101 Maniacs: Admin's Top Ten Slashers

Here it is boys and girls, the final ten of my Top 101 slasher movies of all time!...or at least as of 2014. As of the first 91 (and some honorable mentions) you can catch them from the beginning here:

101-91 Here

90-81 Here

 80-71 Here 

70-61 Here
60-51 Here

50-41 Here
40-31 Here

30-21 Here

20-11 Here

Honorable Mentions here

Inspired and tempted by this delicious countdown, the previous titles were in no particular order but now, the ten slashers listed here are ordered depending on their influence, style, technical ingenuity and, of course, entertainment factor as A to B-grade horror films. So without further delay, here are my final ten!

10. Final Destination (2000)

When it comes to this howdunit death porn franchise, nothing beats the original! Supposed to be an episode of the popular X-Files TV series, Final Destination follows the methodical deaths of the remaining survivors of a tragic airplane accident, which they avoided thanks to a random premonition.

Bloody Best Bits: The airplane disaster itself is the most terrifying scene I've seen in a horror movie in the sense that it is utterly realistic.

9. Psycho (1960)

Alfred Hitchcock's genuine cinematic masterpiece and the often argued Grandfather of slasher movies, wherein a thief finds a terrifying twist in her ordeal when her one-night stay at Bates Motel takes a deadly turn at the hands of "Mother".

Bloody Best Bits: The Shower Kill. Nothing can top that! Also the basement scene is the best reveal I've seen in a proto-slasher!

8. Candyman (1992)

Dream-like and very well made, the Clive Barker short-based mainstream horror pits a disbelieving woman against a deadly Urban Legend Incarnate known as the Candyman in this semi-romantic yet very atmospheric supernatural slasher.

Bloody Best Bits: Visiting the monster's lair. The rundown building housing a slumbering specter is all kinds of spooky and creepy.

7. Child's Play (1987)

While the original draft was supposed to keep us guessing longer whether the kid or the doll was doing the murders, this supernatural thriller/slasher wins a gimmicky landslide by having a sentient killer doll as it's monster, with exceptional special effects.

Bloody Best Bits: Plenty: the first POV murder for one is pretty intense, the creatively painful death by voodoo is another, and then there's that one creepy scene where a charred up Chucky slowly makes his way to knife a young boy.

6. Maniac (1980)

Depressing, very gory and infamous. Follow Frank Zito, an overweight maniac who prowls the night for women to murder and scalp. But when he meet a woman that shares some of his interest, will all hell still break loose?

Bloody Best Bits: Must we count? The first scalping scene, the shotgun decimation, the subway stalking, the graveyard scare. Take your pick.

5. Black Christmas (1976)

A chiller with a warm bodycount, this creepy proto-slasher features occupants of a sorority house getting harassed and soon murdered by a stalker that, unknown to them, already made it inside the house.

Bloody Best Bits: the Moaner experience (AKA the first creepy phone call). Not sure if everybody else will agree but I also found the rampage in the attic scene to be unnerving enough to be pointed out.

4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

The first and original of the powertool-driven exploitation horror franchise, this proto-slasher staples many of the most well-known element in our fair sub-genre, as well as being effectively scary and unnerving itself.

Bloody Best Bits: The backwoods chase, starring one hysterically frightened final picking and one hulking slasher with a chainsaw.

3. Halloween (1978)

Slasher movies' personal "messiah", being the very title that started the 80s boom of teen-hunted-by-killer flicks, John Carpenter's independent creeper and soon to be franchise tells the classic tale of a madman's escape and return to his home town to terrorize random babysitters.

Bloody Best Bits: The opening kill is all well and intense. Plus Michael's daring escape gave a great mix of panic, action and jolts.

2. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

The first of the series and the most "slasher" of them all, Craven's immortal story of a supernatural boogeyman, armed with a knifed glove, taking his revenge against the parents of his home town by attacking and murdering their children in the place where they cannot protect them: their dreams.

Bloody Best Bits: Bed Fountain. 

And finally, my personal number one slasher of all time: 

1. Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives (1986)

Yes, I could go along with everybody and list down Friday the 13th (1980) or Friday the 13th Part 2 as my number one fave teen kill film, but something about Jason Lives clicks right for me. Could it be the fact that this is Jason's crowning moment as the indestructible revenant of pure hate? The double digit bodycount? The highly entertaining characters? A likable (if not silly) final "pair"? Or is it just because it's so cheesy that it's a perfect viewing for any fitting horror occasion?

