Slayed

I gave this movie a higher rating because I enjoyed it better than many of the other amateur xmas holiday horrors.. It's my holiday tradition to watch low-budget Xmas horrors and/or comedies.

For a Xmas horror comedy, these actors actually seem very self aware of the mockery and you can tell that they have studied enough acting and comedy to rank their performances higher than many others in this specific genre. Unlike most Xmas horror films with generically bad actors these actors are engaging and funny... The secretary (Hilarious. I wanted to see more of her being comically mean to everyone.), the "creepy" groundskeeper (he was actually very entertaining, handsome and sexy) and the new security guard (a highly self-aware, comical and enjoyable performance) are all engaging and humorous characters that make you want to keep watching this story until the end.

This low budget XMas horror/comedy has a unique setting in the warm southern USA with some "Scream"-like twists and turns. Despite the low budget, anyone can tell that the film makers here have some talent and self-aware satire to grow on.

I had fun with this movie while wrapping presents and drinking wine.

If you like cheap Xmas horror but you don't want another typical "at home" setting or the same lame acting, you might enjoy this 1:13min movie before bed during the holidays.

I wasn't too impressed with the film overall but it was fun. I think that was the intention (at least I hope it was). The acting is pretty weak sometimes but the movie still ends up working way better than it should. If you like movies like Silent Night, Deadly Night then you should really enjoy this one.

When an unrated movie has two main characters that are responsible for the script and the direction of the film I usually expect it will be schlock. However In this case, Slayed was absolutely not. The scenario for the story was a little implausible, the script nonetheless, worked through it explaining why and and all of the motivations for the horror that takes place. The characters were well developed and the acting was very good, from the one teenage victim who portrays true realistic fright. I thought they might not have told her what was going to happen, her screaming and physical actions were so true to life, to the security guard who wants to be a movie star which you can't help but believe and almost feel sorry for. The movie really moved, it ended in what felt like 30 minutes but was actually 74 minutes. Give it a go, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Jim Klock and Mike Capozzi write, direct and star in this low budget but enjoyable Santa slasher. Jim Klock's acting absolutely steals the show while Mike Capozzi and Coel Mahal also give strong performances. Hardcore fans of movies like "Silent Night, Deadly Night" and "Christmas Evil" should find this film a lot of fun. So if you love holiday horror, make sure to check out Slayed - it's a helluva slay ride!

'Slayed' is an oddity. Co-directors Jim Klock and Mike Capozzi illustrate a measure of artistic tact in some of the shots and scenes they arrange, and in realizing Klock's screenplay, while other instances are dubiously, absolutely overdone. The production values tend to teeter ever between "staged TV movie artifice" and "modern bare-faced ultra-low budget eyesore." The grisly violence suggested in the premise and (somewhat inauthentically) shown as early as the brief opening scene is counterbalanced with a sardonic, sometimes nonsensical levity - while falling short of horror-comedy laughs. And in a feature that's only a hair over 73 minutes long, including credits, there's a fair bit of what feels purely like exposition before the plot meaningfully begins, and a slow build to the horror core - and yet, still, it feels a little long in the tooth.

I appreciate some of the details put into the narrative, such as Crandle's apparent preparation. On the other hand, some moments feel out of place, marking the editing and sequencing as deficient as well, and there are definite contrivances on hand in too many ways. I appreciate how the cast vigorously leans into their roles - including Klock and Capozzi themselves in prominent roles, and supporting cast members like Coel Mahal or Kyra Kennedy - yet there's also an unmistakable dearth of subtlety in their performances, as in much of the picture broadly. 'Slayed' is marked through and through with a bizarre dichotomy between mindfulness and carelessness, thoughtful craft and brazen construction. The term "whiplash" is perhaps too charged, but it's certainly a peculiar viewing experience - not least of all as the movie somehow attains a strange level of balance between its opposed qualities.

To be fair, I hardly think 'Slayed' has any illusions about being something it's not. I feel like Klock and Capozzi know what level they're operating on, and are happy to do so, as long as they get to make movies and have fun doing it. Good for them! One rather has to admire the earnestness of the endeavor. Of course, keeping in line with the pervasive, all-around division between good and bad - the sincerity that one may be inclined to feel in the movie is also countered by flailing, overzealous self-indulgence for much of the latter half.

It's not that this is a bad movie - I just don't think it's at all remarkable. There's no especial reason to seek it out, but then, if you're looking for a bit of horror (holiday-themed in particular), you could also do a lot worse. There's nothing here to really grab our attention or spark the imagination - but for all its faults, 'Slayed' still manages to be just engaging enough to be passable.

Worth 73 minutes of your time? Sure, if you can accept the feature on its level.