The Film (5/5)

Kay (Sarah Kendall) is an artist who since childhood has been plagued by prophetic dreams. Partly as a means to escape these dreams her husband David (Alan McRae), her brother Eric (Frederick Flynn) and his wife Brooke (Carol Kottenbrook) plan to go on vacation to an island off the Georgia coast. As they land, pilot Marsh (Michael Holmes) warns them that a storm is coming and he needs to get out of there as quickly as possible.

The island is completely deserted and Kay warns the group that it is indeed the place she has been having nightmares about and that if they stay they are all in grave danger. Of course they can't leave due to the storm and one by one they begin to get picked off. Translation: MURDERED. Did Marsh really leave? Are Kay's nightmares to blame? Is it Freddy Krueger? (It's not Freddy Krueger.) Who will survive The Slayer?

Director J.S. Cardone (Writer - The Stepfather and Prom Night remakes, try not to hold that against him) does a great job with that somewhat elusive (at the time at least) slasher film: the adult populated slasher. Cardone's camera is fluid and he does a great job with the atmosphere and desolation of the island. The special effects are outstanding for a smaller budgeted regional film and has a serious tone throughout The Slayer's slow burn pace. The viewer's patience is rewarded with an ending that you are unlikely to forget. In fact it is all I remembered about the film from my last viewing, several years ago over the phone with my friend Richard, like a couple of 12 year old girls, I mean film critics.

In fact The Slayer was one of the notorious Video Nasties in Britain and suffered cuts of 14 seconds as a result, after originally being released uncut. It was released in the United States with 15 minutes cut so it would fit on a videocassette with Scalps. This is, as best as I can tell, the first time it has been released in a full, uncut widescreen version. I will buy practically any slasher film from the golden age of 1978-1984 and Arrow has certainly hit a home run with The Slayer. It is an offbeat little film with blue hues, atmosphere and dread that in my opinion belongs in any slasher fan's library.

Audio/Video (5/5)

Arrow presents The Slayer in a 1080p MPEG-4 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, a 4K scan of the original negative, with an LPCM mono track. Hoo boy, is this so much better than the other versions that are floating around out there. It truly is a revelation. Presented UNCUT, there is nice grain structure, solid colors and detail, and is basically what we've come to expect from our friends at Arrow. Superb work. The dialogue, music and sound effects come through strong and English subtitles are included.

Extras (5/5)

Arrow PACKS the disc with the following:

Audio Commentary with writer/director J.S. Cardone, actress Carol Kottenbrook and executive in charge of production Eric Weston, moderated by Ewan Cant

Audio Commentary with The Hysteria Continues

Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interview with Composer Robert Folk

Nightmare Island: The Making of The Slayer – documentary featuring interviews with J.S. Cardone, Carol Kottenbrook, Eric Weston, producer William Ewing, director of photography Karen Grossman, camera operator/2nd Unit DOP/still photographer Arledge Armenaki, special creature and make-up effects ceator Robert Short and “Slayer” performer Carl Kraines

Return to Tybee: The Locations of The Slayer – featurette revisiting the shooting locations on Tybee Island, Georgia

The Tybee Post Theater Experience – join the audience of the Tybee Post Theater (one of the film’s key locations) for this very special home-town screening of The Slayer! Includes event introduction, feature-length audience reaction track and post screening Q&A with Arledge Armenaki and Ewan Cant

Still Gallery

Original Theatrical Trailer

Also, the first edition of the release comes with a new essay on The Slayer by Lee Gambin.

Arrow is a winner. The Slayer fans are winners.

Overall (5/5)

If it comes from the golden age of the slasher, I want to see it. Full stop. But, in the case of The Slayer, Arrow really has unearthed a minor classic of the era. A nice slow burn that leads up to a very memorable ending, I think it also pairs up well with another recent Arrow slasher bluray release, Madhouse (1981). Pick this up for a late October night and you won't be disappointed. Hey Arrow, how about a nice bluray edition of The Demon (1979) with Cameron Mitchell? Please?

Highly Recommended