The Burning (Directed by Tony Maylam) 1981

I have to admit that I first saw this horrible little slasher film when I was about seven years of age, quite literally the time of its release - complete with x-certificate. Those were the days when most horror films were pre-certificate, and the local video store would stock them in hideous bulgy sleeves, complete with graphic cover art. You just know when a film is worth watching due to the fact it ended up as part of the original 'video nasty' list back in the '80s. Sadly, most of the films that caused controversy back then were pretty poor - most of them banned due to the occasional nasty scene, although for the most part a great deal of the films in question were badly made. 'The Burning' however was different, but only in the sense that it created a degree of suspense although in reality was nothing more than a 'Friday the 13th' styled slasher flick. 'The Burning', despite its simplicity, is one of my favourite horror films, more so due to the fact it scared me as a kid and I found some of the murder scenes rather graphic.

The plot is simple - it's 1976 at Camp Blackfoot and a group of teenagers play a prank on the campus caretaker Cropsy. The youths put a rotten skull, complete with maggots and candles in his room and when he wakes at night, such is his horror at the sight that he knocks it over, causing a terrible fire which almost burns him alive. Fast forward half-a-decade and Cropsy wants revenge on anyone who dares set foot at Camp Blackfoot and so, as usual, we are introduced to another bunch of sex-starved teenagers who one by one are hacked, slashed, cut and ripped by the charred hands of a now cloaked, and rather sinister looking Cropsy.

Effect-wise 'The Burning' is a great horror flick with the killings being wonderfully prepared by gore master Tom Savini. Cropsy, whilst lacking the franchise appeal of Jason Voorhees or Freddy Krueger, turns out to be a far deadlier yet more realistic fiend - armed with shears and also a black hat. 'The Burning' boasts several scenes of note that have stuck with me forever, and right to its fiery climax this is one clever and atmospheric slasher flick you won't want to miss.