For me, this is the ultimate slasher movie as it has everything you could ask for; a cool killer, a sizable kill count with imaginative killings to boot, some interesting characters, a few winks and nods to the sub-genre itself, a strange sex scene (interestingly the only one in the series where they're fully clothed on the top) and one of the most epic hero vs monster finale I've seen. This film is the very epitome of the dead teen film in its simplest and funnest so yeah, more love to Jason Lives! Admin's number one slasher of all TIME!!! (or at least as of 2014)

Bloody Best Bits: The Frankenstein-esque revival of our titular killer, Jason hunting down a paintball team, the eye candy "mirror face press", Jason roaming in a room full of sleeping children (INTENSE!) and, of course, Tommy Jarvis vs Jason in a flaming lake!

***

So there you have it, 101 titles plus 40 honorable mentions of the cheesiest, bloodiest, baddest and simply the best of all slasher titles I ever lay eyes on! What say you, dear reader? An comments? Suggestions? What title do you think should have gotten in the list? Or better yet, what's YOUR 100 Top slashers?! 

101 Maniacs: The Honorables

Before I find the time to post the last ten of this list, let me first thank you all for sticking with the list. I know some of you may find my choices "questionable" but we all have our reasons and the best thing about this sub-genre is that it's so malleable it's quite exciting.

Now here be 40 of the many slashers i've seen over the years that could have gotten into the 101 listing but didn't due to several reasons; I either forgotten about them, just seen it recently or replaced in favor of another title. Still, this doesn't mean these movies are not recommendable. If anything, I would really suggest you all reading this to give the listed titles a try or at least give it a chance! Again, this list is in no particular order.

Here is the real list:

101-91 Here

90-81 Here

 80-71 Here 

70-61 Here
60-51 Here

50-41 Here
40-31 Here

30-21 Here

20-11 Here

Curse of Chucky (2013)- The sixth entry to the Child's Play franchise, the killer doll returns solo in another round of mayhem terrorizing occupants and guests inside a gothic mansion.

Shredder (2003)- teens out for a shredding good time on a snowy resort gets picked off by the ultimate hater.

Prison (1988)- one part ghost story, one part gory slasher, inmates of a newly re-opened prison starts to die off one by one in a series of gruesome accidents of the supernatural kind.

Scream 3 (2000)- Perhaps my personal fave among the Scream sequels, this entry had Sidney and her surviving friends investigate another string of Ghostface murders, this time in the midst of the production of a fictional slasher movie based on the killings.

Baby Blues (2008)- an infamous "slasher" involving a mother suffering from Postpartum Disorder stalking and killing her own children in gory ends.

Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence (1993)- The cheesiest entry in the series and perhaps the closest on being a straight slasher, the supposedly deceased Maniac Cop returns as a revenant hellbent on avenging a wrongfully accused police woman. (And possibly winning her heart~)

Friday the 13th Part 5: A New Beginning (1985)- A follow-up after Jason Voorhees' supposed death, this entry had a survivor coping from the killer's attack but soon finds out that some nightmares just won't end.

Student Bodies (1981)- a slasher spoof that features an asthmatic killer bumping off horny teenagers with paper clips, giant garbage bags and horse head bookends.

Rituals (1977)- An epic survival piece about five men on a wilderness trip face not only the trials of mother nature herself, but also the wrath of an insane stalker.

Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers- One of the most Halloween-ish among the sequels and arguably underrated, The Shape returns to Haddonfield once again, this time setting his eyes on a new set of family who maybe carrying the last of his bloodline.

The Hitcher (1986)- A slasher-friendly thriller about a man and his stalker, an enigmatic hitchhiker who wants nothing more than to toy around with his prey and killing all of those who gets in the way.

Popcorn (1991)- An underrated piece of 90s slasherdom, film students working on reviving an old theatre by playing a series of gimmicky horror films get methodically killed by a maniac with a talent for disguises.

Anatomie (2000)- A German thriller/slasher hybrid of sorts that had a newly admitted medical student investigate what possibly be a series of murder conspiracies.

Psycho Cop 2/ Pyscho Cop Returns (1993)- an uber cheesy follow-up to a dreck of a slasher film, this time around the Satanic killer cop returns to bump off late-night party goers in a high-rise office.

Night School (1981)- a motorbike gear-wearing headhunter goes on a hunt for women in this cheesy slasher-esque thriller.

Scarecrows (1988)- A group of thieves and their hostages become trapped in an abandoned farm land where the scarecrows do anything else but scare people.

