The Burning
 

Why is this film so overlooked? Nobody ever mentions it. I am a member of other forums, and whenever there is a horror related thread, I bring up this film, and no one has seen it or remembers it. It is definitely a hard to find film, and has only been shown on movie channels a handful of times since its release. Do people find it too disturbing? Its very similar to Friday the 13th, but is a hundred times better. It is truly a scary film.

I watched it for the first time when I was 7. It freaked me and my cousins out. We never seen it again. Over the years, we ocassionally would talk about this film, and how we always had wanted to see it again. Then, one night 5 years ago, I was at one of my aunt's house, and miraculously this film came on late at night on one of the movie channels. We watched it, and my little cousins stayed up and watched it also.

It has stood the test of time. Still creepy, and it freaked my cousins out. They both had bad dreams that night. That raft scene is incredible, and all the other murder scenes are very dramatic as well. I like how this film was directed. Its similar to TCM in the sense that it feels like you are there with them.

Since all of you guys are horror film fanatics, surely some of you have seen this movie. What are your opinions about this vastly underrated film?

Great movie. It was just overshadowed by F13th. It's really not that hard to find anymore, but it's still one you have to look for. It's really a shame it got lost in obscurity; it's one of the better, if not the best, slahser movies from the 80s.

I dont know about anyone else, but the only reason I havent seen is there's no R1 DVD:mad:

Great film banned in the UK for many years. Had to get my copy from Germany, excellent gore fx from Savini.

i have a beta of this film but havent seen it since for sale anywhere

Re: The Burning
 

I would'nt say it's overlooked...it's just damn hard to find.With the exception of the R2(UK)limited number release,the German one(of which I've heard it was cut and uncut..someone's not telling the truth)and a bevy of bootlegs available on ebay(bit of a gamble) there has been no official R1 dvd release.

I still watch my vhs version(it's days are numbered) which is now over twenty years old,the box falling apart long ago.Why this film(which I consider to be a classic,not to mention some of Savini's finest work)hasn't been released on dvd by now is anyone's guess.Blue Underground could produce this(hint,hint)they did a good job with The Prowler...or Anchor Bay.

The whole affair sucks.:(

One of my favorites I own a pretty beat up VHS copy of it (pretty rare because of the UK "video nasty" bullshit).
This got lumped together with all the shittier slashers (which it eclipses) I guess so no one's bothered to give it a decent release.
Its UK banning didn't do it any favors because the PAL veiwing countries never got a chance to see it because there were fuck all copies floating about.
I'm suprised Miramax hasn't done anything with it.... but I guess slashers aren't their thing.
I'd like to see a decent R4 release of Intruder aswell but I don't think that'll be happening to soon so I'll have to go with the ugly assed looking R1 version.

german dvd is the only widescreen release but at least the uk re-release is uncut


finger-snipping good

Vipco?

Yes - and if your old tape is the Thorn EMI uncut version, it might be worth a few quid since these were hastily recalled and the cut cinema release re-issued in their place.

thats exactly what my beta copy is ..


i wonder if i should start burning a few 100 copies :D

if it's w/s then you could make a mint

i doubt very much that it would be .. everything was fullscreen back then ..

one good thing is that its in the origional hard plastic case so its probably still in good shape ..

i'll have to take a peek tonight ..

I agree The Burning is one of the better 80's slasher flicks. It's got a Creepy atmosphere and killer in Cropsy, and some very nasty kills. It's probably just me, but some scenes have the same kinder feel as Fulci's Zombie, which is a good thing in my book.

Well, i'll probably never get to see it, so, could someone tell me about the scene with the kids on the raft, what's going on, and how he kills them?

Some screen shots from the infamous raft scene.

;)

Or you can see it here...

The infamous raft scene UNCUT video clip
Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

:D

Yep thats the one I've got.

???
 

tom savini is a friend of the family and he gave me dvd documentary of his work. on it there's a scene which i think is from "the burning" where a kid is getting his fingers sliced off by sizzors (in the background there's a lake)... its been a long time since i saw this movie; is this a scene from it?

Re: ???
 

yep

word, thanks

I'm hoping beyond hope that Criterion will pick this up and give us a nice & fat Region 1 release. Can we petition them for movies that we want?

Criterion put out Halloween and Silence of the Lambs.

that was pretty much their complete foray into mainstream horror.

dont expect to see any 80's slashers to be released too soon ..

I don't, but I keep thinking "Well, they put out Dazed & Confused..."

Don't get me wrong, I actually like Dazed & Confused a lot. It just seemed like an odd choice for Criterion to release to me.

Saw this when i was little and scared the shit outta me. I had the image of the killers face in my head all these years and i watched it again a few years back, never had the same impact but still a good movie.

...
 

way better than f13th

Great film.