One of the more forgotten 80s slashers films I have wanted to see for years was this Buddy Cooper-directed film from 1985 called The Mutilator. Thanks to DBHR co-host, Mr. Brandon Sites, I received a copy of said film(one of his personal faves) and stuck it in the appropriate playing device. With apologies and gratitude to my colleague, I just wasn't impressed.
While cleaning his father's rifle, Ed accidentally shoots his mother. His father never forgives him for killing his wife. Years pass and Ed is estranged from his father until he receives a message that he should visit his father at a remote beach house. Ed takes several friends who start meeting grisly ends in unlikely ways. Ed's father has become completely unhinged in the time he has spent alone. Ed's father is hunting Ed's friends and killing them one by one to get his revenge
The plot is good enough for a slasher and the music is rather hilarious given the grimness of the film about a half -hour in. The killer's demise was rather enjoyable as well along with that eerie keyboard played during the killer's POV shots. But what did this in for me is some of the editing during the kill scenes, it's like they're were trying to be Polanski or Scorsese in a slasher film. Another thing was the overuse of shadows. There were times I saw nothing but a black screen. Was very frustrating. And how bout the end scene in the hospital? WTF?
Maybe if someday this movie is given a proper DVD/Blu-Ray release, those flaws will be fixed but for now The Mutilator is to me an average film. Sorry Brandon.
2 comments:
I have to profusely disagree. The Mutilator featured some of the most unnerving, most disturbing scenes of horror and torture of any slasher film that came out in the 80's.
Part of what made those scenes so scary, was because you actually liked each of the characters.
It had the right balance of corny good times and frightening death sequences.
I am going to have to get a hold of this film...thanks for the review and to Brandon for his opinion.
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