Violent Midnight (1962)- a proto-slasher that delivers plenty of intrigue and teen slayings as a mysterious murder ignites an investigation that centers on an artist who may be have something to do with it.

Final Destination 3 (2006)- The goriest entry to the infamous howdunit franchise follows lucky survivors of a roller coaster accident biting the big one in the most terrible and unimaginable ways.

Macabre/Darah (2010)- The Indonesian answer to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a group of partying thespians celebrating the leave of one of their friends takes a fatal turn on helping an estranged woman, whose family turns out to be ritualistic cannibals.

Death Bell (2006)- A Korean torture porn-slasher blend,  Students and teachers find themselves trapped inside their own campus as a maniac starts to torture and kill off from the group everytime they fail to answer a riddle.

Blood Night: The Legend of Mary Hatchet (2009)- A very popcorn-friendly, plotless bodycounter that follows partying teens celebrating a local holiday but soon have to fight for their lives against something murderously angry.

Santa's Slay (2005)- A holiday slasher of comedic proportions that twists the tale of Santa Claus, here the son of the Devil Himself whose 1000 years of good servitude comes to an end, thus freeing him to do whatever killings he wants.

Leprechaun 3 (1995)-perhaps the best in the franchise, the evil Leprechaun finds himself free in the greedy pothole of Las Vegas, murdering all of those exploiting his gold.

Tormented (2009)- A United Kingdom released supernatural revenge hocus wherein bullies of a murdered classmate start to get killed one by one by something with a grudge.

Dead And Buried (1981)- A strange mix of zombie, occult and slasher-lite slayings, residents of a small town starts to act strangely around visitors, eventually killing them, but only to have said victims come back in one piece with a new murderous personality.

The Strangers (2009)- a couple alone in their cabin one night are terrorized by a trio of masked hoodlums.

Murder Loves Killers Too (2009)- A proud shot-on-video slasher where teens are murdered by an uninspired looking psycho with a sexual problem.

HARDWARE (1990)- An artsy scifi British-American thriller which features a self-repairing robotic assailant terrorizing the lone occupant of an apartment, all the while murdering all those who interfere.

Dream Home (2010)- Hong Kong's drama/slasher hybrid wherein a killer methodically slays anybody staying inside a highrise apartment, all the while featuring their story in flashbacks leading to the killings.

Dr. Giggles (1992)- an uber cheesy comedic slasher that has a deranged maniac donning himself as a doctor, on a mission to take revenge on a town that shunned him away.

Scalps (1983)- A slow-burning fondue of supernatural slayings as the spirit of a bloodlusting Native American warrior terrorizes a group of young archeologists, leading to an orgy of killings.

Night Warning (1983)- a strange slasher that tackles homophobia and incestious attraction as a maddened aunt do anything in her power to keep an adopted nephew all to herself, all the while taking the attention of a gay-bashing detective who's more than willing to do anything to prove his accusations right.

Harpoon: Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre  (2009)-Iceland's first splatter movie that follows the ordeals of a group of multi-national whale-watching tourists as they ran afoul against a trio of insane fishbillies.

May (2002)- more part teen drama and psychological nightmare than a slasher, Angela Bettis stars as a disturbed and lonely woman who will do anything to find the perfect friend.

The Fog (1980)- John Carpenter's ghost/slasher hybrid pits a small fishing town against a supernatural fog that hides something sinister and very deadly.

Hunter's Blood (1987)- What should have been a hunting trip ends up for a fight for survival as a group of men find themselves targeted by a family of insane hillbillies.

Them/ Ils (2006)- France's home invasion thriller features a couple fending for their lives as hooded goons have them hunted and cornered inside their own home.

Serial Mom (1992)- Kathleen Turner takes the role of a surburban Housewife who moonlights as a serial killer with anger and norm issues, who in turn becomes a celebrity of the odd kind.

Creep (2004)- Trapped in a London subway station, a woman finds herself in a nightmarish situation where a deformed killer stalks her in a hidden underground domain.

Soon to Come: The Final Ten

101 Maniacs: Admin's Top Slashers 20-11

*As of 2014*

Inspired and tempted by this delicious countdown,  Here be my personal Top 101 Slasher movies that really stood out the most!

Note: These are in no particular order (save the last ten) and they're all personal picks, so, nope. Your faves or your orders does not matter here! Muahahaha!...ha!

