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Slashers That Didn't Catch On

post #1 of 94
6/29/09 at 8:28pm
Thread Starter 
The "Eternal Monsters Of Filmland" thread got me thinking about slashers as icons, and the article raised valid points about how some slashers have stuck around long enough to become Frankenstein-like tropes on their own. I think Leatherface comes closest for me, rounding 40 years old and with 6 actors giving their own spin. (Jason has more, but is younger and has been played with less variety).

There were so many damn slashers in the 80s (even Norman Bates came back for a few sequels), it would have been impossible for all of them to catch the brass ring (which does not exclude them from remake treatment). Thought it would be fun to hear some of your favorite slashers who didn't go the distance, what you liked about them, and why you think they didn't catch on (aside from dying in the movie; we all know that never stopped anyone). Tell me your thoughts on:

The Cropsy Maniac (The Burning) - this guy coulda been Jason, but Sean Cunningham beat the Weinsteins to the punch. Savini slasher! Ripe for remake.

Madman Marz (Madman) - maybe another Jason contender, but without Paramount's distribution muscle. Also, it fucking sucked. Would probably have been remade if Friday the 13th made more money (I have no fucking idea, really).

Junior (The Unseen) - a personal favorite. This was a classier slasher than you'd think with (spoiler) a big, diapered retard played by Stephen Furst accidentally killing hot broads and dragging them to the basement. Sequel unfeasible. Remake unlikely.

Cowhead (The Funhouse) - this guy scared the shit out of me as a kid. Rick Baker's only crazy slasher makeup that I know of. Remake a-comin'.

And add your own slashers that could have gone the path of Freddy, Jason and Michael, but didn't for some reason.
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post #2 of 94
6/29/09 at 8:32pm
Marty Rantzen from Slaughter High. Kind of difficult when you're star offs himself via O.D. shortly after the film's premiere. Also, killer Santa Claus from Silent Night, Deadly Night, the controversy and the poorer than poor sequels really did in what is essentially a no-brainer of a concept.
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post #3 of 94
6/29/09 at 8:35pm
I remember those pathetic TV spots for BAD DREAMS, in which the studio was desperately pushing Harris (Richard Lynch) as the next Freddy. Didn't work, obviously.

How about the slasher in a bear suit in GIRLS NITE OUT? I don't remember who was in that thing (actor or character), but the suit itself was memorable.
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post #4 of 94
6/29/09 at 8:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Malmordo View Post
I remember those pathetic TV spots for BAD DREAMS, in which the studio was desperately pushing Harris (Richard Lynch) as the next Freddy. Didn't work, obviously.
Not defending BAD DREAMS, really, but the fact that Richard Lynch's character was (I think) imaginary, and there was a whole real threat, that was part of the "surprise" ending. Sure, the ads played up his burnt visage, trying to play up a Freddy connection to get you in the theater, but for once I don't think the producers had sequel on the mind. Not really sure they had anything on the mind, except for the forethought to cast Jennifer Rubin.

It's been so long I don't remember much of it, but as a kid I loved THE PROWLER, from its prologue to the basic getup of the character- the gas mask was creepy.

I really need to see it again.
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post #5 of 94
6/29/09 at 8:44pm
Horace Pinker from Shocker. Craven said that he was trying to make another slasher icon akin to Freddy, and the movie flopped. Good idea that could still go places with the proposed remake.

A recent one would be Mr. Jangles from Venom.
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post #6 of 94
6/29/09 at 9:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith F View Post
Not defending BAD DREAMS, really, but the fact that Richard Lynch's character was (I think) imaginary, and there was a whole real threat, that was part of the "surprise" ending. Sure, the ads played up his burnt visage, trying to play up a Freddy connection to get you in the theater, but for once I don't think the producers had sequel on the mind. Not really sure they had anything on the mind, except for the forethought to cast Jennifer Rubin.
The strange part is that Richard Lynch himself was disfigured after setting himself on fire IRL. It's most notably visible in God Told Me To.
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post #7 of 94
6/29/09 at 9:25pm
I think the reason a lot of the slasher villians didn't catch on is because a lot of those movies were basically just Agatha Christie-type murder mysteries with a shitload more gore and tits. Probably only about a third of the slasher movies bother to invent elaborate mythologies when indeed the monster is supposed to be an outside threat and not just one of the cast who turns out to be the killer, Scooby-Doo-style.
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post #8 of 94
6/29/09 at 9:42pm
An odd one was 1980's Fade to Black, about the film-obsessed nerd who dresses as famous characters - Dracula, Norman Bates, The Mummy and others - to kill those who done him wrong and get the Marilyn Monroe doppelganger chick. It was a cool concept for an early 80's homicidal maniac film, and while there wasn't a constant character like Jason or Michael Myers, he had a wealth of sources to draw upon for murderous inspiration.
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post #9 of 94
6/29/09 at 9:50pm
the Djinn, from the Wishmaster movies. say what you want ("but they made 3 sequels!!"), who actually watched them? they tried HARD to turn him into a "new slasher" icon. i remember Fangoria proclaiming him the "new Freddy" again and again. but wow, not a good movie.

