Why do people LOVE Slasher Horror Movies? I know why I do.
1932's Movie Thirteen Women was arguably one of the very first of what could be called a 'Slasher" film. Then for almost 30 years it lay dormant behind Sci-Fi and Movie Monsters. Bring forth the 1960's we have the movies Peeping Tom and Psycho. Now, Psycho was more notably more prominent due to Alfred Hitchcock already being established in the movie industry. But what was it that drew people to this new style of horror? Was it the suspense? Was it the practical effects?
From a young age, I was fascinated by movies. Some of the early movies that gripped me were Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Psycho amongst others. It wasn't until later in life that I began to really examine WHY I really liked these movies. Even though I found the killer to be frightening as all hell, I was interested in seeing how the killer was going to attack his next victim. Early on in the Slasher Category, practical effects were ground-breaking. Using chocolate syrup for blood, karo syrup with red food dye and even Kaopectate (the stomach medicine), they made the scene look real with what they had available. During the 1980's they needed to make things look as realistic as they possibly could, so they developed fake limbs, putty, latex rubber, foam latex and more. I think this is what really drew me in. That creativity to make something so lifelike on that big screen.
Now when CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) took over for practical effects, that scary element was almost removed for me. I could tell that something just didn't look right and unnatural about the way the blood would splatter or flow. The 3D imaging was good for it's era but something was still off, at least from my perspective. In Jason Goes to Hell, I just didn't seem to care as much about him stalking his victims because nothing about the move felt like Jason. I truly believe that a good mixture of Practical Effects and CGI can accomplish some great cinematic sequences in a Slasher.
Aside from the visual effects, there was always something that made me shield my eyes. The MUSIC. It helped to set the tension of the movie, because you knew the killer was standing right behind the door, or a random tree in the woods. It would always send chills up my spine and my eyes glued to the screen through my fingers. From the eerie Nightmare on Elm Street synthesizers to the strings and 'ki ki ki, ma ma ma' with Friday the 13th or even the piano from Halloween. That is forever etched into our brains and I think Slasher Movies captured that.
Now with Slashers today, I like how some of them still set the ambience with the music and use the practical effects from their predecessors. Although, the world has changed significantly when they approach horror movies. Slashers aren't as prominent as they were in the 1980's and 90's. You still have installations like the Terrifier Movies. A great mix of music and practical effects but I have heard a lot of people having negative reactions/statements about the movie "Being Gory just be Gory" and that there really is no storyline. Have we evolved past Slasher movies in society? Possibly, but as someone who grew up around those kinds of movies, I will always have an appreciation for something so wickedly fun in cinema. What about you? Do you find yourself still on the edge of your seat waiting for the next kill, or have you moved past the Slasher Genre and feel like you need just a little more than just a masked killer stalking a group of teenagers?
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