4/5 SLASHERS--The stylistic game of life or death
  by C. Christopher Blackshere (stalking you from the shadows)
From the gleefully demented mind of Maurice Devereaux (END OF THE LINE) comes this wildly perverse and highly entertaining reality game show satire called SLASHERS. Low budget horror doesn't get more wacky than this.

This popular Japanese game show is promoting a special episode with some American contestants. The goal of this game: SURVIVE. Manuever through a carnivalesque labyrinth while 3 heinous screwballs viciously try to hunt them down. The grand prize for the survivor(s) is a fat payday, upwards of 12 million dollars. Let the games begin!

THE GOOD:
-awesome idea, reality shows are an easy target and this hits the bullseye
-well-thought out script, even the outrageous seems believable
-nice character development, I loved the different personalities/motivations
-fun bloody kill scenes
-hot chicks
-some brief nudity
-good dose of humor
-original twist to genre

THE NOT SO GOOD:
-bad acting
-low production values
-the murderers never seemed too intimidating or terrifying
-more killers needed, the bad guys should outnumber the contestants
-some of the kills don't look too realistic

BOTTOM LINE: With all the hordes of craptastic horror remakes placating the theaters, it's waaaaaay past time to try something different.



5/5 "Are you game?"
  by trashcanman (Hanford, CA United States)
"Slashers" is Canadian B-movie with grade-A entertainment value. It is an excellent game show/reality show satire that follows in the footsteps of such campy cult classics as Death Race 2000 and The Running Man and manages to live up to if not outdo both even without the star power of Arnie or Sly. The premise is a combination of those two films with a dash of Battle Royale for that upbeat Asian flavor. Six American contestants appear on a Japanese game show where they are trapped in a maze with three cartoonish-but-brutal murderers (Slashers). If any of them can survive, they can split the millions in prize money amongst themselves. The only rule: there are no rules. Excepting of course, not interfering with the cameraman and remaining stationary during the requisite commercial breaks -even if there's a knife-wielding maniac sitting on top of you at the time. The film is mesmerizing, insanely entertaining, and will likely leave you begging for more. What it lacks in production values and quality acting it more than makes up for with sheer enthusiastic carnage and conceptual brilliance. Independent no-budget horror does not get a whole lot better.

The cast of characters is an interesting bunch. The perky Japanese hostess and her team of pep girls (complete with human skull pom-poms) are hard not to like. Then there's the contestants who include an aspiring actress hoping for fame, a deranged fanboy, a girl hoping to make a political point, a super badazs loner-type, a suicidal athlete/hottie, and some dude who is only there on a dare. Not a bad mix. The masked Slashers featured are the psychotic Preacherman, the redneck Chainsaw Charlie, and the all-time master known as The Doctor. Others are shown in the show's opening credits and the DVD's deleted scenes (both of which are awesome in and of themselves).

What makes this film really stand out stylistically is the fact that it is all shot with a single hand-held camera. Sure, it's a bit of a fad a this point with The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield and all the rest, but the game show aspect really adds a new wrinkle. For instance, we see one Slasher break character during one of the commercial freezes when he realizes that his life is in danger from one of the contestants and try to cut a deal which both humanizes the faceless butcher and thickens the plot considerably. The way that the film is shot along with the savvy direction and tricks to hide the camera cuts are all well done and really pull you into the story as it unfolds. Plus, the "Love Room" rocks. The deleted scenes have some girl/girl!

The acting is quite bad at times and is the only thing about this movie that I didn't love, but that is easily overlooked all things considered. The sheer psychotic glee of the Slashers is pure black comedy. The Doctor takes a liking to one of the female contestants and skips many opportunities to butcher her, opting instead to repeatedly cut her clothing off and taunt her with mercy if she will show off her goodies. God bless 'im. The way the characters dissect the show's workings is brilliant as well, skewering the reality genre even as the Slashers skewer them. When one man notes that sex appeal will keep you alive longer, one hot number inquires what her chances are. When she gets her answer, she pulls her shirt off to improve her odds. Another is actually fawning over one of the Slashers even as he murders his fellows, a fan of the artist.

The raw stupidity of reality stars is truly something to behold. How many girls do you suppose went on "Rock of Love" or the like just to meet a rock star or hopefully earn some ill-gotten television fame? And let's admit it, "Survivor" is distinctly lacking in serial killers. Time to make things interesting, guys. I wonder how long it will be before society gets so jaded with this brand of entertainment that they have to literally legalize murder for the sake of keeping idiots unwilling to part with the comfort-food entertainment of the reality television scourge entertained. Films like "Slashers" may indeed prove to be prophetic in decades to come. But right now, it is just damn fine entertainment. Get it while it's still fictional!

4 1/2 stars rounded up for having a budget smaller than a Hollywood set's catering bill.