MovieChat Forums > Unhinged (1982) Discussion > Slasher Masterpiece

Slasher Masterpiece

posted 18 years ago by bad_habitt
21 replies | jump to latest

I loved everything about this film. The music, the actors, the acting, the writing, the cinematography, the directing and especially the 'lightning animation' and the way it cleverly cuts to it every now and again. I also thought there were some genuine scares and really creepy moments. It actually makes me feel really confused why people on this board aren't praising it. I thought it was near flawless and definitely one of my top 5 80's slashers along with 'the burning' and 'the prowler'.

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[–] Flowbeer 18 years ago

It wasn't bad, though the 'Crying Game' ending was kinda weird! I have this on a multi-film disc set, and I guess I'm glad I was able to see it. The actresses weren't that good and seemed to be local gals who passed a lame screen test, as opposed to real actors from Hollywood, or wherever.
That said, it was still decent with some cool atmospheric creepiness.
It's The Burning that I need to see next! Lol - ;)
(AND The Prowler! Isn't that the one that Joe 'Maniac' Spinnell is in also?)

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[–] Mr_Ectoplasma 18 years ago

The Burning is great!

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[–] santo1967 16 years ago

The Burning was very good - the death scenes were great. Good to see a young George Costanza in there as well.

[–] smerd_70 16 years ago

"The actresses weren't that good and seemed to be local gals who passed a lame screen test, as opposed to real actors from Hollywood, or wherever. "

They were local gals, the whole film was a local production. Some of the best horror films use local talents- The Evil Dead being one.

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[–] Flowbeer 16 years ago

I guess anyone is better than always using another Sarah Michelle Gellar type!

"The Film which you are about to see is an account of a tragedy that befell a group of 5 youths.."

[–] stargazer1701-1 15 years ago

The highlight of this movie was the house and Janet Penner. Some of the cinematography was okay.

Virginia Settles acting was maniacal. She took away from the rhythm of the movie and any suspense or drama that may have belonged there.

The movie was wrecked by the synthesizer music. The three girls acted more like sleepwalkers , droning their lines like as if they were bored.

The story was a reminiscent of Psycho and Sleepaway Camp

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[–] greenbudgie (2356) 4 years ago

Pittock Mansion in Portland is an atmospheric setting for the film. I thought Janet Penner's closing speech and the rage she expressed were very good.

[–] startide77 17 years ago

Wow...

Unhinged has to be the most inept piece of "horror" released during the slasher's heyday. The opening sequence of the "road trip" is quite easily the most boring piece of film I've ever laid eyes on, hell, it even beats that Meg Ryan turd "Prelude to a Kiss", and that's saying something!

The Burning and The Prowler are 80s slasher masterpieces in so many respects but Unhinged isn't even in the same book, let alone the same page.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] PostmortemG 16 years ago

¨I thought it was near flawless and definitely one of my top 5 80's slashers along with 'the burning' and 'the prowler'.¨

OK, The Burning was a decent movie i guess, but The Prowler was utterly boring and disappointing. I can understand the appeal of the classic ´60s/´70s/´80s Italian Horror/Exploitation films, but the glut of bland U.$.A. Slasher movies that flooded the ´80s never interested me, so Unhinged is a movie i won´t be buying anytime soon; thanks for the info, kids. I´ll invest that $7 into something more worthwhile.

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] joshg_123 14 years ago

I never understood the hate for the slasher genre either. I find it laughable that zombie and alien films are so high regarded, but suddenly the far more realistic killer with an axe movies are trash on another lower level? Weird.

American horror has been pretty poor, but when I think of when it was last thriving, I look positively upon the golden age of the slasher genre in the early-mid 80s. Even if some films had bad acting, effort was made to make characters memorable, quirky, and the death scenes to compliment each other and the film pallet as a whole instead of trying to think up awesome gory scenes and mushing it together with mixed results like today.

Unhinged, I disagree with being on the level of The Prowler, and especially not The Burning, but I do look at it with pleasure. It's a hokey, bad film, with some of the darkest, most grisly moments in horror I've ever seen. Absolutely cruel and an oddity for sure. For that, it remains a special entry that can't be considered redundant like what we now have.

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[–] Gay_Slasher_Fan 16 years ago

Agreed as well. I jsut caught it for the first time bout 6 months ago and it gave me the creeps. That voice.... *shudders*

Lauren: You look kind of skinny, actually. Lara: Skinny, really? Bulimic skinny or anorexic skinny?

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] dalldorfw 13 years ago

I agree. Very underrated slasher flick (loved the twist ending; it was sort of a reversal of the 'Homicide' ending). I'm listening to the "comedy" commentary right now... I think I'll just stick to the movie itself from now on.

[–] DesperateHouseboy 13 years ago

I enjoyed it. It creeped me out, which alot of slashers dont do.

[–] shred-com 13 years ago

Am I the only one who LOVED the music?
Wonderful film :)

[–] Killerklownz-333-489510 13 years ago

I think the music was the best part. The dinner scenes were funny too, but this movie dragged so much.

[–] AceRoccola 12 years ago

I don't hate Unhinged, but it's nowhere near a masterpiece. And it has nothing on The Burning, or The Prowler for that matter.

Aside from being rather beneath these films in terms of quality, Unhinged is simply a different type of film in a different mold. It's not really a "slasher flick" in the way that those you mentioned are. It's just that age old creepy people in a creepy house kind of horror, where a handful of friends end up at the wrong place and meet an unfortunate demise because of car trouble, or weather, or a hitchhiker, or plain old curiosity. It shares some elements of a slasher, but it's not really comparable to Halloween, Friday the 13th, The Burning, etc. Just a very different formula, setup and execution.

[–] shred-com 12 years ago

I personally think it's more entertaining than The Prowler. The Burning/The Prowler are 2 of the most popular 80's slashers though, and it's not really fair to compare Unhinged to them.
Unhinged has a solid atmosphere, a creepy buildup, a great score, a great setting, and some very effective moments. It's a really solid 80's slasher film. The only small problem is the acting, aside from Janet it's all rather mediocre, but whatever it's still passable.

[–] Finchered 11 years ago

Does the killer wear a mask?