Episode 41 : 80’s vs 90’s Slashers

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)!