Rating: 
Summary: WHAT!
Review: $58 for a B-movie slasher flick!? You people are on some serious drugs!
Rating:
Summary: WHAT!
Review: $58 for a B-movie slasher flick!? You people are on some serious drugs!
Rating: 
Summary: Borefest central
Review: After watching the tepid slasher flick "Slash," I asked several seemingly simple questions, none of which have easy answers. For example, I wondered aloud why we need yet another cheap, cheesy slasher film wannabe filled with annoying characters, near bloodless encounters between the baddie and the victims, and a connect the dots plot. Nonetheless, I gamely plodded through the entire movie, snorting and guffawing my way through what is largely a huge waste of time. I'll usually watch a horror movie no matter how bad it is. As a hardcore fan of the genre, I feel it necessary to absorb as much of the material out there as possible. Good or bad, I march onward through the mountains of straight to video horror DVDs, discovering that for every diamond in the rough there are dozens of other movies so bad that they'll curl your toenails. "Slash" leans toward the latter position; it's not the absolute worst film to come down the pipe in the last five to ten years, but it's far from good. It is, rather, a forgettable film that every filmmaker wishing to direct a horror film should watch so they know what not to do.
At the center of "Slash" is the "rock" band Slash, an up and coming group of "talented" musicians looking for that big break. The front man for the group, "Mac" MacDonald (James O'Shea), hides a hideous secret. When he was a child Mac witnessed a bizarre incident involving his grandfather Jethro (Danny Keogh), an incident involving stacks of bodies and something called the blood harvest. An accident led to the sudden departure of Jethro, and shortly thereafter Mac and his mother left father and headed to the big city. Mac's managed to submerge the disturbing memories of his childhood spent on the farm until he receives word after a show that his aunt passed away. Unfortunately, the trip to the funeral could very well interfere with the band's chances to sign a recording deal with a big label. Since Mac is the main guy, the group decides to attend the services. They all hop on the bus and cruise out to the MacDonald farm for a meet and greet with Mac's wacky family. Along for the ride is the band and a few hangers on, the most important of which-and the only memorable ones-are Mac's main squeeze Suzie (Zuleikha Robinson) and angry black guy Keith (Craig Kirkwood). Things get weird quickly once they show up on the farm. It turns out some nut in a black costume's been going around rubbing people out with various farm implements, and now he or she is going to turn their focus on the members of Slash.
Until the sauce starts to flow, we get a close look at the kooks on the farm. First up is Jeremiah MacDonald (Steve Railsback), a true hick in every sense of the word, who spends his time whipping up moonshine, joshing with the out of towners, and acting in a threatening manner. Jeremiah's sidekick is Billy Bob (Nick Boraine), a shuffling slow poke who takes great delight in provoking the band members, especially Keith. A few members of the band disappear because of various encounters with the man in black while Mac slowly slips into a weird trance related in no small part to his returning to the family homestead. After the funeral, where we catch a glimpse of a female version of the Crazy Ralph character from "Friday the 13th," the band expects to just roll right out of Weirdsville, USA. Yeah right. Something happens to the bus (surprise!), requiring the hapless youngsters to stay at the farm until the part arrives from the big city. It sure looks as though Slash will never make that all important recording contract meeting. In fact, they'll probably need to place a few ads in the trade mags for replacement musicians by the time this whole thing wraps up.
I'm wracking my brain in order to find something nice to say about "Slash." The only thing I can come up with is Nick Boraine's character, Billy Bob. Boraine plays the stereotypical redneck hick quite well. Regrettably, what doesn't work at all could fill volumes. Keith, for example, is the most annoying character imaginable, a guy whose constant harping on racism tires quite quickly. And what's he doing with a gun, anyway? Too, the constant sniggering from the rest of the musicians about life on the farm sure doesn't endear these characters to a viewer. I roared with laughter when Billy Bob showed up after the concert to notify Mac about the funeral, and the whole room went completely silent as he walked in. Are city folks this afraid of someone from the countryside? Never mind the city is a thousand times more dangerous than any farm! But the worst problem plaguing "Slash" is the absence of gore. In a slasher film, taking it easy on the bloodshed is a crime of epic proportions. Oh sure, there are a few scenes involving a bit of the red stuff, but it's all so minor compared to other pictures that the movie should have earned a 'PG' rating instead of an 'R'. And that conclusion! Oh brother!
