw Halloween as a teen that I realized that there was an art to it. I think each Hack/Slash story derives its look and feel from a separate film or series of films, and even sometimes multiple films or a subgenre. Had H/S come out in the 80s…well, for one, it would have sucked ass, as I was like 10 years old, and lemme tell ya, I was a terrible writer, and artist then. But, I think, H/S, owes so much to the 80s that very little would have been different had it come out then, save that Cassie would wear sweater dresses and Vlad’s name would have been “Ducky.””

Cassie Hack has a very distinctive image – a sexy, young girl in revealing clothing. Did you base her look on anyone in particular and did you feel from the very beginning that sexuality was a major part of the character?
“Physically, she is based on a real girl, with the features of a few other women thrown in…it’s obvious I’m a sucker for ladies, so it’s no secret I draw inspiration from the girls I’ve had crushes on. As for the sexuality in Cassie’s look. one thing I really wanted to do was play around with an attractive female character that didn’t look like the typical comic heroine, while making her attractiveness a side effect of her situation. The girls in slasher movies, the ones who survive, tend to be very “virginal. ” Hell, they’re often even frumpy. Cassie’s sexiness is an evolution of her character, but I try to make sure it doesn’t define her, I guess.”

At what point of you creating the story did Vlad come about and was he inspired by anything in particular, as he seemed somewhat reminiscent of Bane from the Batman comics?
“Not Bane really. Vlad actually was conceived as “a nice Jason Voorhees.” He was intended to be the sort of beastial, social pariah who turns out as a decent reasonable human being. His name comes from my grandpa, whose name is Vladislov, and the gas mask I think comes from a story he told about being in World War 2 and having to eat lunch sitting on the frozen bodies of German soldiers who’d been killed in a gas attack. Sorry…that’s a tad grim for Hack/Slash.”

What aspect of Hack/Slash came first – the characters or the premise? Did you create Cassie and Vlad first and then decide on the story or did you always know from the start you wanted to create a slasher comic?
“The premise came first, but Cass came right after that. I’d been wanting to do something with a sort of tough-as-nails girl who didn’t look like the standard big-boobed blonde, and Cass seemed to find her spot in the H/S world. Vlad came last, as I knew I wanted her to have a partner to allow me to do a “buddy” story.”

One major part of Cassie’s back-story is her mother, referred to as The Lunch Lady, who had been responsible for murdering children at her school. Did you decide from the beginning that Cassie would have some kind of personal connection to slasher villains and were there other monsters that you toyed with before you settled on The Lunch Lady?
“I knew she had to have survived a “slasher movie” that we never saw from the beginning. The Lunch Lady actually kind of came from the fact that it seemed like a high percentage of psychos and killers from my home state of Wisconsin were cannibals or something of the sort.”

Was this a difficult concept to sell to the publishers or did they immediately see the potential? Did you create the story and then approach them or did they request a new concept from you?
“Well, I was lucky in that I worked IN the DDp office, and could bother Josh Blaylock all the time if need be. Which is what I did. I wrote up a pitch, got bunch of art together from Stefano Casselli, and bothered Josh until he agreed to publish the book. Josh is not a huge horror fan, but I think he saw that I was passionate about the book and would do my best to make it good.”

Has copyright been a major obstacle for you, restricting which iconic characters from horror movies you can feature in your stories?
“It never did, as I’ve only ever used other people’s characters when I had permission. The Evil Ernie people, the Chucky owners…I had permission, and had no trouble. That, of course changed with the Re-Animator crossover. I had permission from the owner of the film series, but some jerks who decided they owned the comic rights to the name decided to make my life hell, and throw some legal shit at us. I was in the right, of course, but in law, as you probably know, being right is not as good as having money. So, the readers suffered, for no good reason. But that’s over for now, and I’ll probably avoid anything I didn’t create for a bit.”

How long did it take for audiences to discover Hack/Slash? Was this something which slowly grew through word-of-mouth or was its success immediate?
“Heh, I don’t know really. I think the first issue did better than I or Josh expected, but our expectations were pretty low. I think for H/S, we really sort of found out legs when we put out the trades, which sell even better than the monthly series. I think we’re a book which appeals to readers outside of typical comic book circles, and they like to read the book in a nice fat trade paperback format.”

