Revenge Of The Slashers: “Billy”

“Filthy Billy. I know what you did, nasty Billy!”

Although we barely get a glimpse of him in the film, “Billy” is easily one of the creepiest slashers on my list this year. Appearing in 1974’s Black Christmas, “Billy” terrorizes a houseful of sorority sisters by making obscene phone calls to them and then killing them off one by one. He does all of this from the attic of the sorority house and even manages to frame an innocent young college student for the murders that he commits.

Billy spends most of his time making obscene, vulgar calls to the sorority sisters. He hides in the attic and patiently waits for one of the girls to become isolated from the rest of the group and then kills her. His first kill in the film is perhaps the most memorable, as he suffocates poor Clare to death and then stores her in the attic in a rocking chair near the window. He has no specific weapon of choice, happy to use crane hooks and glass unicorns to kill his victims.

“Billy” was portrayed by three different actors in the film. Many of his kills and general movements throughout the house are seen from his point of view, and in the POV shots, Albert J. Dunk performs as Billy. Nick Mancuso and Bob Clark provide Billy’s voice on the phone calls and we briefly seek Clark’s shadow-covered face in the film.

There have been two remakes of Black Christmas, neither of which had the same impact that the original film did. The original 1974 film has become a cult hit over the years and is considered to be one of the first slashers in the slasher film era. It also partly inspired the first Halloween film.

Thanks for checking out today’s post. Have you seen Black Christmas? Let me know what you think of the film and of “Billy” in the comments section.

Revenge Of The Slashers: The Prowler

“I want you to be my date, Rose.”

Of all of the slashers on this list, the Prowler is probably the one most forgotten despite having some of the most brutal kills in cinematic history. The original film, which I reviewed here, fared poorly at the box office, but the gory kills that came courtesy of the magical hands of special effects and makeup artist Tom Savini have cemented the character in slasher history.

Portrayed on the screen by Farley Granger, the Prowler’s tale goes all the way back to World War II, where he gets a Dear John letter from his best girl, Rosemary, and kills her and her boyfriend, Roy, at their college’s graduation dance. Jump ahead to 1980, and the college has decided to bring back the graduation dance. It also brings back the Prowler.

Dressed in a World War II combat gear, the Prowler starts taking out college students with a pitchfork and a bayonet, alternating between the two weapons. He impales a young man through the top of his head, pins a young girl in the shower with his pitchfork, saws another young lady’s throat open, and so forth. His kills are violent and some of the most realistic looking attacks in 80s cinema.

What sells me on the Prowler is how violent he is in the film. Those kills do look extremely brutal and he speaks only one line: “I want you to be my date, Rose.” Had the film done better at the box office, we might have gotten more Prowler films. Sadly, there are no plans to bring back the WWII character any time soon. There are a couple of action figures and the occasional t-shirt on a rack, but other than that, the Prowler has gone silent.

I’d love to see the Prowler revived. How about you? Let me know in the comments section if you’ve watched this film. Oh, and as always, thanks for reading my post!

Revenge Of The Slashers: Angela Baker

“If she were any quieter, she’d be dead!”

She might be sweet on the surface, but Angela Baker is a big ol’ bag of messed up under the skin! 1983’s Sleepaway Camp introduced the world to Angela and thanks to the brilliant performance of Felissa Rose as Angela, the character has been a part of slasher culture ever since. It should be noted that the “twist ending” of the original film will be spoiled in this post, so please stop reading now if you haven’t seen the original Sleepaway Camp.

After witnessing the traumatic death of her father and “brother” in a boating accident, Angela has become silent, barely speaking to anyone that she comes into contact with. She is raised by her Aunt Martha with her cousin, Ricky, who is constantly protecting Angela from bullies. When Angela and Ricky go to Camp Arawak for the summer, her bullies end up being murdered one by one.

Angela is revealed to be the murderer in the film’s iconic ending which shows the world that Angela is actually her brother, Peter, who survived the boating accident and has been raised as a girl by her Aunt Martha. Angela brutally murders her bullies and decapitates a boy that falls for her. She uses anything she can get her hands on in order to murder her victims. From traditional weapons like knives to more painful devices such as boiling water, Angela can make anything lethal. Along with the shocking reveal at the end of the film, one of Angela’s kills involving a curling iron has gone down in slasher history as one of the most disturbing kills on the big screen.

Yep, Angela has a willy.

Angela was portrayed by Felissa Rose in the original Sleepaway Camp film. Pamela Springsteen took over the role in the first and second sequels. Carrie Chambers played the character in Sleepaway Camp IV: The Survivor. Rose would return to the role in 2008’s Return To Sleepaway Camp. Despite the popularity of the first two sequels and a general appreciation for Springsteen’s performance in those films, Felissa Rose has always been considered the best Angela Baker.

