Ah...the good ol', all-American slasher film. What was it about these 90-minute delights that kept eager horror fans coming back? Was it the suspense? Was it the kills? Was it the nudity? Was it the cheeness? For me, it was a little of all of them, especially the kills and the cheeness. The whole bas for the slasher film dates back to the 1800's with the Theatre du Grand Guignol, and the entertainment value of some madman hacking up young teens remains awesome to this day.
Torture porn films are really pushing it nowadays, and I feel it is because the makers of those films are misng the point. Slasher films aren't entertaining because of how realistic the gore or torture effects were; it was all about watching it, and no matter how realistic the effects got, there was always an aura of merriment surrounding the film, and not some sleazy vibe like most "throwbacks."
Anyway, I have always loved slasher films, ever nce I managed to see the hot tub scene in Halloween II at a young age that nearly sent me into a coma of fright (hey, I was a weenie back then). The kills are the real stand-out of most slashers, and most can even make the movie worth watching. So, naturally, I have compiled a list (from least to greatest, of course) of my fifteen favorite slasher movie deaths. The judging for each one ranges from the build-up to the death, the gore factor, the awesome factor, or even if the kill is just hilarious to watch. I don't want to waste any more of your time, so here we go:
My 15 Favorite Slasher Movie Kills
*WARNING: Spoilers Ahoy!*
1. Slumber Party Massacre II (1987)
"GOING ALL THE WAY"
The Movie: Slumber Party Massacre II follows Courtney, the only (sane) survivor of the original slumber party massacre. She and her band decide to spend the weekend at one of their dad's condos, which isn't open yet. Courtney is constantly plagued by nightmares of an evil rocker with a drill guitar and her insane ster warning her not to go all the way. Once she gets to the condo, she begins hallucinating until she actually goes all the way with one of the boys present. Dreams spill into reality as the group are killed off by the man of Courtney's nightmares. As much as most people hat this sequel, I think it's the best of the whole series! The murder weapon is the coolest I have ever seen,t he villain is awesome, the gore is top-notch, and it's an incredibly cheesy fun time from start to finish.
The Kill: So Courtney and her boyfriend Matt are "going all the way" (just like Valerie warned her against) and their friends are downstairs partying. Rigt as they're about to really get it on, Courtney begins having another one of her hallucinations and sees the driller killer. Frightened, she screams and leaps out of the way, while poor Matt gets drilled through the chest in highly gory fashion. She thinks it's a dream, until she runs downstairs and the driller killer follows, and the carnage begins...
Why It's Awesome: While I may have brushed by the death in the description, let me assure you that this really is #1 in my mind. Like most of the deaths on this list, we see everything, and here, it actually looks pretty real. Sure, if you pause the movie and look closely it's obvious it's a fake chest and the ripped off arm looks slightly fake, but I still love this death. Atanas Ilitch truly makes the scene, because he's so entertainingly insane. And when Courtney goes downstairs, I was thinking, "Damn, I hope that wasn't another dream." Then the killer jumps down the stairs, drill in hand, and I am sucked into it completely.
http://youtu.be/dJh07-ORkaU
So there was my list of favorite kills. Yes, no Friday the 13th kills made it on the list. While I do really enjoy those kills, I feel the ones listed are superior. There were a few kills that almost made the cut, so I'll recognize that below:
Intruder (1989) - Bandsaw
My Bloody Valentine (1981) - Pickaxe through the jaw and out the eye
Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985) - Belt around the eyes
Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985) - Flare in the mouth
Friday the 13th Part III (1982) - Eye pop
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) - Sleeping bag
Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood (1988) - Weed whacker
Comment below if you agree or disagree, or share your own favorite kills.