Today's entry is a bit of an anomaly as I absolutely despise the "Slasher" arch type and genre. Why you may ask? Because I feel it's utterly destroyed the horror genre as a whole. Characters like Leatherface have devolved horror to nothing more then simply revving a chainsaw. Can I just say this now? Chainsaws aren't scary.Yes, a giant madman wielding one is, but simply HEARING a chainsaw rev is not scary, so stop thinking it is... I dunno, maybe I'm just having flashbacks of their over use at Halloween Horror Nights.
Call me a prude, call me corny, whatever the case, but I just prefer an element of the supernatural and good story telling to make something scary. Characters like these have taken the horror genre by storm and now instead of creativity or good suspense, we just have to deal with some large grunting, farting tub of fuck throwing a weapon around.
The ONLY character I've ever liked to come out of this arch type is Freddy Krueger, but that's because unlike so many others, Freddy was more stylized, actually supernatural, creative and had an established character. Now, before ANYONE gets onto me that Jason Voorhees is supernatural too... yes, I know he is, but Jason is the epitome of boring. He's probably the character that made me hate slashers. He just appears, kills someone, then leaves. He says nothing and does nothing else ever and while I know he's a zombie I find his complete and utter indestrucatable nature to be extremely annoying. Yes, I know that Freddy returned every time despite being killed off, but at least each movie set up a way to defeat him and he had his weaknesses unlike Jason, which in my opinion, makes a character far more interesting and likable even if they are a child murdering scum bag!
But then we have characters like Micheal Myers, Leatherface and the pantheon of other, typically nameless slashers that have come out in their wake in more recent generations who are all 100% human (Micheal can be debated on this but never really confirmed) but are all inexplicably impervious to pain and death, utterly omniscient and IF they have a personality are so Goddamn annoying you wish they didn't. Yeah, I know, they're supposed to be detestable, but when they character can only giggle, spit, fart and swear it gets old from a viewer's perspective VERY quickly. (I'm looking at you Wrong Turn films...)
This is why I just have no tolerance for the Slasher types. That's not to say that I can't occasionally like them, horror doesn't always have to be supernatural to be intimidating. Hell, look at characters like Hannibal Lecter! My issue just remains that so many of them are boring slabs of cardboard that just get repainted over and over and have dumbed down the over all story telling aspects of horror... but this is just my opinion...
Wow, I really got off on a tangent there! I'm sorry! Well, hate them as I do, these characters have become such a staple in horror and Halloween that I just couldn't ignore them. So to all you out there who DO like these types, I hope you enjoy!
When it comes to Purgatory, "Slashers" are often punished in the afterlife by being placed in crummy, low paying jobs for all eternity. They also tend to suffer from extreme bipolar disorder, shifting from a lucid version of themselves, devoid of all homicidal tendencies... but their killer persona is always waiting to pop out. Best advice, whether they be alive or dead, just avoid at all costs!
