I have a major soft spot for Jason Goes to Hell because of the DVD release that had the Director's Cut and commentary track from the writer and director. I remember the Director's Cut having some genuinely gruesome gore effects and the commentary track made the writer and director seem like likeable guys who were honest about the movie's shortcomings and their inexperience, but genuinely had a good time shooting the movie. The middle of the movie is just such a slog though.
The Burning is also probably my number one slasher, if Maniac Cop 2 doesn't count because that is almost just a straight up action movie.
I only ever saw the director's cut version, so I don't know how truncated the R cut is. Seeing how they dirty they did the seventh one (the one with the psychic teenager - New Blood, right?) I can't imagine its worth seeking out in that form, lol.
That all being said, some underrated slashers I really like:
Slaughter High (1986)
Splatter University (1984)
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972 - violent pseudo-arthouse proto-slasher with some of Andy Warhol's people in it - if you liked Paul Morrissey's Flesh for Frankenstein & Blood for Dracula it's got a similar vibe)
Just Before Dawn (1981)
The Final Terror (1983)
Hospital Massacre (1982)
The Mutilator (1985)
New Years Evil (1980)
Blood Beat (1982?85? - total fever dream shit, not much else like it)
Blood Rage (1987)
Truth or Dare?: A Critical Madness (1986)
Killing Spree (1987)
Don't Go in the House (1980 - Patsy Parisi from The Sopranos sets bitches on fire!!)
Christmas Evil (1980)
Edge of Sanity (1989 - Anthony Perkins as coked up goth rocker Jack the Ripper)
Pieces (1982)
If I had to pick a favorite slasher ever though? Probably The Burning or the OG Black Christmas. John Carpenter's Halloween, too but that's a given at this point.
Change it up a bit for my KF peeps: anyone seen the Shaw Bros horror flicks from the 70s? They're pretty fucking rad. Black Magic 1 & 2, Human Lanterns, Corpse Mania, Boxer's Omen etc. all awesome. Black Magic 2 really is the fucking best tho. First one is pretty good if slow at times, but the sequel is just balls to the wall shot out 70s insanity from start to finish. On mobile rn and I forget how to embed videos, but here's a trailer:
Fun fact: Beastie Boys' "Staring Down the Barrel of a Gun" is built upon a sample from this movie's soundtrack.
