User Reviews

The positive things about "Going To Pieces" are that it tries hard to include as many Slasher flicks as possible and deliver pieces of trivia for each of them. There are interviews with some influential directors of the genre (John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Sean Cunningham,...), actors, make-up guru Tom Savini and some "horror-experts".

For starters, this movie is a good introduction to the genre. Real fans will not find a lot of new information here. We all know about the influence of "Halloween", we've heard the story of how Freddy Krueger has been created, we know how Wes Craven revived the genre with "Scream". Sure, it's unfair to criticize that all this is being told again in a documentary like this. After all the story wouldn't be complete without this information, but in the end one can't learn too much from "Going To Pieces".

It would have been a real treat to learn the history of gore in movies, to learn about the influences for American slasher in detail. Instead we are only told about Italian horror in what seems like 2 minutes and then there's no further mention of it. "Halloween" is made out to be the first slasher movie, when even "Black Christmas" came before it in America. "Friday The 13th" is given more credit than it really deserves as an original movie. Make no mistake, I'm not trying to imply that those movies aren't very important to the genre, but it would have been a fresh approach to take a closer look at their origins.

Another thing to consider is that before "Going To Pieces" you should either make sure that you know all of the movies mentioned in the documentary or accept the fact that some great twist endings will be spoiled for you, some of which are the only reason to watch these flicks in the first place ("Sleepaway Camp", "Happy Birthday To Me").

In the end "Going To Pieces" will get you excited about watching old slasher flicks again (probably until you rent something like "Pieces" and realize the film is not half as exciting as it's made out to be in hindsight), but there are books out there that are a lot more informative than this documentary.

This is a pretty good treatment of the thinking that went on behind the scenes of movies like "Prom Night", "Friday the 13th", "Nightmare on Elm Street", "Texas Chainsaw Massacre", and others. The great thing is that the cool stories and insights are told by the key players involved (directors, producers, special effects artists). You get to hear not only their thoughts on the psychology involved, but also about the marketing struggles they had to deal with.

Essentially, this is a documentary which interweaves present-day interviews with film clips from classic 80's horror flicks to give you a behind the scenes look at a genre during its peak period of interest. If you're a horror fan, you'll probably like watching this.

I am a huge horror movie and slasher fan and I was shocked to see this on my Starz On Demand list. It is pretty good, but I think they try to cover a little too much ground in its short running time to really go into one subject too much. I have seen a lot of the movies that are discussed and it also introduced me to a few that I wasn't familiar with that I can now try to watch. It is good for an introductory course on slasher films and I seriously could have watched another hour's worth of material, but I understand why they had to trim to a shorter time. It does one of my least favorite things in documentaries though, when the subtitles would come up showing a person's name and what film they worked on, the font was very small and it was only on the screen for a second, so I had to keep rewinding to see the name's of people that I didn't recognize (which admittedly wasn't a lot, but still.) If you are a fan of the genre, this is a good little documentary to get you acquainted with some classic movies and maybe introduce a few new titles to track down.

I was raised on Dracula and Frankenstein, and was living in Europe during the rise and fall of the slasher film. I have not seen most of the films mentioned in this film.

However, I was pleased at the presentation and now have a sense of history as to how the slashers came into being, the influences of Italian directors like Bava and Argento, the importance of the makeup and special effects guys, and the guttural significance of slasher films.

It was extremely interesting to see the directors and producers and actors and how they felt about the work they had done and were doing. I was also excited to see people like George Clooney, Jamie Lee Curtis, Cary Elwes, Robert Englund, Sid Haig, Heather Langenkamp, Dina Meyer, Bill Moseley, and many more in clips from their performances.

Of course, I am always happy to see Christa Campbell.

This is pretty much what you'd expect from the title: a group of actors, directors and special effects people talk about the slasher genre of the early 1980s. They cover all the big ones, some of the lesser ones, and go over the backgrounds.

How did the Italian films of Mario Bava influence the slashers? Are they anti-woman? Do they make kids do bad things? Is it a dead genre? All of this is covered and more... such as the concept of the "final girl" and other tropes so often found in horror.

