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Siblings Eric and Kay, her doctor husband David, her sister-in-law Brooke along with pilot Marsh become stranded on a rugged isle face off against a supernatural beast drawn to Kay who dreams of its killings.

The story and script were co-written by J. S. Cardone and Bill Ewing; Cardone eventually directed while Ewing produced. Cardone had been, what he called, "the white token of the black film community" writing for folks like Bill Cosby but was working in a liquor store to pay his bills. This was his first credited work on a feature film. Ewing had worked as an actor, and did cast coordination for "Meteor" (1979), but was also new to writing and producing films. Although today classified as a "slasher", the co-writers maintain they were really aiming for a psychological thriller with hints of Lovecraft.

The two were able to move from script to screen thanks to production manager Eric Weston (who horror fans may know as the director of 1981's "Evilspeak") and Lloyd Adams' International Picture Show Company (who then went bankrupt within the year). Outside of "Slayer", Adams may be best known as the producer of "Grizzly" (1976). This bankruptcy unfortunately caused any number of distribution problems, but the film did manage to find a life of its own.

For the appropriate setting, they chose Tybee Island, the easternmost part of Georgia… known for its hurricanes and for being one of the few places an atomic bomb was dropped on American soil. Though storms do factor into the plot, as well as the island's relative isolation, the atomic bomb part is not mentioned. Perhaps an unfortunate missed opportunity? Not only were Cardone and Ewing new at the movie game, but this was DP Karen Grossman on her first feature film. She followed it up with "Microwave Massacre" (1983), as well as a couple of Cardone's films. The bulk of her credits are with the George Romero TV series "Tales from the Darkside" and its quasi-sequel "Monsters" Robert Short, the special effects man, had come out of Don Post's crew and had previously helped design the mask from "Halloween"; he can claim responsibility for the cool pitchfork scene, which is as good as any trick Tom Savini had pulled. Short went on to many, many huge projects, including "Beetlejuice".

Leading the cast is Sarah Kendall, who really sells the film with her wide eyes; she looks like a more terrified version of Sigourney Weaver, making her the perfect lead actress. She had apparently worked with one of the creators (probably Ewing) on a TV show, though this is unclear from her credits. Quite possibly, she had been on a few shows in smaller parts that were not well-documented at the time.

Ultimately, "The Slayer" is something of a mixed bag. Kendall is a strong leading lady, some of the gore effects are pretty good. And the concept of blurring the lines between dream and reality is incredibly clever. Although it is not likely this film was an influence, some of the ideas presented do predate similar ideas in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" films. What makes "Slayer" just alright rather than great, however, is the pacing. Far too much of the film is a slow burn and even at 86 minutes it feels long.

The film's early theatrical release saw it on Broadway with sections cut out and the color uncorrected, due in part to the bankruptcy noted above. Over the years the releases were degraded more and more, and fans who saw it on VHS probably saw it in its worst possible incarnation. This was until 2017, when Arrow Video saved the day. Despite these hiccups, director J. S. Cardone really went on to great things, directing movies with Cannon films, Empire Pictures and beyond.

The Arrow Video Blu-ray has an impressive 50-minute making of segment, with just about everyone attached to the film brought in. We also have a 13-minute feature on the locations, and a June 2017 Q&A that took place on the island. Typically I would say the only thing missing is a commentary track, but the making-of does a fine job of replacing it and actually goes above and beyond by breaking down how some effects were done, something that could not be done with just audio. "The Slayer" may not be the greatest of all slasher films, but it does have an important place in history and fans ought to check it out.

"The Slayer" is definitely a forgotten film from the early 80's. The title "The Slayer" is not really a great title as it gives false hope of this being another typical slasher film. And in ways... it is a slasher, but not at all typical.

The storyline starts with a couple (Kay and Eric) trying to go on vacation for the sake of the Kay. It seems that she is having horrible nightmares and they are affecting her life, as well as Eric's. They decide to bring her brother and his wife along for the trip. They fly to an isolated island where instantly Kay feels like she has dreamed of it before. The rest of the group ignore her and explore the island to find the house they are renting for vacation. It is when Kay decides to go to sleep when horrible things start to happen, and people start getting murdered.