at least Divoff eventually came back on Lost.
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post #10 of 94
6/29/09 at 10:00pm
My avatar Irving Wallace had such aplomb, but alas, STAGE FRIGHT would be his only appearance.
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post #11 of 94
6/29/09 at 10:04pm
How about the Pig Head with a Chain Saw from Motel Hell? Now there is remake material!
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post #12 of 94
6/29/09 at 10:09pm
The real key to an iconic slasher, barring Freddy (who I feel transcends the slasher tag but whatever) was a good mask. Leatherface, Michael, then the ultimate reduction of the idea with the hockey mask on Jason. I recently watched TERROR TRAIN, and it occurred to me that where they really screwed up was by having the killer wear different masks.
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post #13 of 94
6/29/09 at 10:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jacktorrance1 View Post
the Djinn, from the Wishmaster movies. say what you want ("but they made 3 sequels!!"), who actually watched them? they tried HARD to turn him into a "new slasher" icon. i remember Fangoria proclaiming him the "new Freddy" again and again. but wow, not a good movie.

at least Divoff eventually came back on Lost.
Sadly I've seen them, Divoff was only in the first 2.
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post #14 of 94
6/29/09 at 10:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cylon Baby View Post
How about the Pig Head with a Chain Saw from Motel Hell?
Rory Calhoun?
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post #15 of 94
6/29/09 at 10:35pm
The Prowler could have had great potential. Nothing like seeing a pissed off ex-soldier running around with a bayonet/shotgun/pitchfork/other stuff. His camouflage material was pretty cool too and they could just recast the role each time since the character is masked anyway.
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post #16 of 94
6/29/09 at 10:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rene (Mr.Eko) View Post
The Prowler could have had great potential. Nothing like seeing a pissed off ex-soldier running around with a bayonet/shotgun/pitchfork/other stuff. His camoflage material was pretty cool too and they could just recast the role each time since the character is masked anyway.
Covered it already. Spooked me as a kid.
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post #17 of 94
6/29/09 at 10:37pm
The Miner from MY BLOODY VALENTINE.


TWICE!
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post #18 of 94
6/29/09 at 10:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Keith F View Post
Covered it already. Spooked me as a kid.
Holy shit, Keith. Did not notice that. Great minds think alike.


Out of the ones in Phil's initial list, the one's I'd like to see again are Cropsy and Cowhead. Mostly Cowhead, as I'm sure with the impending remake that Roth can come up with some really depraved shit for him to do. He was getting his jollies at the burlesque show in the original. Roth will take it up a notch.
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post #19 of 94
6/29/09 at 11:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rene (Mr.Eko) View Post
Holy shit, Keith. Did not notice that. Great minds think alike.


Out of the ones in Phil's initial list, the one's I'd like to see again are Cropsy and Cowhead. Mostly Cowhead, as I'm sure with the impending remake that Roth can come up with some really depraved shit for him to do. He was getting his jollies at the burlesque show in the original. Roth will take it up a notch.
Didn't Roth basically say that the creature wasn't going to be a part of his remake?
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post #20 of 94
6/29/09 at 11:15pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rene (Mr.Eko) View Post
The Prowler could have had great potential. Nothing like seeing a pissed off ex-soldier running around with a bayonet/shotgun/pitchfork/other stuff. His camouflage material was pretty cool too and they could just recast the role each time since the character is masked anyway.
Some of these guys straddle the giallo/Agatha Christie Mystery Killer line a bit more than the slasher deal. A climactic Scooby Doo-esque unmasking knocks them out of the running a bit. I guess that Saw dude started as one and became the other.
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post #21 of 94
6/29/09 at 11:18pm
The ultimate failed Horror Icon, The Trickster from the Edward Furlong vehicle Brainscan.



