My Review Of “Slasher House” 2012

“Slasher House” is an Independent film from Mycho Entertainment. Directed by MJ Dixon and produced on a budget of only 5,000 dollars the film is a very creative and stylized film that focuses on strong psychotic personalities that collide. A young woman awakens in a dilapidated institutional facility with a bizarre cast of characters and limited understanding of the tense orchestrated construct of her ordeal. The cast for this film that has been in the works since 2010 and final completion arriving in 2012 are Eleanor James, Adam Williams, Andrew M Greenwood, Wellington Grosvenor, Alex Grimshaw and featuring the voice of Blaze Bayley. I was given the opportunity to screen this film which quite frankly is a project that I have been keeping tabs on over the past couple of years mostly because of the vibrant promo artwork and curious story line.

In this film which begins in an almost abstract arthouse meets cinema verite style the first thing that drew me in was the use of a singular color shown in almost Argento celebratory fashion against a monochromatic harshness of fluorescent lighting.  The visual approach of this creates a cold desolate atmosphere that seems to dance with near graphic novel vibrancy. It held my attention with it’s shear uniqueness in artist prominence even as the slow emotionless beginning of the film gave me concern. That is not really a complaint against the film because I have learned when watching films that have a definite almost avant-garde technique that there is a process unfolding. A steady and strong build to some fevered pitch that will climax proudly before a brisk and dead stop. It is something that is both beautiful and beloved in genre film making that mirrors playhouse and expressionist artistry around the world. Almost symphonic, okay before I sound like a psychotic let me get to the point of that long descriptive.  “Slasher House” at times holds this ability beautifully and at other times tends to loose control during the crescendo to the climactic end. The parts that caused my mind to loosen the grip the film had where mostly during the steady dramatic interaction of the characters at the beginning of the film which seemed a bit cold but however harsh that may sound the part that works about this film is the fine dance between graphic action and character backstory sequences that are revealed in near grindhouse tribulation. If my comments seemed confusing I do apologize but I try to stay open and spoiler free in talking about movies and always approach my opinion based on the artist’s intend and direction and not on some preconceived notion that a set standard of expectations govern what makes a film work based on genre.

Here is the cut and dry truth of “Slasher House” and it’s blended genre styles. It has moments that make you want to turn off and if your looking for some major gore rich action packed spectacle then the film will disappoint you. If however you are a patient fan of Indie horror then you will be pleasantly surprised by cast of characters thrown into this creative story and the true character study perspective that calls your attention in anticipation of the final moments of the character interactions. Yes it is artistic and very experimental in vision playing with elements of gore, exploitation and grindhouse against atmospheric industrial arthouse moments which when it works it works well and when it doesn't, you feel it. There is blood and gore and action and all those things at play in the film when required which satisfies the core of the story which is horror. The ending left me with a bit more questioning as to the continuity of story’s major objective but I enjoyed the strange and steady storytelling that unfolds in “Slasher House” and I appreciated that the main focus was not specifically set on the blood gore or torture of lives here. The film won't be for everyone where horror fans are concerned but as a Indie film fan that likes the elements of avant-garde I enjoyed this movie.