Director: Tony Maylam
Writers: Peter Lawrence, Bob Weinstein
Stars: Jason "I'm An Eggplant!" Alexander, Holly Hunter, Fisher Stevens
Tony Maylam's The Burning was first released by Miramax on May 8th, 1981. This was a great month for slasher fans, not only did they get The Burning, a week earlier saw the release of Friday the 13th Part 2 and Graduation Day, and the week after they got Happy Birthday to Me. Three solid slashers, and one fun piece of crap, I would've lived at the theater for that whole month, had I been born. Right year, just a few months late.
The Burning's plot couldn't be simpler. Several boys at Camp Blackfoot decide to pull a prank on abusive, alcoholic campground caretaker Cropsy (Lou David). Now, this isn't a good spirited prank like the classic gag where you put Saran Wrap on the toilet bowl so the person you're pranking shits on his balls. This is a particularly dangerous prank involving a maggot covered human skull with a lit candle stuffed in it's mouth being placed two feet away from the bed of a sleeping man. As with all slasher movie pranks, it quickly goes horribly, horribly wrong. Cropsy wakes up, and due to a combination of being half asleep and being half shit-blitzed on cheap whiskey he makes the questionable decision to swat at the flaming skull, knocking it onto himself. He's completely engulfed, almost immediately toasted like a marshmallow. Fortunately for Cropsy he isn't killed in the fire. Unfortunately for Cropsy he's amazingly, spectacularly charred and disfigured, barbequed beyond belief.
...if you dare!
