Happy Hollandaise, Internet. In honor of this time of giving thanks (hey- I just got that!) and togetherness, here's a Slasher Film. Let's be honest: there's one for every Holiday, right? Halloween, Christmas and even Mother's Day (twice!)- set. I think the only one that's missing is a Film where a man dresses like a Tree and kills people on Arbor Day. Hey anyone but Troma- get on that! That brings me to today's Film- Home Sweet Home. This 1981 Slasher was made right at the beginning the Genre's peak, which is actually a bad thing. While they hadn't gotten bogged down in doing the same Plot 1,000 times at this point, there was a different problem. Copycats. In the wake of Films like Friday the 13th, alot of people thought that they could replicate the success. The result was films like this- many of whom didn't have a long shelf life. In this case it is a bit more literal, as I think the Film only really had a life on Video Store Shelves. You know- those big Redbox Units. I found this on a Streaming site and I really doubt that there is a proper DVD release for it. No love, Anchor Bay? In this story, a crazy person kills people, goes to a house full of jerks and kills more people. Do you want to hate the victims (save for the little girl and Final Girl) and the Killer (who laughs like an idiot all the time)? If so, you're in luck. Just for fun, let me Review this is a Haiku. So gather everyone (even that Uncle who thinks that Obama is a Maoist) and read on...
This is Jake (of 'Body By' Fame). He kills.
Jake laughs while killing people.
This Family sucks.
This is Mistake. Why a Mime?
Jake meets Mistake. Death.
Jake kills all but one. The End.
This is not good. Here's the thing: there's nobody to root for and no reason to care. The Killer has no motivation, other than being crazy. There's no back-story- he's just crazy. He has no real personality- just laughing while killing. He doesn't have a unique look- he's (Body By) Jake in street clothes. He doesn't have anything to make him stand out amongst the Classic killers in the Slasher Genre. Hell, even among Giallo killers, he is nothing. Argento's killers spoke in weird voices, had some menace and wore sweet leather gloves. I cant even point out something among killers from less stellar Giallo films, be it their choice of instrument or their attire. You get nothing here. As for the Family, they fight, they yell and they don't get along. For some of you, that does invoke the spirit of Thanksgiving though! The people don't have to be perfect, mind you, but I want *someone* to root for. The only ones that come close are the Parents of the little Girl and her- but that's just cheating. If you are playing the 'Cute little Girl' card, you have nothing else going for you. There is some perverse charm in Jake's bizarre presence and how seemingly-unkillable he is, but that is pretty much it. Feel free to skip this one and enjoy your Cranberry Sauce- only do it in moderation, unlike Jake here.
In honor of Black Friday, I have something in mind. Considering the fact that I've already seen a Film called Black Friday, this makes sense. Stay tuned...
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