Episode 70 - Psychopaths Ahoy

Slasher films were a hugely popular genre and a mainstay of the theaters during our favorite decade, the 80's.  This episode focuses on two films from 1982 that are basically part of that genre but which approach the theme from radically different directions.  We start off with Madman, which tells the tale of Madman Marz, an evil farmer who murders his family one night  in a fit of bloodlust and then haunts the forest around his home whenever someone is foolish enough to say his name. It just so happens that a summer camp for exceptional children is next door...A fairly normal, by-the-numbers film, it is beautifully shot and evokes the mood of a dark fairy-tale at times.  We follow this up with Visiting Hours, with a stellar cast including Lee Grant, William Shatner and Michael Ironside in a very dark turn as Colt Hawker. Slasher films are frequently misogynistic, but Visiting Hours makes this it's central theme, with strong female characters and a sinister male presence that torments them. It descends at times to very dark places, but it does so in very smart and thoughtful ways. This is an exceptional movie and we urge you strongly to seek it out. Send us your thoughts on the show and recommendations for future episodes to [email protected] or [email protected]. You can also reach us on Facebook, Instagram, Letterboxd. YouTube.