The plot is slightly similar to that of Craven's "A Nightmare on Elm St." but made before and not quite as unique. The movie is very slow but is very atmospheric also. At times it seems that the director didn't really know what he wanted to do, so he filled time with the vacationers wandering around the island looking for a missing friend. Those scenes seem to drag for quite sometime. Although, the music does help out a lot. It is a nice orchestrated soundtrack that adds depth to a depth-less movie. The gore in the movie is alright. There are a few moments that are thumbs up worthy but don't look for something like "Friday the 13th" here. One particular scene is great that involves a rowing ore.

If you are a true genre fan of the early 80's horror, this is definitely worth a look. Just try to keep focused on the movie because it can be a little difficult to watch at times. 6/10

Four young people vacation on a barren island. One of them, a female artist, has dreams that depict ghastly murders. Sure enough, the fun begins when her boyfriend is found dead, and others begin to die, too. Soon, she becomes awear that something in her nightmares is escaping threw her dreams...and it ain't Freddy Krueger! A decent, watchable horror movie. I wonder if Wes Craven got the idea from this film for "A nightmare on elm street"? (Hmm, it makes one wonder…) The acting is generally pretty good, with the exception of Kay (Sarah Kendall) who overacted terribly. I've always liked the director, J.S. Cardone, He's capable of taking a generic plot and making it interesting and intelligent (See "Shadowzone" and "Alien Hunter", both were smart and enjoyable sci-fi movies that he scripted himself.) and he does well here with the creepy atmosphere he delivers. There's enough gore to satisfy, the pitchfork-threw-chest death scene being the best, but the gore is delivered just sparsely enough to make it effective. And the monster, once it finally shows up, looks really cool. I recommend "The Slayer" to horror fans, it's kind of different then the rest of the early 80's slashers, and one of the better ones at that. My rating for "The Slayer"—6.5/10.

Very few of the original 'video-nasties' were actually good. This one was definitely not one of the good ones. My biggest disappointment came when I realised that the monster that is shown on the DVD menu only properly shows up in the last minute of the film. So DVD menus have ruined another film for me. Trailers ruin films too sometimes. Like Spiders (2000) told me the ending in the trailer. I hate that. Anyway if you manage to not see the monster before you watch the film then this may be a little better for you. The story bumbles along telling us of nightmares, isolation and killing. It was actually quite gory even though there were only five people to kill off. What also surprised me was that there was actually a bit of atmosphere - just not enough. It was a film of not enough; they just needed more of everything to make it average.

Although not the most original concept in horror movie history ( girls dreams start to turn into reality), this is quite a decent and atmospheric movie, well acted and scripted, and it features some unusual and gruesome deaths (in the uncut version anyway). An unusually classy music score (played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra no less) gets things off to a moody start, and the tension slowly mounts as four holiday-makers travel to a deserted island for a weekend vacation which turns into a nightmare, when the bad dreams suffered by one of the group start to come true. Only disappointment I found was the let down ending, when the "monster" finally appears it looks dead phony. Apart from that, this is worth a look.

A mentally fragile and damaged artist who has been tormented by terrifying nightmares all her life is taken by her brother and some friends for a break on a remote and deserted island where something spooky and unseen soon begins to brutally butcher the group until she's forced to face the childhood horror she has always feared alone... While I of course don't speak for everybody who's never seen this mystery-shrouded horror movie before, I really enjoyed it, and I went into it without any expectations one way or the other, it was a blind buy and it turned out to be a nice little surprise, I was quite won over by its beautifully desolate and haunting locations and its very strange and compellingly eerie atmosphere, I thought it was really cool and clever how it had a tone of surrealism that blurred the line between dreams and reality in a way that when it ended you weren't really sure which was which. I'd never even heard of it before, so based on my personal experience I'd say it's an underrated movie. It was very slow but not so much that I ever found it a slog, it had my interest, the tension was always there and it always built up to something. Personality-wise I thought it was a bit lacking, the characters were well acted but they were mostly just really plain and uninteresting, and the music, while definitely giving it a distinctive atmosphere and tone, was a bit too big and glorious for me, I started to find the melodramaticness of it distracting at certain parts.. Overall though I had a good time with it and it was a nice new horror flick to discover. That ending was just awesome and capped off and pinned the whole movie together beautifully and slapped a big eerie question mark over everything that was quite creepy and foreboding in itself. Did poor Kay actually die in the fire at the claws of the spectral abomination and the childhood nightmares had always been leading up to her inevitable demise in a never ending hellish loop she could never escape... Nightmare, premonition, or something in between..it feels like it's up to you to decide. Somehow I thought it was satisfyingly open ended, it actually managed to do that! It looks a little goofy but for the brief moment that you see it, I loved the monster, it looks like a spirit, you're not sure if it's Kay's personal demon or the manifestation of all of her fears... The kills I thought were all very well done, they had a great visceral quality about them that I thought was more than a match for the kills of Friday the 13th say..especially the guy who gets a fishhook in his throat and is slowly dragged into the ocean, that was awful. It's no gorefest but they sure made what little blood there was count! This fantastically atmospheric and tightly-wound surrealistic horror picture pulled me right in, and I liked how it gave you something to mentally chew on and puzzle over after the movie was done. Very recommended for those who enjoy horror that's slow burning and mysterious. Weird but solid and genuinely creepy! x

