10 Most Underrated Horror/Slasher Films Part Two:Madman(1981)

Madman seems to be relatively well-known in slasher circles, but even there it seems to get a bad rap. Ridiculed for a few silly scenes, instead of praising the atmosphere and the gore, which in my opinion, is better than than the Friday The 13th franchise. This film was originally going to be based on the "Cropsy" legend, but then the filmmakers found out that The Burning was using that legend already, so the film had to be modified a bit. Call me crazy, but I like this one better than The Burning anyway!

Starting out at a camp for gifted children, there is a campfire story about "Madman Marz", a local legend that killed his family, and then was hung from a tree, only to be found gone the next morning. The camp director warns the kids to never say Marz's name above a whisper, if you do, he will come for you and slaughter you like he did his family. Of course, in the grand tradition of slasher films, a dumb-ass teenager screams his name, and lobs rocks through the window of his old house. Needless to say, this is all it takes to send the murderous Marz into a rampage. Yes, this is a tried and true story that we have seen in countless "summer camp slashers", but Madman uses all of the cliches to it's advantage. It features the best lighting that I have seen in a slasher film, painting the night a deathly hue of blue. It also features some very original kills for the time, Marz jumps on the open hood of a truck, and decapitates a female victim. Marz himself, is far more scarier than the average Jason or Freddy, hulking in size, with crazy facial deformities. Check out Madman, and you are in for a night of creepy fun! Plus, keep an eye for the hot tub scene, which is the scene that everyone loves to make fun of.