Blood Slaughter Massacre,Wild Eye Releasing's most recent DVD release, is a movie that works hard to pay tribute to slasher films of the past. It draws on many of the well known tropes and idioms of the slasher genre while also attempting to branch of in new directions.
The detective and his partner have been together on the force for over ten years. They were the ones who were first on the scene for the Ripper murders when they were still early on the force. Now they have been assigned to a case of ritualistic murders of teen girls.
The detective finds out that there is connection between the teen murders and the Ripper murders from ten years before. But he wonders if he'll be able to handle the case as he struggles with his alcoholism and with his estranged wife and daughter.
Meanwhile the teenagers are planning a party for the weekend. Our leading lady--and obvious final girl--is reluctant to hold a party and is against drinking, smoking, and promiscuous sex. However, he friends pressure her into holding the party at her house while her parents are away for the weekend.
The two plot lines soon meet in a tumultuous, and somewhat confusing, bloody climax that seems reminiscent of John Carpenter's Halloween (1978) and Black Christmas (1974).
The movie had moments that really managed to capture that old time 80s slasher feel. It was apparent that the filmmakers tried to pay attention to small details that would scream "1980s" to the audience. The scenes in the classic VHS video rental store were some of my favorite.
On top of that there was also an 80s-esque film score with synthesized sound effects. This made the chase scenes and kill scenes significantly more effective. The killer's mask was a brilliant and original touch, giving him a Micheal Myers type of persona while still staying original.
Unfortunately, for every good moment on film, and for every beneficial element, there seemed to be others that fell a little flat. By focusing on both the detective and the teenagers the film felt like it was spread a little too thin. It felt as if they were mixing a police drama with a slasher film. This made the movie feel very slow and it ultimately diluted the horror elements.
In my opinion they could have made an entire movie just based off the teens and their party and left the detective's story by the wayside. I wanted more scares, more chase scenes, and more of the masked killer. His presence is what really made this movie shine.
There needs to be a balance in all horror, especially the slasher genre, and that balance is finicky. While you don't want your character to be too flat or you also don't want to dumb down the story so much with character development that it slows the movie down. Almost every one of my favorite slasher/splatter movies are ones where the scares and tension start early and don't let up until the very end. Blood Slaughter Massacre had so many good parts it was disappointing to have them slowed down.
Summing it Up
Deaths: X
Language: 5
Gore Factor: 4
Sex Factor: 5
Scare Factor: 3
Fun Factor: 3
Overall Rating: 3