October 5th - Horror Feature : The Burning (1981)

The Burning is a 1981 slasher film released, yes, amidst so many other movies just like it. It ticks off the boxes all slashers seem to cover, including the campgrounds, teenaged campers and counsellors, questionable morals, and a past prank-gone-wrong. The killer is the prank's victim and he's disfigured. Things go wrong. Yeah, it seems pretty cookie-cutter. And it is, really, save for one particular scene involving a raft and multiple deaths. (Spoilers: five deaths, five different ways, less than a minute, it's amazing).

I don't seem to be talking this movie up very well, and there's a reason for that. Sometimes what I look for in a slasher are those boxes being ticked. I love the tropes and the predictability of the plot. Better yet, when you get comfortable with the formula, some off-shoots in different movies are more likely to surprise you. Even though I had heard about the raft scene before seeing the film, it has stayed with me. It's creative, frightening and unique. You won't be disappointed, I hope.

Some interesting little facts about The Burning: 

The Burning was Jason Alexander's film debut and he would later go on to play George Costanza in Seinfeld (admittedly, Seinfeld being my favourite show drew my to this film, and I left satisfied by the slasher instead).

Tom Savini was responsible for The Burning's effects, and he has quite the make-up and effects resume including Dawn of the Dead, Maniac and the first Friday the 13th. This dude's a legend and he was inspired by George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead.

The Burning didn't exactly make waves upon release, with little attention from critics and audiences. It has since developed a cult following and drew the attention of critics who reassessed it, earning it a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Harvey and Bob Weinstein debuted as producers on this film and later became some of the most successful producers in Hollywood after founding Miramax and The Weinstein Company. Bob also heads Dimension Films, known for a number of horror franchises.

The primary murder weapon, the garden sheers, are unique to The Burning. Very refreshing.

Check out The Burning because it hits all those slasher tropes but I bet you're not as familiar with it as you are with Halloween or Friday the 13th.