Slash

When I first laid my eyes on the DVD cover of "Slash", I was thinking that this film would be very bloody and gory. However, as I was going to find out, the movie isn't too bloody at all. It's more thrilling than bloody, with some hilarious performances from the virtually unknown actors & actresses. And the killer in this movie looked cool.

The movie is about a rock group on their way to the lead singer's family home, upon hearing that his aunt had passed away. The group is forced to cope with the singer's father named Jeremiah, and his creepy hill-billy assistant Billy Bob. However, it's not all peaceful in this farmland, as a mysterious killer in the form of a scarecrow is on the loose, waiting to get some new blood...

I think I'm making it sound like a horror movie masterpiece. The truth is, the movie is not bad, but it's not too great either.

There are some funny performances delivered by the supporting characters (especially that black guy and Billy Bob), and the 2 female characters in the movie are gorgeous (especially Candy, the blonde cutie). However, their lines are kinda cheesy and they spit out foul language frequently from time to time.

I liked the way the killer looks in this movie. It's rare to see a killer in a horror movie who wears a hat similar to Freddy Krueger's (from the "Nightmare on Elm Street" horror movies). I also loved the weapon that he used: a scythe. I've never seen horror villains use that weapon before in previous horror films.

Although many of the death scenes in the film are not very bloody, there is one particular death scene that really blew my mind: A harvester machine actually "eats up" a victim and makes mince-meat out of his body. You have to see this death scene to believe it.

And if you're a rock music fan, you will like the music in this movie. There are various scenes that play rock music in the backgrounds, and most of the main characters even perform rock songs. You might feel like you're watching a rock concert!

To sum up, this movie is not exactly a horror classic. However, I think the movie tried its best to thrill audiences. It had some pretty imaginative death scenes (especially the one where a guy is "harvested"), and fresh new actors & actresses who may have greater acting careers in the future. If you've got a girlfriend or boyfriend, rent this movie to watch at home and have some nice thrills. Your partner will enjoy the evening. Just make sure you're far away from farmlands...

I give this film a 6/10.

While in a tour with his rock band Slash, the lead singer Mac (James O'Shea) is informed that his aunt died and his family is expecting him in their farm, where he spent his childhood, for the funeral. The group travels in their bus and meets the weird patriarch and Mac's father Jeremiah (Steve Railsback). The local Billy Bob (Nick Boraine) tells about an old tradition called "harvest of blood" used to improve the harvest. Their bus has problems with the injector and they get stuck in the farm, while a serial killer chases each one of them to collect their blood.

"Slash" is a rip-off of many others similar slasher movies in a cornfield, with scarecrow, harvest and axes, but it is watchable. The story is predictable and has a huge flaw, when Mac uses a fake knife to stab his girlfriend. How could he know that the knife was false, if he had no contact with the owner? My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Slash – Rock do Terror" ("Slash – Rock of the Terror")

I happened to be surfing through channels one evening, and saw that "Slash" was about to begin. Since it was a horror movie, I gave it a try, and it was actually a surprise. The film revolves around a rock band, called Slash. The group of band members end up at a secluded old farm out in the middle of nowhere, when the band's lead singer's aunt dies and he goes to visit his father at the family home. Things begin to get a little bit spooky when strange events plague the band members. It seems someone is lurking around the farm, putting a stop to all of their attempts to leave. Someone wants them to stay, and then the band members begin to die off. Who is behind the killings? Is it the creepy farm handyman? Or perhaps someone else?

I actually thought this movie wasn't that bad at all. The story (while it is somewhat routine) was interesting enough to keep my attention. The twist ending was obvious but appropriate in the film's context, it worked well. The acting was so-so... let's just say that there aren't exactly Oscar-worthy performances. But what can one expect from a film of this nature, the cast is mostly unknowns (aside from Steve Railsback who plays the band's lead singer's father). The scripting was somewhat corny at times, and some of the characters made stupid remarks, but I wouldn't make a big deal about it, because "Slash" is a B-grade horror flick all the way. The death scenes were creative, especially the harvesting machinery sequence, which was quite brutal, and the setting of the film was isolated and kind of spooky. The finale itself was well executed also and the killer throughout the film was pretty cool.

Overall, "Slash" is really nothing new for horror fans, but it manages to be a decent and fun little movie to view. Complete with a rock soundtrack, some gory death scenes, and an overall decent story, it serves it's purpose and manages to be alright in the end. Horror fans will find it enjoyable, others will probably hate it. 6/10.

The rising rock-n-roll band Slash faces terror when they go an isolated farm for the funeral of a relative of the lead singer. This film, written by Gus Silber and Stephen Ronald Francis and directed by Neal Sundstrom, thankfully manages to entertain as long as they keep the cast away from their musical instruments. (Why do all the bands in movies suck? Two notable exceptions: The Wonders in "That Thing You Do" and Stillwater from "Almost Famous." Tangent completed.) Granted, the relationships are completely overheated and unrealistic, and characters are constantly making choices only stupid people in horror movies make, but the movie kept me engaged throughout and even managed to inject some wry humor at the expense of traditional stereotypes. The production values are very good for what is essentially a straight to video picture, and Steve Railsback doesn't bring any everlasting shame upon his name for his performance. (I am such a fan of his performances in "Helter Skelter" and "The Stunt Man" that I almost didn't rent this movie. I hate the idea of him being reduced to making low budget films.) One of the most fascinating aspects of this film is that it is South African, but works very hard to convince you that it is an American movie – even to the point of importing American-style racial tensions. Personally, I would have preferred the film to have been set in South Africa and dealt with South African racial tensions. That would have made it more unique.

A b-grade horror movie where a rock band gets stuck on a farm haunted by a super natural killer. Some of the acting isn't very good but I've seen worse and the movies plot was fine too. One good scene was definitely the axe battle (guitar versus normal axe. Get it?) and the kills of the movie have some creativity in them.. Minus points come from some really bad scoring and the characters of course in the wonderful b-horror movie tradition behave like idiots. It's a fine choice if you want to see a b-grade horror movie. You know what you are getting, nothing special. This one isn't THAT bad though. As a horror fan I was decently entertained.