On this week’s Slasher Studios podcast, our hosts Kevin Sommerfield and Steve Goltz will be discussing their favorite non-franchise horror movies. Movies that didn’t get a sequel but deserved an entire franchise. Show starts Thursday night at 10PM central.

To listen live or to check out an archive:
Slasher Studios Podcast: Best Non-Franchise Horror

Today makes three years since Slasher Studios became Slasher Studios. In those three short years, we have produced three short films, a slasher feature, and have another slasher in the pipeline. It has been an absolute blast and we can’t wait to continue our love of slashers with each and everyone of you guys. To our friends and fellow filmmakers: thank you all of your incredible support. We couldn’t have done ANY of this without you and you guys mean the world to us. It has been a fantastic ride and it is only just beginning! Slashers will never die!!

On this week’s Slasher Studios podcast, our hosts Kevin Sommerfield and Steve Goltz will be discussing their picks for the worst horror movies of 2013. Listen in live to find out what awful horror makes the cut. Thursday night at 11PM central.

To listen in live or to check out an archive:
Slasher Studios Podcast: Worst Horror Movies of 2013

Released in 1980, New Year’s Evil is yet another holiday themed slasher movie and back in the 80s it seemed to holiday, or event was safe from Halloween to Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Prom, Graduation and hell even slumber parties weren’t safe. New Year’s Evil is still early into the slasher cycle when the clichés were still in the early stages and while this is a slasher flick it’s also a little different from the norm in the 80s.

During a New Year’s Eve party broadcast on TV the host Diane (Roz Kelly) receives a call from an unknown killer (Kip Niven) stating he will kill somebody in each time zone; his voice is disguised (however we see his face so no spoiler there and the calls are hysterical I am EVILLL). He records each killing on cassette tape (blast from the past) and then after each murder he calls the show and plays the tape back.

The screenplay by Leonard Neubauer is the typical of its time with faceless victims with zero depth; we know who the killer is from the start at least in terms of looks and I think anyone with even half a brain should figure out his connection to Diane so the mystery angle assuming that was the plan is a failure and I have to think that was the point by Neubauer I can’t see him writing this as any kind of mystery. New Year’s Evil takes a different approach with the script in regards to the killer isn’t wearing a mask or disfigured and in many ways, Neubauer seems to also try and mix in more thriller aspects; while the screenplay has some entertaining moments and some decent comedy and a decent touch of family drama, which does add a little bit of depth to an otherwise sloppy screenplay, but in the end it’s brought down by the fact we know who the killer is and again its painfully obvious his connection to Diane so therefore the cops trying to figure things out doesn’t work as well it could have if the killer was kept hidden.

Director Emmett Alston delivers the standard slasher flick just without the gore and nudity these movies became known for; the direction is rather flat with very little in the way of suspense and tension and the production has much more of a TV movie feel rather than theatrical. The death scenes are decently staged, but they lack any real flair or any blood. New Year’s Evil is a little sloppy and at times not very well made, but it’s not a complete hack job either. New Year’s Evil has built up a nice cult following so I suppose Alston did something correct and despite the many flaws of the movie even I have to say I enjoyed the movie even if nothing really stands out.

The one thing interesting about New Year’s Evil are the primary characters are adults in their late 30s to early 40s; most slasher movies feature teen characters or characters in their early 20s so this for me stands out due to that, but older characters doesn’t mean they’re any smarter as Diane is a rather useless final girl and while the performance by Roz Kelly (best known from Happy Days) was fairly good, but again she was rather useless as the final girl and towards the end with the showdown with the killer she seems more than content with being a victim rather than fighting back.

Overall New Year’s Evil while in no ways one of the better slasher flicks of the 80s does work in that 80s slasher sort of way and fans of these films will totally understand. Everything here is rather pedestrian and the villain and his disguising of his voice is hysterical and you gotta love the way the guy is the master of disguises going from a worker at an insane asylum and even a priest.

–Dave Kaye

A big Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all the horror fans out there who have made this the very best year ever for Slasher Studios. We are looking forward to 2014 and bringing you all lots and lots of slasher joy! It’s going to be a gory good year to dismember.

Merry Christmas from those of us at Slasher Studios. To celebrate we are bringing you five Christmas style horror movies to watch this holiday season. Movies with blood and gore and just enough of the Christmas spirit to make you appreciate having a blood red Christmas Day.

5. Silent Night Deadly Night 5-The Toymaker

Ohh the joys of the “Silent Night, Deadly Night” series. One of the few horror franchises that never really hit the mainstream but, of course, that didn’t stop them from making four (fairly unrelated) sequels. While many horror purists believe that the first one is the only “good” entry in the series, I have always had a bit of a fondness for the joys and the awfulness of the fifth installment: “Silent Night Deadly Night 5: The Toymaker.”

