Scare Me On Fridays: A Tale Of A Real Life Slasher

Friday, February 18, 2011

A Tale Of A Real Life Slasher

When slasher flicks first started to seriously gain box office success in the 1970's, there arose a chorus of so-called "concerned citizens" charging that such films were at least exploitative, and possibly dangerous to the minds on young people; who they fashioned could either be variously scarred by watching them or even inspired to commit such acts themselves. There is a charge that part of the exploitative element in Slasher films is that they (so the thinking goes) cheapen human life and make it seem that characters are mere victims for the slaughter and not actual movie roles in the "proper" sense. Even today, a lot people still want debate the "merits" of such films. As mentioned below, renowned feminist Gloria Steinem took this approach with Leo DiCaprio, when trying to dissuade him from taking on the role of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. Left out of the conversation is that most killers in these films since Michael Myers's debut, have a supernatural element to them of some sort. In the case of the Nightmare on Elm Street series, it's all supernatural. I hope most people realize that these characters can not actually exist. Their purpose is to seriously intensify the suspense and scare the beejesus out the of the viewer. Hey: Hitchcock did it first. They ARE boogey-men in the old fashioned use of the term. Also left out of this conversation is that monsters do exist in real life, and when they are finally caught or stopped they are not some super villain that cannot be killed or even crazed young people who've watch Halloween to many times.

The killer in the movie

The real deal on trial.

The Soviet serial killer Andre Chikatilo definitely qualifies as a real slasher killer. He really did carry around a huge chef's knife in a black bag, along with a frying pan. When he killed, he killed a lot like Michael Myers, and much like Michael, he was pretty content to kill just about anyone he could get alone with. One thing Myers isn't is a cannibal, Chikatila was. One thing Chikatilo wasn't was unkillable. After years of evading arrest and essentially hiding in the Soviet system, he was finally arrested. When he was convicted and sentenced to die--and die he did on Valentine's Day 1994 with a single shot to the head, there was no resurrection.

Anyone recognized him from The Walking Dead?

Chikatilo's Real Mug-Shot

This is an HBO movie that is based on a book principally about the investigator who worked through years of political persecution and hundreds of unpaid hours to catch this monster of a man. Viktor Burakov is a real life Dr. Loomis, fortunately he was hunting an actual human. The film's action takes place largely through his eyes, actions and struggles as an exceptional investigator caught up in an impotent and dysfunctional political environment that is breaking-down. But when Chickatilo is seen killing, he is definitely a slasher at work. That knife of his easily rivals anything Myers or even Jason Voorhees ever does in the make believe world.