I would have liked a bit more history, and maybe more credit given to Bob Clark and "Black Christmas" (which, to me, deserves more recognition than John Carpenter's "Halloween"). But I can't really complain with all these people they found to interview -- getting Carpenter, Craven, Rob Zombie and more to appear on film? Well done.

I have met the man who wrote the book this film is based on, the charming Adam Rockoff. If this film was your idea of education, get his book! Much more than you can cram into a 90-minute film.

GOING TO PIECES is a fun reflection on the slasher genre, primarily exploring the wave of American slasher flicks that came out since the success of Carpenter's HALLOWEEN in 1978. Other influences such as Argento and Bava are only mentioned in passing, and there are some notable omissions (what about BLACK Christmas?) but for the most part this is a fun and in-depth look at a much-maligned sub-genre of film.

Obviously, the documentary is awash with clips that take up about two-thirds of the running time. Most of these focus on the goriest of the kill scenes in each film, so if that's your bag then you'll enjoy yourself. However, in addition, we get interviews with tons of guys involved with the production of these movies; writers, producers, directors, occasionally stars. You'd expect to see Carpenter and Savini here, but I appreciated the less well-known faces too. GOING TO PIECES is a great watch for anyone with even a minor interest in the slasher genre.

I am probably one of the biggest fans of slasher movies.Whenever I see one,I expect gore,violence,and mayhem.'Going to Pieces: The Rise of the slasher Film' delivers what I want.It shows us when the slasher genre was famous after such films such as 'Psycho', 'Halloween', and 'Scream'.It also shows us when the genre was becoming weak after films such as 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation' and many others.What really made the movie good was showing us some clips and death scenes of the films of the slasher genre,which makes this documentary both gory and entertaining.I just have one question before my review ends.

Where is the DVD?

This is an interesting and pretty thorough documentary on the slasher film. It's not as good as reading a book on the subject, of course (there are several now, and this documentary is based on one of the better ones), but you get lots of films clips, and some interviews, not only with the usual horror convention attendees like Tom Savini and Felissa Rose,but also with more obscure characters like the Rabbi Herbert Freed who directed the obscure slasher "Graduation Day" (before he was a rabbi, of course).

What's most interesting for someone like me who is old enough to remember the first wave of slasher movies, is to recall how alarmed adults were at the time by these movies, which look like pretty harmless fun now. I especially remember the way they actually picketed "Silent Night, Deadly Night" because they were upset by the idea of an axe-murdering Santa Claus (in an ideal world these kind of idiots would be met with tear gas and police batons, just like anti-war protesters--who often have a legitimate reason for being upset--often are).

It's also ironic how widely available, thanks to DVD, uncut versions of these movies are today, considering how they were hacked up by American censors back then or outright banned over in Britain. It's probably just as stupid to get worked up about movies like "Hostel" or "Captivity" like people do nowadays. Remember the famous ad-line to "Last House on the Left" (one movie this doc barely mentions, although I guess it isn't really a slasher). "It's only a movie... It's only a movie. . .

'Going to Pieces' is a good and quite complete review of the history of the slasher movie genre. It succeeds to show quite well the origins of the genre in the American horror movies, and then provides quite an extensive review of the development and pick of popularity it reached in the 80s, its decline and its renaissance in the late 90s. Bringing to screen interviews with many of the major creators of some of the more popular films, fans, as well as critics of the genre makes the viewing interesting.

Yet I could not escape the feeling that the authors focused to much on making an entertaining film rather than making a more serious analysis and examining more extensively the context of the slasher movies in the evolution of cinema. The almost exclusive American focus is one flaw, only the influence of the Italian movies of the 70s is mentioned, but what about the classical German films, or what about the contemporary Far East movies? Today the genre is more popular in Japan and Korea than any other place on the planet and some major movies came out from there in the last few years. Connections with related genres like zombies movies and even horror science fiction could have been more explored as well. As it stands 'Going to Pieces' risks to become one of the objects of interest in the genre it deals with, a film targeting mainly the same captive audience who watches these movies anyway.

