Horror movies come in all shapes and sizes, but humans are often the real monster. Humans aren’t particularly scary on their own, but a human with a blade or bludgeon might do the trick. Fans of scary cinema demand novelty, so the same old kitchen knife or woodsman’s ax just won’t cut it every time.
The most iconic slasher movie villains often become inseparable from their trademark weapon, including the occasional film named after it. When horror gets weird, it often changes the instruments, rather than the format. Everyone knows whatmakes up the average slasher, but a unique weapon can make the guts and gore a little more interesting.
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Bladed Glove -Nightmare on Elm Street
When designing the iconicmonster who haunts the dreams of his victims, Wes Craven decided that every horror mainstay had an iconic weapon and that he’d need one too. Inspired by Jason’s machete or Leatherface’s chainsaw, Craven sought to establish a trademark tool for his new nightmare. Reportedly, Craven got the idea as he watched his cat doing damage to his sofa with its claws.
The bladed glove was designed by Jim Doyle, who used steak knives that he’d turned upside-down. The prop team dulled the sharp edge and sharpened the back to make it work visually. The aim was to resemble long fingernails, evoking the claws of a deadly jungle predator. New versions of the claw were crafted forNew Nightmareand the 2011 remake, but Freddy’s bladed glove is undoubtedly iconic. Freddy wouldn’t be what he is today if he wasn’t armed with that bone-chilling bladed glove.
Gristle Gun -Existenz
David Cronenberg is widely known as the master of body horror, but not all of his films are household names. His 1999 sci-fi horror filmExistenzwas positively received and notably strange, but had the poor luck of being released shortly afterThe Matrix. The director behindScannersandThe Flytook his incredible visual style to thevenerable world of cyberpunk.Existenzis set in a world that uses neural interfaces to play virtual reality games while “realists” try to dismantle the establishment and return to traditional perception.
The film’s protagonist Ted (Jude Law) is tasked with protecting a game developer from murderers while reluctantly subjecting himself to augmentation. He constructs the Gristle Gun from the inedible meat leavings after a disgusting Chinese food meal to do his work. The Gristle Gun consists of revolting fleshy parts, and it appears to fire human teeth. There’s not much of this weapon inExistenz, but it is one of the moststriking props featured in a filmyet.
The Power Drill Guitar -Slumber Party Massacre II
Yes, this Roger Corman-produced slasher does sound like a film that only exists in the plot of a sitcom, but it does feature a fun and interesting main weapon. The 1982 original featured a killer armed with an auger-like power tool terrorizing the teenage victims. The sequel took that idea and ran with it, by attaching the tool to an electric guitar.
This is a bad film, completely enamored of the meaningless gore and nudity of the genre. The only substantial splash of creativity is in the killer’s bizarre choice of weapon. Like most forgotten entries in thegolden age of stupid slashermovies,Slumber Party Massacre IIbelongs in the past. Despite its lack of any significant merit, at least the killer had a cool and unique prop throughout the uninteresting events of the film.
Ruka’s Arm -Tokyo Gore Police
Tokyo Gore Policeis one of the strangest horror-action films of the modern era. As the name would suggest, it takes placein a futuristic Tokyowhich has fallen into a sadistic nightmare of violence and blood. A mad scientist called Key Man has created a virus that causes its victims to sprout weaponry from wounds. The infected, known as Engineers, become violent and dangerous with their newfound bio-organic weaponry. Tokyo’s police department creates a new unit designed to destroy Engineers, typically with street-side executions and over-the-top violence.
The main character is a vengeful katana-wielding hunter named Ruka who loses her first encounter with Key Man after he infects her with the virus. As a result, her arm becomes a clawed beast with an alien head. There are countless nightmarish designs in this film worthy of the same praise, but Ruka’s arm is the most iconic. More people should see this film if they have the constitution for it.
Sentinel Spheres -Phantasm
The belovedPhantasmfranchise is one of thebiggest names in cult horror. Don Coscarelli is the mastermind behind the five films and numerous other materials. The series follows the evil Tall Man, an alien undertaker who seeks to gather human corpses for processing into an army of slaves. To that end, his primary weapon is the Sentinel Spheres.
These floating silver balls drain the blood from their victims and sever their brain stems, leaving them zombified. The idea came from Coscarelli’s nightmares, and the prop work was done by Will Greene, who tragically died before the film’s release. These floating spheres are far too unique and strange to go unmentioned.
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