The slasher film has been a juggernaut of a subgenre over the years. From its meager beginning, it was met with shock and controversy as this new breed of horror was unleashed upon an unsuspecting populace. Think Films' Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film takes an in depth look at the subgenre, and the history and controversy that has helped to shape it into the beast that many have come to know and love today.
Going to Pieces manages to serve many purposes. From the very beginning, the film presents an educational look at how this horror subgenre was born. With many interviews from the great directors such as Wes Craven and John Carpenter, we soon learn that, believe it or not, the slasher film often has a moral stance behind it, not just blood and violence for the hell of it. Often times the slasher films were in response to many events going on in the world, such as war, political climate, and social climate. Going to Pieces strives to show that yes indeed, the slasher film has a point.
Not just a dry educational documentary, Going to Pieces is filled with a healthy dose of humor as well. Interviews with those such as Sean Cunningham, director of the classic Friday the 13th, highlights a man filled with childlike excitement over his work of art. Tom Savini, twisted maven of blood and gore, shows up throughout the film with detailed stories from behind the scenes. Fleshing out the theories behind the various killings, deaths and props used throughout his career, Savini regales the viewer with details such as the hairy knuckles seen on the hands of Pamela Vorhees during her death - it was actually one of Savini’s male partners. Stories such as these, detailing the creative process and often random discoveries during the preparation for these films, help breathe new life into many of these forgotten gems.
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