Extras on the disc include a trivia game (yawn), and trailers for "Slash," "Lawless Heart," and "Purpose." The movie's picture transfer is fullscreen. As a lover of B budget movies even I have to say that "Slash," when it could have been a gorefest, is a borefest instead. Marred by bad acting, bad editing, bad pacing, bad effects, bad direction, and a downright abysmal soundtrack; "Slash" is best left lying on the video store shelf. See it if you absolutely must watch nearly every straight to video horror movie around, but don't say that I didn't warn you.
Rating: 
Summary: Mildly enjoyable slasher fare
Review: Following one of their pub show gigs Joseph "Mac" Macdonald, singer of the young struggling rock band "Slash" lets the rest of the band members know that the head honcho of the record company "Hectic records" enjoyed their show enough to invite them to a high-profile showcase audition in a week's time. The band barely has enough time to celebrate when a messenger informs Mac that his Aunt died and that his uncle has extended an invitation to attend the funeral and that he is welcome to bring any friends along should he choose to. The band thus hop into their tour bus (how a struggling band can afford a bus that looks like this one is beyond comprehension) and head for Uncle Macdonald's farm, which is on their way to the audition. Upon arriving at the farm, they are greeted courteously by Uncle Mac and also by a strange farm hand by the name of Billy Bob. They attend the funeral and accept Uncle Mac's invitation to spend the night. The next morning as they hit the road again, the bus' engine fails them and they are forced to return to the farm until the bus gets fixed. The farm is no longer as safe as they once thought however, as members of "Slash" start getting "Slashed" to bits by an evil scarecrow...Anyone guessing that Slash is a routine direct to video teen slasher would have guessed right. One thing that distinguishes it from the rest of the pile however is its location and its strong cast of actors. Filmed in and around Johannesburgh South Africa, anyone seeking a cinematic glimpse into that country won't be disappointed as the viewer is offered many scenic shots of the South African countryside as the band members pursue their road trip. The movie starts off fairly well, with its picturesque locale and chill music vibe. The characters are a likeable bunch and the actors do a formidable job. Anyone who thinks the acting was bad in Slash has definitely not seen enough of these types of films. Like so many other movies of its genre Slash slowly degenerates into routine slasher fare but not because of any major missteps or plot holes or acting handicaps. It's just that despite the nice setup and style, it takes forever for the picture to go anywhere. Two thirds of the movie's length go by before any of the band members get hacked up or even realize anything is wrong. Once the scarecrow starts to let loose things get entertaining again but it seems a little too late. The scarecrow looks quite menacing, with its tall figure, long black robe and ridiculously sharp-looking scythe. But the fear factor of his appearances are somewhat ruined by an incredibly annoying and laughable techno beat that plays in the background whenever he appears. But I've seen much worse and Slash is elevated over other similar types movies by its strong cast of characters, especially the character of Keith, a know-it-all motormouth and Suzie, a sultry Michelle Rodriguez lookalike.
Rating: 
Summary: Fresh from South Africa
Review: I have never seen a South African horror film before and though I thought the acting was pretty bad, there was something fresh and quite enjoyable about the whole thing. The killer was in scarecrow form something that has only recently become extrememly in vogue.
The script itself was actually quite good. I was interested in the characters and there was actually some form of character and plot development, something sorely lacking in most slashers. The story is about Mac (often seen shirtless chopping wood or writhing in bed, but I digress), the lead singer of a band called Slash who is called back to the farm where he grew up to attend his aunt's funeral. For some reason, he drags his whole band along- who find themselves horribly out of place.
The band was painfully obnoxious, the most unbearable character that I must put down is the keyboardist Keith (the black guy with a gun). Now why the heck did they give the gun to this character... Anyway, he throws the gun around to bully the locals and expects sympathy towards the end. Screw that. The lead guitarist, Rod is a pig and drags along his groupie girlfriend of the week (a tarot reader) along for the ride. An example of development is the relationship between the women in the film which evolves as they are stuck on this farm together over a few days. One of the best characters is Billy Bob, a farmhand that provides light comic relief.
To make a long story short, the writers do a good job with circular story telling to connect the beginning to the end. These characters run and fight for their lives and evolve with the story. The characters have a history and the story being told is more than just a single concept.
Rating:
Summary: Fresh from South Africa
Review: I have never seen a South African horror film before and though I thought the acting was pretty bad, there was something fresh and quite enjoyable about the whole thing. The killer was in scarecrow form something that has only recently become extrememly in vogue.
