The slasher film is one the biggest subgenres of horror films. But how did it come about and gain such popularity? This episode tracks the progression of (mostly) American slashers, focusing on how we got to the most formative years of the genre.
▶️Discussions include: How real-life influences and familiar settings were reflected in ‘60s and ‘70s films, thus inspiring the most popular slasher years; cementing slasher movie tropes; hooks, tonal changes, elevating intellectual and visual creativity as the years progressed; franchising; audience accessibility to slashers; recycling, resuscitation and reinvention of the genre, leading to the next evolutionary step to recapture the magic of the slasher movie trend.
▶️**PICKS OF THE WEEK**
1980s: “One heck of a final scene!”
—Lindsay’s Pick, SLEEPAWAY CAMP (1983): A twisted summer camp story with a mysterious killer murdering foul-mouthed bullies. A deeper psychology behind this one. **Starring Felissa Rose, Jonathan Tiersten, Karen Fields, Katherine Kamhi. Directed by Robert Hiltzik.**
—Justin’s Pick, JUST BEFORE DAWN (1981): A group of young hikers are hunted down by murderous, ruthless, inbred twins. **Starring George Kennedy, Gregg Henry, Chris Lemmon, Deborah Benson. Directed by Jeff Lieberman.**
1990s: “The one you’d never expect!”
—Lindsay’s Pick, OFFICE KILLER (1997): After a repressed wallflower accidentally kills her jerk of a boss, she’s inspired to “correct” other problematic co-workers. **Starring Carol Kane, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Molly Ringwald. Directed by Cindy Sherman.**
—Justin’s Pick, POPCORN (1991): An unknown killer seeks vengeance by picking off teenagers at an all-night horror movie marathon. **Starring Jill Schoelen, Dee Wallace, Tom Villard. Directed by Mark Herrier.**
▶️MURRAYMOMENT: Revisiting an adorable, unscripted scene in STRIPES (1981), featuring Billy and legendary scream queen, P.J. Soles.
▶️FINAL THOUGHTS: Hitting on a few influential/prominent Canadian slasher films, then how HALLOWEEN (2018) renews hope in the continuation of the slasher genre.
▶️NEXT UP: UNCLE BUCK (1989)!
Episode 95 : Lethal Weapon 2
Episode 94 : Jackie Brown
Episode 93 : ALIENS
Episode 92 : The Breakfast Club
Episode 91 : Ivan Reitman Retrospective
Episode 90 : The Wedding Singer
Episode 89 : The Godfather
Episode 88 : Girl, Interrupted
Episode 87 : Ghost
Episode 86 : The Shawshank Redemption
Episode 85 : Raiders Of The Lost Ark
Episode 84 : The Evil Dead (1981)
Episode 83: My Bloody Valentine
Episode 82: American Werewolf In London
Episode 81 : Rushmore
Episode 80 : Beverly Hills Cop
Episode 79 : Waiting For Guffman
Episode 78 : Taxi Driver
Episode 77: Ghost World
Episode 76 : Dazed & Confused
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