Pamela Springsteen as Angela Baker.

The character’s gender-bending background and the fact that her father was a gay man in the early 80s has often made the original film a target for both praise and criticism from the LGBTQIA+ community. It was a pretty bold move in the early 80s to show two gay men in a loving relationship on the screen. In almost all other cases at the time, such a relationship would be played for laughs. This relationship, as well as the shocking conclusion to the film, have made the film a talking point for how homosexuality is portrayed on the big screen.

Angela Baker was a real trailblazer in her day. Are you a fan of the character like me? Lemme know in the comments section. As always, thanks for checking out my post!

Revenge Of The Slashers: Sweeney Todd

“A proper artist with a razor.”

Arguably the oldest slasher on this list, Sweeney Todd may not immediately come to mind when talking about slashers and slasher films, but he definitely fits the bill. The character originated in 1846 in a printed serial, also known as penny dreadfuls, titled The String Of Pearls. From there the character would appear in numerous novels, stage productions, comic books, television shows, and at least five films. For this post, we will focus on the 2007 version of the character from Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street.

Portrayed by Johnny Depp, Sweeney Todd is actually the alias of Benjamin Barker, a barber who is framed for a crime that he did not commit so that the local judge, Turpin (Alan Rickman), could steal his wife away from him. After serving time in Australia, Barker returns to London with revenge on his mind. Using the alias of Todd, Barker opens a new barbershop above Mrs. Lovett’s meat pie shop. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), hoping to win Sweeney Todd’s heart, helps him set up a barber’s chair with a trap door which allows him to dump his victims’ bodies into her kitchen where she grounds them into meat pies.

Unlike the other slashers on this list, Todd doesn’t have to chase or hunt down his victims. They unwittingly walk into his shop, sit in his barber’s chair, and expose their necks to him for “the closest shave you will ever know.” After cutting their throats, Todd dumps the bodies below. Also unlike many of the slashers on this list, Todd is rather messy with his murders. He also has to protect his daughter, who he almost murders, and unknowingly kills his own wife whom he thought was dead (thanks to the deception of Mrs. Lovett).

Todd’s weapons are his straight razors, whom he calls his old friends. He’s lethal and quick with the blades. He has wild black hair with a white streak to one side. His clothing is simple, dark Victorian clothes. He often lets his hunger for revenge overtake his demeanor but, thankfully, Mrs. Lovett keeps him in check.

Sweeney Todd is rarely mentioned in slasher circles, primarily because of his association with musicals and stage productions. Many consider the character to be “high art” and not necessarily lowbrow enough to qualify as a slasher. I disagree with this notion. He’s a slasher through and through.

Thanks for checking out today’s post. Sweeney Todd may not be considered a slasher by many, but he’s a perfect killing machine in my opinion. More mayhem is coming tomorrow!

Revenge Of The Slashers: Leatherface

*Chainsaw Noises*

Before Jason, Michael Myers, Freddy, and pretty much every other major slasher in the horror film genre, there was Leatherface. The hulking cannibal first roared into theaters in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre in 1974 and has remained a mainstay in pop culture ever since. He is considered to be one of the most influential horror characters of all time. While he isn’t referenced as much as the “big three” of Jason, Freddy, and Michael Myers, Leatherface is always in the back of horror fans’ minds. Since he’s been around for so long, I’ve decided to give him a bullet point post like I did with Jason.

  • Leatherface was created by Tobe Hooper and Kim Henkel.
  • Wisconsin serial killer and grave robber Ed Gein was one of the inspirations for Leatherface.
  • There have been nine Texas Chainsaw Massacre films. The first film was the only one to use “Chain Saw.” Every other film (except for Leatherface) has used “Chainsaw.”
  • Leatherface’s signature weapon is a chainsaw, but he will use anything at his disposal to dispatch victims.
  • Unlike many other famous slashers, Leatherface is part of a murderous family of killers.
  • Leatherface has been played by eight different actors across nine films. Gunnar Hansen was the first and most well known actor to portray the character. Andrew Bryniarski is the only actor to portray Leatherface in more than one film.
  • Leatherface has appeared in comic books, novels, and video games. Multiple action figures and tons of other merchandise have been released as well.
  • Leatherface is often seen as a sentimental character, forced to do the will of his family.
  • Leatherface sometimes dresses as a woman and is sometimes referred to as a drag queen or trans character due to his sexual ambiguity.
  • Elmer Wayne Henley was another inspiration for Leatherface. He was a serial killer and rapist who was part of a series of violent murders in which he and David Owen Brooks lured at least twenty-eight teenage boys to the home of Dean Corll. The trio would then torture, rape, and murder their victims. Henley eventually murdered Corll.
  • Baby Huey, a giant, innocent baby duck created in 1950, was another inspiration for Leatherface.
  • Leatherface wears different skin masks across all of the films, sometimes wearing more than one mask in the same film. Tom Savini, J.M. Logan, and Scott Stoddard are just a few of the many people that developed Leatherface’s look over the years.
  • Leatherface has one of the lowest official kill counts of all compared to other slashers. He has only thirty-one kills in the films. While much more than thirty-one bodies appear across all of the films, there is never any confirmation of how many of those deaths were caused by Leatherface or by another member of his family.