A sequel by name only, “The Toymaker” is one of the strangest sequels I’ve ever seen. A young boy sees his father killed by a toy that was anonymously delivered to his house. After that, he is too traumatized to speak, and his mother must deal with both him and the loss of her husband. Meanwhile, a toy maker named Joe Peto (a name that is just too damn funny to be unintentionally hilarious) builds some suspicious-looking toys, and a mysterious man creeps around both the toy store and the boy’s house…but who is responsible for the killer toys? The twist at the end needs to be seen to be believed (shades of “Sleepaway Camp”), “The Toymaker” is fun with a capital F. I can’t in all honesty say this is a “good” film but I can say that you’ve never seen anything like it. Besides who DOESN’T want to see a horror movie version of Pinocchio?

Have yourself a bloody merry Christmas and give “Silent Night Deadly Night 5: The Toymaker” a chance. It is 80′s horror at its cheesy finest. Yes, yes I know this movie was made in 1991 but I refuse to believe that. The early 90′s was a time of horror blandness and this is anything but. I can’t say that this movie is for everyone but it doesn’t deserve the reputation it has received. Have a few drinks and enjoy!

4. Santa’s Slay
On Christmas Eve of 2005, the Mason family is enjoying Christmas dinner when Santa Claus (Bill Goldberg) comes down the chimney and kills them all. Some of the deaths include Santa stabbing someones hands to the table with steak knives, causing a girl to faint and fall back into a sharp pole that impales through her head, Virginia’s head is set on fire and is then drowned in eggnog, a man tries to fight Santa and gets pushed into a glass case and dies, Santa then grabs a leg from the table and smashes in a woman’s head as she pleads, “I’ve been good!”, the last girl tries to escape but Santa throws a star into her back, and lastly the man who got stabbed in the hands get a chicken leg lodged down his throat. This opening scene includes bit roles from several famous Jewish actors, including James Caan, Fran Drescher, Chris Kattan, and Rebecca Gayheart.

Riding on his sleigh driven by his “hell-deer”, Santa arrives at Hell Township and proceeds to kill the locals in various holiday-themed ways. In one of his slaughters, Santa kills the occupants of a local strip club frequented by Pastor Timmons (Dave Thomas), a crooked minister who manages to survive the massacre. Later, Santa murders the local Jewish deli owner Mr. Green (Saul Rubinek) using his own menorah.

Meanwhile, teenager Nicholas Yuleson (Douglas Smith) is living with his crazy grandfather (Robert Culp), a crackpot inventor who has created a bunker in their basement to survive Christmas. When Nicholas asks Grandpa why he hates Christmas, he is shown “The Book of Klaus”, which reveals the origins of Santa Claus. Apparently, Santa was the result of a virgin birth produced by Satan (just as Jesus was the result of a virgin birth produced by God- meaning that Santa is somewhat of an Antichrist). Christmas was “The Day of Slaying” for Santa until, in 1005 AD, an angel defeated Santa in a curling match and sentenced Santa to deliver presents on Christmas for 1000 years. This means that Santa is free to kill again in 2005. As goofy as it sounds and just as fun.

3. Christmas Evil
Suburban New Jersey, Christmas Eve – 1947: A Christmas Eve experience traumatizes Harry. He catches his mother being sexually groped by Santa Claus (actually Harry’s dad). The child then goes up to the attic and cuts his hand with a shard of glass from a shattered snow globe.

Thirty-three years later, an adult Harry now works in “a lousy position” at the Jolly Dreams toy factory. At home, he has taken it upon himself to become the next true Santa; he sleeps in costume, and his apartment is resplendent with Christmas toys and décor. From the roof of his building, he uses binoculars to spy on neighborhood children to see if they have been ‘bad or good’ (two children are doing household chores and playing with their doll, the third child, Moss Garcia, is shown rifling through a Penthouse magazine and cutting out a nude photograph). Harry runs back home and writes Moss’ name in his “Bad Boys & Girls” book. He is now fully ready to take on the role of Santa.

A sincere stab at a psychological horror that may leave some slasher fans cold but I found this movie to be rich in original characters. Make sure to watch this one with the John Waters commentary. Priceless.

2. Silent Night Deadly Night
Described as “The ULTIMATE Killer Santa Movie”, where would Christmas be without a deranged, batshit crazy Santa? After his parents are murdered by a scalpel-wielding Santa, a young boy is sent to an orphanage. He ends up spying on two people having sex, and learns sex is a very naughty thing. A few years later, in a little, old fashioned department store, the kid is given the ultimate job: SANTA CLAUS. After seeing two people having sex in the storage room, he has flashbacks of his parents’ murder, and ends up killing them both. He then sets off on a massive killing spree. Can he be stopped? Or will Santa deliver new presents to all the little kids? This film is a hell of a lot of fun and the protests behind the film only add to the enjoyment. Well, kind of….

