Who is the Best Movie Monster Slasher?
As Halloween approaches, there is a gluttony of scary Halloween movies on television and in theaters. The new Halloween movie is out, 40 years after the original. In the spirit of Halloween, let's look at which slasher is the best of them all. For this list, I will be looking and briefly comparing the various slashers of Halloween movies: the guys who often wear a mask and chase horny teenagers around with a bladed weapon. They must also be or have been human at some point. I will not be considering the "classic" movie monsters like Dracula or Frankenstein, as they deserve a list of their own. If I forgot any slasher, feel free to mention it and explain why you think a certain slasher deserves to be considered the best. Here are the various slashers up for consideration:
- Michael Myers (Halloween)
- Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th)
- Freddy Kruger (A Nightmare on Elm Street)
- Leatherface (Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
- Ghostface (Scream)
- Pinhead (Hellraiser)
1. Michael Myers: An emotionless, pitiless, and remorseless individual, Michael got his start in slashing by murdering his own sister as a boy. His imposing and ominous presence is possibly scarier than the large kitchen knife he wields. The William Shatner mask he wears is his signature trademark and only adds to the psychological fear. But he typically only focuses on a single target/victim, namely his younger sister Laurie Strode. Other victims are usually killed due to them being in his way or closely affiliated with Laurie. He is also slow moving and easy to avoid. For this, he loses points.
2. Jason Voorhees: A drowning victim who gets his revenge on anyone staying at Camp Crystal Lake, especially teenagers engaging in sexual activity (that really seems to set him off). He is physically powerful and nigh indestructible, able to shrug off virtually any injury inflicted on him. With his iconic hockey mask and machete, he makes for a formidable and scary opponent.
3. Freddy Kruger: A school custodian who was a child killer, he was burned alive by the angry parents of his murder victims. Now he continues to terrorize children in their dreams, often concluding in their death both in the dream world and real world. Arguably the most popular and famous of the slashers (played to charismatic perfection by Robert Englund), his red and green striped sweater, fedora, and clawed glove makes him easily recognizable and feared. While he can get up close and personal for the kill with his glove, it's the psychological terror he dishes out in peoples dreams that really sets him apart. As he is in the dream world, you do not know he's coming for you until it's too late. Once he's in your dreams, he is in total control and loves to play with his victims first.
4. Leatherface: The granddaddy of the slashers, few things are more terrifying than a crazed guy running after you with a loud, large chainsaw while wearing the skin of his victims as a mask. Unlike the previous slashers, this guy will run and chase you down. His is a truly terrifying presence. However, he is still only human and can be injured or killed by a resourceful potential victim. Still, the thought of being dismembered or eviscerated by a chainsaw does send chills down one's spine.
5. Ghostface: A more generic slasher, whose identity is taken up by multiple individuals. Ghostface prefers to taunt his victims first and relies on a large kitchen knife for the kill. As far as slashers go, he is less terrifying or imposing than the others. While he is memorable for his white "scream" mask and is a more recent addition to the slasher lineup, he is probably the weakest and least terrifying of the bunch.
6. Pinhead: The leader of the Cenobites and a sadomasochist to the extreme, Pinhead derives pleasure from the sheer suffering and pain of others, often through the use of otherworldly chains with hooks which rip one's skin and body apart in what appears to be a most excruciating fashion. His intelligence and sophisticated mannerisms belie a fearsome supernatural power and menacing intent. However, he can only be summoned by a mystical puzzle box and banished the same way. While intelligent, he can be bargained with (although he'll almost always double-cross you) and even outwitted if one is cunning enough.
Conclusion: The best slasher of all is arguably Freddy Kruger. Being able to invade one's dreams and mentally torture and kill someone from within makes him a most difficult opponent to fight, much less defeat. He is in total control in the dream world, which makes escape difficult and takes delight in his creative ways of killing in dreams. After all, one cannot remain awake forever.
Sop what do you think? Thoughts, comments? Let me know, thanks.
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Gotta go with Freddy Kruger on this one.
Norman Bates!
Why?
Because he is totally believable. Michael Myers, Freddy Kruger, and The Gang were all fantastical. Norman Bates is an ordinary, Every Man you really could find in an off-the-highway deserted motel
Fair enough. But he's not considered a slasher. He's just psychopathic.
That's kind of the nature of slashers. Norman Bates most likely has the lowest kill compared to the others.
Not a slasher?
Tell that to Janet Leigh.
Ok, all kidding aside....now I understand where you're coming from. I'm not much into Slasher Horror flicks, I like more psychological terror like my good buddy Norm.
I have to say Freddy is probably the best slasher of them all. He not only "got into their heads" he got into the viewer's head. The first time I saw Nightmare, I didn't want to go to sleep
More like a plain killer. Norman isn't really running around, knife in hand, taking out everyone who crosses his path.
Or like Misery?
Kind of like the dreamland version of Jaws.
#10 is my favorite.
Although I love movies generally, I have no desire to watch slasher movies, even on Hallowe'em. They are so completely contrived for only one purpose.
If I may make a suggestion, perhaps it would be interesting for some to watch the 2012 movie "Hitchcock" that tells the story about Alfred Hitchcock's production of "Psycho", and how he set up the audiences to be shocked:
I will watch that movie if I can find it on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon
"Who is the Best Movie Monster Slasher?"
The BIRDS in the movie "The Birds" !
(((((((Shudder))))))))...…….