Whilst Hack/Slash is most definitely a slasher at heart, what other types of genres – both cinematical and comic – were you inspired by? How did the likes of Herbert West become involved?
“I think H/S draws from a lot of things, largely because, to make an ongoing narrative, you can’t do the same formula all the time. We’ve homaged everything from slasher movies to torture porn to Archie comics. We’re going to do a superhero story coming up. SO, we’ll do whatever we can to keep it fresh, and most of all fun.”

At what point were you approached regarding the story being adapted into a feature film and were you ever signed on to write the screenplay yourself?
“It was pretty early on..2005 I guess. My agent had been shopping it around, and Rogue Pictures bit. I was never in consideration to write the screenplay. Heh, that’s rarely done in Hollywood. I did do some work on one of the early drafts with Todd Lincoln, the director, but I’m sure none of that stuff will survive to the filming draft.”

To keep the film loyal to the comic, the violence would have to be extremely bloody, which could cause issues with the MPAA. Had the studio always intended on aiming the film at adults?
“It seems like the studio has flip flopped on that. They seemed to think it should be R, but with the success of stuff like Twilight, PG-13 gets executives all hot in the pants these days. I guess I don’t know for sure. That shit can change on a dime.”

How did Todd Lincoln become involved as writer/director and how much did the two of you collaborate over the look of the film?
“Todd actually was looking to direct an adaptation of the film before he ever got the job. It was kismet I guess. He found the studio, the studio found him, and magic occurred. Todd was always very cool about asking me my opinion, and getting my input, even though that was never required of him.”

Is the screenplay planned on being an adaptation of a specific story or a compilation of ideas from various issues?
“At this point, I can’t say for sure. I’ve seen 4 or 5 versions of the script, and I’m sure it’s evolved and morphed even since then. That’s Hollywood for ya.”

During development, various names have been linked to the characters, such as Megan Fox and Michael Clarke Duncan. Did you designed any of them with specific actors in mind and who has been attached for the project over the years?
“No. I wouldn’t do that simply because I know how fact that can change. Everyone is H/S is designed to be a comic book character. I could care less about who’s hot in Hollywood at any given moment, and I’d never draw Vlad as Eminem or something just to sell the property. As long as the actor and actress who get the roles are good at their craft, I’m a-okay with it.”

The movie has been quiet for some time, with no websites or magazines having given updates since last year. Exactly whereabouts is pre-production right now and is the film likely to happen?
“The film WILL happen. Rogue has put a lot of work and money into it. When? I don’t know exactly. You’d probably have to ask Rogue.”

If the film is released and becomes a success, do you think this could be the start of a new franchise, as there are plenty of stories to choose from?
“I personally think so, but it’s hard to say what will turn the crank of the next Hollywood executive in charge.”

How involved were you with the Suicide Girls photo shoot that was an homage to Hack/Slash. How did this come about and were you already familiar with the site?
“I was a fan of the site for awhile. Like I said, I’m a sucker for a pretty lady, so I always wanted to do something for the site. I actually DREW Cassie’s set, so I spent a week drawing her naked. Rough life, I know.”

Of all the lost-in-the-wilderness slashers to appear in the early eighties (which would include The Final Terror and The Forest), Jeff Lieberman’s backwards thriller Just Before Dawn was arguable the most beautifully shot and well crafted, perfectly capturing the deadly beauty of the Oregon mountains. Having previously helmed the nature-run-amok flick Squirm, Lieberman had been hired by adult producer Jonas Middleton to re-write and direct a script by first-time writer Mark Arywitz entitled The Last Ritual. The resulting effort would be Just Before Dawn, which would take key elements from Arywitz’s premise and draw heavily from such classics as Deliverance and The Hills Have Eyes. Lieberman would deny that his movie was a slasher, indicating that the likes of Friday the 13th had not even been released as his own film was being shot, but regardless, Just Before Dawn is one of the most underrated slashers of its era.

Returning home from a day’s hunting, Ty (Mike Kellin) and his nephew, Vachel (Charles Bartlett), stop by at an abandoned church to finish off their beers. Whilst drinking at the later, Ty notices a silhouette pass over a hole in the roof and so heads outside to get a better look. Suddenly their pick-up truck rolls down the hill and crashes into a tree, bursting into flames. Vechel opens the door to see what the commotion is when from out of nowhere the figure (John Hunsaker) appears and attacks him with a saw. Moments later, Ty sees the shape leaving the church wearing Vachel’s clothes but soon realises what has happened and so escapes into the trees. Meanwhile, a group of friends are heading into the mountains to a property owned by the family of Warren (Gregg Henry). On his journey he is accompanied by girlfriend Constance (Deborah Benson), Daniel (Ralph Seymour), his brother Jonathan (Chris Lemmon) and Megan (Jamie Rose), Jonathan’s girlfriend.