“Silent Night Deadly Night” is the kind of movie that makes you want to take a shower immediately after watching it. The entire experience just kind of makes you feel a little bit “icky”. Seriously, how else do you describe a movie in which a mother is raped in front of her children, a Santa Claus is shot down in cold blood in front of a bunch of orphaned children, or a scene in which a young girl is given a murder weapon by Santa immediately after he has killed her babysitter and the babysitter’s boyfriend? “Silent Night, Deadly Night” is not exactly the kind of feel good holiday movie that is sure to put a smile on your face.

I cannot in good faith recommend “Silent Night Deadly Night” to everyone. The acting is quite poor, the direction is flat, and the story has too many loose ends (don’t even get me started on the worthless sequel). But, those going into this film will know exactly what to expect. It is fun, for what it is. Just don’t expect much. That being said, I cannot ignore the fact that it is a slasher movie classic.

1. Black Christmas
Forget about the 2006 version, THIS movie is where the terror really started. It’s time for Christmas break, and the sorority sisters make plans for the holiday, but the strange anonymous phone calls are beginning to put them on edge. When Clare disappears, they contact the police, who don’t express much concern. Meanwhile Jess is planning to get an abortion, but boyfriend Peter is very much against it. The police finally begin to get concerned when a 13-year-old girl is found dead in the park. They set up a wiretap to the sorority house, but will they be in time to prevent a sorority girl attrition problem?

“Black Christmas” is that rare horror movie that gets everything right. This is a movie that just oozes atmosphere. Every frame is dripping with dread and setting the film on the Christmas just adds to the excitement of it all. Not only this but the film is also scary as hell with some excellent performances and an ending that is sure to give every horror fan chills. What is the most incredible aspect of this groundbreaking slasher film? Throughout the entire film, we see various sorority girls getting hacked to death and receiving strange telephone calls. What we don’t see is our psycho, Billy. No motive, no reason, no face, no man..Billy could be anyone of us. If that doesn’t make a true psycho, I really don’t know what does.

“Black Christmas” is quite simply the best horror movie I’ve ever seen. Some give the credit to “Halloween” to being the first real American slasher film but that simply is not fair. “Black Christmas” did it first and did it better. It is the grandmother of the slasher film, four years before “Halloween”. “Black Christmas’” power is impossible to deny; its characters are compelling, the imagery poignant, and the acting top-notch. If you haven’t seen it yet, you are in for one scary “Christmas” treat.

Come awards time, most horror movies (read: ALL horror movies) are shut out from the major awards circuit. What do horror fans have to look forward to? The Fright Meter Awards of course! We here at Slasher Studios are part of the awards committee and some of our selections for the very best in the year of horror are displayed in the selections below (though boo…no Stitches). Here are the nominees for the best of the best in the horror genre for the year 2013. What are your picks?

BEST HORROR MOVIE
American Mary
The Conjuring
Evil Dead
Maniac
You’re Next

BEST DIRECTOR
Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead)
Chan-wook Park (Stoker)
Jen Soska & Sylvia Soska (American Mary)
James Wan (The Conjuring)
James Wan (Insidious: Chapter 2)

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jeffrey Combs (Would You Rather)
Matthew Goode (Stoker)
Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring)
Patrick Wilson (Insidious: Chapter 2)
Elijah Wood (Maniac)

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring)
Katherine Isabelle (American Mary)
Jane Levy (Evil Dead)
Sharni Vinson (You’re Next)
Mia Wasikowska (Stoker)

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Rob Corddy (Warm Bodies)
Epy Kusnandar (V/H/S/2)
Ron Livingston (The Conjuring)
Lou Taylor Pucci (Evil Dead)
Rhys Wakefield (The Purge)

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Nicole Kidman (Stoker)
Julianne Moore (Carrie)
Isabelle Nelisse (Mama)
Tristan Risk (American Mary)
Lili Taylor (The Conjuring)

BEST ENSEMBLE CAST PERFORMANCE
American Mary
The Conjuring
Evil Dead
Insidious Chapter 2
Stoker

BEST SCREENPLAY
American Mary
The Conjuring
Insidious Chapter 2
John Dies At The End
Stoker

BEST MAKEUP
American Mary
The Conjuring
Evil Dead
Frankenstein’s Army
V/H/S/2

BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS
Carrie
The Conjuring
Evil Dead
Insidious Chapter 2
World War Z

BEST SCORE
The Conjuring
Evil Dead
Insidious Chapter 2
The Lords Of Salem
Maniac

BEST EDITING
The Conjuring
Evil Dead
Maniac
Stoker
V/H/S/2

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Conjuring
Insidious Chapter 2
The Lords Of Salem
Maniac
Stoker

BEST HORROR SHORT FILM
Baby-Sitting
The Captured Bird
Familiar
Girl At The Door
Seance

It’s time for another tournament slasher fans! We have selected eight horror movies and you are invited to participate in round one! You pick one horror movie in each of the four match up below. On Friday, four movies will move on to round two. The winner of the Christmas horror challenge will be announced on Christmas Day.

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