Well, I hope that you enjoyed this look at Leatherface. Thanks for reading my post. The insanity continues tomorrow!

Revenge Of The Slashers: Paul Andrews

Beautiful Forever

While most folks know the late Bill Paxton for his work in hit films like Twister (1996), Tombstone (1993), and Aliens (1986), not many remember him as Paul Andrews in 1983’s Mortuary. It was one of his earliest film roles and it’s pretty twisted!

Paul is the shy and somewhat innocent son of Hank Andrews, owner of the local funeral home and mortuary. He assists his father in embalming the recently deceased. Paul’s father is also a member of a local cult that has seances in the mortuary. That’s nothing compared to Paul’s favorite pastime……murder.

Paul has developed a crush on Christie (Mary Beth McDonough of The Waltons) and will stop at nothing to make sure that she becomes his eternally beautiful bride. In order for that to happen, though, a few people have to die. Paul’s favorite weapon of choice is a trocar, the tool used to drain bodily fluids during an embalming. He also likes to paint his face with white paint and black paint around his eyes.

Paul’s goofy charm throws off everyone and by the time that Christie realizes who he is, it’s too late. Paul goes absolutely bonkers and tries to murder Christie so that he can embalm her and love her forever. Watch Mortuary to find out if he’s successful!

Paxton did a brilliant job in this role. While he would definitely go on to bigger and better things, this is one of my favorite performances by him. While there have been numerous films released over the years with the same title, none of them are related to the 1983 film in any way. There has been no sequel nor a remake. Aside from the occasional t-shirt, I have yet to find any merchandise, either. Hopefully we’ll get some more Paul Andrews merch in the near future.

Thanks for reading my post. Tomorrow’s slasher is considered one of the earliest (and bests) slashers in film history!

Revenge Of The Slashers: Frank Zito

“You want to look pretty, don’t you?”

Although panned by critics and released in varied censored versions, 1980’s Maniac still managed to develop quite a cult following and even spawned a 2012 remake starring Elijah Wood. The film focuses on the internal conflicts of Frank Zito, a man with a severe psychological disorder thanks to the abusive relationship he had with his mother. Mr. Zito is today’s featured slasher.

Zito seeks out women, savagely murders them, and then scalps them and takes their clothing or other items. He takes their scalps and secures them to the heads of multiple mannequins in his apartment. He dresses the mannequins in his victims’ clothes as well. He talks to himself and the mannequins as if they are alive. He also has conversations with his deceased mother. He befriends a photographer and discusses photography and “capturing” beauty with her. He develops a relationship with her but ultimately snaps and attempts to murder her and add her to his collection. She manages to escape and he ends up back in his apartment. He begins to hallucinate about his mannequins attacking him and apparently commits suicide…..or does he?

Zito is portrayed by Joe Spinell, who also co-wrote the film. The character of Frank Zito was inspired by Norman Bates from Psycho and real-life serial killer David Berkowitz, better known as the Son Of Sam. The Elijah Wood version of the character (seen below) is just as gruesome as Spinell’s, and his story is fleshed out a bit more than the original film’s version. That said, Spinell’s version is much more disturbing in my opinion.

Thanks for checking out today’s slasher. Tomorrow we’ll be visiting with a character portrayed by a major film star at the dawn of his career!

Revenge Of The Slashers: Franz

“They were just dolls!”

1973’s Torso introduces the world to the psychosexual misogynist so violent that he only goes by one name: Franz. An art history professor in Italy, Franz decides to go on a killing spree after he is blackmailed by two women that pulled him into a threesome. He really, really dislikes ladies due to the fact that his brother fell to his death as a child while trying to help a young girl retrieve her doll. When another woman notices that Franz wears a scarf similar to the one used as a murder weapon early in the film, he decides that he must kill her and anybody else that gets in his way!

Franz likes to wear a facemask and a sensible jacket while he’s on the hunt. As basic as his attire may be, Franz likes adding a little flair to his murders, using a red and black scarf to choke his victims. If the scarf isn’t cutting it, he’ll resort to using a knife. He’s also a neat fellow, as he cleans up many of his kills by dismembering the bodies and dumping them elsewhere.