On their travels they make various comments about incest and other clichés regarding country folk, before a deer suddenly runs out across the road in front of them. Further up into the mountains they come across Roy McLean (George Kennedy), a local forest ranger who warns them about straying too far into the woods. Ignoring him, they continue on their way, eventually stopping when Daniel hears a strange noise. As they head outside to investigate they find an eccentric and drunk Ty, who tries to get a lift from them but they refuse. But, as the van drives away, Ty notices that the figures has climbed on top. Realising that he is finally safe, he walks off in the opposite direction to enjoy his drink. Once they get to the end of the line, the group take what they need to hike through the mountains and set off, unaware that the killer has followed them.

That night, Constance, Daniel and Megan are settled around the campfire when they begin to hear noises from within the bushes. Scared of what may pounce out at them, Megan grabs a knife and challenges whoever is there to show themselves. A moment later, Warren and Jonathan appear from the trees, laughing at the joke they had played. The following day they see a young girl sat by the lake but as soon as she is made aware of their presence she runs away. Meanwhile, Roy find Ty who confesses about what happened to his nephew and, realising that the strangers are vacationing in the mountains, sets out to find them. The figure manages to track them down and, one by one, brutally slaughters them until only two survive, who eventually discover the truth behind the monster and the creepy locals.

Just Before Dawn is by far Lieberman’s most impressive work to date – well paced, tense and competently acted. Despite most of the cast being relatively unknown, the likes of Henry and Benson shine, particularly during the gruesome climax. The original script called for a bizarre snake ritual which was thankfully omitted during Lieberman’s re-writers (under the pseudonym Gregg Irving). The landscape, shot at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, is breathtaking and becomes a character unto itself, a constant threat to the outsiders. Whilst the concept of city slickers lost in the woods is hardly original, the characterisation is far more impressive than, say, The Hills Have Eyes, and Lieberman’s refusal to follow the standard slasher formula of having invincible helps keep the story credible.

Despite hardly being a gory film, the action packed finale would be provided by FX artist Matthew W. Mungle and shot in the director’s back garden and is a true show-stopping moment. Benson’s progression from naïve young woman to brutal final girl is well realised and Henry provides a likable performance (he would later appear in the likes of Bates Motel and 24). Hunsaker plays the dual role of mutant killers adequately and Kennedy delivers the goods as usual. Comparisons to the likes of Deliverance are inevitable, with suburbanites straying away from the comforts of the city and paying the price for their ignorance, but Just Before Dawn manages to stand on its own two feet and, thanks to a talented cast and a smart director, what could have been just another slasher proves to be the best of its kind.

Whilst a vanilla edition has been out on region 2 since forever, Shout! Factory are set to release Joseph Ruben’s suburban slasher The Stepfather on October 13, just three days before the remake hits cinemas.

Remastered and loaded with interviews and commentaries, though it is unclear as yet whether or not the man himself, Terry (Lost) O’Quinn will be taking part.

Source: Fangoria

Noted comedy entertainer Fred Travalena (IMDB Profile) has passed away at age 66. The amiable funnyman played three different roles in the unreleased slasher spoof NIGHT OF THE DRIBBLER (1995) and has a veritable laundry list of stand-up, impersonator and acts gigs. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

As recently as March, Travalena recorded audio commentary for Code Red’s forthcoming DRIBBLER disc (pictured below with Scott Spiegel) and appeared in good spirits. Code Red were set to release the story of a basketball team besieged by a Spalding-headed killer in July, however it was recently removed from schedule. Sadly, Travalena never saw a release for the movie.

It’s unknown if his passing will result in a rush to release, or further delay as appropriate tribute material is added. As soon as we know, you’ll know.

RIP Fred Travalena.

Shock Till You Drop have just posted the artwork to the third and final season of Friday the 13th: The Series, Paramount’s unrelated spin-off to its successful film franchise.

Pick up a copy on September 22.

Source: STYD

Special features will include -
Audio Commentary with Richard Stanley
Sea of Perdition - Short Film
Making of Documentary
Early Super 8 Version of Hardware

Whilst the extras are not quite as impressive as the UK release (which came with art cards and a mini comic), there will be a limited amount of copies unleashed in a lush metal tin.  The DVD is pitched as a 2-Disc release so perhaps there will be more special features forthcoming.

