The Final Terror (1983) - Scream Factory - Summer / July 2014

[redrunner97]

I thought the same thing, but really this isn't a slasher. Yeah it was marketed as one, and definitely weaves in enough of the elements that it qualifies as one (technically speaking). But ultimately The Final Terror is more of a survival horror film, mixing in some slasher tropes. It's still a fun film and I appreciated it MUCH more on a second viewing, where I wasn't expecting a serious body count.

[Hazel Motes]

I've been going through a pile of Scream Factory, Arrow, Vinegar Syndrome, Vestron Video, Synapse titles that I've blind bought over the years that for one reason or another I hadn't seen yet. This has been the best one yet. It's a terrific little movie. Great atmosphere, good acting, good script, good direction, great 80's camp value. It reminds me somewhat of The Burning. But maybe not quite as good. It was neat seeing a few actors who were unknowns at the time that went on to make names for themselves too.

Joey Pants
Daryl Hannah
The Maestro from Seinfeld/crazy Dad from the Twisted Sister video.

7.5/10

[Davidian]

Originally Posted by Hazel Motes

I've been going through a pile of Scream Factory, Arrow, Vinegar Syndrome, Vestron Video, Synapse titles that I've blind bought over the years that for one reason or another I hadn't seen yet. This has been the best one yet. It's a terrific little movie. Great atmosphere, good acting, good script, good direction, great 80's camp value. It reminds me somewhat of The Burning. But maybe not quite as good. It was neat seeing a few actors who were unknowns at the time that went on to make names for themselves too.

Joey Pants
Daryl Hannah
The Maestro from Seinfeld/crazy Dad from the Twisted Sister video.

7.5/10

Yep its a beauty alright, defo in my all time top ten slashers. Funny thing is, most ppl here seem to prefer final exam.

Oh and it's also got Joe Pantoliano!

[Hazel Motes]

Yeah, I used his nickname that everyone calls him. Joey Pants.

[Member-222782]

Andrew Davis, the director of The Final Terror, went on to direct several popular 80's and 90's action films, like Above the Law (1988), Under Siege (1992; Steven Seagal's best film IMO), and, most importantly, 1993's The Fugitive, among many others. Davis used many of the same cast and crew for several of his early films, most notably Joe Pantoliano, who appeared in both The Final Terror and The Fugitive. I don't have favorite actors but I've always liked "Joey Pants" in everything he's been in. I love The Final Terror. Watched it theatrically in 1984 and have been in awe of the film ever since. I'd go nuts if Vinegar Syndrome was able locate a pristine print and reissue the film but they don't do soundtrack CDs so maybe Blue Underground or even Severin if a print turned up someday.

[SeanJoyce]

Other than needing a few more kills (there's no reason why that many people should have survived), I've got no problem with The Final Terror; cool little survival/backwoods horror. It's got an effectively boppy score too.

[snipemonkey]

I dig it. It's not particularly bloody but it has fantastic atmosphere and definitely hits the "creepy" button for me, something not many 80s slashers manage while going for mostly jump-scares and gross-out effects. It gets compared to Just Before Dawn a lot but I like this one better.

[Member-222782]

I see that loon was banned again. How much longer will we have to put up with this guy?

[Hohmach]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

I see that loon was banned again. How much longer will we have to put up with this guy?

Someone needs to register me with another IP. Any ideas?

[DaylightsEnd]

The Final Terror and Shock Waves are two solid horror films in my collection that are most deserving of the fresh scans they've never gotten, because the original negatives have not been located, and are believed to be lost. They will both remain high on my "remaster wish list." You can tell that some of the woods footage in Final Terror would be stellar on a 4k scan.

[dubhousing]

Originally Posted by shaysaysHAHA

Also, the TV version (different from the R-rated and Unrated) has a new scene introducing the couple from the theatrical version's opening scene. This replaces the shots of the woods and forest at the beginning of the theatrical and R-rated versions. It's kind of a pointless scene, but it's worth noting.

