Slashers, also known as $lasher$ and スラッシャーズ Surasshāzu in Japan, is a 2001 Canadian satirical low-budget horror film, produced, directed and written by Maurice Devereaux (End of the Line, 2007). It took a while to receive distribution but was eventually picked up for DVD release by Fangoria Films in the US and Redemption in the UK.
“$lasher$” is a brutal Japanese TV reality game show in which six contestants try win a million-dollar cash prize by surviving in a vast arena whilst three costumed serial killers try to kill them.
The current six contestants are all North American. They are:
- Sarah Joslyn Crowder as Megan Lowry, a 20-year old law student and political activist from Seattle studying in Tokyo.
- Tony Curtis Blondell as Devon White, a 29-year old ex-Marine and former boxer from New York City.
- Kieran Keller as Michael Gibbons, a 28-year old computer programmer and serial killer from Chicago.
- Jerry Sprio as Rick Fisher, a 32-year old nightclub doorman from Detroit.
- Carolina Pla as Rebecca Galley, a 31-year old fitness instructor and bodybuilder with MS from Buffalo.
- Sofia de Medeiros as Brenda Thompson, a 22-year old aspiring actress and model from Portland.
The $lasher$ and their unique weapons are Dr. Ripper (Christopher Piggins), a maniacal surgeon with oversized shears; Chainsaw Charlie (Neil Napier), a masked hillbilly with a chainsaw; and Preacherman (Napier), a Bible-thumping newbie to the program, with a razor-sharp crucifix.
Wikipedia | IMDb | Rotten Tomatoes
‘It takes a while between blood baths in Slashers but once the red stuff starts to flow, the gore effects once again exceed expectations. Early on, one contestant is sliced in half with a generous serving of blood and guts spilling out of her torso, and later, there are a few impressive beheadings and a stake through the side of the head, all with appropriately generous arterial sprays. The only issue with the film is the lack of character development and the wholly inexperienced cast, many of whom turn in overwrought, painful performances.’ Canuxploitation.com
‘Writer/director/producer Maurice Devereaux shoots the film in real time and with the appearance that it’s all one shot, Rope style, much like a TV show (or at least a TV show that only has one cameraman). Devereaux’s sense of humor is as twisted as they come … and he’s jammed a surprisingly high level of production values into this all-video effort. The gore is very well done, and the sets are designed extremely well.’ Christopher Null, ContactMusic.com
‘Too bad Maurice Devereaux didn’t explore more interesting aspects of a reality show that featured people being murdered for entertainment and decided to stay focused on the contestants themselves. Because of this, Slashers ends up being what no movie should ever be regardless of budget or genre — mind-numbingly boring.’ The Dreamin’ Demon