Nothing much to see here, very slow and boring, ear piercing orchestral music, ear bursting screaming whammin. .. Yuck

Struggling artist Kay (Sarah Kendall), her husband (Frederick Flynn) and another couple (Carol Kottenbrook and Alan McRae), take an impromptu vacation to a remote island to get away from it all. Unfortunately for them, the terrible dreams that have haunted Kay since girlhood have followed her to the island. While Kay slumbers, one by one, her beloved and her friends are slowly and gruesomely picked off. Is it Kay's subconscious or is it... "The Slayer"?

Released in 1982, a time where you couldn't throw a cat (or a hammer?) without hitting a slasher film, "The Slayer" is in good company, but also stands out from the pack in a few ways. First off, unlike your "Prom Night" or "My Bloody Valentine," this film isn't about teens getting cut up. This is a movie about adults, and despite some dodgy acting here and there, these characters feel like a real, tight-knit group of people who care about each other, which makes their grisly fates even more effective. Also, this isn't exactly a body count flick. With only four characters (well, there's also the pilot who pops in and out of the plot), that pretty much goes without saying. As a result, "The Slayer" is slow and steady, and focuses on the surreal more than it does in grossing you out.

On the technical side of things, the haunting, desolated beach-side setting and the gorgeous cinematography help to keep things interesting during the movie's slower parts. Also of note are the special effects which, while few and far between, are pretty well accomplished for such a small-budget affair. They couldn't get Tom Savini, but Robert Babb does his best to keep you (ahem) hooked. Likewise, the score that serves as the backdrop to the horror adds a touch of class rarely associated with the genre.

There's a lot going on in this deceptively simple little film. Much like, say, "Phantasm," it plays with your expectations and makes you question that what you've seen was real (or at least real in the context of the film). If you watch it late at night, it will beg another viewing in the morning just to make sure you got everything. It's that kind of movie. For its modest intentions and humble origins, "The Slayer" pretty much slays. Fans of the genre who have patience for the more deliberately paced side of things won't want to sleep on this.

Two couples in their 30s take a vacation to a secluded isle off the coast when a storm hits and people mysteriously start dying one-by-one. Kay, a troubled artist (Sarah Kendall), says she sees everything in her nightmares before it happens.

I suppose "The Slayer" (1982), aka "Nightmare Island," could be classified as a slasher flick, but it's more accurately a mystery-horror with haunting remote island ambiance, sort of like "The Shuttered Room" (1967), but mixed with elements of moody coastal horror, such as "The Fog" (1980). "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" (1998) took the stormy island setting to forge a more conventional slasher.

The filmmaking is top-notch for the time period, including the superb score. Carol Kottenbrook as Brooke is a highlight, lookin' good in tight jeans. Kendall shows her acting chops as the haunted protagonist. Meanwhile the titular character is diabolically hideous, but you barely get to see him. Yet there's a twist and, even then, the movie's an enigma wrapped in a riddle.

The film runs 1 hour, 29 minutes, and was shot on Tybee Island, Georgia, and nearby Savannah.

