Inspired by Mathew A's recent Five Underrated List, I figured I'd do another 5 Underrated List myself this time focusing on slasher films because they are non-stop joy machines in my book. Plus I like doing lists because it's like writing with all the hellish torture parts removed!
Absurd (AKA Monster Hunter) & Nightmare (both 1981)
ABSURD is the kinda/sorta the sequel to ANTHROPOPHAGUS (aka THE GRIM REAPER) but not in any way that matters. Yep- it's directed by good ol' JOE D'AMATO and yep it stars lovably lanky GEORGE EASTMAN but any other connection is, I guess, more to do with marketing. In the world of my tiny mind, it's known as MONSTER HUNTER and it stands alone as adorable, Italian HALLOWEEN wannabe. This is one of those movies I suspect I enjoy more than I'm supposed to but I'm in no way strong enough to resist the bare bones synth score, the bonkers pseudo science that abounds or a poor victim trapped in a cringe-worthy head brace. My feelings toward this far too forgotten gem perfectly coincide with my feelings toward the equally simple and sleazy NIGHTMARE (aka NIGHTMARE IN A DAMAGED BRAIN), a film I think it shares a lot more in common with than its previously mentioned sibling. Watch these two disturbing and tastefully tasteless twins back to back while eating a Burger King Halloween burger and then feel free to worry about what's wrong with me that I would suggest such a thing.
Flashback (2002) & Madhouse (1981)
The best slashers always have to concern crap from the past that isn't going anywhere no matter how hard you try to bury it and long suffering put upon ladies who are all types of sick of suffering the psychosis of others. Nobody ever mentions FLASHBACK (full slobbering review HERE) or the delicious MADHOUSE (full equally slobbery review HERE) enough to satisfy my needs! I don't understand why.
Cold Prey 1,2 & 3
The greatest slasher series this side of whatever decade it no longer is! I'm just going to go ahead and call the first two masterpieces and then add that reports that the third one ain't so hot are greatly exaggerated. Sure, Part 3 regrettably has to stumble along without the series' grandest asset, its charismatic lead (INGRID BOLSO BERDAL) but the sad truth is, it's still miles better than any American horror flick I've seen in the theaters since what seems like roughly forever.
Just Before Dawn & The Prowler (1981)
Isn't it sad that these two other slashers films from 1981 were somehow never seen by me in my youth? I do remember eyeing the newspaper ad for JBD on the day it came out in the weekend section of the Philadelphia Inquirer but alas, that was the closest I got! For some reason no video store I ever belonged to carried either and frankly I was not terribly keen on checking out THE PROWLER anyway because the title was so boring and just made it seem like it was about some sneaky guy who roamed around looking in windows. Fate would have it that I would catch up to these two fine flicks somewhere around ten or so years ago whenever they hit DVD.
Point is, I think they are both great examples of exactly my favorite thing to watch and I'll add a bonus compliment to JBD and say I dig its color palette especially that groovy florescent orange that shows up from time to time (full review HERE).
My Bloody Valentine & The Town That Dreaded Sundown (2009 & 2014)
I can understand why people hate remakes like PROM NIGHT (2008) because that one sucks horribly, has nothing to do with the original and every attempt it makes to pander to contemporary audiences reminds you that we can never go back to a time when people weren't super annoying. On the other hand, both MBV and TTTDS are awesome and wonderful tributes if you ask me. I'm just going to point out that both of these remakes seem to respect the originals and have a real interest in their respective small town settings and have the capacity to acknowledge various variant characters. I'd say in the case of both films too that when they ended, I didn't feel like I had just been talked down to or treated like a complete idiot for the sin of wanting to see them. I don't know, I guess what I'm talking about is that there's a real lack of audience disdain that I find super pleasing. Ya know? I dig that. Gold stars, kisses, thumbs up and kudos on a decapitated head.
Great list, Unk!
Oh man, I'm so happy you included MADHOUSE. Maybe it just spoke to the what I was dealing with at the time, but I fell head-over-heels for that movie! I also lived in Savannah for two-and-a-half years so having the film set there added to the surreal, dreamy quality for me (I kept thinking everything looked strangely familiar and then it dawned on me once I recognized Forsyth Park).
What on earth happened to Trish Everly? She just has that perfect Gothic heroine quality.
This list also made me realize I need to stop being easily distracted and finally watch COLD PREY!