Shredder

Starring the seriously underused/underrated Lindsey McKeon this is a highly colour by numbers slasher with a couple of redeeming features.

For a start the setting is great, set high up the mountains where all the snowboarders/skiers dwell. Next is the cast, better than you'd expected considering what type of film it is. And finally though they are deep into the film it does have some quite neat ideas! Blending the excellent Out Cold (2001) with one of a billion generic slashers pays off with bits of comedy thrown into break free of the predictable tedium of the genre.

You won't even easily predict the identity of the killer, I was astounded when it turned out not to be Reverend Green in the kitchen with the rolling pin! Flabbergasted I tell you.

Better than you'd might think but still instantly forgettable.

'Shredder' is a fun throwback to cheesy 80's slasher flicks with a twisted sense of humour, some decent gore effects and an awesome icy setting with the abandoned ski lodge and the gorgeous mountain slopes which gives off an eerie sense of isolation. This is definitely one of the better straight to DVD slasher movies from the time period in the wake of 'Scream' and sure it was never gonna hit the heights of some of the other self-aware counterparts, but it's still a good time.

The plot - A group of friend's head to a remote and abandoned ski resort on Mount Rocky Summit for a weekend of partying and snowboarding. Unaware that the place has a terrible history where a little girl died. A mysterious killer dressed in a black ski outfit starts enforcing the resort rules by killing off the group one by one, could this be connected to the previous tragedy?

I first saw this back in 2003 when it came out and even back then it felt like it was from the 90's, but I didn't care as I actually enjoyed it, sure its not perfect and there are a few things that holds it back slightly such as the clunky editing, the flat cinematography and the disappointing mystery element, but the movie does have a cool concept and setting which harks back to other slasher flicks with an icy setting such as 'Iced' & 'Satan's Blade', but this is far better than those two movies ever could be.

I also really liked the cast they were all likeable in their own unique ways Cole (Scott Weinger) made for a decent male lead, Kimberley (Lindsey McKeon) played the vindictive rich bitch perfectly, Pike (Juleah Weikel) was charming and likeable in her role, Billy O (Skyler) was a little annoying and Brad Hawkins (Christope) was hilariously bad, but was still an interesting addition to the group.

Overall 'Shredder' is underrated for sure with some fun effective scenes and it does border on parody at times, yet thankfully doesn't go all the way and okay it may be a bit sloppy and the whodunnit element is a total letdown, but the movie is entertaining and cheesy as hell and deserves more love.

Now I'm a huge fan of low-buck cheesy slashfests, but really, can we have some sort of oh, I dunno, a PLOT????? Wow. Teens decide to go "shredding" at an abandoned ski lodge (conveniently located miles from any help and decidedly spooky looking) where there was.........A MURDER years ago! And someone's looking for revenge on our young, goodlooking, rich and horny teenagers....can you FEEL the suspense? We have the requisite "party girl", the "snobby girl", the "good girl", the "handsome stranger guy", the "nice hero guy", the "dorky crazy guy" and the "quiet loner type", but that's not all! We have the "angry locals" and the "doofy sheriff", and of course our "masked killer" who uses a variety of instruments to do the deeds. I swear they had a copy of "The Idiot's Guide to making a Slasher Flick" on set at all times because this thing is sooooooo predictable. It's wretched in every way possible. It deserves the shredder. I intend to write the producers and ask for a refund of my rental fee, 'cause that's three bucks and I'll NEVER get the 90 minutes of my life I wasted by watching this back.

The start of the movie sets the tone for the rest of the film. The lines are cheesy but funny. The acting is what you would expect from an early 2000s film. Overall it's a fun/cheesy slasher with some pretty gruesome kills!

Admittedly, this is not a classic horror flick but it is enjoyable nonetheless. The action takes place at an abandoned ski lodge - there is a killer stalking the snowboarders, known as 'shredders'. The teen characters (predictably, they look older!) are typical clichés of horror movies. There is a surprising amount of gore and you root for the 'good' characters. I liked the wintry setting, there are some good stunts and the whole movie is a guilty pleasure.