THE BEST (AND WORST) SLASHERS OF 1981!! (Part 2 of 2)

BLOODY BIRTHDAY (1981) d. Ed Hunt (USA)
BLOODY MOON (1981) d. Jess Franco (Spain/Germany)
DEADLY BLESSING (1981) d. Wes Craven (USA)
DON'T GO IN THE WOODS (1981) d. James Bryan (USA)
EYES OF A STRANGER (1981) d. Ken Wiederhorn (USA)
FINAL EXAM (1981) d. Jimmy Huston (USA)
GRADUATION DAY (1981) d. Herb Freed (USA)
NIGHT SCHOOL (1981) d. Ken Hughes (USA)
STRANGE BEHAVIOR (1981) d. Michael Laughlin (New Zealand)
STUDENT BODIES (1981) d. Mickey Rose (USA)

**CLICK HERE TO WATCH FULL YOUTUBE EPISODE**

A few months back, we took a deep dive into the slashers of 1981, and now we're back to finish the job! If our first installment focused on future classics and franchise cornerstones, this week's episode explores the stranger, sleazier, and more offbeat corners of the slasher boom.

Fool's Views (3/3 – 3/16)

VERONICA MARS??  You said we were going to THE LEGO MOVIE!

Howdy folks,

This two-week period was highlighted by conversations with the one and only Larry Fessenden (and preparation for same), as well as a healthy dose of Aussie-flavored genre fare. But the civilian side had its own rewards, aided by a long overdue visit to the Chicago Public Library stacks and movie pal Lee Shoquist’s urging that if I liked Charles Bronson’s pairing with Cape Fear veteran J. Lee Thompson for The White Buffalo, then I owed it to myself to check out some of their other work together. After all, for these guys to work together nine, count ‘em, NINE TIMES, something must have been clicking, right?

And, for better or worse, it was also in the company of Mssr. Shoquist that I made my way to the cinema for the first – and to date only – time in 2014. Too bad it was to see a free screening of Veronica Mars. Next time I get the urge to watch a feature-length TV episode, I’ll just pop in Munster, Go Home!

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

STRANGE BEHAVIOR aka DEAD KIDS (1981) Blu-ray review

Strange Behavior (aka Dead Kids) (1981) d. Michael Laughlin (Australia)

A most peculiar bloody little treat from Down Under (although shot mostly in New Zealand), featuring a surprisingly prestigious cast, a funky script co-written by future Oscar winner Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Chicago) and director Michael Laughlin. Something mysterious is taking place within the small town of Galesburg, IL, where cash-strapped high school students are invited to serve as test subjects for experiments going on at the local college. Rather than rashes or mood swings, however, the unexpected side effects in this case include gashing, slashing, and murder.