I can't even begin to describe my feelings for this extremely informative, and entertaining documentary. Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of The Slasher Film is an amazing look at the critically panned, but successful genre of horror, "the slasher genre" to be specific. The slasher genre is probably my second favorite genre, first being the situation dialog world of film. If I become a critic, a dream I hope I will fulfill, I can assure you I will be the only critic who gives a positive review to a slasher film. Remakes will not live by that rule.

The film is mainly about how slashers had their fifteen minutes of fame starting in the late seventies with the film Halloween (of course there were dozens that preceded this, but this was the first that got a lot of recognition. And the first to come to fan's mind when hearing the term). A countless number of slasher followed, but none of which really seemed to catch on, like Don't Go in the Woods Alone and He Knows When You're Alone.

Friday the 13th came out in 1980, and that was the next big horror film that spawned a countless number of sequels. And it became a box office success in no time. The next biggie was A Nightmare on Elm Street in 1984. The slasher that would spawn another line of sequels, and a crossover with F13's Jason Voorhees in 2003.

The one thing about the film is it not only goes into the bigger, more well known icons of the horror genre, but also the smaller ones that were sometimes made by companies that no longer exist now. When Halloween and F13 came out, other companies and sometimes just regular people would go and make a slasher film. Why not? It's cheap entertainment! You don't need a big budget, a whole lot of script, good actors, or even a moral. Just have some traumatized kid grow up to be a traumatized adult that goes around killing everyone for reasons you can't quite explain. I guarantee, it will have a following of some kind.

The film features three of the horror greats that I can't get enough of; John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and Tom Savini. Carpenter is the director of Halloween, Craven is the director of A Nightmare on Elm Street and dozens more cult films, and Tom Savini is the makeup artist on films like The Burning, Friday the 13th, and Maniac. Rob Zombie and others make appearances as well.

The film was made in 2006 I believe, so around that time there weren't a whole lot of remakes out, which I'll be the first to say this ever, was a bit disappointing since I wanted to hear what the directors of the films would say about their films being remade. Most of them poorly. At least we hear a few moments of Zombie explaining his Halloween, but that's about it.

While the movie spits facts like none other, it doesn't really get into the way these films made people feel. In the eighties, people weren't used to these movies, and many were freaked when seeing them in the theaters. I wish they would've shown some footage of people in the theater watching these films, or just the directors talking about the first time they saw a Horror film. That would've made the film a four star film.

My favorite segment hands down was when they discussed Silent Night, Deadly Night's boycotts, and overreactions from uptight parents. Seriously, this movie wasn't in the theaters very long because of parents who didn't know what the form of "dark entertainment" was. Why didn't they boycott a movie that was released four years earlier called Christmas Evil? Nothing pisses me off more than parents that overreact to something, and prevent others from enjoying it.

One lady on this documentary, Felissa Rose I believe, stated that if her daughter saw the trailer to this film she would explain what kind of entertainment there is in the world, and why it's a work of fiction. Not make a damn picket sign, and stand in front of a theater in the subzero weather because you get offended when you see something that is likely to be out of kid's heads come the holiday season.

Aside from simple flaws, Going to Pieces is highly educated and an informative look at a genre that should go anywhere but "to pieces".

Starring: John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Tom Savini, Felissa Rose, Sean S. Cunningham, and Jeff Katz.

I have the book with the same title and that was marvelous, everything was included, great, and then there was this DVD. What a great documentary. If you hate to read a book watch this DVD. It starts with Peeping Tom and Psycho, up to Halloween and Friday The 13th, the differences between the two movies, told by directors, Fangoria editor and so on. as in the book they aren't afraid to tell about the decline of the slashers and the rise of the second era starting with Scream, again they show the differences between old school and the new slashers. There are a lot stills and fragments shown from those flicks. Okay, I know , some people complain about the fact that Blood Feast and Texas Chainsaw Massacre aren't included. But nothing is perfect. But if you ever want to tell someone about slashers then this DVD is a great companion. And as extra's they included a quiz, great fun. Oh yeah, I got my version in the Last House On The Left Ultimate 3 Disc edition, you know, the white box with red letters. And it clocks in at 90 minutes, not as said here on IMDb.