GRADE: B

I have toyed with the idea of renting this obscure "Video Nasty" from my local DVD shop for years but only now – that I have watched Nucleus Films' exemplary VIDEO NASTIES: MORAL PANIC, CENSORSHIP AND VIDEOTAPE (2010) documentary and have been going through a handful of them for this ongoing "Halloween Challenge" – have I finally bit the bullet and went for it. Unfortunately, THE SLAYER turned out to be one of those titles in that much-discussed list which does not deserve its inclusion, being far too slowly-paced to compel one's full attention and, ultimately, far too tame to satisfy the gorehounds' tastebuds. Sure, there is a bizarre beheading (sort of), a beating-to-death with a paddle (to a completely peripheral character!), a human 'hooked-up' like a fish, a flare being shot into a man that subsequently catches on fire and an impalement-by-pitchfork but, for the most part, the four lead characters spend the time talking in circles (about the artistic female protagonist's current frame-of-mind) or wandering around the abandoned island they are ostensibly vacationing on looking for one another!

Apart from a few welcome humorous touches present during its earlier stages, the best part of the film is decidedly the concept – originated in the classic sci-fi piece FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956) and clearly picked up and improved upon by Wes Craven for the original A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984) and the consequent "Freddy Krueger" franchise – of a murderous being from the id, created by the lead character in her dream-state, eventually materializing in the real world to violently dispose of her unbelieving friends. However, the film-makers end up fumbling that asset as well because, not only is the talon-sporting titular character hardly seen at all, but when he does appear in close-up towards the end, his merely skeletal visage leaves one underwhelmed. To add insult to injury, the film leaves off with one of those stupid cop-out endings where it is revealed that all the events that had gone on before were only the nightmare suffered by the leading lady who, in this case, even goes all the way back to her childhood trauma of receiving a black cat as a gift…WTF?!

The Slayer (1982) is a movie I recently watched for free off Tubi. Two couples head out to an island and shortly after arriving one of the wives start having strange dreams of heinous murders. When things start happening to the couples the wife starts thinking her dreams are coming true. This movie is directed by J. S. Cardone (The Foresaken) and stars Sarah Kendall (The Karate Kid II), Frederick Flynn (Shadowzone), Carol Kottenbrook (The Covenant) and Alan McRae (3 Ninjas). The storyline for this movie is a big wild goose chase. The ending has a good setup and execution but totally ruins the point of the slow burn chase. Overall this was a bit disappointing and if the entire movie was like the end I would have loved it. This could have used better kill sequences throughout. I'd score this a below average 3.5-4/10.

Struggling with terrible dreams, a woman is talked into a vacation with her brother and several friends on a small island for a relaxing getaway realize that the nightmares revolve around a demonic entity that now been released into the world and must confront the creature to survive.

This is one of the most underrated early-80s slashers out there. One of the best aspects of this one is the central storyline which is quite entertaining and offers up plenty of suspense. As this one concerns a thirty-something artist who has suffered from the same recurring nightmare since childhood where she is stalked and killed which form the basis for her new paintings and becomes increasingly obsessive about putting those images on canvas, the early setup here is quite involved yet still manages to give this a decent set-up. As her nightmares become more vivid, the more in danger they are all in by someone or something from her dreams, which is a clichéd one to be sure, but it makes for a fun time here due to the more adult setup rather than the more youthful approach at the time. That also gives this one some really great elements to play with, as there's a large amount of suspense and atmosphere coming from the film. The film has a storm sweep through the place, causing a really great tension as there was always a raging thunderstorm, and with the really interesting and creepy design for the house, the stalking scenes in here get somewhat chilling at times. From the beginning, the place has a completely suspenseful vibe and lets this one generate some solid moments here from the first one up in the attic when the group first arrives, the later one down in the basement where the killer strikes using a rather unconventional trap finally kill them off and some tense scenes around the house where the killer comes around to pick off the last remaining group-members for some rather fine stalking with the greatness of the chase throughout the house which ends this on a high note. It even has a few fun moments for the gorehounds which all combined make for a great viewing as this here has only a few small problems with it that are what keep it down somewhat. The main problem is that there's a double flaw in the way it's paced. The first one is that the middle segment of the film is remarkably dull and boring. The majority of the time is spent wandering around the house spouting off to whoever who will listen about what the dreams have just been going on, and it really manages to pad out the film with an aggravating, annoying subplot while also doing little to move it forward after what has already been said about it. That also has the factor of throwing up the notion that the film is barely over an hour long and still feels like an eternity, which shouldn't happen. A film of this length with the style of body count means that it should flow quickly and there's none of that in the film. Otherwise, these here are what keep the film down.

