Movie Slashers and Family Ties
What drives movie horror killers to execute such merciless killings? What motivates their thirst for the chase? If you look closely, there appears to be a commonality between them - the dysfunctional family tie.
In the opening sequence of Halloween we follow Michael Myers’ point of view as he silently steals around his home, culminating in the brutal stabbing of his sister. When unmasked by his parents it is revealed he is only a young boy. Fifteen years later, after escaping from Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, psychiatrist Dr Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasance) follows him to back to Haddonfield. In conversation with Sheriff Brackett (Charles Cyphers) Loomis comments on the pure evil lying behind Michael’s eyes. Perhaps this points to feelings of resentment and jealousy towards his sister. This could eventually manifested itself into a violent act. However it is doubtful that this alone could account for his subsequent killing spree. There must be something deeper and darker at work.
In Halloween 4 and 5 Michael returns in pursuit of his seven year old niece Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris). Part 6, ‘The Curse of Michael Myers’, centers around Jamie once more, now 15 years old. This time she is impregnated by her serial killer uncle by cult geneticists. What is attempted in this sequel is a long winded explanation of the reasons behind Michael’s killing spree and why they are always centred around Halloween night. Apparently it has something to do with a druid curse that causes sickness and destruction. It is placed on one member of a druid tribe to prevent the rest from dying. If he succeeded in killing the rest of his family then the curse would be passed onto another child, hence his pursuit of Jamie’s baby in the film.
Myers’ detached and violent relationship with his family is the polar opposite to Jason Vorhees and the disturbing close connection he has with his mother. The first in this 11 film franchise places her as the killer, out for revenge on the camp counselors she blames for Jason’s death. The dysfunctional mother and child relationship could be reason enough for the continued and merciless pursuit of young counselors. Perhaps fuelled by Mrs Vorhees’ overprotective instinct for Jason due to his disability. In ‘Friday the 13th’ the last survivor Alice Hardy (Adrienne King) is pursued by Mrs Vorhees saying, “Killer her mommy!” in Jason’s voice.
In ‘Friday the 13th Part II’ more counselors are picked off as they prepare for summer camp, located down from derelict Camp Crystal Lake. Jason has created a shrine for his mother in a run down shack in the woods. This is discovered by one of the last survivors Ginny Field (Amy Steel). In the final scenes of the movie, as a last desperate attempt to escape, she dons Mrs Vorhees’ sweater to put a stop to him. After breaking through the door she says, “Jason! It’s all done Jason. You’ve done your job well and mommy is pleased.” This disguise is short lived when he sees his mother’s severed head and realises it is an illusion.
‘Freddy vs. Jason’ is the last time we see both killers on the big screen (aside from the recent remakes). In the opening scenes we are introduced to Krueger’s story once more and then Jason is out for the kill, pursuing a young girl through the woods. After impaling her to a tree his mother appears, telling him he cannot die, “Now is the time to wake up! Mommy has something she wants you to do!”. Unfortunately he has been deceived again, it is Kreuger who is calling to him using his mother’s image, although his attachment with his mother is strong enough to bring him back.
Krueger’s saga places him at the hands of an angry parent mob who fire bomb his house in for revenge for kidnapping their children. After gaining power from hell demons to become a bad ass “Dream Killer” the also named “son of a hundred maniacs” goes on a murderous rampage through Springwood, killing the teenage children in their dreams. In ‘Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare’ after a decade of killing he’s finally eliminated by the only one who can stop him: his only daughter, and relative, Kathryn Kreuger, who sends him back to hell.
The family influence continues with teen killers Billy (Skeet Ulrich) and Stu (Matthew Lilliard) in Wes Craven’s ‘Scream’. Lots of family revenge plots here in traditional slasher movie style, it recycles all the best bits from teen slashers that came before it. It is heavily saturated with references to well known horror movies, right down to character names and music. The big reveal is Sidney Prescott’s (Neve Campbell) mother was killed a year ago by Billy who he blames for his parents divorce after she had an affair with his father.
In ‘Scream 2’ Sidney and her motley crue of survivors are pursued once more. After enlisting the help of Mickey (Timothy Olyphant) through a psycho website, Billy’s mother Mrs Loomis (Laurie Metcalf), no coincidence on the character’s name there, hunts them down at Windsor College in Ohio but is overcome by Sidney and the comic duo Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and Dewey (David Arquette).
All bets are off in the third installment of a horror trilogy. Randy Meeks (Jamie Kennedy) warns from his video legacy that this time Sidney is in danger of being killed in ‘Scream 3’. The past is about to “bite her in the ass” as her half brother Roman Bridger (Scott Foley) director of the Stab movies, is revealed to be the killer this time around. Jealous of Sidney’s relationship with their mother he attempts to frame her for all the killings.
Finally, nothing could prepare any victim of Michael, Jason, Freddy or any ghost face when up against the most disturbing, bone chilling and down right psychopathic and evil nature of Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen, 1974) and his family. Set all these serial killers free in his woods and they’d be annihilated in one swift, brutal movie.
Before Michael was a twinkle in Carpenter’s directorial eye Leatherface was engaging in ruthless pursuit, torture and killing of his victims. However this isn’t enough for such a disturbed killer. Yes, he has to devour them as well with his equally disturbed inbred family.
Leatherface has a special relationship with his close relatives. He isn’t out to kill them and they aren’t about to rain down any violent revenge on him. Instead he is under their control. He hunts and kills and his older brother Drayton Sawyer (Jim Siedow) who cooks them up into culinary treats for his restaurant/gas station. Even their house is made of human bones.