Horror Extreme Movie Catalog

Though the economy has since tanked, throwing us into a global recession, in 2007 the prayers of the crazed and few Burning fans were finally answered, when this thing finally got a US DVD release after being released everywhere except its country of origin (naturally).

The Burning is a 1980 slasher, part of the crop of 'classics' now being remade (and this will will be remade). It's not dissimilar to Friday the 13th, mega-hit of the same year. Seems that some dastardly kids want to play a prank on nasty old coot Cropsy, the alcoholic caretaker of a summer camp. The prank ends up with Cropsy doing the walk of fire, toasted and left for dead.

Five years later, Cropsy unofficially takes up his old job of camp caretaker and begins bumping off a new crew of camp counselors, including Holly Hunter, Jason 'Costanza' Alexander, and Fisher Stevens. It's an oddly semi-celebrity early reunion going on here in between Tom Savini's very bloody work. And that work is left intact in this version, including the infamous raft massacre where Cropsy works those trademark hedge clippers with fury.

Some good effects, one or two creepy uses of the woods, but overall...for all of its 1980-ness and 'classic' slasher elements, this actually could have been much, much better. They don't really show much of Cropsy, and not that they should...but still, they really don't do anything with him. Not enough to warrant a sequel then, either. And the fiery ending, there's something strange about it, like the director forgot to tell them he was actually filming that scene---it's a muted slasher climax. And isn't 'Cropsy' an old legend told at every summer camp? They don't play that angle up, either...there's nothing supernatural going on here, just Cropsy, really irate, with a pretty nasty face (how can he see to wield those blades?) knocking off fools. I can definitely see a remake...in 3D, maybe depending on the success of My Bloody Valentine 3D.

But for this price, and the fact that they finally, finally released the damn thing in the US, it's certainly recommended to genre fans. And Costanza is still Costanza, thought he is spared Cropsy's shears.

ALSO of note---in a sure sign that the world may soon end, not only did they finally release this on DVD, but around the same time, the Rick Wakeman soundtrack finally appeared on CD (which is probably still available). Sought by fanatics and hedge clipper fans, it was out of print since the original vinyl. Eventually, someone listens in the Burning archives. If Anchor Bay is not preparing a box set, complete with mini hedge clippers for the 30th anniversary release, they're crazy.

The IFC Channel, with its twisted sense of humour, decided to show slasher films on Christmas in 2008. They showed this one, and having heard about it for years (it was made/released during the 80's slasher craze), I decided to check it out finally. It wasn't as awful as I thought it would be, but it's not great either.

The film takes place in a summer camp, but the location (I'm thinking somwhere in the Northwest) is quite striking and the abandoned mine and the forest really lend itself well to the film. It has some genuinely creepy atmosphere. However, the dialogue is quite awful, and most of the performances are pretty lame too. The film is paced quite poorly as well. It is cool to see Jason Alexander in one of his first roles (possibly his first). Aside from being bald now and slightly pudgier, he has aged rather well. He gives a decent performance despite the extremely limited material. This film was lumped together with the other slasher films of its day, and kind of got lost in that shuffle. Seeing it today, it's not that bad of a film. Not a lost classic, but has some very effective moments.