80s Fear

Director: Tony Maylam
Starring: Brian Matthews, Leah Ayres, Brian Backer, Larry Joshua, Jason Alexander, Fisher Stevens, Holly Hunter
Special makeup effects by: Tom Savini & Darryl Ferrucci
Story by: Harvey Weinstein, Tony Maylam, Brad Grey
Co-writer: Peter Lawrence
Original music by: Rick Wakeman
Edited by: Jack Sholder
Produced by: Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein

Taglines: “Don’t look, he’ll see you. Don’t breathe, he’ll hear you. Don’t move… you’re dead!”
“A brutal horrific act made him kill and kill and kill”
“If you go down to the woods today… Watch out for Cropsy!”
“Today is not Friday the 13th. But if you see this movie alone… you’ll never be the same again!”
“A legend of terror isn’t a campfire story anymore!”
“Gather Around the Campfire to Die!”

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As you can probably tell from the notable credits above, this is an interesting little movie in that it provided a starting point for a lot of current Hollywood talent. It was the first movies produced by the Weinsteins for their Miramax company, edited by Jack Sholder (who later directed the classic sci-fi/horror The Hidden among others), and features future Oscar winner Holly Hunter, future Seinfeld star Jason Alexander (with hair!) and future Short Circuit sidekick Fisher Stevens in very early roles. As a bonus, this is not only the first movie I’ve reviewed with effects by the legendary Tom Savini, but also the first to have had an official place on the “video nasties” list. More on that later. Continue reading The Burning (1981) (a.k.a. Cropsy)