I'm a little impressed. Whether the credit belongs to director Jeff McQueen, producers Rachel Belofsky and Rudy Scalese, or the writers, this is a more meaningful, thoughtful documentary than I supposed it was going to be. I'm not saying that it's perfect, because there are embellishments here and there (music cues, title cards) that are a bit gauche, and the enthusiasm and anecdotes that some interviewees share are a bit much at times. Then again, that enthusiasm really speaks to how much fun everyone had making these movies, the passion they have for the underlying craft, and the thrill of the visceral storytelling. The feature earnestly covers a lot of ground: the violent thrillers from which slashers took influence; the art of illusion behind practical effects like blood and gore; discussion of where slashers fit into society and culture, and how they may or may not reflect that society and culture; the push to make movies that exploited every possible holiday and occasion, and every possible weapon of choice; and more. From producers and directors to effects artists and stars, we're greeted with a slew of interview subjects who offer their own perspective on the genre, with focus primarily on the golden age of the slasher from their inauguration with John Carpenter's 'Halloween' in 1978, to the early and mid 80s when slashers had more or less become the new "it" girl of horror. There is nothing in 'Going to pieces' that's a particular revelation, yet the picture gives welcome, broad perspective - or rather, retrospective - that's more sincere and ruminative than I'd have guessed before I sat to watch.

Some films get more emphasis than others, and not unreasonably; 'Halloween' began it all, 'Friday the 13th' raised the bar with crimson and viscera, and 'A nightmare on Elm Street' took things in a wild new direction. If only in passing, though, this touches upon even more flicks than I've seen, and some I'd never even heard of. Along the way, there's an early spotlight on the conventions that largely define slashers, including settings, protagonists, antagonists, murder weapons, and more - and with this in mind, one place where I think the title falters is in failing to identify how easily the genre became very formulaic, and very stale, very quickly. True, there are still many viewers who flock to slashers for the cavalcade of random violence and death, but I think there came a point where slashers became dull unless there is either some major point of brilliance to help it stand out, or some new twist on the style (e.g., 2015's 'The final girls') that really upended norms. In some measure 'The rise and fall of the slasher film' also raises reasonable questions: of what specifically defines the "slasher"; if every piece mentioned herein really is a slasher or just falls into "horror" generally, or some other subgenre; the extent to which slashers may have had influence elsewhere in horror; and ultimately how accurate the name even is, if slashers continue to be a major force in horror cinema. The documentary really does cover a lot of ground, but it could have broadened its scope even more, and despite the name it's worth observing that there's not so much a central thesis here as an overarching idea of examining the genre.

There are notions touched upon in passing that could have been explored even more deeply: the regressive, conservative values that seemingly inform killers in movies; the triumph of "the final girl" as a representation of feminism; the outdated, harmful language and ideas that "other" and demonize a subset of the population by setting up a particular type of figure as the killer (i.e., lots of ableism, homophobia, and transphobia); and so on. In fairness, to whatever extent 'Going to pieces' could have done more, maybe these were also beyond its purview, for the chief intent here was in a sort of history of the genre (as of 2006), and if imperfectly, I think it does that job very well. Whether one is a fan of slashers, or of documentaries, or just an avid cinephile at large, I think there's much to appreciate here for a lot of folks. All told it may not be something one needs to go out of their way to see, but for something light yet interesting, 'Going to pieces' is a fine movie that's well worth checking out if you have the chance.

Vague, mostly uninteresting, unfocused and meandering. With the occasional box-office mention, or highlight-reel of gore (ie. spoilers) with shoddy rock music in the background.

About 10 minutes of interviews with crew/filmmakers have any actual substance to them. Where some of the craft and themes are elaborated upon.

Interviews generally go like this "Imagine liking horror films and violent films, isn't that crazy that people can like films with death in them? Well, us filmmakers & fans like these movies! And they can be very successful, so what's that about?!" By the end of the docu you'll be very tired of hearing this.

