Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006)

A documentary on the history of the slasher film.

Writers:

J. Albert Bell, Rachel Belofsky,

Stars:

Ed Green, John Carpenter, Wes Craven

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ed Green	...	Narrator (voice)
John Carpenter	...	Himself
Wes Craven	...	Himself
Herb Freed	...	Himself
Stan Winston	...	Himself
Tom Savini	...	Himself
John Dunning	...	Himself
Joseph Stefano	...	Himself
Jeff Katz	...	Himself
Debra Hill	...	Herself (archive footage)
Malek Akkad	...	Himself
Gregory Nicotero	...	Himself (as Greg Nicotero)
Amy Holden Jones	...	Herself (as Amy Holden-Jones)
Rob Zombie	...	Himself
Anthony Timpone	...	Himself (as Tony Timpone)

Storyline

This historical and critical look at slasher films, which includes dozens of clips, begins with "Halloween," "Friday the 13th," and "Prom Night." The films' directors, writers, producers, and special effects creators comment on the films' making and success. During the Reagan years, the films get gorier, budgets get smaller, and their appeal wanes. Then, "Nightmare on Elm Street" revives the genre. Jump to the late 90s, when "Scream" brings humor and TV stars into the mix. Although some criticize the genre as misogynistic (Siskel and Ebert), most of the talking heads celebrate the films: as long as there are teenagers, there will be slasher films, says one.

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Plot Keywords:

film director | film making | producer | director | writer | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Slasher-filmien nousu ja tuho

Company Credits

Production Co:

Starz Entertainment, thinkfilm, Candy Heart Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min 88 min (European Film Market)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Crazy Credits

Joseph Stefano, in loving memory

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Connections

References Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)

User Reviews

What Documentaries Are All About - Awesome !!

"Going To Pieces: The Rise And Fall Of The Slasher Films" is more than just a documentary, it's a legacy for the fans. But even for the 'non-fans' it is very intriguing, interesting and entertaining. For them, most information is new and it is the perfect blueprint of a piece of history. What is the attraction of slasher-movies to the fans ? Is it normal to totally adore these films ? Which titles where the real classics ? What was the downfall and whose fault was it really ? Which movie was so controversial that it in fact killed the genre ? The influence of the government on films, etc, etc..

Even for the slasher-fans, this docu presents new info. Like a lot of fans, I also grew up with the : "Friday" and "Halloween" films and I am still a huge fan of those movies. But there are also a couple of "forgotten" slashers which might have slipped your attention throughout the years. The sub genre was resurrected, not once but twice in a big way. Even for those who have seen all the "halloween" and "Friday 13th" documentaries, those who have all the background stories on special effects masters like Savini and Nicotero. Those who already own the special features interviews by Cunningham, Craven or Carpenter: "Going to Pieces" is the one you STILL have to see. Because they are only a few of the known names in here. Ever hear the female director of "Slumber Party Massacre" defend the genre ?" Or The director from the classic "My Bloody Valentine", or "April Fool's Day" ? Did not think so..

Since it was released in 2006, the last movies covered are "Hostel" and the first "Saw". We all know that horror is back in a big way since than. The last 5 years have once again been big for the genre. See what happened before that. In a nutshell: One of the best and most complete documentaries EVER..