Teenage Wasteland: The Slasher Movie Uncut

2010, Author: J A Kerswell, Publisher: New Holland, Softcover, 208 pages

In case you didn't hazzard a guess at the topic based on the title, this tome is a study of the history of slasher movies, taking the reader through the beginnings and influences on the movement right up to whatever was going on around 2008/9 (unfortunately just missing out on Scream 4).  The read takes us right back to the beginnings of cinema through to the likes of The Old Dark House, Peeping Tom and a few others that led up to the real birth of the slasher (IMO) in Psycho.  It wisely whisks us on tours of the German krimi films, and of course the Italian giallo on route before taking time to consider what the Brits and Americans had to offer (including the film before its time, Black Christmas) before the modern version as we know it today was born in the Shape (sorry) of Halloween.  At this point it proceeds year by year along what is considered to be the Golden Age: chapters devoted individually to each year from '78 to '84.  Brief stops are made on the journey to focus a little on what was happening outside of America, before returning to take a more detailed look at the video age (where this type of film lingered on after box office had slowed down considerably) and the whole revival thing that Scream was effectively responsible for.  It concludes with short individual reviews of seminal pieces, which could serve as a 'tick-off' list for newcomers (if you're not a newcomer, you've probably seen all or most of these anyway).

I wouldn't say I'm the greatest fan of this kind of movie, though I do have appreciation for the likes of Halloween and My Bloody Valentine.  Occasionally, if in the mood, this stuff can go down well (and let's face it, who doesn't want to see most irritating teens of the present generation 'get' it one way or another...) - I have a soft spot for I Know What You Did Last Summer, especially when the young Love Hewitt appears in frame, while the deeper and significantly nastier Maniac is a big favourite.  Generally though there are inherent limitations that can instigate boredom more often than not - this stuff goes through the motions and clichés pretty much like nothing else out there.  In light of that, the book makes for a reasonable pick-up over the course of a couple of weeks, its primary problem being a reflection of the very thing that it's talking about: repetition.  Once the history side of the text is over and done with, it winds up going through a routine with most of the films it looks at, which is: brief mention of plot such as masked or pissed off killer knocking off various (usually) teenage victims, before outlinging the box office takings as an indicator of how well it was received (unfortunately neglecting often to think about comparisons between how it was perceived at the time to how it is generally considered nowadays, but then this is probably supposed to be more of a historical approach).  I perhaps think that a film guide (i.e. chronological listings of films containing cast/crew/technical details alongside synopses and other titbits) may have worked better.  The writer does cover a lot, including quite a few pieces that I wasn't previously familiar with, although often he strangely neglects to opine in depth, opting instead to use (as aforementioned) the box office figures to demonstrate whether the film was really worthwhile or not.  And let's face it, who can trust the general public to pick out a great exploitation flick!  The other niggle I must mention - and something like this would be difficult for anyone to avoid given the limited focus - is the excessive use of the words 'slasher' and 'subgenre', something that occurs pretty much every paragraph and once you become aware of it you can't help but become a little distracted!  Perhaps it's just me...

Anyway, the book is colourful (perhaps too colourful - some of the schemes I suspect would be awkward for dyslexia sufferers), pleasantly laid out, and filled with fantastic film and video posters throughout, which is possibly the most attractive aspect of the book from my point of view.  The front/rear covers also fold open to reveal further imagery of interest.  The prose is fairly easy going, even if not especially stylish (hey, I can't talk, but this guy's getting paid for it - I aint!), and this makes for a book that you will likely want on your shelf if you have at least half a passion for the much loved/loathed stalk n' slash genre.  Note this review is based on the UK edition - it has also since been released stateside with the somewhat less 'cryptic' title of 'The Slasher Movie Book', just in case Americans wouldn't be able to figure out the contents based on the original moniker...