Rated R: Graphic Violence, Language, Brief Nudity and a mild sex scene.

The back cover of the VHS release claims that the film was banned (by the Ministry of Good Cinema, presumably) and that now 14 seconds had been deleted the film could be now be seen in the UK, but watching was not advisable and could cause distress. It certainly distressed me. Never in my life have I been subjected to as much dross . Some friends go to an island and one by one they are killed. None of the deaths is horrific in the slightest, which makes one wonder what is in the missing 14 seconds. 'Dire' goes no way to explaining how bad this film is. The plot makes little sense, the lighting is poor, the acting indifferent. I have never before seen a horror film so unhorrifying. Be warned; there is nothing about this which is enjoyable. Not unintentionally funny, not frightening, simply a wasted hour and a half of my life: I urge you not to watch it.

The Slayer only manages to scrape its way in to the slasher genre with its heels dragging across the floor. Like The Dead Pit, Hard Cover and Small Town Massacre; J.S. Cardone's video nasty includes many of the prominent trappings, but tries to incorporate something slightly different. The majority of the runtime is pretty standard stuff as a silhouetted killer hacks off cast members one by one. But when the maniac is revealed to be a supernatural monster, Cardone stretches the realms of the category beyond tradition. There's certainly nothing wrong with a tad of originality, but the stalk and slash cycle is renowned for its stringent similarities. This of course pushes titles like Pledge Night, Child's Play and A Nightmare on Elm Street just outside of the equation. Much has been written about The Slayer's obvious links to the creation of Wes Craven's Freddy franchise, so I won't dwell too much on that topic. But it's worth recognising the fact that Mr. Craven almost certainly lifted a few plot points from this and the Frankie Avalon bore fest of the following year (Blood Song) to come up with the idea for his huge horror series.

Surreal artist Kay (Sarah Kendall) has been having the same reoccurring dark dream since she was a young child. It contains vivid images of a horrific monster that stalks her in a flame filled room. Even though the nightmare has plagued her more and more over the past few days, she has never been able to see it through to its conclusion. Her Doctor husband David (Alan McRae) has agreed to take her away on a trip with her brother Eric (Frederick Flynn) and his wife Brooke (Carol Kottenbrook). He hopes that a little break from the pressures of everyday life will finally put an end to the restless nights. They have borrowed a beautiful house on a secluded island, which at this time of the year remains virtually un-inhabited. The rugged beauty of the isle immediately captivates Eric, but Kay is spooked because she believes that she has been there sometime before. On the first night they are warned that a dangerous storm is thundering towards the land, and it's arrival sends the atmosphere into total chaos. The following morning when they awaken, David has disappeared, unbeknownst to them semi-decapitated by an unseen menace. Before long, the silhouetted killer begins stalking the island with a pitchfork, looking to turn Kay's dreams into a shocking reality.

The Slayer succeeds in being one of the few video nasties that someway lives up to its gruesome reputation. Robert Folk's impressively orchestrated score keeps the tension running high and J.S. Cardone's razor sharp direction builds a few satisfying scares throughout the runtime. Although Richard short's special effects don't stand up to the scrutiny of Tom Savini's greatest hits, there's still some memorable gore scenes on offer. One guy gets semi decapitated in an ingenious killing that has surprisingly never been imitated over the following years, and there's a decidedly grisly pitchfork impalement that is worth the budget purchase price alone. The film does drag somewhat in places, but some splendid scenes, which see Kay battling to stay awake and prevent the monster's reappearance, salvage the final third. A good plot twist in the closing scene makes up for the somewhat brief showdown when the beast is finally unveiled and the net result is a thoroughly satisfying bloodbath.

