After the release of Fear Town, USA, in 2014, aspiring filmmaker Brandon Bassham wanted to try and top himself. Bassham wanted to make a horror-comedy that poked fun at slasher movie tropes like his last film. However, for this film, he wanted to amp up the humor and the violence to further extremes. Since he had such a good working relationship with Troma, Bassham’s second feature would be distributed by them. He brought back many of the cast and crew members he had worked with and some new faces. Bassham launched an IndieGoGo campaign for the film, which raised $3,000 of the final $6,000 budget they’d be using. The movie was shot over three weeks in August 2014 in Bassham’s parent’s house in Long Island, New York. After a limited theatrical release in 2015, The Slashening debuted on Troma NOW in 2019.
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Synopsis
Lucy (Anna Callegari) is still reeling from her boyfriend breaking up, so her friends have an idea. Eva (Lily Du) has the house to herself while her parents are away, so she throws a sleepover. She invites Lucy and her best friend Margot (Samantha Reece Schecter), along with Beth (Dana Clinkman) and Ashley (Elyse Brandau). Ashley’s boyfriend Billy (Billy Bob Thompson) and his friend Pat (Patrick Foy) show up for some action during the party. Little do they know that a deranged killer in a burlap sack is waiting to break in and slaughter them. As numerous pizza delivery drivers are slashed, the partygoers learn more about each other than they ever expected. Soon enough, the killer makes their way inside and starts picking off our horny youngsters one by one. Friendships will be tested as our would-be victims try to survive The Slashening!
Review
Slasher parodies have existed for many years, from cult classics like The Slumber Party Massacre to blockbusters like Scream. In that regard, The Slashening doesn’t redefine the slasher parody, but it doesn’t have to. The film works as a standalone horror comedy thanks to some decent gore effects and surprisingly endearing performances. Each of the five girls fits a slasher archetype, and they play their parts well without coming off as obnoxious. Elyse Brandau is having fun playing the stereotypical slut, and Dana Clinkman is hilarious as a foul-mouthed coke addict. Anna Callegari and Samantha Reece Schecter have great chemistry and feel like genuine friends, which makes the revelations much funnier. Lily Du doesn’t have much to her character, but she has one of the funniest death scenes in the film. Also, Billy Bob Thompson and Patrick Foy fit their roles of cocky douche and timid nice guy, respectively.
While there isn’t any gore or nudity, the writing helps elevate it beyond being a tame slasher film. That’s not to say there isn’t any blood, as some decent kills are sprinkled throughout. One of the best sequences involves the girls trying to order pizza, only for every delivery driver to get slashed. The scene goes on for so long that it just gets funnier and funnier because of how absurd it is. Absurd is the best way to describe this film, as it’s utterly ridiculous to the point where logic is gone. Admittedly, the killer is pretty generic, a guy wearing a jumpsuit and a burlap sack over his head. Thankfully, the twist makes up for it, and the finale needs to be seen to be believed. Overall, The Slashening may be nothing new, but it works in its simplicity and makes for a decent watch.
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