You're honestly better off reading some Wikipedia pages on slasher films.

"Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film" chronicles just that: the prestigious and respectable beginnings that quickly gave way to the cheap and lazy knock-offs that saturated and diluted the genre. Whether the films were attempting to create luminary icons such as Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger or cashing in on even the most trivial of holidays, they enjoyed their fair bit of success, made on a shoe-string budget and backed by major studios who treated them like red-headed step-children. The films were gory, gratuitous, often over the top and almost always a pleasure for genre fans, which of course means they were chastised by critics and the MPAA did all they could to neuter them.

Featuring interviews with legendary directors such as John Carpenter and Wes Craven, as well as special effects heroes like Tom Savini and the late Stan Winston, "Going to Pieces" does a fair job of assessing the sub-genre as a whole while shedding some light on some more obscure fare that got overshadowed by the blockbusters that defined the era. It recalls a time when special effects were practical and suspense was key. You didn't need a star or a pretty face, just a relatable character and an unrelenting madman. Even the lesser films like "Slumber Party Massacre" or "Sleepaway Camp" were enjoyable despite their lack of originality, and the documentary acknowledges that. Sometimes it digs deeper, questioning the mindset of the parents who rallied against the biggest offenders, as well as big time critics like Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, who strip away much of their credibility in failing to realize the purpose of these films, and that is to viscerally entertain its audience, thus providing the ultimate escapism.

"Going to Pieces" is nothing if not thorough. It leaves virtually no slasher film untouched and treats its subject with the utmost integrity. It manages to capture all of the nostalgia fans associate with these films, but at the same time, recognizes the downfalls of the genre and doesn't view everything at hand with rose-tinted glasses. Even still, if you remember the golden age of the slasher film and remember what it was like to be truly disgusted and yet entertained at the same time, "Going To Pieces" will go a long way in unearthing those old feelings as well as providing a substantial education in the genre. It's rare that these films are treated with respect and discussed in-depth, therefore, this is one documentary you won't want to overlook.

Documentary tracing the history of the slasher movie from 1960 with " Peeping Tom" and "Psycho" through to the present day( or near enough).Based on the book of the same name,this documentary it must be said offers nothing new and much of it is recycled to the point of tedium for the knowledgeable horror film fan.Film is quite extensive and covers pretty much all chapters and interviews all the directors and producers from the first wave of slasher films from 1978 to 1984.There are plenty of scenes from the classics of the genre and is clearly made with respect for the genre.The film is for horror fans of which i am one to wallow in nostalgia and purely for this, film is a success.Good.

A really interesting study on the Slasher sub-genre but lacks on profundity on the investigation field.

It clearly skips some important movies like "Black Christmas" or "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" because it doesn't gives the respect to them. But that's just my opinion.

The featured movies are really well chosen although more footage would be great. Still, this is a movie recommended ONLY FOR FANS of 80's slashers. If you are looking for more interesting Horror movies, look elsewhere.

As a fan of 80's Horror I truly enjoyed the movie because I grew up with Jason and company.

It was also a great detail to show interviews from important Horror icons from the time such as John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and Sean S. Cunningham.

As a slasher fan for the majority of my life (my first theatrical horror was 'Jason Goes to Hell' at the age of 6), I thought 'Going to Pieces' would be a fascinating look into the subgenre. I was right.

Sampling through dozens of different slashers from all different levels and featuring a collection of some of the best and most influential filmmakers in the slasher subgenre (and other sectors of horror), 'Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film' manages to be simultaneously informative and entertaining. Also, it helped out with a few slasher recommendations for those looking.

There are a few problems, however. The editing is spotty, and often just bad. Also, as far as the subject material goes, it really could've and should've gone a little deeper, especially when you have that many great minds of horror in one place. Experienced horror fans won't find a lot of new information, but it is nice having it delivered in a compiled form.

Overall, if you're looking for a simple & informative documentary on the history of the slasher flick, this is a good film to see.

Final Verdict: 8/10.

