It's hard to put a finger on just why the slasher sub-genre has made such an impact. On the one hand, you have horror fans that just can't get enough of seeing various, usually barely developed, characters meeting their fates at the end of a knife/axe/machete and on the other you have the pundits who proclaim, to anyone who'll listen, that these types of movies are simply mean-spirited, grotesque, and offensive so-called "entertainment" made by people with a damaged outlook on society. Based on the book by Adam Rockoff, Going To Pieces: The Rise And Fall Of The Slasher Film sets out to shine a light on why these types of films cause such emotion, the history behind them, and where they might go in the future.

Starting with a brief look at Grand-Guginol, following the popularity of the sub-genre from its beginnings with Halloween and Friday The 13th, and looking at the new revitalization of slashers (headed up by such fare as Hostel), the makers of this documentary have gathered anyone and pretty much everyone involved in horror filmmaking to tell their stories of being in the trenches making our beloved "maniac killer" movies containing interviews with John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Tom Savini, Prom Night director Paul Lynch, Fangoria editor Tony Timpone, and lots of other people who are either knowledgeable about the subject or had something to do with some of the more popular films like A Nightmare On Elm Street, Slumber Party Massacre, and My Bloody Valentine.

During these numerous and compelling talking head interviews they've interspaced plentiful clips from classic and less-than-classic slashers alike as we get to relive some of our favourite moments as well as see some of the obscure (and just not good) films that glutted the market in the early 1980's when this type of film were guaranteed money-makers and had a huge teenage following. It's a great way to keep the viewer interested in the proceedings, instead of just being boring talkiness, and it serves the secondary purpose of being a good introduction for newcomers to the sub-genre as well are giving enough information for diehard fans.

Some of my favourite moments involve the background on Sean S. Cunningham's original Friday The 13th movie as they look at how Halloween helped get it produced, how things got their start, and what happened after it became a huge surprise hit upon its release. There are lots of other stories about numerous other movies throughout the documentary but I was especially taken with these tales and it made me want to finally hunt down a copy of Peter M. Bracke's exhaustive history of the series entitled, "Crystal Lake Memories".

Make-up maestro Tom Savini also gets a section all to himself where he goes over his inventive, and innovative, work in films like The Prowler, The Burning and Maniac. He's always struck me as a down to Earth guy, be it one with a little bit of a crazy side, and he continues to give energetic and appealing interviews. I'd actually have to say that almost every interview here has its merits, although Felissa Rose (who played Angela in the original Sleepaway Camp when she was thirteen) talks the most blather and feels like she belongs here the least of all the participants.

Going To Pieces is a heck of an entertaining time and fuels my desire to go back and consume as many of these movies as I can, especially the ones made in the 80's. It's well structured and effectively edited, never boring, and chock full of information fans can appreciate. I would've liked a bit more focus on the controversy that's dogged slashers over the years and some more screen time with the more modern films and their makers, but those are mild complaints when, if like me, you're too busy grinning ear-to-ear. (Chris Hartley, 10/8/08)

Directed By: Not Credited.
Written By: Adam Rockoff (Book).