Slasher Movie Marathon
Try this gorefest on for size.
1. Peeping Tom (Powell, 1960)
Powell's 1960 classic, Peeping Tom, is a must-have on our list, though some people might argue that it isn't a true "slasher" film. Try watching the opening POV shot, though, without feeling sickened and properly scared. The film revolves around a film studio employee who is making a "fear documentary," i.e. filming the reactions of his murder victims as he kills them. He truly peeps with the best of Toms.
4. A Nightmare on Elm Street (Craven, 1984)
I'm terrified of dreams, because I have a fundamental belief that they're real and we're actually our dream-selves and reality is a construction and Freddy Krueger is coming to kill us all, did I mention I'm scared of striped shirts and leather hats and burned visages? This movie belongs on the list. The bathtub scene. That is all.
2. Suspiria (Argento, 1977)
Argento, aka the king of Italian horror cinema, is at his best in Suspiria, which tells of a young American ballerina who attends a dance academy in Europe, only to find herself in the middle of a series of brutal killings. The cinematography alone is enough to make this a must-watch--red is truly Argento's colour.
5. Halloween (Carpenter, 1978)
All hail the Queen of the Final Girls, Jamie Lee Curtis. If you haven't read up on the Final Girls in Men, Women, and Chainsaws, do it--Carol Clover makes a compelling argument for female agency in the slasher film which, for good reason, often looks like the most socially acceptable alternative to a snuff film. Halloween let's Laurie take matters (and knives) into her own hand as she goes head to head with Michael, a mysterious and murderous figure from her childhood.
3. Deep Red (Argento, 1975)
So I put another Argento movie on here, SUE ME. I just can't get enough of Argento and his wacky, campy ways. Starring Peter Hemming of Blow-Up fame, Deep Red centers on a piano player who unwittingly witnesses the murder of a psychic and finds himself compelled to discover the woman's killer. Full of twists and turns and incredibly frightening dummies (dolls bring out the worst in me), Deep Red will have you saying, "Please, no more corn syrup, I'm hyperglycemic!"
6. Inside (Maury and Bustillo, 2008)
If you were planning on eating during/after this film, rearrange your schedule. Inside is what will destroy your appetite for-literally-ever. On Christmas Eve, a young pregnant woman hangs out at home--wholesome and joyous, right? WRONG. She's stalked by a psychopathic lady wielding garden shear-sized scissors. Merry X-Mas, ladies!
If you like this film, check out some more of the French Abject Horror movement, like Martyrs and High Tension. Your gag reflex won't thank you, but your animal instinct will!