He was like a cyber Freddy. I remember all the fucked up kids in grade school were really excited about it. Not one sequel!
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post #22 of 94
6/29/09 at 11:24pm
Dr. Giggles.
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post #23 of 94
6/29/09 at 11:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ratty View Post
Didn't Roth basically say that the creature wasn't going to be a part of his remake?
Really? Didn't remember reading about that. That would suck though. He's got to find room for this monster that is "All real, and all ALIVE!"
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post #24 of 94
6/29/09 at 11:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arjen Rudd View Post
The ultimate failed Horror Icon, The Trickster from the Edward Furlong vehicle Brainscan.



He was like a cyber Freddy. I remember all the fucked up kids in grade school were really excited about it. Not one sequel!
Who, according to Andrew Kevin Walker, was originally meant to be nothing more than a voice on the phone. The studio wanted an icon to carry a franchise. Fail.
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post #25 of 94
6/30/09 at 12:01am
Jack Sholder's ALONE IN THE DARK (82), had such a cool, beautifully simplistic concept that I'm surprised nobody's remade it, or at the very least ran with the concept in a pseudo sequel. Suppose there isn't name recognition there that isn't mucked up with the Boll masterpiece of the same name.

Bah. This is totally not what you're talking about.
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post #26 of 94
6/30/09 at 12:10am
I still remember the tv spots and trailers that hyped the hell out of Brainscan and the Trickster.
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post #27 of 94
6/30/09 at 12:39am
I always wanted to throw a Halloween party where it was mandatory for people to dress up as second and third string slashers. No Jasons, Freddys or Michaels allowed. I just wanted to see if any Max Jenkes would show up.
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post #28 of 94
6/30/09 at 1:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Abbott & Prospero View Post
I just wanted to see if any Max Jenkes would show up.
Ha. I just watched House 3. So terrible. But nobody gave good crazy eyes like Brion James.
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post #29 of 94
6/30/09 at 1:55am
That friggin' laugh. Brion James was a genius. Damn sad that he died way back. I'm sure he'd still be doing great character roles.
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post #30 of 94
6/30/09 at 3:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rene (Mr.Eko) View Post
The Prowler could have had great potential. Nothing like seeing a pissed off ex-soldier running around with a bayonet/shotgun/pitchfork/other stuff. His camouflage material was pretty cool too and they could just recast the role each time since the character is masked anyway.

That's the Tom Savini/Zito vehicle, right? Does it supply enough carnage as their other collaboration, Friday the 13th: Part 4?
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post #31 of 94
6/30/09 at 3:45am
Yeah it is the Savini/Zito collaboration. It's got quite a bit of carnage in it's own right. It's got several really great kills. Including one where a guy gets a bayonet through the top of his head, and his eyes roll over white as it's being pulled out. That's probably the movie's signature kill. It's definitely worth a look.

I still remember renting the vhs back as a senior in high school during spring break of '02 (I really remember, because I was out and about every damn night!) and it was a damn DARK flick. It was really hard to make out certain stuff. Luckily the dvd fixed that problem.
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post #32 of 94
6/30/09 at 9:19am
Sackhead from THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN.
Slashers wearing sacks over their heads may have a strong cult following, but they never last beyond one movie. Even Jason had to upgrade to a mask.

Does Dr. Dekker from NIGHTBREED count?
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post #33 of 94
6/30/09 at 9:56am
I think Decker kinda counts.It's set up that he was still ticking at the end, Invincible Killer style, and I always took his whole storyline being about what would happen if a standard kind of Slasher Villian ever had to throw up hands against some Real Monsters; I could see him turning up in a few sequels, easy. If I saw a dude dressed up at a party with a zipper face mask and a dour gray suit and machete, he would at least be getting one free drink out of me.

I never saw The Town That Dreaded Sundown but the trailer used to scare the piss out of me as a kid.
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post #34 of 94
6/30/09 at 10:10am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rene (Mr.Eko) View Post
Yeah it is the Savini/Zito collaboration. It's got quite a bit of carnage in it's own right. It's got several really great kills.
As far as Savini slashers go, The Prowler is where his effects are best served by the direction. Zito really covered the gags perfectly. And it's just some of Savini's nastiest stuff this side of Maniac. The killer spends an inordinate amount of screen time pitchforking a naked woman in a shower. Thing just goes on forever. But the movie's more in the giallo, whodunit mode.
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post #35 of 94
6/30/09 at 10:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sebastian OB View Post
My avatar Irving Wallace had such aplomb, but alas, STAGE FRIGHT would be his only appearance.
Stagefright is probably my favorite of the Tier-B slashers. Some other interesting entries here, too.

