A killer in a ski mask? Horny kids? Count me in!
Every time I catch the 2003 slasher Shredder, I expect it to be as bad as the laundry list of next generation slashers that bombarded us for a decade after Scream was released. But then I watch it and I’m sort of really entertained.
Everything you’d expect from a color by bloody red numbers slasher is here: obnoxious gang of friends going to an isolated location to party; weird locals who warn them to stay away; red herrings galore; a killer in a mask; a “backstory” about a previous tragedy; the ever-important creepy room full of doll parts and newspaper clippings; self-awareness of the rules of a slasher that are then totally ignored by the victims.
So why WOULDN’T Shredder be good? Sure, after one really gruesome kill, we are treated to 39 minutes of these kids just hanging around, as well as snowboarding montages set to a pop-punk track, but in a weird way, you feel like you’re along for the party, hanging out in this abandoned ski resort with them. It’s kind of fun.
Oh shit. She doesn’t know it’s the killer! CLASSIC.
And then the killings begin and the bodies start popping up. And it’s mostly all snow-related goodness: icicle, snowman, ski lift, ski pole, snow plow. The kills make the movie cheesy entertaining even though some of the editing leaves you wondering “when did that happen” or “how did that person get there so fast”?
Plus, we get a male virgin, a drinking game involving very hot stripping; T&A and man A (and it’s so nice and meaty you just want to slap on some BBQ sauce and take a bite!); and a character who leaves all the boys wondering—is she a lesbian? Bi? Especially since she seem more interested in men than her girly bedmate! I think that’s what I like most about Shredder. It’s sexy! Mostly thanks to this guy.
Oh. And it stars D.J. Tanner’s boyfriend….
