11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Real Suprise!, November 13, 2002
This review is from: Slashers (DVD)
I was really expecting a crappy film, and I actually found a very well executed B-Film. With almost no budget the director has created a really nice looking film. Plus the actors tend to do a decent job (some of the leads fall flat at times, but considering that the film had almost no shooting time, it's understandble). The director really succeded in making the film seem like one continuous shot, and really captures the TV show feel. Plus with his budget he created some really nice gore effects (some look a bit fake, but in the long run, are way better than most films with the same budget).
I would totally recommend this film. Great gore, decent acting, and a real great example of a low budget film succeding. See this movie.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SLASHERS is a winner, any way you slice it, October 11, 2002
This review is from: Slashers (DVD)
This is simply one of the greatest independent films I have ever watched (and I have seen more than my share, trust me). Like Daniel Minahan's brilliant 2001 film SERIES 7: THE CONTENDERS, Maurice Deveraux's SLASHERS plays like you are watching an episode of a reality TV show. The fact that it's shot on video only adds to the effect of watching it on your television at home. However, this is where the similarities end, because SLASHERS is a straight-up horror flick that is tailor made for fans who want something new and exciting. The gore is endless and cartoonish, the scares and suspense are well-executed, and the acting is first rate (particularly Sarah Crowder's performance as one of the lead characters). Sometimes it feels like you're in a haunted house attraction, only the threat of death is real. To top it all off, SLASHERS is filmed as one continuous shot (like Hitchcock's ROPE and Josh Becker's RUNNING TIME), using all manner of tricks to fool you ... Given the conditions Deveraux filmed under (and the extremely small budget), all this makes the film an even greater cinematic achievement. I was falling asleep when I put this movie on, but was wide awake for its entire 99-minute running time! I really got into it. A truly incredible and original film indeed.
The DVD release is also excellent, featuring animated menus, full length commentary, an hour-long documentary, and more. (And no, I don't work for the people who made this movie).
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Are you game?", November 6, 2008
"Slashers" is Canadian B-movie with grade-A entertainment value. It is an excellent game show/reality show satire that follows in the footsteps of such campy cult classics as
Death Race 2000 and
The Running Man and manages to live up to if not outdo both even without the star power of Arnie or Sly. The premise is a combination of those two films with a dash of
Battle Royale for that upbeat Asian flavor. Six American contestants appear on a Japanese game show where they are trapped in a maze with three cartoonish-but-brutal murderers (Slashers). If any of them can survive, they can split the millions in prize money amongst themselves. The only rule: there are no rules. Excepting of course, not interfering with the cameraman and remaining stationary during the requisite commercial breaks -even if there's a knife-wielding maniac sitting on top of you at the time. The film is mesmerizing, insanely entertaining, and will likely leave you begging for more. What it lacks in production values and quality acting it more than makes up for with sheer enthusiastic carnage and conceptual brilliance. Independent no-budget horror does not get a whole lot better.
The cast of characters is an interesting bunch. The perky Japanese hostess and her team of pep girls (complete with human skull pom-poms) are hard not to like. Then there's the contestants who include an aspiring actress hoping for fame, a deranged fanboy, a girl hoping to make a political point, a super badazs loner-type, a suicidal athlete/hottie, and some dude who is only there on a dare. Not a bad mix. The masked Slashers featured are the psychotic Preacherman, the redneck Chainsaw Charlie, and the all-time master known as The Doctor. Others are shown in the show's opening credits and the DVD's deleted scenes (both of which are awesome in and of themselves).
What makes this film really stand out stylistically is the fact that it is all shot with a single hand-held camera. Sure, it's a bit of a fad a this point with
The Blair Witch Project and
Cloverfield and all the rest, but the game show aspect really adds a new wrinkle. For instance, we see one Slasher break character during one of the commercial freezes when he realizes that his life is in danger from one of the contestants and try to cut a deal which both humanizes the faceless butcher and thickens the plot considerably. The way that the film is shot along with the savvy direction and tricks to hide the camera cuts are all well done and really pull you into the story as it unfolds. Plus, the "Love Room" rocks. The deleted scenes have some girl/girl!
The acting is quite bad at times and is the only thing about this movie that I didn't love, but that is easily overlooked all things considered. The sheer psychotic glee of the Slashers is pure black comedy. The Doctor takes a liking to one of the female contestants and skips many opportunities to butcher her, opting instead to repeatedly cut her clothing off and taunt her with mercy if she will show off her goodies. God bless 'im. The way the characters dissect the show's workings is brilliant as well, skewering the reality genre even as the Slashers skewer them. When one man notes that sex appeal will keep you alive longer, one hot number inquires what her chances are. When she gets her answer, she pulls her shirt off to improve her odds. Another is actually fawning over one of the Slashers even as he murders his fellows, a fan of the artist.
The raw stupidity of reality stars is truly something to behold. How many girls do you suppose went on "Rock of Love" or the like just to meet a rock star or hopefully earn some ill-gotten television fame? And let's admit it, "Survivor" is distinctly lacking in serial killers. Time to make things interesting, guys. I wonder how long it will be before society gets so jaded with this brand of entertainment that they have to literally legalize murder for the sake of keeping idiots unwilling to part with the comfort-food entertainment of the reality television scourge entertained. Films like "Slashers" may indeed prove to be prophetic in decades to come. But right now, it is just damn fine entertainment. Get it while it's still fictional!
4 1/2 stars rounded up for having a budget smaller than a Hollywood set's catering bill.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