Unfortunately, the years haven't been to kind to this feature and the digitally remastered DVD cannot hide the numerous blips on the negative. The level of performance from the cast is also fairly questionable, especially the lack of emotion from Sarah Kendall. Even when her brother and husband have been slaughtered she fails to look anything other than totally flat. At times Cardone also falls foul to the old 'victim # 1 goes missing so victim # 2 goes looking for him', which shows a slight weakness in the screenplay. But the intriguing set locations, some stunning aerial photography and a decent score (recorded at London's notorious Abbey Road studios) make up for the shortcomings.

The Slayer is one of the many old horror movies that have been re-released totally unedited on budget DVD. You can pick it up for next to nothing on Amazon, so there's really no reason why you shouldn't. Captivating, compelling and at times downright gruesome, this one is certainly worth picking up.

With a filthy sounding title like "The Slayer" and the film's cult-reputation of being a video-nasty, I surely expected to see a less demanding, more light-headed movie. Normally, I support ambitious horror films that attempt to bring a more complex structure and plot but the Slayer tries a little too hard. It handles about two middle-aged couple on their barren island-vacation. One of the women, Kay, suffers from terrifying nightmares in which she visions ghastly murders that take place in a setting similar to the island. Of course, the nightmares become real and her boyfriend is the first victim. Apart from too many fruitless efforts to bring a psychological analysis of the leading characters, this is actually a rather entertaining film with some nice sets and decent acting. The few murders that are committed by "the Slayer" are very gory and even a bit disturbing. Like the unsettling "death-by-pitchfork"-sequence. This film isn't a priority for horror fans, but it nevertheless is worth a look in case you've got nothing better to do.

"The Slayer" follows a troubled avant-garde artist with psychic proclivities who travels to a remote island with her husband, brother, and sister-in-law in order to regroup. Immediately bothered by the atmosphere of the island, she insists something is amiss among the forests and derelict buildings— but the three dismiss her. Unfortunately, they're wrong.

An early entry in eighties horror that somehow got sidelined by history, "The Slayer" is shockingly good given its lack of notoriety. The set-up is straightforward, and the low character number means there isn't much in the way of the expected body count, but in its brisk eighty minutes, the film manages to achieve a dreadful atmosphere and also boasts some shockingly realistic and disturbing murder scenes.

J.S. Cardone, directed and co-wrote the film—it's his first picture, and he has gone on to work mainly in genre films over the years, giving us the marginalized 2001 vampire flick "The Forsaken" and 2006's "Wicked Little Things." Compared to those films, "The Slayer" is rather minimalistic, but there is a unique sense of foreboding in this film that is something that slasher flicks particularly don't always seem to achieve. The island locale is woodsy and populated with derelict buildings from when it was a resort years prior—an idyllic setting for a horror film. The film in some ways reminded me of a non-wintry "Ghostkeeper," another debased eighties horror picture. The score is quite elegant and ominous, and there are also high-caliber special effects throughout, which are on show during each death sequence, as well as during the monstrous reveal at the finale. Some have argued that the conclusion to "The Slayer" is a cop out. I don't know if I necessarily feel that way. It is rather abruptly thrown at the audience, but it also has narrative significance, linked to threads that are presented earlier on in the film. If anything, it's a somewhat bold move.

Overall, I was quite surprised by how well-crafted this film was. It's not a groundbreaker, but it's a sturdy exercise in dread that happens to be well-shot and eerie. Serious fans of stalk-and- slash movies may find it a bit slow, but it's worth holding out for the impressively jarring murder scenes and the wild card of a conclusion. 8/10.

In 80s slasher terms The Slayer starts off well...and by 'well' I mean it has some really dodgy acting, some really dumb lines of dialogue, and also has some classic genre clichés like "the weird guy who warns everyone of impending doom", and scenes where characters are alone but can't help describing out loud what they're doing/thinking. I love that stuff. That's basically the first 20 minutes or so of The Slayer. So far, so craptastic.

Once the story gets going however, the whole thing shifts into minus gears. I don't think I've ever seen a movie with so many protracted scenes of nothingness. I fell asleep three times. Some of the gore fx are good but in the realm of early 80s slashers this was nowhere near Graduation Day, Pieces, Mutilator, Hospital Massacre etc etc... Nice effort but needed more focus and not so much aimless meandering.