Slashers

Released in 2001, but originally conceived in 1998, Slashers' premise was ahead of its time.  An extreme Japanese reality/game show called $la$her$ invites contestants to compete for fabulous cash prizes.  The only catch is, they have to elude the masked murderers trying to do them in.

This time around, there are six contestants, all Americans, and three killers:  wild redneck Chainsaw Charlie, twisted priest Preacherman, and psychotic Dr. Ripper.  The contestants include law student Megan (Sarah Joslyn Crowder), level-headed Devon (Tony Curtis Blondell), preppy Michael (Kieran Keller), model Brenda (Sofia de Medeiros), tough guy Rick (Jerry Sprio), and tough girl Rebecca (Carolina Pla).

Slashers' biggest flaw is in its characters and acting.  The contestants are clichés; most are grating and annoying, while some are okay - not well-developed or interesting, by any means, but relatively inoffensive.  The worst is Megan; Crowder whines, scrunches up her eyes, and delivers each line, taking deep breaths in between words as if it pains her.  The killers, though, fare better.  They're introduced as celebrities, with throngs of cheering, banner-waving fans welcoming their arrival.  Each has their own distinct personality, especially surprising considering that two of the three (Chainsaw Charlie and Preacherman) are played by the same actor (Nick Napier).

Slashers is shot on video, but this works in the film's favor, adding to the feeling that the audience is actually watching a cheesy reality game show on TV.  Adding to the effect are the sugary, upbeat theme song, with its cheery refrain "They're never gonna last!" and the peppy, perky host Miho, who wears a Statue of Liberty get-up, complete with headdress and torch.  The action even pauses for commerical breaks - literally, as the contestants and slashers must freeze in place until the break is over.

It's also worth mentioning that Slashers is filmed in a way that makes it seem like one continuous shot with no cuts, adding to the illusion that cameraman Hideo is traveling with the contestants.  Because there are only six contestants, most of the blood and guts are displayed in the show's opening montage.  The effects are low-budget, but there is plenty of blood splattering and spurting, spilling guts, and even a body sawed clean in half.

Writer/director/editor Maurice Devereaux comes up with some great ideas and seems to have a real love for filmmaking.  Budget constraints prevent Slashers from being as legitimately good as it could have been, but, as it is, it's a very fun guilty pleasure, a brilliant premise with a flawed execution.


The DVD is loaded with special features, including an in-depth making of documentary, deleted scenes, director's commentary, trailers, and some oddities, such as an Inside the Actors Studio-style interview with Chainsaw Charlie and an interactive soundtrack that allows the viewer to pick and choose which tracks they want to listen to.