Latest news with #slasher
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2 days ago
- Entertainment
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The 16 Best Slasher Movies Ever Made, from ‘Candyman' to ‘Psycho'
[Editor's note: this list was originally published in October 2022. It has since been updated with new entries.] Slasher movies are generally considered to be among the more disreputable horror film subgenres. They can be misogynistic, punishing women for their sexuality while also appealing to viewers' most prurient, voyeuristic impulses: celebrating the male gaze while damning the objects of that gaze except for a virginal 'Final Girl.' But slasher movies can veer the closest to true-crime of any of the horror subgenres, meaning that its issues of representation often say as much about an audience that wants to consume beastly criminality as packaged narrative, as it does the filmmakers who deliver them to us. More from IndieWire Jennifer Love Hewitt on Horror Comeback: 'I'm There for the Moms' 'Jimmy & Stiggs' vs. the Gore Wars - Eli Roth Backs Joe Begos and Neon Aliens as His Answer to 'Terrifier 3' Jason Blum on Those Big Budgets for Horror Movies and Why 'Sinners' Is the Exception to the Rule The best slasher movies are as idea-oriented as any horror films. And almost all force you to look within and ask yourself: what's the line between you watching a horrific act… and finally looking away? The genre as we know it was birthed in the mid-'70s from American filmmakers like Tobe Hooper and John Carpenter, who broke new ground and introduced classic horror villains with films like 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' and 'Halloween.' But its roots stretch back to formative '40s films like 'The Lodger' or 'The Leopard Man,' which introduced the concept of a silent stalker into horror filmmaking. The giallo wave of the late '60s and '70s in Italy, lead by auteurs like Dario Argento and Mario Bava, proved key foundational texts for the slashers to follow, frightening audiences with unseen murderers in tight black gloves and elaborate, gruesome murder scenes that pushed boundaries for gore in cinema. From the grungy, indie films of the '70s that birthed the genre, slashers have since become arguably the most mainstream of mainstream horror. In the '80s and '90s, movies like 'Chucky' and 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' kept the genre alive, while 'Scream' introduced a self-referential streak that many lesser entries into the canon still attempt to emulate. While today's discourse in the genre tends to be dominated by 'elevated' horror like your 'Hereditarys' or 'The Babadooks,' slashers remain the gateway that can turn a horror skeptic into a foaming-at-the-mouth fan. IndieWire is revisiting our list of the best slashers ever made to provide a guide to whatever horror film marathon you have going on this spooky season. Read on for the 16 greatest slasher movies of all time, ranked. With editorial contributions by Tambay Obenson, Christian Blauvelt, Eric Kohn, Anne Thompson, and Alison Foreman. Best of IndieWire Martin Scorsese's Favorite Movies Include 'Eddington': 87 Films the Director Wants You to See The Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in July, from 'Vertigo' and 'Rear Window' to 'Emily the Criminal' The Best Lesbian Movies Ever Made, from 'D.E.B.S.' and 'Carol' to 'Bound' and 'Pariah'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The slasher scandal of 1984 gets an update in Silent Night, Deadly Night remake teaser
Terrifier 3 already saw Art The Clown ruin Christmas, but why stop there? The slasher business is booming, so it's as good a time as ever for Cineverse to bring back an old holiday horror: Silent Night, Deadly Night. Premiering December 12, the new film is billed as 'A reimagining of the controversial 1984 cult horror classic,' which scandalized audiences with its marketing campaign centered around a killer Santa Claus. More than 40 years later, here's the synopsis for the Cineverse remake: 'When Billy witnesses his parents' grisly murder on Christmas Eve at the hands of Santa, it ignites a lifelong mission to spread holiday fear. Every Christmas, he dons the jolly red suit and delivers a blood-soaked massacre to feed his twisted sense of justice. This Christmas Eve, Billy wants to know: 'Have you been naughty?'' The Silent Night, Deadly Night teaser gets right to it with ax-wielding action and blood splattering on Santa's (fake) snow-white beard. Audiences are probably more desensitized to the shock of a killer Santa in 2025, but in 1984 parents protested that the depiction—even just in the marketing—was traumatizing for kids. The outcry ultimately led to the ads being pulled from the press and later the film being pulled from theaters. Critics didn't dig it either, with Gene Siskel calling out everyone involved with making the movie and declaring 'Shame on you' on At The Movies. In 2012, The A.V. Club's Noel Murray had a milder view, observing it was 'as run-of-the-mill a slasher film as the '80s produced, enjoyable today primarily for its kitsch value.' Despite the controversy or the quality, the film was successful enough to spawn four sequels and a 'slick but soulless' (in Murray's words) remake starring Malcolm McDowell, Jaime King, and Donal Logue. Cineverse's new take stars Rohan Campbell (Halloween Ends) as Billy, with an ensemble cast that includes Ruby Modine, Mark Acheson, David Lawrence Brown, and David Tomlinson. We'll see where this one fits into the Silent Night pantheon. More from A.V. Club The biggest news (so far) from San Diego Comic-Con 2025 What's on TV this week—Chief Of War and Eyes Of Wakanda R.I.P. Tom Lehrer, mathematician and musical satirist
