I remember seeing the video box for The Original Slasher Mania and Slasher Mania 2 double feature in the video store back in the day, but I never got around to renting it. I may have enjoyed it back then, but as they say, I’m a man now, and my tastes are a bit more refined. That’s not exactly true. As a die-hard fan of horror movie compilations, even the most slapdash affairs are usually right up my alley. Despite my astonishingly high tolerance for the genre, my resolve was periodically tested by this one.
You can tell it’s going to be a slipshod affair right from the opening title sequence, which proclaims the title as “Slashermaniacs Volume 1” (the title I’m reviewing it under) and not Slasher Mania (or even “The Original Slasher Mania”). You know you’re in trouble when the compilation can’t even get the title right!
Unlike most horror comps, Slashermaniacs Volume 1 culls from only a few titles, and most of them are public domain. That’s not the worst thing in the world, but the clips are shown at random and go on seemingly forever. Sometimes, they’re so long you wonder where one clip ends and the other begins.
The clips from Volume 1 include Night of the Living Dead (not exactly a slasher, is it?), Alice, Sweet Alice, and another flick I couldn’t identify. (It would’ve been nice if they had listed the movie titles in the end credits.) Then, things end with trailers for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Dr. Phibes Rises Again. The trailers are obviously the highlight, and it’s a shame there weren’t more previews sprinkled about. It sure would’ve broken up the monotony.
Since each volume is only a half-hour long, I decided to roll my thoughts on Slashermaniacs Volume 2 into this review. It offers up more of the same, and it’s a slight improvement over the original, if only because the clips are better. This installment relies heavily on scenes from Night of the Living Dead (again), Horror Hotel (like Night of the Living Dead, it’s not a slasher, but at least the most atmospheric parts are used), and Alice, Sweet Alice (again).
The trailers are much better this time too, even if there are only a handful of them. The best part is the iconic trailer for Psycho starring Alfred Hitchcock. Since this is the greatest trailer of all time, I’m immediately inclined to give Volume 2 the edge over Volume 1, but it’s still kinda rough overall. The tape wraps up with trailers for Blood Feast and Two Thousand Maniacs, but despite the strong finish, the whole thing feels like it was put together by someone hooking two VCRs together than a professionally edited and distributed horror compilation tape.
AKA: The Original Slasher Mania. AKA: Slasher Mania 2.
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