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The Burning

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  • The Burning

    Watched this one last night, I think it still holds up well. Great gore, some fun characters, lots of nudity and a bizarre score from Rick Wakeman (any time I hear that name I think of Jello Biafra saying 'Rick Wakeman eat your heart out' but that's neither here nor there). What struck me more this time around for whatever reason is that the middle stretch is... empty. Movie starts off with a bang, dude gets burned, hospital time, hey lets go kill a hooker and then campers and camper related drama. A few fake jump scares here and there and shower scenes and love interests to keep us attentive but man, once that last half hour kicks in... pretty rad. That raft massacre is still awesome. Savini's effects hold up well.

    It's maybe not the most original slasher ever made, in fact it feels derivative at times, you can't help but think of F13, but I enjoy this one.
    Rock! Shock! Pop!

  • #2
    Not the most original but I personally think it's the best camp/forest Slasher film. Great effects, good acting, great setup and pacing. And has the balls to have the killer go after the campers as opposed to just the counselors.

    In my Top 5 Slashers.
    "Ah! By god's balls what licentiousness!"

    Marquis de Sade, The 120 Days of Sodom.

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    • #3
      No, it's not original but I love this one too! It's pretty funny how not long ago it was pretty damn hard to see the uncut version. Then an uncut vhs came out as an Amazon exclusive, followed by the dvd and now a BD. I really dig Wakeman's score, have copy from the much missed 7 Black Notes blog, it's very effective and creepy. I don't mind the kinda slow middle part...by then the very well drawn characters are established and the cast was just so damn exceptional that it's entertaining to me at least to enjoy a brief summer camp comedy interlude. The hooker murder is like something from another film in way, sleazy NYC locales that put MANIAC or NY RIPPER to mind. The raft massacre is friggin' amazing and actually mildly disturbing. I love the creepy scene a bit later where they see the raft drifting along in the distance too. Carrick Glen (Sally) always catches my eye in this, she was a pretty decent actress (and didn't mind a topless scene) - she was also in GIRLS NITE OUT.
      I don't go to church. Kneeling bags my nylons.

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      • #4
        Yeah, the scene where the raft just floats down the river with the bodies on it? CREEPY. Agreed that the hooker murder feels almost out of place in a way, but it sets up the return to the camp well enough. I guess if I'd been in the hospital for a few years I'd want to get laid as soon as I got out too. It's almost unnecessary, but it does up the sleaze and the gore a bit.
        Rock! Shock! Pop!

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        • #5
          It's been a few years since I've seen it but I remember it being one of the more gleefully mean-spirited slasher films I've ever seen, which is enough to put it fairly high up on my list.

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          • #6
            I prefer Sleepaway Camp and F13 1 & 2 to it in terms of camp slashers, but yeah, it's high up there. If not my top 10, DEFINITELY top 20.

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            • #7
              Watched the new blu-ray, every time I see this film it's made more and more clear that a huge reason this is so good is the strength of the cast. Good actors really individualize the characters and that, along with the terrific Savini f/x are the one-two punch of this one. Fisher Stevens' hair should have had its own credit, it bounces and bobs to grab your attention as much as Holly Hunter does in her few scenes.

              One thing that this BD made clear is that I think near the end when Todd sees Karen's body in the mine that is a still from her death scene, she wasn't actually there. It sure looks that way to me. Always thought that shot looked odd but now you can see it so clearly, there's a sort of halo around her and it appears you can see a bit of the outdoors around her head (she was killed by at night by the water). I watched all the interviews and this wasn't mentioned, wonder if it is on the commentary? Great interviews on this by the way, all well worth watching.
              I don't go to church. Kneeling bags my nylons.

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              • #8
                Hadn't seen this for years until the Scream BD - great film, loved the gore.
                I too agree about the murder of the New York hooker, she doesn't help that scene - she looks rather, er, manly.

                The cutting off of the fingers is the moment I always remember from years ago - it doesn't disappoint now.
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                • #9
                  Scream Factory announced that this'll be coming to UHD later this year.
                  Rock! Shock! Pop!

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