Savage Weekend

A masked slasher roams the sticks of Hudson Valley

Two sisters and their beaus, as well as a male friend, venture to the backwaters north of the Big Apple for a retreat. A questionable yokel is building a yacht for one of the guys while a manly lumberjack is hanging about. The weekend takes a grim turn when someone in a fright mask starts slaying people.

Made in 1976 but not released until 1979 (and later in countries outside America), “Savage Weekend” is a slasher Indie that only cost $58,000, predating "Halloween” by a year (which was made in 1977).

Speaking of which, people mistakenly think the slasher started with "Halloween," but there were at least a dozen films that preceded it, starting with "Psycho" (1960) and followed by "Dementia 13" (1963), "A Bay of Blood" (1971), "Silent Night, Bloody Night" (1972), "Home for the Holidays" (1972), "Torso (1973), "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974), "Black Christmas" (1974) and "Schizo" (1976), amongst others. Even "The Toolbox Murders" (1978) debuted at theaters eight months before “Halloween.”

During shooting, this was called “The Killer Behind the Mask” before settling on “Upstate Murders,” which was ultimately changed to “Savage Weekend.” It was obviously influenced by “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death” (1971) and “Deliverance” (1972). Some bits are also reminiscent of “Squirm,” which was released the year this was shot.

It is probably the least of these due to the tedious backwoods goings-on, but it has its points of interest, like the early brouhaha at a bar involving the effeminate friend who tags along. Hillbilly Otis was fittingly played by William Sanderson, best known for the role of Larry on Newhart in the 80s (you might remember he had a brother Darryl and another brother Darryl).

Caitlin O'Heaney stands out on the feminine front as Shirley in which she’s featured in an extended lingerie sequence in the last act. This was her acting debut in which she got her SAG card by appearing in the film. To be expected, there’s a little bit of tame nudity.

The movie runs 1 hour, 28 minutes, and was shot in the sticks of the Hudson Valley region, north of Yonkers and south of Albany, mostly at a remote lake.

GRADE: B-/C+