• - -

NOTE - If you have not seen the films listed below and do not want them spoiled, I would highly suggest staying away until you do:

• 'April Fool's Day' (1986)

• 'Carrie' (1976)

• 'Friday the 13th' (1980)

• 'Graduation Day' (1981)

• 'Halloween' (1978)

• 'Happy Birthday to Me' (1981)

• 'Last House on the Left' (1972)

• 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984)

• 'Scream' (1996)

• 'Sleepaway Camp' (1983)

-AP3-

Very enjoyable legendary cult classics talked about & phenomenal creative directors/stars. I realized I had already seen it a while back and still quite enjoyable.

Going to Pieces (2006)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

A look at the rise and fall of slasher films is one of the best documentaries I've seen on the subject due in large part to the fact that we actually get to see clips from the various movies that are being discussed. Most of the times these documentaries can't show clips due to rights issues but thankfully all of the glorious clips are here. We also get interviews with the big guys like Wes Craven, John Carpenter, Sean Cunningham, Rob Zombie and various other smaller guys who contributed to the big part of the genre back in the early 80s. I also loved the clips from Siskel and Ebert where the two say horror films only appeal to guys who want to kill women themselves.

Superbly researched, beautifully edited, expertly written, and a tremendous tribute to the horror genre unlike anything ever produced before. The overwhelming facts, clips, trivia, and expert commentary who were part of making these films flood the screen. It is a documentary not to missed by anyone interested in the genre as well as a any student of cinema. The artistry of these motion pictures will shock viewers and anyone who sees it will come away with a true appreciation of the writers, producers, directors, and actors who made this unique form of cinematic expression possible. A true American art, the genius, the imagination, and the ultimate beauty of these films have finally been given monument they deserve.

I grew up on slasher films, namely the 'Halloween,' 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' and 'Friday the 13th' series. I also liked the 'Hellraiser,' 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,' 'Sleepaway Camp' and 'Child's Play' series. So, watching 'Going to Pieces – The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film' was like reliving my childhood. Well, for what I could get my hands on and actually see being brought up in a Christian, anti-horror (also called trash) films. Sure anyone could put together clips and talk about them, but this film displays great style with the original actors, creators and shows no limits with the film spots. In other words, they don't censor the nudity, gore and violence. I respected them for that. For not making a PG or PG-13 documentary as these are kiddie movies. Though I didn't learn much more (okay, a little) than I already knew, it was great to relive these movies and in a very interesting timeline from the start of these films (I think it was 'Black Christmas') to 'Freddy Vs. Jason.' Unfortunately, the 'rise/fall' they speak of doesn't really end there, in fact, Rob Zombie is one of the interviewees and this was obviously made before his 'Halloween' reimagining. The extras on the DVD include extended interviews, and though somewhat interesting (aside from the 'Psycho' rambling) I'm glad they chose not to bog down the perfectly paced documentary with extra fluff. Though not too many more has been made since this 2006 release, I actually yearn for a sequel as, I believe there is more to say/show, such as any of the Child's Play' or 'Hellraiser' series (or pending remake) or films since, i.e. Rob Zombie's 'Halloween' or 'H2.' For any horror fan, this is the best horror documentary out there, period.

I remember when this documentary first aired and falling in love with it, I was about 11 and my love for horror was starting to blossom. Rewatching it now it's still a good documentary and it's still pretty relevant, but as I got older my knowledge for horror grew and I realize that this documentary did miss out on some earlier slasher movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Black Christmas. I know they still make slasher movies nowadays but something about 80s slashers we're more special, and I don't think they can ever really be recreated. I'll take most 80s slashers over modern Horror anyday.

Now if you are not a fan of the horror genre in general you may want to stay away from this. Being a fan of slasher movies works even better of course. Though there always may be a chance you already know a lot of the things discussed in the documentary.

Aside from that, the documentary is really in depth and gives you some really good perspectives. If you can also listen to the audio commentary, giving you even more background to the whole thing. The sections are nicely chosena and the structure makes more than sense. While you may not get every scene you may have wished for, the interviews are really great. And while this is supposed to be just about slasher films, fortunately it does cover also horror in general