Chiller 13: Great American Slashers

Chiller 13: Great American Slashers

This list is from a special that aired on Chiller and I do have several issues with it. Chiller a network for horror fans, but with this list were thinking of the mass audience. There will always be somebody left off a list. I often see lists where people just seem to add an endless amount of films/actors/characters. The fun part at least for me is deciding what makes the cut. Adding everything is no fun and too easy. On my top 15 Scream Queens the fun part was narrowing it down to 15.

https://lastroadreviews.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/top-15-scream-queens/ (sorry if it isn’t clickable). There were many actresses left off and there were some that many will debate on being on there. Also people will debate the order and even I even still debate my choices and order. But what I like to do is get the best list possible and not make it a popularity contest, but I also don’t wanna add more underground actresses just for the sake of it. I know my readers or a good portion of them are legit horror fans that know the genre and will know the lesser know a or the very least heard of them. But I always with any list try and not only find the right balance, but order as well. I don’t wanna again make it a popularity contest, but I do wanna just focus on underground to be different.

But Chiller with the 13 Greatest American Slashers put together the safe list that not only will the die hards know, but your average person who may like the horror genre, but aren’t massive fans. Now I fully understand piling your list with lesser knows may not be good for ratings, but if you’re gonna make a list like this don’t take the easy way out; deliver a legit list not based on popularity.

With the rant over let’s take a look at Chiller’s 13 Greatest American Slashers.

13. Chucky
I enjoy the Child’s Play movies, but I’m not a huge fan. However I take no issue with Chucky on the list as he is deserving as one of the most iconic horror movie characters.

12. Sweeny Todd
Now this pick I do have an issue with. I’ll admit I haven’t seen the movie since it really didn’t interest me. Perhaps if I do see it I’ll love it who knows, but if you’re making a list of slasher characters I’m not sure Sweeny Todd should be one of the 13.

11. Candyman
Candyman is one of those borderline slasher films. It has some of the formula, but also mixes it up. However Candyman is a worthy and deserving pick.

10. Patrick Bateman
This was an interesting pick, but I do wonder if Bale didn’t go on to massive success in Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy if Bateman makes it. American Psycho is a slasher film that doesn’t really follow the slasher formula not that it’s a bad thing. The film is excellent for sure and Patrick Bateman was a great character and an excellent pick however when I think of slasher films and characters American Psycho and Patrick Bateman don’t exactly come to mind. With that said sure you can replace Bateman with other characters, but he is deserving.

9. Dexter Morgan
The TV series Dexter is a show I always wanted to see, but never got around to it. Either way this pick strikes me more for popularity than anything else and Dexter is also the only TV character (I suppose more on account not many TV characters can fit in with slashers). But it’s just an odd selection when the other 12 are all film characters.

8. Pinhead
HellRaiser is an iconic series for sure, but like some others border the slasher film. I guess it doesn’t really fit into anything else so its lumped in with slashers, but its a fair pick since Pinhead is a horror icon.

7. Ghostface
The Scream franchise changed modern horror as we know it and Ghostface instantly became a horror icon. My only issue is I think Ghostface should be higher up. What Jason, Michael and Freddy were for the 80s, Ghostface was for the 90s and early parts of the 2000s

6. Leatherface
Another excellent pick, but I personally don’t see the TCM films as slasher films. They have the same basic plot and many upon many slasher films have borrowed from TCM, but it does stray a bit from the slasher conventions. However due to the impact its had Leatherface is more than deserving.

5. Hannibal Lecter
Silence of the Lambs is horror simple as that. It seems when a horror film is a massive critical success and in the case of this film Oscar nominated suddenly its not horror. However as great of a character as Hannibal Lecter is when I think of slashers I don’t really think of him and this pick seems out of place and is here because of popularity than anything else. Silence of the Lambs is a classic and Hannibal Lecter a great character, but when I think of slashers this really doesn’t come to mind.

4. Norman Bates
What would a list like this be without Norman Bates? If not for Norman Bates and Psycho who knows where the slasher film would be. Odds are it would have happened, but who knows how it would have been. Norman is the original slasher and in some ways I feel should have been number 1. Many people debate if Psycho is a slasher and while yes it is different than the films it inspired this is very much a slasher flick.

3. Jason Voorhees
Well no surprise on the top 3. When putting a list like this together you sort of have to go with the picks from Chiller and the only real debate is the order. When I think of slasher films and characters Jason of course comes to mind and again that’s where my issue comes in with some of the picks. Does Hannibal Lecter, Dexter and Sweeny Todd really fit in with the top 3?

2. Michael Myers
Like Norman, you can make a case for Michael being the top pick. Without Michael Myers and Halloween where would the slasher film have been in the 80s? Besides Jason and Friday the 13th, Michael Myers and Halloween were often knocked off and as long as there are horror filmmakers I don’t see that ever changing. Personally I think Michael or Norman should be number 1, but a case can be made for any of the top 4.

1. Freddy Krueger
Elm Street is interesting in the fact they’re slasher films, but they also stray from slasher movie conventions (at least the sequels). However Freddy like the classic monsters of the 30s is a character you know even if you’ve never seen any of the films. While Freddy wouldn’t be my top pick I really can’t argue it.

Overall Chiller does provide a strong list of characters, but its simply a popularity contest. I think if you’re gonna make a list of slashers than make sure you fill it up with slasher characters. Again American Psycho is sort of a slasher, but its not a film that first comes to mind when thinking of these films. It’s a great film and Patrick Bateman a great character, but I still say add to the list with legit slasher characters. If I were to make a list like this I can’t say how it would look, but characters like Mrs. Voorhees, Frank Zito, the Prowler would all be included. It’s characters like that is what comes to mind when I think of slashers.