Hardware will be released ‘on or about 9/29/09.’

Source: diabolikdvd.com

To select one of the three below click here and vote now!

With so many slashers being released between 1980 and 1982, there were countless films that fail to receive the recognition they deserved. Whilst hardly the masterpiece that Halloween was, Jimmy Huston’s 1981 campus thriller Final Exam was an above average effort which benefited from an atmospheric score and impressive use of shadows. The story may have been textbook – a killer stalks a group of kids at a boarding college – but Huston at least boasted a few unique ideas to keep the viewer interested. Yet Final Exam is one of the most dismissed slashers of the early eighties, often mentioned in the same breath as Don’t Go in the Woods…Alone! and Graduation Day as examples of how generic this type of film can be. And whilst it’s hardly likely to convert those that despise the genre, it is still a worth addition to a slasher fan’s video collection.

Two students from March College pull up on lover’s lane and begin to make out in the darkness. The girl (Carol Capka) is somewhat reluctant to stay out in such a creepy environment, but her boyfriend (Shannon Norfleet) convinces her that they are safe. Convinced that she can hear a noise outside, she asks him to put the top back up on the convertible, but as they head onto the backseat and continue to explore each other a figure (Timothy L. Raynor) quietly heads over and bangs against the car. Thinking they are his quarterback friends, he man ignores the sounds but suddenly feet appear as someone climbs on top of the hood and tears the roof open. The man starts the car and tries to drive away but the figure drags him out and repeatedly stabs him as the girlfriend looks on hysterical.

The following day at the nearby Lanier College, Courtney (Cecile Bagdadi) sits on the stairs studying before making her way outside. There she meets up with her friends, spoilt freeloader Lisa (DeAnna Robbins) and hopeless romantic Janet (Sherry Willis-Burch). As they head across the campus they are joined by frat brother Mark (John Fallon) and nerd Radish (John S. Rice), who clearly has an obsession with Courtney. He reveals the details of the grizzly murders the night before and expresses disappointment at how the killer only managed to carve up two victims, reciting his useless knowledge of serial killer trivia. Janet’s boyfriend, Gary (Terry W. Farren) is a pledge for Mark’s fraternity and is the constant victim of his cruel jokes and bullying, along with his equally arrogant friend Wildman (Ralph Brown).

After what appears to be a terrorist shooting is revealed to have been a stunt by the Gamma Delta fraternity, lead by Wildman, to allow Gary to cheat during his exam. Radish, believing the incident to be real, phones the police, resulting in a very cynical and angry sheriff (Sam Kilman) reading the riot act. Meanwhile, a van has driven onto campus and the figure has begun to prowl the halls and bushes in search of victims, with Radish constantly warning Courtney about the serious dangers of serial killers, not knowing that one is literally around the corner. Falling for the ‘Cry Wolf’ dilemma, when Radish discovers that a maniac really is loose he phones the police again but this time the sheriff refuses to come out, leaving him and Courtney to face the killer alone.

There are several aspects which lift Final Exam up above many of the other obscure slashers of the era. The score, by first-timer Gary S. Scott (who would later work on Freddy’s Nightmares), is highly effective and helps build the tension, especially during the mid-section of the movie when no murders occur. The partnership of director Huston and cinematographer Darrell Cathcart helps create a sense of danger, with each shadow proving particularly menacing. With the violence being relatively blood-free, much of the film relies on Halloween-like stalking sequences, rather reminiscent of the way that Michael Myers would linger at the side of the screen. Perhaps the film’s most effective moment is when Wildman heads through darkness of the gym, only for the scoreboards to suddenly light up. Confused as to who else is there, he turns on the main lights to discover the killer standing right in front of him.

Unfortunately, whilst Raynor may have mastered chasing his victims, the moments when he is required to be physical with his co-stars (such as during a fist fight with Brown) his performance seems a little wooden, with his punches and kicks being too over-the-top like theatre acting. Whilst Bagdadi proves to be an adequate final girl (particularly during the last few minutes), the star of the show is most definitely Rice, who makes the most of his oddball role. Radish is the most developed of all the characters and Rice portrays him with a mix of camp and eccentricity that not only makes him humorous but also sympathetic. The rest of the cast are made up of generic and wooden performances who, whilst play there parts relatively well, lack any truly memorable characteristics. Final Exam may fall short of being a truly great slasher film but it still worthy of your attention.