I'm very late to this conversation, but you can see the alternate opening scene from the television cut on YouTube, sourced from a broadcast of USA's Commander USA program (The Final Terror was a staple there).

It's true that the scene doesn't really add anything to the movie, but it does set up the film as a romance, before pulling a twist with the first murders. Granted, if you were watching a movie called The Final Terror, you knew what kind of movie you were watching. It's a nice touch, anyway. Added to pad out the running time on television, I am guessing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsIFS4DLTUY

[levcore]

I've been a big fan of this movie since i first saw it on VHS in the 90's, finally went region free recently and picked this up to watch this week. The movie looks great and it's awesome to see the movie properly, not on some fuzzy old VHS. This is a wonderful slasher and i love the locations and sense of isolation.

[Member-222782]

This is the first time I've seen that intro. No, it doesn't add anything to the film but it was a thrill to see extra footage nonetheless. Also, the credit sequence plays before the intro - I kinda like the theatrical assembly better (first murder, then credits). I love the soundtrack. Hopefully somebody releases a CD someday. Top 5 slasher for me. Too bad the OCN is lost. The Director went on to make several high profile Hollywood action films - something I always found fascinating. Usually, people who start out making small, low budget independent films like Final Terror disappear.

[OceanBlue]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

This is the first time I've seen that intro. No, it doesn't add anything to the film but it was a thrill to see extra footage nonetheless. Also, the credit sequence plays before the intro - I kinda like the theatrical assembly better (first murder, then credits). I love the soundtrack. Hopefully somebody releases a CD someday. Top 5 slasher for me. Too bad the OCN is lost. The Director went on to make several high profile Hollywood action films - something I always found fascinating. Usually, people who start out making small, low budget independent films like Final Terror disappear.

Haven't yet got round to watching my copy of The Final Terror (may include it in my (hopefully) Halloween Horror Month marathon through October). On my list of CD score albums that I want to get is The Prowler (the slasher), so hopefully there is interest in doing a CD release of the score/soundtrack for The Final Terror (might also get the CD score album of Silent Night, Deadly Night 4).

[THF90]

Just saw this for the first time today.

Not bad or good.

Loved the scenery since I grew up about 45 minutes south of where the film was shot.

Worth the price of admission alone.

[BluPat]

Just ordered this and Just Before Dawn from Amazon. I've never seen them. I'm always looking for good slashers from the 1970s & 1980s.

[Driver78]

I almost grabbed the German mediabook from Diabolik under the "Angst" title because it had two cuts but changed my mind. The extended cut, which I'm sure was just a bad VHS rip, was only a few minutes longer.

[superunknown80]

Originally Posted by Driver78

I almost grabbed the German mediabook from Diabolik under the "Angst" title because it had two cuts but changed my mind. The extended cut, which I'm sure was just a bad VHS rip, was only a few minutes longer.

I've got it and It doesn't have 2 cuts, it just has 2 options for the German dubbed audio. For the most part it has the same transfer as the Scream Factory release from what i can tell, even has the same text at the start about the transfer (but in German). However, it's just over 84 mins long whereas the SF bluray is just under 84. So a couple of scenes may be extended by a few seconds. There are no logos at the start. It jumps straight into the film, so it's not that. I did notice a couple of bits that seemed to be from a lower quality source. I think it might be the longer International cut as mentioned on DVD Compare

[elmerat]

Originally Posted by superunknown80

I've got it and It doesn't have 2 cuts, it just has 2 options for the German dubbed audio. For the most part it has the same transfer as the Scream Factory release from what i can tell, even has the same text at the start about the transfer (but in German). However, it's just over 84 mins long whereas the SF bluray is just under 84. So a couple of scenes may be extended by a few seconds. There are no logos at the start. It jumps straight into the film, so it's not that. I did notice a couple of bits that seemed to be from a lower quality source. I think it might be the longer International cut as mentioned on DVD Compare

The murder scene is long. Where the couple has sex. Also the film was processed by AI to remove more noise, it's strange that you didn't notice it.