Review of Slasher (2007) by Bill B — 30 Mar 2010

Slasher is the appropriately-titled German horror film about a group of friends, led by psychology student Erin (Christiane Imdahl), who head to a remote area of the woods, far away from civilization, in order to relax for the weekend by way of excess boozing, drugging, and sexing. As one could guess from the few graphic murders in the woods leading up to our main characters entering it, they too become the next victims in-line for a lumbering menace equipped with a mask, chainsaw, and various other sharp tools. Hmm, where do I begin with Slasher? Aside from one particular death, there isn't a single original bone in this film's body. From badly cliched characters to poorly written storylines and ending with all too familiar themes. As I watched in utter disbelief, Slasher pulled direct scenes out of vastly superior films like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (both versions), Friday the 13th Part 3, and Cabin Fever and use them freely as if they were Slasher's own ideas, concocted by first time director/writer Frank Montag (with writing assistance by Jörn Döring). Slasher is advertised as a throwback to the Slasher films of the early 80's, which I couldn't agree with more, though instead of throwback, they should have used the word plagiarism. If they had advertised this movie differently, like say, call it a slapstick or comedic satire of slasher films, then my review and overall perception of this film would be so much more different. But when they try to pass it off as genuine, then I'm at a loss for words because I found a long-drawn out scene of Imdahl (dressed EXACTLY like Jessica Biel in the TCM remake) running through the woods being chased by a chainsaw wielding maniac in an apron for a long stretch of time (sound familiar?).

As much as I wanted to hate this movie altogether, it manages to have a few pros, such as an abundance of female nudity, including one particularly graphic sex scene. Also, the gore is abundant as well, though there is way too much CG blood in this for my tastes. As for the coup de grace, the tiny hint of originality in this film comes in the form of a VERY graphic death which reminded me all too well of that classic Cannibal Corpse song "Fucked with a Knife". Before I wrap things up and stop beating Slasher up like an innocent pinata, I have to complain about the film's biggest problem. The synopsis boasts of the group's friendship being put to the test as secrets from their black pasts begin to surface. Here's the kicker: this little unique subplot was not revealed until a brief moment within the climax, and an even briefer couple of seconds in the film's final moments. If you're quick on your toes, you'll catch the twists, but that's if your not too busy quickly reading the subtitles and looking back up to watch the rapid flashbacks. In the end, you're left utterly confused and having to rewind back through those scenes several times over to try and understand what should have CLEARLY been stressed in more than just a few seconds worth of run time. Overall, while Slasher does have a couple of fun, campy moments of nostalgia, nudity, and violence, they take forever to get to (which is saying a lot considering this film's short 80 minute run time) and the finished product is a mess in terms of story, presentation, and originality. While it may be a rough start, writer/director Montag is heading in the right direction. As someone who's worked alongside fellow German horror gore-fest director, Timo Rose (Beast, Fearmakers), Montag has certainly got a bright future ahead of him, especially since Slasher is better than most of Rose's films. As long as Montag learns from his mistakes with his debut film, he is perfectly capable of delivering some quality horror in the future.

While my review of Slasher isn't exactly glowing, I want to thank Breaking Glass Pictures and Unearthed Films for giving me the opportunity to review this film prior to its release date. For those interested in purchasing Slasher, it will be available on Uncut Region 1 DVD on May 4th of 2009. The DVD will be in 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen with English Subtitles.