Article: The Forgotten 5
During the 1980's, hundreds of films hit the horror market hoping to cash in on the huge success of 'Halloween'. We call them The Forgotten 5.
During the 1980's, hundreds of films hit the horror market hoping to cash in on the huge success of John Carpenter's 1978 classic, 'Halloween'. This film alone ignited an inferno of cheap immitations and truly forgetable films along the way. In 1980, another horror classic was born. Like 'Halloween', 'Friday the 13th' kickstared a different form of the modern day slasher film, forever changing the view of the horror film in general. Below is somewhat of an outline of white I like to call 'The Forgotten Five'.
The early 80's were the gateway for any and every kind of crazed maniac movie to come our way. During this time period, there were at least five films ala- 'Friday the 13th' style which were in many opinions overlooked by mainstream critics. The first of these films being 'My Bloody Valentine'.
My Bloody Valentine
'My Bloody Valentine' in many ways was a carbon copy of its predacessor 'Friday the 13th'. It has a masked killer, horny young adults, beer drinkers and pot smokers and last but not least, a secluded location. The year is 1981. Valentine Bluffs, a small rural mining town, hadn't had a Valentines party in 20 years because of an accident involving the towns coal mine and some miners.. The unresponsible mine supervisors left early, causing the deaths of 5 men. The sole survivor of that accident warned them never to have a party again or there would be death to pay. Guess What? They have a party, the guy hacks up 2 of the supervisors, he's arrested and sent to an insane asylum, and we are taken down the road twenty years later. Guess what day it is? And guess who's having a party even though the sheriff forbids them to?. I think what sets this film off from alot of its type is the location in which most of the film took place. A coal mine of all places is where most of the victims fall prey to a pick axed murderer. There is also an err of 'whodunit' lurking about and the atmosphere in this film places you in the closterphobic world of our characters.The killers costume really messed with my head as a kid. I'm from the rural south and my Dad was also a coal miner.The sounds the killer made really added alot of tension to the chase scenes. The camera work was really good with some weird angles and the feeling of isolation was great. While in no means is this film the 'Gran-Daddy' of them all, but what it is, is a forgotten Slasher film which deserves higher acclaim. Sadly, the past and current re-release of 'My Bloody Valentine' is cut to shreds. Maybe the powers that be (Paramount) will step off their high horse and release an UNCUT version. We can only hope.
Final Exam
To step a little behind, directly after the 'Friday the 13th' craze of 1980, another forgotten Slasher flick rounded the proverbial corner. 'Final Exam' was released in 1980. It again deals with young adults, this time at a college campus at Lanier College. At the very beginning we are introduced to our knife welding maniac who proceeds to slice and dice two co-eds in a convertable. We are then shortly introduced to our most unlucky characters. What sets 'Final Exam' aside from many run of the mill slasher films is that Jimmy Houston (director) spent a great deal of time developing characters. We have Courtney, a goody goody who right away gives us the information that she's gonna be the heroine of the story. We have our on screen romance between two college co-eds and the party animal antics of a madhouse fraternity. After the first two killings, the next fourty-five minutes were used to give us some background on our characters. The dark settings of the campus buildings adds the perfect spice to the atmosphere and ultimately the acions of our killer. 'Final Exam' has even been referenced in Wes Craven's 'Scream' trilogy. For a slasher film with different tendacies and characters one actually feels something for, check this one out.
The Burning
To keep the pace going, in 1981, yet another 'crazed killer in the woods' film was produced. 'The Burning' was a tale of a gardener named Cropsy who is unluckily a victim of a prank by a bunch of summer camp kids. The prank goes wrong and 'ole Cropsy is wound up extra crispy with a side order of fries. The special F/x are marvelous and were at the hand of the ever so versatile, Tom Savini. The ''UNcut'' version can boast at being one of the goriest slasher films of all time. The raft scene is an instant shocker. One of the better slasher death scenes to date. After this one, you'll never look at a hideously disfigured gardner the same again!
Black Christmas
1981 must have been the golden year for the slasher film. This time, the Canadians thought they would give us Americans a run for their money. They had already proven to us through Bob Clark, the director of 'Black Christmas', that they were capable of holding their own. J. Lee. Thompson, an English native, (who by the way passed away last year) stepped behind the camera to give us one of the most different approaches at a horror film. "Happy Birthday To Me' starred everybody's favorite little blind pioneer, Melissa Sue Anderson. She may be a goody two shoes with Ma and Pa on Little House on the Prarie, but she is in a different world in 'Happy Birthday To Me'. Virginia(Anderson), is proud that she belongs to a clique. The most popular students at a prestigious private school. Before her birthday, a grueling set of murders begin to occur. Her friends slowly begin to drop like flies and poor ole Virginia becomes all messed up. She begans to have re-occuring blackouts she received in an accident with her alcoholic Mother. We then slowly begin to learn the truth about what's going on. While this film is not the 'Gone With the Wind' of the modern day horror film, it does however pull it off in the last portion of the movie. There is a weird twist ending that may not be comprehendable the first time around. This film seemed to haunt me from childhood and maybe that's one of the reason behind it making the 'Forgotten Five' list. While it's tagline boast of 'Six of the most bizzare murders you will ever see', you are just as likely to see the same things go on in your local supermarket this day in time.
Silent Night Deadly Night
A few years later, in 1984, even though the film was made a few years before, Charles Sellier Jr. runs the camera and dishes out of of the most contoversial horror films of our time. A film filled with so much bloody good cheer you would think you were at nudy bar on Christmas Eve. 'Silent Night Deadly Night', one of the umpteenth holiday themed slasher films to be produced caused a major uproar with families all across the U.S. Families even boycotted outside theaters to try and discourage people from watching such 'filth'. It took this film almost three years before it actually was released. It starts out joyfully, on a Chrismas Eve, down a deserted stretch of midwestern highway. We are later introduced to an old folks home where a man, his wife and his two children are their to vist ole Grandpa. Now. keep in mind that Grandpa hasn't spoken a word in months and is supposedly catatonic. Soon after, the husband and wife are sent down the hall to sign some papers when ole Grandpa turns on his evil mode. He proceeds to tell the young boy about the atrocoties that happens on Christmas and how Santa Clause punishes those who were naughty. After he scares the velvet Elvis out of the poor kid, we see Grandpa turn off his evil mode as the husband and wife make their way back. To make a long story short, the poor child witnesses his Mother and Father being murdered by a bugged out robber in a Santa's suit. The boy is traumatized and ultimately thrown in a. orphanage.
This one is chock full of psychological undertones. It has a very, very depressing feel to it that makes me want to donn a Santa suit and decapitate every poor bastard in my path...but I'm tired and it's not Christmas. Hey, maybe next year. Nonetheless, 'Silent Night Deadly Night' rounds off my list of the coveted 'Forgotten Five'.
As the name of my list suggests, 'The Forgotten Five' may be just that....Forgotten-Capeesh-Over and done with--I'll kill you in your sleep--Boom!---Cha! Cha! Ha! Ha!--Gone!-, but to crazies in the world like me, they'll always be remembered until the day I am arrested for cutting someone to bits while wearing my best friends face. I always had this thing for chainsaws--
-- Ryan
