Retro Slashers

You are browsing the archives of 1988.

Joe Spinell cannot die. Yet he has been dead for almost fourteen years. The sweaty, pock-marked Maniac is a beloved figure in retro slasher history, but he did several movies that were essentially variations of the same figure. We’ve been blessed with Spinell popping up every few years in another long lost lumbering, muttering role.

You have to hand it to Amsterdamned – it’s got one hell of a gimmick. By 1988, the slasher genre had given us killers who hid their faces behind hockey masks, gasmasks, clown masks, William Shatner masks, owl masks, pillow cases, chunks of stitched-together human skin… It was only a matter of time before one [...]

With A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 3: The Dream Warriors making an astonishing $44m at the box office, there was little doubt that a third sequel would soon follow

The only problem when a movie delivers a shock ending right out of left field is how exactly do you follow that on?

I have to admit mild trepidation when I decided to make Shot on Video Month a reality. I mean, most SOV movies are POS, you know? And I’m watching a lot of films I haven’t seen before. I was taking a big chance and although I’m famous for being a big adventurer John Huston style, [...]

While Maniac Cop cannot be considered a straight slasher, it certainly borrows enough from the genre for it to share enough similarities with various slice ‘n’ dice classics. Directed by William Lustig, the man responsible for the disturbing 1980 chiller Maniac, and based on a script by B-movie filmmaker Larry Cohen

What permeated the air in the late 80s that made it so… so … so stonewashed… so feathery… so scrunchie socked? What, I ask? Iced is a prime example of the late 80s in all its bad fashion glory. Unfortunately, it’s not scary, but it’s an awful lot of fun in one tiny time capsule. [...]

By the end of the 80s, the slasher genre had practically hung out its machete to dry. With very few movies able to find a theatrical release, many of the lower budgeted fare found its niche in the home video market, but slashers were becoming more of a rarity by the minute. Hide and Go [...]

There have been more misses than hits in the pantheon of the Halloween franchise. I guess whenever you try to string along a series of movies based on only the most minimal of story, that’s bound to happen. Fortunately, when this indefatigable legacy churns out a good movie, then it’s really good. Such is the [...]

Two hotdog skiers race each other for the right to bed the lovely Trina (Debra DeLiso from Slumber Party Massacre). Cory (Doug Stevenson) wins and quickly moves in for his reward while loser Jeff (Dan Smith) gets drunk and skies off the side of a mountain. Luckily, Jeff is saved from crashing into the snow [...]