Going to Pieces: The Rise & Fall of the Slasher FIlm
 Scraps  rates it:    Community rates it:
   223 of 450 readers found this review helpful.

Ah, the 80s. Rock was shedding the stigma of disco and experimenting with new sounds, women were celebrating all things womanly, and the US was watching the USSR like an unsavory party guest that you just know is going to swipe stuff from your bathroom. This was also a great time to be a horror fan, because we witnessed the birth if a new type of villain in the slasher film.

“Going to Pieces” tells the story of the slasher film through the retrospective eyes of the writers/directors of many of the films, and helps the viewer understand many aspects of the genre. If you enjoy movies like “Halloween” or “Friday the 13th” but aren’t up to speed on the genre as a whole, this is the perfect way to bring yourself up to speed.

Because the documentary covers so many broad subjects, it doesn’t go very deep into any one particular facet, but it gives just enough to pique interest for the casual viewer.

One interesting view was a chronology of major slasher releases partnered with the box office numbers. It’s easy to follow the strong beginnings, the mad rush by production companies to churn out their own films, the oversaturation and decline, and the subsequent rebirth in the 90s.

It was a fun trip through time, and if nothing else, it’s worth catching just for all the film clips…but the information presented was entertaining as well. It isn’t the definitive culmination of the history of the genre, but more of an introductory course. I enjoyed the insight from Carpenter, Craven and Romero, as well as marrying the climb and decline of the genre in the context of social and political climates of the time.

I’m hoping this is just a step towards Starz creating more original documentaries…as I’d like to see how they dissect other genres as well.

Again, it’s not the end-all be-all look at the slasher film, but it’s an outstanding overview that deserves a look. Set your DVR to catch it, and enjoy the best type of educational TV there is, the blood soaked T&A riddled variety. 3 ½ cans out of 5.

Added:  Monday, October 23, 2006
[ Did you find this review helpful?  Yes  No ]
[ Back to reviews index ]

Want to comment on this review?
Register here for a free user account, and you'll be able to.