In my never-ending crusade to make myself look smarter than you, I have come up with a couple of projects over the years, each with the goal of distributing my wealth of knowledge to the masses, like a farmer spreading manure over his land so the little green sprouts of knowledge can grow in the sunlight of information, performing the photosynthesis of critical analysis, bearing the fruit of artistic
endeavor and spreading the seeds of … (Dave Barry rip-off goes here). Beyond that the
analogy sort of breaks down.
One of these projects of mine is the
International Secret History Society (Official
Initiation Ritual: Hot Coal Flamenco Dancing. Q: Hoods required? A: Only if by personal
preference). My other project, the Society for the Preservation of Horrible Noise in Music, is currently on hiatus while we wait for a
response regarding our application to become the terrorist wing of the Experience the Music Project. ISHS, on the other hand, is currently working on a wide range of investigations. Our investigation into Disney’s secret plan to invoke the spirit of the Zodiac Killer in order to have him take over as Michael Eisner’s successor, for example, is going along splendidly.
Another project we have had some success in is our creation of a detailed history of slasher movies. Given the time of year, I suppose a presentation of our report would be
appropriate. For most people, slasher movies begin with “Friday the 13th” (or “Halloween” if you are a slightly more astute filmgoer) and end with whatever the last script Kevin Williamson shat out was. When most people think of horror films, images from these movies come to mind, which is sort of sad considering the variety inherent in the genre.
The seeds of slasher films can be traced back to the silent-film era, all the way to the German
expressionist classic from 1920, “The
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” widely considered one of the first horror films. The film contains many of the elements of a slasher film, particularly in the use of a slow-moving killer who seems to be in some sort of daze (in this case, a hypnotic trance). The film can be seen separate from many later horror films in the sense that the killer is recognizably a human, albeit one
under mind control.
From there, we can trace the films through some of the works of actor Lon Chaney Sr.,
in particular “The Unholy Three”
(originally made in 1925, remade in 1930). The film was directed by Tod Browning, most famous for 1931’s “Dracula.” He also directed 1932’s “Freaks,” one of the most controversial films of the time. What “Freaks” and
“The Unholy Three” have in common is that the killers are human murderers acting of their own free will. But in both films the killers are circus freaks, and in “Freaks” they are displayed sympathetically. We can
understand their actions as the last defense
of outsiders against a cruel and
exploitative society.
All modern slasher films stem from the original “Psycho,” not because the film can really be classified as a slasher, but because it created the point when horror films became less
supernatural and more human. It’s interesting that both the film and the book it was based on (by the late, great Robert Bloch) had essentially the same effect in their respective media, which was the creation of “psychological thrillers” as they are today being called by absolutely no one. Essentially, it’s the modern day equivalent of 18th and 19th century gothic literature.
What “Psycho” started was a
series of horror films where the killers were both human and evil. Herschell Gordon Lewis’s 1963 opus, “Blood Feast,” really kicked off the slasher genre with a bang, being one of the first American films to depict explicit gore. One of the first modern slashers was “Reazione a Catena,” an Italian film known by a wide range of titles around the world. It is best known here as “Twitch of the Death Nerve” or “Bay of Blood.” Released in 1971 and directed by Italian horror master Mario Bava, it holds many of the basic elements of modern slasher films. The killer has an unjustifiable motivation for his killings, the victims are generally unpleasant and the requisite slash and thrash atmosphere is thick.
The original “Halloween”
solidified the genre to a set pattern from which it has yet to be broken. It’s a brilliant movie, but like most brilliant pieces of art, its imitators fall short over and over again. Most slashers display the worst aspects of horror. But maybe the new batch of horror films can get a clue by looking back at their roots.

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