The Mutilator

The Mutilator (1985)
Dir: Buddy Cooper

So finally I was able to track down a non VHS version of this film to watch and I have to say after all the wait it was worth it. I have had a VHS copy of this rare gem of 80's slasher fun for awhile but due to my VCR taking a crap on me I had yet to get to enjoy it and apparently this film has not gotten a U.S. DVD release as of yet and I cannot see why not as it's allot of fun.
                 So the film opens with a sad scene involving a mother and son preparing for the child's father's birthday and while the wife prepares his cake the son Ed decides to clean all his fathers guns as a present to him. In the process he accidentally shoots his mother to death moments before Pops arrives. Father Jack arrives he finds his wife dead and snaps punishing the child before dragging his wife's corpse to the living room to have a final drink with.

                          Several years later we see Ed grown up art a bar with some college friends looking for something to do for fall break when Ed receives a phone call from his estranged father. Jack asks Ed to clean and close up there summer beach house, So the gang heads to the beach front for an opportunity to make the most out of their time off. Upon arrival they notice that jack is a big game hunter with a taste for the extreme as the beachouse is full of dangerous weapons and they come across a photo of a man he ran over and killed with a speed boat on accident though the picture is a sort of a trophy.

                   This films does not try to hide whats coming at all as right away we learn that Ed's Father is hiding in the garage of the cabin and his plan is to kill his son in revenge of his wife from years ago.So once the night falls we get treated to the typical stalk and slash although I have to admit the kills in this film are done really well and for this film being a low budget gem the effects are excellent and truly gruesome. One by one the kids are knocked off in several bloody ways from chainsaw to battle Axe and a particular scene towards the end involving a large fish hook and a part of the female anatomy that is more often punctured by something else altogether. One thing I liked about this film is that it pulls no punches and instead of having most of the kills off screen allowing the viewer to just see the aftermath later, this one truly focuses on the kills and keeps the camera on the action for the whole duration.

                            So after the kids are taken out of the equation of course this leads to the inevitable showdown between father and son which surprisingly ends quickly leaving Ed's girlfriend Pam to take care of the dirty work, And after a struggle on top of the car our Killer Jack is smashed between a  wall and the car, which leads to a small twist and one final deathblow from Jack on his way out, Before the ending credits roll.

                         So after all the time waiting to see this film and all the self induced hype , I have to say I was not let down by this one and it was worth the wait because for me, This type of film is what I grew up on. I have always had a place in my heart for the slasher film and this one does some things most don't . It provides a decent back story, It does not try and pull B.S. twists and it gets straight to the point with the gore and never lets up until the film is over. As far as slashers go you cant do much better than this one in my opinion, Although my all time favorite is still Maniac, Which that film is more than just a slasher as it is truly a character profile. This film is not but it doesn't try to be,  The film sets out to have a few scares and balls to the wall gore and it does accomplish that much more than most of the other slashers that saturated theaters and video stores during the 80's. So in closing I got what i wanted out of this film and thats all I could ever hope for a film to deliver. All slasher fans should check this one out if you can find it and it is a absolute must for Slasher Purists and completists. One thing it lacked that most slashers provide is nudity but this is a slasher not a soft porn so I can give it a pass since it was done well and didn't really need the T&A to pad the film. Although just because it has become sort of a mandatory thing with these reviews I will provide a shot of the only nude scene in the flick ........And here it is.

                 Hope ya'll got your fix there. Overall this was a fun movie and provided some original set pieces and good gore and that is what a slasher should set out to do.

Gore:7.5 (Some really good stuff in this one although nothing too original)
Nudity:2 (Only two boobs, only two rating)
Story:6 (decent back story, But makes films direction obvious from the gate)
Characters:5.5 ( Just the genre standards here, Though the killer was genuinely scary)
Overall: 7 out of 10 ( One of the better Slashers out there, You could do much worse and would be hard pressed to find something much better)