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Silent Night, Deadly Night' unleashes killer Santa: Watch the trailer
Art the Clown terrified at the holidays last year. This Christmas season, it's Santa's time to kill. The first teaser trailer has arrived for "Silent Night, Deadly Night" (in theaters Dec. 12), an unrated reimagining of the controversial 1984 cult horror movie written and directed by Mike P. Nelson ("Wrong Turn"). And this slasher Santa Claus doesn't mess around, using an axe and a shotgun with deadly intention and also down for impaling people on deer antlers. Rohan Campbell, whose scary-movie resume includes "Halloween Ends" and "The Monkey," stars in the film as Billy. As a child, he witnesses Santa gruesomely murder his mom and dad on Christmas Eve, and it sparks his life goal to spread holiday fear instead of cheer. So every holiday, Billy gets in the familiar red suit and embarks on a yuletide massacre. "Silent Night" is the latest unrated movie coming to theaters from Cineverse, the company which distributes the hit "Terrifier" franchise and is also releasing the upcoming "The Toxic Avenger" remake (out Aug. 29) starring Peter Dinklage. Cineverse is "this rogue independent studio that's all about helping artists get their films in front of audiences," chairman and CEO Chris McGurk told USA TODAY in March. Maybe audiences in 2025 will be more embracing of a murderous St. Nick than in the 1980s. When the original "Silent Night" was released in November 1984, its ad campaign caused a kerfuffle and the filmed ended up being pulled from theaters amid parental outrage, This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Silent Night, Deadly Night' 2025 trailer remakes a killer Santa
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
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Where to stream the original ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer' and similar slashers
Love a masked stalker and a guilty secret? Here's what to watch next. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's summer slasher I Know What You Did Last Summer is a sequel to the 1997 movie of the same name. And while the horror movie had fans rushing to the theater to see who is beneath the Fisherman's slicker this time around, it's also making many nostalgic for the original Jennifer Love Hewitt vehicle — or curious to check it out for the first time. The good news is that the 1997 version is streaming on MGM+ right now. But while the original IKWYDLS may be an obvious next watch if you're a fan of the new movie, the spirit of this slasher exists across plenty of other movies and shows too — all of which are streaming right now. Here are some to check out next time you're in a Last Summer sort of mood. If you want to watch the TV version: (2021) A brand new mystery unfolds for the college-age teens in Prime Video's I Know What You Did Last Summer, an original series inspired, as the slasher films before it was, by Lois Duncan's 1973 novel of the same name. Don't expect the Fisherman, though — this series is a wild, violent ride with a mythology all its own, and it borrows just as much from shows like Pretty Little Liars as it does classic slashers. Streaming on: Prime Video If you want to watch that other '90s slasher flick: (1996) Before he wrote I Know What You Did Last Summer, screenwriter Kevin Williamson found massive success in 1996 with Scream, which is also about a group of teens hunted by a masked killer. The film franchise is still ongoing, with the seventh movie currently in production — but while they're all worth a watch, it's hard to beat the twist ending of the original … that is, if you like scary movies. Streaming on: HBO Max If you want to revisit the '90s from a modern lens: (2021) This film, which is part of a trilogy, is the first installment of Netflix's reimagining of R.L. Stine's Fear Street book series. The slasher takes place in Shadyside, a town with a dark past and a huge body count. When the mysterious lore of the town slams into present day, teenager Sam (Kiana Madeira) must stop the town's monsters from doing what they do best: murdering everyone in sight. Expect crazy kills, quippy teens and, of course, lots of '90s iconography. Streaming on: Netflix If you want a touch of with your slasher: (2017) College student Tree (Jessica Rothe) keeps dying … and coming back to life … and dying again. Can she figure out who is behind the baby-faced mask that is out for her blood before she doesn't wake up for good? Available for rent or purchase: Prime