The Burning (1981)
After sorting having to re-evaluate my own taste after Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, it was going back to basics with this classic slasher. On many accounts very formulaic and with plenty of hilarious unnecessary sleaze, but still with plenty of things that surprised me from a film from 1981. Savini delivers on all cylinders, no surprise there. However the expected logic of “have sex and die” doesn’t apply here. The killer is very indiscriminate with his kills. The genre has always been connected with teenagers and their fumbling early sexual experiences, and I think that part was actually handled rather well. With at least acknowledging the concept of consent. The film also benefits from dealing with a larger group dynamic. Making it at least somewhat different than the handful of teenagers trapped in a remote setting trope as we see display of shared trauma and comfort. Surprised this didn’t get any sequels.
Rating: 3.5