101-91 Here

90-81 Here

 80-71 Here 

70-61 Here
60-51 Here

50-41 Here
40-31 Here

30-21 Here

20. Identity (2003)

Eleven strangers got stuck in a motel during one stormy night, wherein they find themselves dwindling down in numbers. Sounds pretty generic? Don' be fooled, this movie got more twists and bloody turns to elevate this "thriller" into a pure slasher movie. 

Bloody Best Bits: One suspect was left alone and later found killed with a baseball bat in a display most shocking. 

19. Evilspeak

Carrie (any version) may have the "revenge of the teenager with powers" in the bag, but Evilspeak does a little better for me since it had the guts (and blood. and dismembered heads) to give us a much more gorily satisfying finale as one bullied chap got his sweet revenge on everybody that wronged him with the help of black magic and a computer.

Bloody Best Bits: Again, the finale. Cheesiness aside, it's pretty badass and gloriously gory.

18. Scream (1996)

Wes Craven's bonafide 90s hit gets a warm welcome mat on this list for saving the sub-genre from obscurity and relaunching it for the mainstream audience. How? By giving us one wonderfully written whodunit about a small town terrorized by a ghost-faced killer, who may have something to do with a local girl who lost her mum a year prior ago.

Bloody Best Bits: The opening act. Seeing Drew Barrymore terrorized by a masked killer is devilish fun!

17. Freddy vs Jason

Dracula vs Frankenstein! King Kong vs Godzilla! Adam Sandler vs Ben Stiller! We all love monsters brawling it out, so seeing two slasher icons battle for blood and glory is a dream come true for us horror fans. Left powerless since the Elm street kids stopped believing in him, Freddy brought Jason back to life to spark paranoia under the Springwood Slasher's name. But when the masked hulk begins to murder more than what Freddy had hoped for, the two clashed for an epic showdown for slasher supremacy.

Bloody Best Bits: The fights. Both in the dream and the real world. Obviously.

16. Severance

A band of office co-workers from a weapon sales company meets grisly ends when mercenaries show up to make mince meat out of them. Chock full of laughs, gags and bloody mayhem, Anyone with smarts can find a chuckle-worthy time with this.

Bloody Best Bits: How hard is it for four people to remove a bear trap off their buddy's leg? Hard enough for them to mess it up and get said friend missing a limb. 

15. Inside/ A'Linterieur

On Christmas Eve, a lone pregnant photographer meets her worst nightmare on the form of a deranged woman breaking into her house to steal her baby straight out of her womb. What soon ensues is a body count, one mentally scarring film and a house with each room stained with blood.

Bloody Best Bits: There's this pretty grim scene where the villainess mercilessly murders a hooligan and then watches him death-rattle his way trying to hurt her. Of course, there's also the finale. (You cannot unsee it)

14. Urban Legend

An underrated 90s teen-kill, this fondue pot of slasher cliches passes with flying colors thanks to its creative streak of utilizing urban legends as the killer's MO, as the hooded maniac slashes their way through coeds in a murderous rampage.

Bloody Best Bits: I adore the opening murder, which is based on my favorite urban legend. Apart from that, there's also the pop-rock prank and one microwaved party animal.

13. The Burning (1981)

A vengeful groundskeeper returns to the old camp he used to work on to terrorize youngsters and counselors in a twisted sense of revenge. Accused of being a Friday the 13th rip-off, The Burning is a slow burn that does things right with brooding tension, a menacing killer and top-of-the-line gore effects courtesy of Tom Savini. 

Bloody Best Bits: The raft massacre.

12. Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

Taking place some years prior the events of the 2003 Texas Chainsaw Massacre reboot, we watch how Thomas Hewitt turn from a disturbed meat packer to a powertool-wielding cannibal juggernaut. I really don't understand the hate for this title; I find the story more interesting than the slasher-standard remake this title is supposed to follow, plus the kills are a lot juicier with the red stuff. 

Bloody Best Bits: Thomas gets revenge on his boss, and does a money shot with him and his first chainsaw.

11. New Nightmare

Perhaps the most unique entry to the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, taking place in the "real world" where an evil entity takes the form of Freddy Kreuger and haunts Heather Langenkamp as he murders everybody dear to her.

Bloody Best Bit: The opening act involving a possessed movie prop in a murderous rampage. And then there's that one scene that kinda tugged a few strings for me: Heather's young son crying out to his imaginary dinosaur for help. Yeah, childhood fears, right there.

Next: The Honorable Mentions
dun-dun-duuuun!