Franz doesn’t make it out of Torso alive, and considering the fact that this film is considered to be both a masterpiece of horror and an absolutely trashy exploitation film, I highly doubt that we’ll ever get a reboot or a sequel. Franz’ death is a tad ironic, but I won’t spoil his death for you. If you haven’t seen Torso yet, just know that there is quite a bit of nudity and gore in the film.

Thanks for checking out today’s slasher! Have you seen Torso? What did you think of the film? We’ll be looking at another sexual deviant tomorrow. This one likes mannequins……

Revenge Of The Slashers: Mother (Norman Bates)

“A boy’s best friend is his mother.”

Although his kill count is well below that of many of the other villains on this list, Norman Bates (as Mother) is arguably one of the most famous slashers of all time. Between the masterful direction of Alfred Hitchcock in the original Psycho (1960) and the amazing performance of Anthony Perkins in that film and its sequels, Norman Bates consistently lands on lists for most iconic murder scenes, best villains, and best lines.

Bates, for those of you who’ve been asleep for the last sixty years, is the primary antagonist in the highly successful Psycho films, books, and television series. He was created by Robert Bloch and made his first appearance in the 1959 novel Psycho. Alfred Hitchcock brought Bloch’s book to life on the big screen in 1960. The books and films would each have a number of sequels and both would go in very different directions. For this post, I’m focusing on the film series.

On the surface, Norman Bates appears to be a normal, albeit somewhat odd, adult male. He runs the Bates Motel for his mother whom he lives with in the home that overlooks the motel. When talking to customers, he often references his mother. As we dig deeper into his mind, however, we quickly find out that he has developed a split personality after countless years of abuse from his mother, who he eventually murders. Torn apart by guilt, Norman began talking to his mother’s corpse and would eventually take on her persona, going as far as dressing like her.

Basing his motives upon the morbid morality of his mother, Norman, dressed as Mother, murders any young woman that he finds himself attracted to in order to avoid sexual immorality. Marion Crane is his first onscreen victim. Portrayed by Janet Leigh, the death of Marion is one of the most iconic deaths in cinema. Norman would eventually be arrested for Marion’s murder, but would return to the Bates Motel twenty-two years later. Despite his best attempts at holding off his second personality, Norma (or Mother), Bates gives in to her desires and kills again in her name. This would continue in Psycho III and Psycho IV: The Beginning.

The franchise has given birth to a shot-for-shot remake of the Hitchcock film in Gus Van Sant’s 1998 film starring Vince Vaughn, a Made-For-TV film in 1987 called Bates Motel and a series of the same name in 2013, numerous comics and novels, and countless amounts of merchandise from t-shirts to action figures.

Thanks for checking out today’s post. Tomorrow’s slasher is look for dolls!

Revenge Of The Slashers: Art The Clown

“He thinks what he is doing is funny….”

Despite a fairly brief career that covers three feature films and two short films, Art the Clown has quickly risen to the top of the slasher heap in the last decade. The sadistic clown debuted in the 2009 short The 9th Circle, written, directed, and produced by Damien Leone. Leone would release another short in 2011, entitled Terrifier, that also featured Art. This would be followed by Leone’s first full-length feature, All Hallow’s Eve, in 2013, which repackaged Leone’s two shorts as part of a horror anthology.

Art was given his first full-length solo project in 2016. Terrifier, not to be confused with the short of the same name, became a cult hit and made Art a pop culture icon. Six years later, Terrifier 2 would be released and would make Art even more popular. A third Terrifier film is already in the works.

Art is known for his grisly, black-toothed smile, black and white clown costume, and for carrying his tools and weapons in a black trash bag. He’s also mute, and continuously taunts and tortures his victims with silent laughter. His murders are brutal. He kills some of his victims quickly, but primarily likes to torture his victims for extended periods of time, often forcing others to watch as he maims and murders his victims. He was portrayed by Mike Gianelli in the two shorts and All Hallow’s Eve. David Howard Thornton took over the role beginning with the feature length Terrifier.

Art is seemingly unstoppable and immortal. He has been resurrected after multiple seemingly fatal wounds including gunshots to the head and being stabbed in the brain with rebar. He also seems to have the ability to appear within dreams. He took on a supernatural sidekick in Terrifier 2, a young girl who wears garish makeup and has a smile similar to Art’s own toothy grin. Amelie McLain portrayed the character in the film. She is credited as The Little Pale Girl.

While Art The Clown still has a ways to go before he can be considered an A-list slasher like Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, and Freddy Krueger, he’s definitely doing all that he can to join them at the top of the list.

Thanks for checking out today’s post. Art is easily one of the most sadistic and brutal slashers on this list. I hope that you’re ready for a legendary slasher tomorrow!