Slashers might arguably be the most popular horror subgenre there is. Before John Carpenter’s Halloween perfected the formula in 1978, proto-slashers, including Psycho, Blood Feast (also part splatter flick), and Black Christmas, were a thing for at least 15 years or so. Many of those pre-Halloween entries mangled various slasher elements, such as a masked and silent killer, a signature weapon, and a final girl. Through the years, before Carpenter’s iconic contribution, proto-slashers buzzed into and out of the movie theaters.
I’ve been reaching back to the late 1960s and ‘70s for low-budget fare that tinkers with slasher traits. Many of those I’ve watched, such as Three on a Meathook and Devil Times Five, manufacture buckets of blood, guts, and gore in various storylines. 1963’s The Sadist, a crime/thriller/slasher, unbuckles a truly unhinged performance from Arch Hall Jr., as Charlie Tibbs, and delivers a wacky narrative that goes for the jugular. The latter is just an ounce of what the genre has in store.
Through my proto-slasher excursion, I’ve compiled 10 essentials to add to your watchlist.
Carnival of Blood (1970)
Writer/director Leonard Kirtman utilizes the carnival and the surrounding boardwalk quite effectively in 1970’s Carnival of Blood. Shoddy camera work, editing, and lighting coat the camera with plenty of charm. It’s a lo-fi piece of sleaze that doesn’t skimp on the grotesque setpieces that creepy-crawl under your fingernails. As the murderer lurks in the shadows of a local carnival, he uses rides, such as the carousel, to pick, stalk, and murder his victims. It’s a relic proto-slasher we just don’t talk about enough.
Don’t Hang Up (1974)
1974’s Don’t Hang Up landed in the same year as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Black Christmas, particularly sharing a kinship with the latter. With a script co-written by Frank Schaefer and Kerry Newcomb, the eerie murder story tells the tale of a young woman drawn back to her hometown to care for her ailing grandmother. While there, she receives unnerving phone calls, the kind that would give Black Christmas a run for its money, and begins to be stalked by a killer. Director S.F. Brownrigg invites the viewer inside this macabre narrative with great attention to creating nerve-wracking sequences that shake loose all the cobwebs from your brain. As far as proto-slashers go, this one signaled an immense shift in what audiences were hungry for.
A Severed Arm (1973)
Screenplay writers Marc B. Ray, Larry Alexander, and Kelly Estill build a world in which five men cut off the arm of one among them to satiate their hunger. Some time later, the victim returns to exact his revenge in the most grotesque ways. 1973’s A Severed Arm stands as a barebones premise with a grainy texture on the camera that manages to stir up plenty of thrills and chills. Director Tom Alderman knows exactly what spatial awareness means, crafting moments of sheer terror that will surely turn your stomach.
Savage Intruder (1970)
Savage Intruder, aka Hollywood Horror House, follows a former actress and socialite now living a quiet life in her luxury mansion. When she hires a new caregiver, she is unconcerned about his murderous past. On the psychological side, it incorporates elements of the slasher genre to bolster its narrative. Writer/director Donald Wolfe makes you think and put the pieces together about what’s actually happening. There’s certainly no shortage of terrifying voltage to keep you enthralled.
Deranged (1974)
1974’s Deranged convincingly bases its story on Ed Gein. Scriptwriter Alan Ormsby, who co-directed with Jeff Gillen, pulls numerous strands from real life, harrowing, meaty bits that’ll make you queasy. After a recluse’s mother dies, he begins his grave-robbing rampage and murder spree of several local women to stitch his mother back together, as her skin begins to melt off her rattling bones. Don’t Go in the House (1979) seems to have ripped pages from its book, and for good reason.
Blood and Lace (1971)
Bodies hit the floor in pools of blood and mangled arms and legs. 1971’s Blood and Lace, written by Gil Lasky, follows a young girl who is sent to an orphanage after the gruesome slaughter of her mother. Director Philip Gilbert leans into the absurdity with peculiar performances across the board. The orphanage’s handyman stalks the hallways, picking off his victims like peeling an onion. The film scratches and pops with a sleazy quality that makes this one a must-watch entry.
Three on a Meathook (1972)
1972’s Three on a Meathook uses several disgusting elements you’ll also find in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, released two years later. Writer/director William Girdler makes the makeshift film feel dirty and grimy. When a group of young women travels to a lake, their way home results in car trouble. They meet a young man who takes them back to his home, meeting his father. What transpires next lives within the same universe as the aforementioned landmark film. It’s terribly bleak and wildly wacky, blood pouring all over the place. It’s an essential pre-The Texas Chain Saw Massacre slasher.
Killer’s Delight (1978)
Set in San Francisco, 1978’s Killer’s Delight unfurls a tale about a killer stalking women around the city. A detective proves to be hot on the trail and finds a young woman willing to be a decoy. With a script written by Maralyn Thoma, the film conjures up plenty of tension, mood, and suspense in equal doses. Director Jeremy Hoenack retools the script to be a doozy for the audience that’ll make you squirm in your seat. Definitely a heavy lifter!
Devil Times Five (1974)
Devil Times Five, aka Peopletoys, arrives in a banger year. 1974 is transformative for the slasher genre. This low-key proto-slasher lifts elements from early films like 1960’s Village of the Damned, bringing a razor-sharp edge to the evil children subgenre. After five kids experience a van accident in the snow, they trudge through the weather to a nearby lodge and kill off the adults. The script, penned by John Durren, Dylan Jones, and Sandra Lee Blowitz, gives co-directors Sean MacGregor and David Sheldon plenty to dig their teeth into for a bizarre story. ‘Tis strange to see evil children films and proto-slashers smashed into one, but I don’t hate it.
Drive-In Massacre (1976)
Director Stu Segall, who co-wrote the script with John F. Goff and George ‘Buck’ Flower, stages an epic, theater-centric, troubling tale about murder. The killer’s go-to weapon is a sword, allowing for some gutting, nauseating murders. Fitting within the same realm of Carnival of Blood, the film seeps into grungy territory with a granular approach that makes the story even more disquieting.
You really never know what you’ll get with proto-slashers. Writers and directors laid the foundation for the countless cliches and tropes we’ve come to gobble up, and we’re ever hungry. Ever. Too bad these 10 truly great proto-slashers never get the time to casual horror fans. Maybe a remake of any of these would do the trick.
sink. your. teeth.
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