0
The challenger Dmhead777, the champion Strtfghtr.... the movie.... Intruder
Review 1
Whenever people bring up great slashers you always hear the usual answers: Friday the 13th, Halloween, Nightmare on Elm St. Or if you are on a horror forum you’re likely to hear the common suggestions of The Prowler, Maniac, or The Burning. It seems that rarely does anyone brings up the 1989 classic, Intruder. This is a shame, because Intruder really holds its own when compared with the other big names in the slasher sub-genre.
This is a film that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It has a similar tone to the Evil Dead, which shouldn’t be surprising since it’s directed by Scott Speigel, one of the madmen behind Evil Dead 2 and good friends with Sam Raimi. Speaking of whom, has a role as one of the “teenagers” looking to be gleefully slaughtered. The light tone that the movie takes is a breath of fresh air in the sometimes stale slasher genre from the 80s. The little inside jokes and goofy signage placed perfectly amongst the gore makes this movie a blast to watch.
The cast does an admirable job with what little plot there is. Basically we have a group of 25 year old teenagers in a grocery store after hours being slaughtered one by one in a more gruesome fashion than the previous kill. Our prime suspect is the crazy ex-boyfriend of one of the tellers, who attacked the cast early on. We’re not talking any Oscar worthy performances here folks. We have Charlie and Emilio Estevez’s sister, Sam Raimi’s brother, and a few horror regulars to carry us along through our super market adventure. Still, for a goofy slasher, the cast holds its own and you can’t really complain for what the film is meant to be.
Let’s get straight the the business end here. The kills are what we all show up for when we watch a slasher, right? Well, some of us do I guess. Anyway, the kills in this movie are glorious. Make sure you are watching one of the unrated versions of the film because the close-ups on some of the slayings make all the difference. I won’t ruin any of their majesty let’s just say a few of them can go up against any of the kills of their “competitors” like The Prowler or Maniac.
The camera work in the film is more than competent. Trick shots and unique angles keep the pace moving well. Though one of the views from the earpiece of a telephone is a little ridiculous, the amazing shot of the crazy ex through the glass matched up to the reflections of the rest of the cast in the same pane of glass is awesome. Speigel gets an A for effort on this front, even if some of the angles weren’t as effective as others.
One of the more interesting parts of this movie is the old brands and items throughout the store that really give you a trip in the way-back machine. Some random items I noticed were Battle Beasts, a box of Fruit Brute that showed up in the 2 dozen times they show the cereal aisle, white aluminum cans marked “BEER” with no label, and $1.35 for a pack of cigarettes?! Calling out some of the unique items could be a good drinking game to go along with this movie.
Overall, Intruder has the goods where it counts and doesn’t try to be something it’s not. This is a film that knows it is a goofy 80’s slasher and is damn proud of that fact. It certainly isn’t groundbreaking or a masterpiece, but this movie is a blast to watch. Fast becoming one of my favorite slashers. I recommend you gather a group of friends and a few drinks; fire this bad boy up and have a blast.
8/10
Review 2
A slasher film that takes place in a grocery store the entire time AND has the Raimi bros. acting? Where do I sign up? That's the very plot of "Intruder" (1989). It really does have it all for an 80's horror film. It wouldn't be complete without; terrible acting, immense gore, and a ludicrous story. You get it all with Intruder.
The plot is simple. A man starts killing people in a supermarket after it is announced that there will be layoffs due to the owners having to sell the store. Knowing someone just snapped over a supermarket being closed down is pretty hysterical as it is, let alone going on a killing rampage over it. That's just the fun of this film though. Everything is so over the top, but well done at the same time. It's what made this film stand out from other slashers of the 80's.
If you watch Intruder, the main thing you'll take away from it is the gore. It has one of the best death scenes I have ever seen on camera (that involves a bandsaw and a man's head). The gore is all done with practical effects, because God bless the 80's, and it still holds up in 2013. There is a pretty high body count and each death is accompanied by horrid acting that just puts the icing on the cake.
Now, acting is not something to look for in horror films. If it's good then that's great, but usually I love the horrible acting that comes with over the top films like these. It shows that these filmmakers aren't making the film for an Oscar, but to do it for fun and give people a joyful hour and a half. Intruder is no different. The acting in this movie is not Trolls 2 bad, but bad on a hilarious level. There is a character that gets dragged by the killer and he's screaming and hopelessly trying to reach for a hatchet on the ground. This kid is supposed to be like 18 in the film, but the killer is dragging him with one foot and the guy can't get free. So, instead he just gets dragged and starts screaming like a girl. It's comedy gold and makes for even a better lead up for his death.
Intruder has everything you want in an 80's slasher. It has gore, bad acting and a terrible story. Plus it has the Raimi brothers doing their best to put that extra stamp of approval on this supermarket slasher. There is even a sweet cameo at the end of the film. If you haven't seen the film yet, then don't look up the cover because it ruins the surprise by putting the actor's name right on the front, even though he has a very small part at the very end. Intruder is smart and will make you think twice about going to a supermarket! 8/10