'The Slayer' is a very effective little horror movie which really makes the most of its - admittedly limited - budget. Its central character, Kay (Sarah Kendall) is plagued by nightmares which have haunted her since childhood. Her recurring bad dream is of a beast she refers to as 'the slayer', a frightening monster which kills indiscriminately.
The action of the film takes place upon an island off the coast of Georgia. Kay, who is by profession an abstract artist, and a handful of her friends are holidaying on said island during the off-season. The setting is wonderful... bleak and windswept and - SEEMINGLY - deserted! Before long, Kay's friends are being graphically slain one by one. Kay believes that her prophetic nightmares are finally coming true and that the beast she has feared all these years is at last made flesh and on the rampage.
Perhaps the best thing about 'The Slayer' is the titular character, who is hidden from us until the film's chilling denouement. The special makeup effects are truly excellent, rendering the beast genuinely scary. So often horror movies expect us to fear creatures which, due to shoddy makeup work, are laughable rather than horrifying... not so in the case of this film.
Just the other night, as I was leafing through Leonard Maltin's Movie and TV Guide, I came upon another film directed by J.S. Cardone. I forget the title of this movie which was released in 1990, but it is great to see that Cardone went on to do other work.
As a slight aside, what is it with death-by-pitchfork in these horror movies?! 'The Slayer' features a memorably gruesome dispatch by pitchfork, as does 'The Boogeyman' and 'Rosemary's Killer' AKA 'The Prowler'. It seems to be a very popular weapon of choice! Anyhow, do check out 'The Slayer' if you can find it, because it is well worth a look, if only to see a truly frightening - and quite imaginative - creature design.
The action of the film takes place upon an island off the coast of Georgia. Kay, who is by profession an abstract artist, and a handful of her friends are holidaying on said island during the off-season. The setting is wonderful... bleak and windswept and - SEEMINGLY - deserted! Before long, Kay's friends are being graphically slain one by one. Kay believes that her prophetic nightmares are finally coming true and that the beast she has feared all these years is at last made flesh and on the rampage.
Perhaps the best thing about 'The Slayer' is the titular character, who is hidden from us until the film's chilling denouement. The special makeup effects are truly excellent, rendering the beast genuinely scary. So often horror movies expect us to fear creatures which, due to shoddy makeup work, are laughable rather than horrifying... not so in the case of this film.
Just the other night, as I was leafing through Leonard Maltin's Movie and TV Guide, I came upon another film directed by J.S. Cardone. I forget the title of this movie which was released in 1990, but it is great to see that Cardone went on to do other work.
As a slight aside, what is it with death-by-pitchfork in these horror movies?! 'The Slayer' features a memorably gruesome dispatch by pitchfork, as does 'The Boogeyman' and 'Rosemary's Killer' AKA 'The Prowler'. It seems to be a very popular weapon of choice! Anyhow, do check out 'The Slayer' if you can find it, because it is well worth a look, if only to see a truly frightening - and quite imaginative - creature design.