Watch Going To Pieces: The Rise and Fall of The Slasher Film

Going To Pieces: The Rise and Fall of The Slasher Film is a documentary that explores the history of the blood-drenched, quick-cutting horror sub-genre. Released in 2006, it is narrated by horror movie icon John Carpenter, and features interviews with many of the key players in the slasher movie world, as well as historians and critics.

The film begins by examining the roots of the slasher movie, tracing them back to films like Psycho and Peeping Tom in the early 1960s. These movies, which featured knife-wielding killers stalking innocent victims, were shocking for their time, but they represented a new direction for horror film. The slasher movie as we know it really began to take shape in the 1970s, with films like Black Christmas and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. These movies were gritty, low-budget affairs that relied on suspense and shock value to create scares.

The real explosion of the slasher movie came in the 1980s, with the release of movies like Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. These films became box office sensations, spawning multiple sequels and franchises. Going To Pieces explores the reasons for the popularity of these movies, examining the cultural landscape of the time and the ways in which these films tapped into the fears and anxieties of audiences.

The documentary spends a lot of time examining the different types of slasher movies that emerged in the 80s. There were the "gore fests" like The Prowler and The Burning, which pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable on screen in terms of violence and gore. There were also the "meta" slasher movies, like Scream, which were self-aware and made fun of the traditional slasher movie tropes. Going To Pieces features interviews with many of the directors and actors involved in these films, as well as critics who analyzed their impact on the genre.

One of the themes that emerges throughout the documentary is the relationship between violence and sex in the slasher movie. Many slasher movies feature scantily clad young women being stalked and killed by a male killer. Going To Pieces examines the ways in which these movies can be seen as misogynistic, but also explores the ways in which some filmmakers subverted these tropes and created female heroines who fought back against their attackers.

The documentary also looks at the decline of the slasher movie in the 1990s and beyond. As the genre became oversaturated with sequels and knock-offs, audiences became bored and the movies stopped making money. Going To Pieces examines the ways in which filmmakers tried to keep the genre fresh by experimenting with different types of killers (such as supernatural creatures like Freddy Krueger), but ultimately, the slasher movie became a victim of its own success.

Going To Pieces is a fascinating look at one of the most enduring and controversial sub-genres of horror film. It features interviews with some of the biggest names in the business, including Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and Sean S. Cunningham, as well as actors like Jamie Lee Curtis, Heather Langenkamp, and Corey Feldman. Whether you're a die-hard horror fan or just curious about the history of the slasher movie, this documentary is well worth watching.

Going To Pieces: The Rise and Fall of The Slasher Film is a 2006 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 28 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.2.