The 1970's Slasher/Proto-Slasher Thread

[Hubunkey]

Is Last House really a slasher? I never considered it one. But if Last House counts the so would I Spit On Your Grave

[Goremageddon]

Poor Pretty Eddie (1975)?

[ThePhantom]

Originally Posted by Hubunkey

Is Last House really a slasher? I never considered it one.

I agree. Last House is in no way shape or form a slasher or proto-slasher.

But then again neither are at least 30% of the films listed in this thread. Of course, it's all opinion to some degree (like film scholars debating the definition of film noir), but some of these are really stretching it.

[Lucy Ashton]

I like Poor Pretty Eddie quite a bit, but there's not a whole lot of slashing going on, at least until the end - it shares themes of rape and revenge with I Spit on Your Grave and Last House on the Left, and strictly speaking, I wouldn't classify those as slashers either. But... the proto-slasher isn't a strictly defined subgenre, and I think what we a talking about here is the larger cinematic tradition which Halloween and its slasher clones are a part of.

The movies in this thread are generally diverse, and which movies one would include or exclude is more or less subjective.

[Lucy Ashton]

I'd feel tempted to group the movies in this thread thus:

Killed for Your Entertainment (snuff-themed horror): Bloodsucking Freaks, Last House on Dead End Street, Snuff.

The Police Procedural (focusing on the police investigating the murders): Killer's Delight, The Massage Parlor Murders, The Town That Dreaded Sundown.

The Proto-slasher (where the body count rises as the mainly off-screen killer offs the cast one by one): Alice, Sweet Alice, Blood and Lace, The Comeback, Savage Weekend, Silent Night, Bloody Night, The Toolbox Murders, Torso.

The Psycho study (the killer as the protagonist): Deranged, Don't Go in the House, Island of Death, Scream Bloody Murder.

Rape and Revenge: I Spit on Your Grave, Last House on the Left, Poor Pretty Eddie.

Wrong Turn (wherein a group randomly happens upon the killer(s)): Eaten Alive, The Hills Have Eyes, Rituals, Terror Circus, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

But those would just be my personal categorisations... I'd leave the rape and revenge stuff off the list, and maybe the psycho study and police procedural, though I'd consider to what extent they might be influential of the slasher tradition. Like the phantom said, genre definitions are the subject of academic discussions.

[Val Lewton]

Originally Posted by Gerby

I would add Killer's Moon to the list.

Thanks, Gerby. Added it.

[Val Lewton]

Originally Posted by Hubunkey

Is Last House really a slasher? I never considered it one. But if Last House counts the so would I Spit On Your Grave

I wouldn't consider Last House a slasher, and defining it as a proto-slasher is stretching it. It was very notorious and influential at the time on some slashers that would borrow from it, so maybe a bit of a quasi-slasher? I'm attempting to find that sweet spot between casting too wide of a net vs casting a too narrow one.

[Val Lewton]

Originally Posted by Lucy Ashton

Other titles to consider: Terror Circus aka Barn of the Naked Dead (follows the same formula as The Hills Have Eyes) and maybe Massage Parlor Murders (sloppy police procedural with leanings towards stalk'n slash horror).

I originally had Terror Circus up, but took it down at the last minute. But looking at some of the titles that I'm loosely trying to define or connect to being a "proto-slasher" I think I should put it back up. I'll also add Massage Parlor Murders.

[Lucy Ashton]

Originally Posted by Val Lewton

I'm attempting to find that sweet spot between casting too wide of a net vs casting a too narrow one.

No complaints here - great thread, and no harm in discussing definitions. If you must miss (and missing is inevitable, as genre definitions aren't an exact science), I'd go with the wider net - for those who come to the thread with a healthy dose of curiosity, learning what's out the is half the fun.

[cakefactory]

What does "Girly" have to do with slashers? I would be curious to hear that explanation. It's awesome and everyone should buy it, but I'm not immediately seeing the slasher connection.

[Val Lewton]

Originally Posted by Lucy Ashton

No complaints here - great thread, and no harm in discussing definitions. If you must miss (and missing is inevitable, as genre definitions aren't an exact science), I'd go with the wider net - for those who come to the thread with a healthy dose of curiosity, learning what's out the is half the fun.

I agree. Before the term slasher was ever coined, movies like Halloween or Black Christmas were just considered exploitation films. So I justify in my mind adding something more questionable to the list because they were loosely connected in that way. And as you and others have pointed out, defining genres or sub-genres is a very subjective thing. It could be debated all day long. Hopefully this thread finds the sweet spot and we can all discuss and find out more info on all of these amazing films from the 70's.

[HorrorBlu]

^ Worth pointing out, a proto-slasher doesn't necessarily have to contain "slashing". It just means the movie has elements that eventually lent themselves to the slasher genre (group of strangers, isolated location, etc). It's not the strictest genre out there.

Looks like the major ones have all been covered, but I'll throw these into the discussion for your discretion:

[Val Lewton]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

What does "Girly" have to do with slashers? I would be curious to hear that explanation. It's awesome and everyone should buy it, but I'm not immediately seeing the slasher connection.

I like Girly as well. It's on the list simply because I personally associate it with the type of films I already have listed, and the type of film people that enjoy some of the others might be interested in. Like all lists, there will be some controversial or dubious choices...

[Gerby]

Even though it is pre 70's I think Corruption (1968) should definately be considered.

[Val Lewton]

Originally Posted by HorrorBlu

^ Worth pointing out, a proto-slasher doesn't necessarily have to contain "slashing". It just means the movie has elements that eventually lent themselves to the slasher genre (group of strangers, isolated location, etc). It's not the strictest genre out there.

Looks like the major ones have all been covered, but I'll throw these into the discussion for your discretion:

Thanks HorrorBlu, I added Frenzy, Seizure, and I put You'll Like My Mother in the Upcoming Releases section. What region is the Cannibal Girls release?

[HorrorBlu]

Originally Posted by Val Lewton

Thanks HorrorBlu, I added Frenzy, Seizure, and I put You'll Like My Mother in the Upcoming Releases section. What region is the Cannibal Girls release?

It's a Canadian release (North America). Region A.

[Val Lewton]

Originally Posted by Gerby

Even though it is pre 70's I think Corruption (1968) should definately be considered.

For the time being I'm going to limit it to the 70's. Although I agree with you, there are a few from the 60's that would qualify as proto-slashers!

[Val Lewton]

Originally Posted by HorrorBlu

It's a Canadian release (North America). Region A.

Thanks. Added.

[RandyK]

Vinegar Syndrome is releasing Psychic Killer in May. Haven't seen it so I'm not sure if it's slasher-esque or not. The plot summary makes it sound like it is though.

[Lucy Ashton]

The Psychic Killer is in many ways structured like a slasher, but the parapsychological angle and the killer's weapon of choice (a combination of astral projection and telekinesis) might argue against it being shoehorned into that category. Awesome movie, however.