The script itself was actually quite good. I was interested in the characters and there was actually some form of character and plot development, something sorely lacking in most slashers. The story is about Mac (often seen shirtless chopping wood or writhing in bed, but I digress), the lead singer of a band called Slash who is called back to the farm where he grew up to attend his aunt's funeral. For some reason, he drags his whole band along- who find themselves horribly out of place.
The band was painfully obnoxious, the most unbearable character that I must put down is the keyboardist Keith (the black guy with a gun). Now why the heck did they give the gun to this character... Anyway, he throws the gun around to bully the locals and expects sympathy towards the end. Screw that. The lead guitarist, Rod is a pig and drags along his groupie girlfriend of the week (a tarot reader) along for the ride. An example of development is the relationship between the women in the film which evolves as they are stuck on this farm together over a few days. One of the best characters is Billy Bob, a farmhand that provides light comic relief.
To make a long story short, the writers do a good job with circular story telling to connect the beginning to the end. These characters run and fight for their lives and evolve with the story. The characters have a history and the story being told is more than just a single concept.
Rating:
Summary: LOVED IT.
Review: I loved the movie slash,it was well done and everything about it was good.The story was amazing.James o shea who was mac was amazing.The story was good as I said before. I think it is a must see if you enjoy indie horror and story lines.So you got to see this movie. The songs were great too,I really enjoyed them.Wish james o shea sang them but I think he did I would love the sound track. I say see slash its a must not miss.
Rating: 
Summary: Eee-aiy-ee-OOOHHH!
Review: I rented this flick really expecting it to just be another B Horror flick that I would eventually lose interest in and do something else while it played, but surprisingly enough I was taken in by it! The beginning itself was pretty interested for some reason or another, and the whole film itself eventually developed into a tale of bizarre events and pretty cool kills. Also the killer, Jethrow, was very original and looked like a cross between the Creeper, Leatherface, and Death (i.e. the cloak, the face, and the scythe). The acting was more than I expected it to be though some if it got kind of cheesy, especially during the sex scene in the beginning. That was very corny. Apart from the good acting there were some fine chicks in this film, one of them has appeared in a few films now such as the Rundown and Hidalgo. Anyway, this is a very enjoyable film, and I definitely want to pick up the DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible Slasher Flick
Review: Ok...so there was much in the way of new releases at the video store so we decided to try this direct to video release called Slash. Slash is the name of a rock band that is on the verge of making it big when the singer returns to his home on the farm to attend a funeral. There he confronts his past demons regarding his grandfather who allegedly killed people to use their blood to irrigate his crops. I kid you not...that is the plot. Well of course Grandpa isn't as dead as they all thought and now he's getting ready for a new blood harvest and taking new victims. Will the singer rebel against his grandfather or join him? Who cares! A horrible movie even by B-movie standards. Bad performances all around. Avoid at all costs.
Rating:
Summary: Eee-aiy-ee-OOOHHH!
Review: Slash is a rock band on the verge of hitting it big (so they surmise) when tragedy strikes. Joseph MacDonald is informed at the end of a gig that a family member has died, and his presence at the funeral would be appreciated. Together the band heads out on a road trip to old MacDonald's farm that will not soon be forgotten, and Joseph (Mac) must face his somewhat repulsive and abhorrent family history. After attending the funeral, and spending some time with Mac's family, the band assumes they can be on their way. However, coincidentally, their bus seems to be out of commission and they must spend subsequent nights on the farm with Mr. MacDonald and his odd farm hand Billy Bob. Keith, the band's keyboardist has a rather difficult time with Billy Bob, they get into altercations, and Keith leaves the farm never to be seen again. Only, he's not the first nor the last person who falls victim to the twisted "harvest of blood" that is tradition in the MacDonald family. Mac must decide whether he wants to remain faithful to his family heritage or to his band members and friends. I must say that for a cheesy, b-rated horror flick, the script is very well done. Not only that, but the acting is also above what one might expect, even if barely. Some of the characters do tend to get obnoxious throughout the duration of the film, but I believe that was the anticipated result. The soundtrack seems fitting, but also seems to get on the viewer's nerves at times. Another complaint of mine is that the pace can be somewhat slow. What little tension there is gets dropped in between scenes and doesn't come back until much later. There is little suspense, and absolutely no bone-tingling horror/terror to be found here. The plot is very much predictable, and at times even laughable. Rent this movie if you're looking for something interesting to view on a lonely weekend night at home, but it isn't worth investing in the DVD for your own personal library unless you're a die hard b-movie slasher flick collector.
|