After the success of A Nightmare on Elm Street in November 1984, it seemed inevitable that a sequel would soon follow. The final moments of the first movie had been manufactured by the producer in an effort to allow for further instalments, and with approximately $10m made in the first two months of its theatrical run a sequel was rushed into production, making its debut exactly one year later. Freddy had yet to become a symbol of pop culture and the concept of music videos and television shows were far off into the future. With only Robert Englund returning from the previous film, it was decided that a new story with new characters would be the best course of action. This time, instead of Freddy terrorising the protagonist in his dreams he would try to possess his body, a plot point which would anger many of the hardcore fans.

A school bus heads through a quiet neighbourhood, picking up kids on its way. One of the students is Jesse Walsh (Mark Patton), a shy and creepy teenager who shifts uncomfortably in his seat as he tries to open the window. The bus starts to speed up and eventually Jesse and two girls sat at the back (JoAnn Willette and Allison Barron) grow concerned. Suddenly they drive off the road and into the desert, the driver laughing maniacally as he slams his foot down on the accelerator. Eventually they come to a halt and the ground around them starts to crumble, until they are trapped on a small island with the bus rocking back and forth. The driver stands up to reveal Freddy, who drags his claws across the roof as he closes in on them. But as he pounces, Jesse suddenly wakes up in his bed screaming. ‘Why can’t Jesse wake up like everybody else?’ asks his sister (Christie Clark) to her parents (Clu Gulager, Hope Lange).

The Walsh family are new to the town and have moved into 1428 Elm Street, where five years earlier Nancy Thompson had been terrorised by the demonic Krueger and had seen all of her friends brutally slain. Now Jesse is suffering from his own nightmares, where Freddy comes to him and tries to scare him into giving up his body so that he can escape the dream world and stalk the living. Jesse’s only friend is Lisa Webber (Kim Myers), a quiet girl from the rich neighbourhood who has taken a shine to the disturbed young man. During a football game he locks horns with Ron Grady (Robert Rusler), who first comes across as a jock but when the two are forced to do push ups for fighting by their cruel coach (Marshall Bell) they soon discover that they get along. But when Grady tells him about the history of his house, Jesse confronts his father as to how they managed to purchase the home so cheap.

As he packs away his clothes Lisa discovers an old diary at the back of the wardrobe which had belonged to Nancy. Jesse immediately recalls Grady’s story, as well as his own nightmares. Lisa continues to read and eventually does some research on the story of Fred Krueger, which revealed how he had taken his young victims to the boiler room where he had worked and kill them. But Krueger’s hold over Jesse grows stronger, resulting in several brutal murders which all lead back to Jesse. Even as Lisa tries to give him a normal life by inviting him to her pool party and seducing him, the evil inside of him begins to fight back and it’s only a matter of time until one of them loses. Lisa discovers by reading the diary that it is the screams of the victims that give Freddy his power and that only by showing strength and denying him his fear can he stop him.

For various reasons, Freddy’s Revenge is the most misunderstood and despised of the franchise. Many fans felt that it broke the rules of the first film (despite the two sequels which creator Wes Craven would be involved with would break them even further) by allowing him to possess his victims instead of just killing them. A popular analysis amongst critics is that the movie is homophobic in its murder of the gay coach and that it is the love of a woman which eventually saves him. Whilst there are a few elements which seem a little camp (during the fight between Grady and Jesse the latter’s pants are pulled down to reveal his buttocks, he is caught dancing in his room to Touch Me (All Night Long) whilst performing a masturbation-style guitar strum on a tennis racket, and the major give-away, a ‘No Chicks’ sign on his bedroom door), the central theme of the movie is not homosexuality and there is no evidence to prove that the killing of the coach was sexually motivated.

But for its shortcomings, there are several elements which make Freddy’s Revenge truly effective. The combination of Englund’s sneering performance and the makeup by Kevin Yagher make Krueger a very menacing presence, whilst Yagher’s groundbreaking effects (particularly during the scene when Freddy cuts his way out of Jesse’s body) are amongst the best of the series. The cinematography (by Jacques Haitkin and Christopher Tufty) is very impressive and creepy, as is the score by Christopher Young, who would later find acclaim with Hellraiser. Perhaps the film’s most effective set piece is the opening sequence with the school bus, an image which terrorised a generation of children. Whilst Freddy’s Revenge may not be to everyone’s taste, it is certainly an improvement on the later sequels, particularly the fourth and sixth, and thankfully lacks the one-liners and constant pop culture references which would eventually kill the series.