Video If you want more bad decisions: (2009) A prank goes horribly awry in this remake of The House on Sorority Row (1982) and leads to the death of a college student (who just so happens to be played by Audrina Patridge of The Hills!). Just like in I Know What You Did Last Summer, that secret doesn't stay buried, and soon those involved in the cover-up are hunted by a masked killer. Streaming on: Tubi If you want another masked killer … and a romantic twist: (2025) What would a mash-up of a rom-com and a slasher movie look like? Enter Heart Eyes, in which two coworkers (played by Mason Gooding and Olivia Holt) catch feelings for one another when they become a target of a killer hunting down couples. Streaming on: Netflix If you're skipping summer and going right into the holidays: (2023) After a Black Friday stampede leads to the death of several locals, a deranged killer in a Pilgrim costume comes forward to take his revenge on a group of teens, including TikTok-turned-pop star Addison Rae. Fun fact: the concept of the film was first created as a fake movie trailer for the 2007 Quentin Tarantino-Robert Rodriguez double feature Grindhouse. Streaming on: Netflix Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Where to stream the original ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer' and similar slashers
Love a masked stalker and a guilty secret? Here's what to watch next. Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's summer slasher I Know What You Did Last Summer is a sequel to the 1997 movie of the same name. And while the horror movie had fans rushing to the theater to see who is beneath the Fisherman's slicker this time around, it's also making many nostalgic for the original Jennifer Love Hewitt vehicle — or curious to check it out for the first time. The good news is that the 1997 version is streaming on MGM+ right now. But while the original IKWYDLS may be an obvious next watch if you're a fan of the new movie, the spirit of this slasher exists across plenty of other movies and shows too — all of which are streaming right now. Here are some to check out next time you're in a Last Summer sort of mood. If you want to watch the TV version: (2021) A brand new mystery unfolds for the college-age teens in Prime Video's I Know What You Did Last Summer, an original series inspired, as the slasher films before it was, by Lois Duncan's 1973 novel of the same name. Don't expect the Fisherman, though — this series is a wild, violent ride with a mythology all its own, and it borrows just as much from shows like Pretty Little Liars as it does classic slashers. Streaming on: Prime Video If you want to watch that other '90s slasher flick: (1996) Before he wrote I Know What You Did Last Summer, screenwriter Kevin Williamson found massive success in 1996 with Scream, which is also about a group of teens hunted by a masked killer. The film franchise is still ongoing, with the seventh movie currently in production — but while they're all worth a watch, it's hard to beat the twist ending of the original … that is, if you like scary movies. Streaming on: HBO Max If you want to revisit the '90s from a modern lens: (2021) This film, which is part of a trilogy, is the first installment of Netflix's reimagining of R.L. Stine's Fear Street book series. The slasher takes place in Shadyside, a town with a dark past and a huge body count. When the mysterious lore of the town slams into present day, teenager Sam (Kiana Madeira) must stop the town's monsters from doing what they do best: murdering everyone in sight. Expect crazy kills, quippy teens and, of course, lots of '90s iconography. Streaming on: Netflix If you want a touch of with your slasher: (2017) College student Tree (Jessica Rothe) keeps dying … and coming back to life … and dying again. Can she figure out who is behind the baby-faced mask that is out for her blood before she doesn't wake up for good? Available for rent or purchase: Prime Video If you want more bad decisions: (2009) A prank goes horribly awry in this remake of The House on Sorority Row (1982) and leads to the death of a college student (who just so happens to be played by Audrina Patridge of The Hills!). Just like in I Know What You Did Last Summer, that secret doesn't stay buried, and soon those involved in the cover-up are hunted by a masked killer. Streaming on: Tubi If you want another masked killer … and a romantic twist: (2025) What would a mash-up of a rom-com and a slasher movie look like? Enter Heart Eyes, in which two coworkers (played by Mason Gooding and Olivia Holt) catch feelings for one another when they become a target of a killer hunting down couples. Streaming on: Netflix If you're skipping summer and going right into the holidays: (2023) After a Black Friday stampede leads to the death of several locals, a deranged killer in a Pilgrim costume comes forward to take his revenge on a group of teens, including TikTok-turned-pop star Addison Rae. Fun fact: the concept of the film was first created as a fake movie trailer for the 2007 Quentin Tarantino-Robert Rodriguez double feature Grindhouse. Streaming on: Netflix Solve the daily Crossword