He might not have ever stood a chance at stardom, but I did like the Vincent character in the House of Wax remake.
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post #36 of 94
6/30/09 at 10:44am
I don't know if he would count, but I was always rather fond of the film Popcorn, which featured a killer who offed people in ways related to old B-movies. The flick was just fun, and the killer had an interesting back story. Not sure if they could have done any more stories with the character, but I really would have liked to see them try.
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post #37 of 94
6/30/09 at 10:50am
Corbin Bernsen as THE DENTIST.

The original is one of my favourite guilty pleasures and is as ready as it'll ever be to be remade. It had a sequel (THE DENTIST 2: YOU KNOW THE DRILL .... best sequel name ever) but who the hell's ever seen it?
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post #38 of 94
6/30/09 at 10:50am
I'm betting Dee Snyder thought he'd have a second career doing a string of Captain Howdy movies. Thankfully, no.
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post #39 of 94
6/30/09 at 11:19am
There was one slasher flick that came out in the 80s that I always thought was going to be a series like Friday the 13th - April Fool's Day. Even though the whole thing turned out to be a big prank, as a kid I still thought there would be more, as the ending kinda confused me as to whether or not the girl at the end really got her neck slashed open. Plus, it was titled after a "holiday", and as I kid I thought all those "holiday" flims always got sequels.
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post #40 of 94
6/30/09 at 11:28am
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobClark View Post
Does Dr. Dekker from NIGHTBREED count?
Dammit, BC, beating me to the punch!

The world needs more NIGHTBREED and more Dr. Dekker.

FREDDY VS JASON? Howbout TRICKSTER VS SHOCKER?
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post #41 of 94
6/30/09 at 11:32am
Would the Candyman count in this area? Sure, he has a cult following and all that, but we've only had 3 entries in the series (the last one in 1999)
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post #42 of 94
6/30/09 at 11:32am
Like anyone's surprised a slasher named Horace Pinker didn't catch on?

"Ooooooh Horace is coming to get me!"
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post #43 of 94
6/30/09 at 11:35am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Judas Booth View Post
Would the Candyman count in this area? Sure, he has a cult following and all that, but we've only had 3 entries in the series (the last one in 1999)
I'd say if you had three films, you more or less caught on. That shit'll get remade in no time.
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post #44 of 94
6/30/09 at 11:42am
The Scarecrow from Dark Night of the Scarecrow. You don't even need the same character just someone who has been wrongly murdered and his spirit is seeking revenge.

I'm actually surprised no one has touched this TV movie for a full on R rated movie. Can't imagine the rights are expensive.
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post #45 of 94
6/30/09 at 11:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan S~ View Post
The Scarecrow from Dark Night of the Scarecrow. You don't even need the same character just someone who has been wrongly murdered and his spirit is seeking revenge.

I'm actually surprised no one has touched this TV movie for a full on R rated movie. Can't imagine the rights are expensive.
That's a great, genuinely creepy TV movie. However, it's a self-contained story if I remember correctly. There was really nothing left for a sequel to be built upon.

A remake would indeed be another story.
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post #46 of 94
6/30/09 at 11:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan S~ View Post
The Scarecrow from Dark Night of the Scarecrow. You don't even need the same character just someone who has been wrongly murdered and his spirit is seeking revenge.

I'm actually surprised no one has touched this TV movie for a full on R rated movie. Can't imagine the rights are expensive.
The Scare-CROW? Wrongly murdered? Why are things in this making me think of an over-extended series of movies that came much later.
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post #47 of 94
6/30/09 at 11:58am
Dammit CHUD. I came here to lament the loss of a Shocker franchise only to find I was beaten by the fifth post.

Does Victor Crowley from Hatchet count? Or is he too generic?
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post #48 of 94
6/30/09 at 12:04pm
Thread Starter 
Too self-reflexive, maybe. Any "slasher" created after 1990 is suspect to me.

While we're all here, this is a great little site that profiles some underseen gems:

http://terrortrap.com/
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post #49 of 94
6/30/09 at 12:12pm
Haha that site has a pic of the creepy masked iceskating killer from CURTAINS, the only slasher movie with unintentional comci relief provided by Dean Wormer.
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post #50 of 94
6/30/09 at 12:16pm
Captain Howdy in (Dee Snider's) Strangeland, written by Dee Snider, and starring Dee Snider as Captain Howdy.
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