Slasher movies are a special sub-genre of horror where a killer (usually masked-up) stalks, slays, and generally causes mayhem for a group of unsuspecting teens. Some of the best-known flicks touting this label—including Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street—also feature larger-than-life villains who, over the course of the films and their many sequels, become the characters you can’t help but root for, even if it means high body counts in the end.
If you’re shopping for horror gifts but you know that special person in your life is actually just into slasher movies, chances are the present they’ll really appreciate is more specific than just any old creepy horror swag. So whether your giftee knows all of Jason Voorhees’s masks by heart (and can tell you which films they come from) or is just obsessed with all things Haddonfield, these gifts inspired by classic ‘70s and ‘80s slashers and beyond could be exactly what their blood and gore-loving hearts have been waiting for.
1. Halloween (1978): Collector’s Edition [4K-UHD]; $27
Halloween Kills, the latest entry in the iconic Halloween franchise, arrives in theaters on October 15, but you can still help your giftee get in the spirit of the season with this Blu-ray collector’s edition of John Carpenter’s 1978 classic. The film, which was made on a budget of just $300,000, went on to gross $47 million domestically and an additional $23 million internationally (equal to about $300 million at the box office today), and is regarded as one of the most successful independent films ever made. It also inspired a slew of imitators in the early 1980s—including Friday the 13th and others—but fans know the Shape (what Michael Myers is credited as in the first film) created the blueprint for many of the legendary slasher movie villains that followed.
Buy it: Amazon
2. Vans x Nightmare on Elm Street SK8-Hi Sneakers; $80
One, two, these Freddy sneakers by Vans could actually make a great gift for you, or for anyone else on your list who loves the Nightmare on Elm Street series. Inspired by the infamous red-and-green sweater donned by Freddy Krueger in every installment of the nine-film franchise, these high-tops are a killer ode to the dream-stalking funny man. They’re also made with reinforced toe caps and the brand’s signature rubber-waffle outsoles for added comfort, so they won’t be a nightmare to wear around in your waking life.
Buy it: Vans
3. NECA Ultimate Jason Voorhees 7-Inch Action Figure; $33
NECA has a reputation among horror movie lovers for making some of the most detailed model replicas of famous villains, and this Jason Voorhees action figure definitely doesn’t disappoint. You can find NECA versions of Jason from all the Friday the 13th films, but this one—which is an homage to the hockey-masked killer look in Freddy vs. Jason (2003)—really feels like the ultimate investment, as it comes with three removable masks, two machetes, a fire effect that recreates the final battle between him and Freddy at the end of the film, and (best of all) a teddy bear. Your giftee probably won’t want to unbox this collector’s item anytime soon, but it’s nice to have so many accessories, you know?
Buy it: Best Buy
4. Retro Book T-Shirts; $18-$23
These retro T-shirts from Hot Topic put an adorable spin on some of the most terrifying slasher movie villains in cinema. You can have “fun with chainsaws” (as the shirt declares) thanks to this Texas Chainsaw Massacre-themed shirt featuring Leatherface chasing after two children. For the giftee who’d rather be watching scary movies in Woodsboro, this Scream shirt showcases Ghost Face staring longingly through a window, hoping to be invited in for a kiddo’s next binge-watch session. Either way, these shirts could be a great option for the horror movie lover who loves tongue-in-cheek swag.
Buy them: Scream shirt, Texas Chainsaw Massacre shirt
5. Bride of Chucky Funko Pop! Figurines; $20-$29
As murderous dolls go, Chucky from the Child’s Play series is perhaps the best known (sorry, Annabelle). But in 1999’s Bride of Chucky, the wisecracking killer got hitched to Tiffany and found the perfect partner-in-crime. Now, you can grab Funko Pop! versions of the slasher genre’s cutest couple and keep them boxed up and out of trouble, where they belong. If your giftee has any Heart of Damballas hanging around, you might want to tell them to be careful though, just in case these two Funkos start getting any wild ideas.
6. Freak of Horror Coloring Book; $8
Coloring books can be fun no matter what age you are, and this one, which is themed around monsters from classic slasher movies, makes a great gift for anyone who enjoys a little blood and guts during their relaxation time. Featuring Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, Pennywise (not technically a slasher movie villain, but we’ll let this one slide), and others, this 25-page book is sure to keep your giftee entertained for many spooky nights to come.
Buy it: Amazon
7. Quiltface Studios Candyman (2021) Poster; $40
The new Candyman film revisits the legacy of the iconic boogeyman, but also brings the story into the modern era. This 18-by-24 screenprinted poster by Quiltface Studios is available for pre-order now and features imagery fans will know and appreciate from the film, including Candyman’s legendary hook. It’s also numbered and signed by artist Chris Garofalo and could make a terrific collector’s item for the art lover and horror aficionado in your life.
Pre-order it: Storenvy
8. Halloween III: Season of the Witch Original Soundtrack LP; $32
John Carpenter and Debra Hill, co-writer and producer of the original Halloween, initially envisioned the series as an anthology, and after collaborating on the 1981 sequel, returned as producers for 1982’s Halloween III: Season of the Witch. This divisive third film in the franchise was a critical and commercial bomb when it was released—in large part because it doesn’t feature Michael Myers—but has since been embraced as a cult-classic within the horror community. This soundtrack LP by Death Waltz Recording Co. features all the heavy synth sounds and pulsating beats that John Carpenter and composer Alan Howarth created to make the film so atmospheric. It’s also available on orange vinyl, so it could make a stunning addition to any record collection.
Buy it: Mondo
9. The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker; $14
For most folks, Pinhead is the face of the Hellraiser franchise. But Pinhead and his whole gang of gnarly Cenobites—known as “angels to some, but demons to others”—aren’t actually the focus of The Hellbound Heart, Clive Barker’s 1986 horror novella, which was used as the basis for the first Hellraiser film (1987). If your giftee is a big fan of the flicks but hasn’t actually read Barker’s original story yet, this 164-page paperback is a quick read and could be a great way to help them in their quest to explore the further regions of experience (but maybe not have to worry about being sucked into a hideous hell dimension afterward).
Buy it: Amazon
10. Psycho: Complete 4-Movie Collection; $30
Often credited as the first slasher film ever made (although, technically, the 1960 proto-slasher Peeping Tom came out first), Psycho is a celebrated classic, and more than 60 years later, it’s still making people a little uneasy about hotel showers. Even if your giftee adores Alfred Hitchcock’s original, they might not have seen the sequels that followed, like the 1983 flick Psycho II, which stars Anthony Perkins and has a 60-percent-fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes—no small feat in the realm of horror or sequels. And don’t worry—Gus Van Sant’s critically panned 1998 remake of the original film is nowhere to be found in this four-film set.
Buy it: Amazon
11. Taking Shape: Developing Halloween from Script to Scream; $22 // Taking Shape II: The Lost Halloween Sequels; $28
The Halloween series gets a lot of attention because it really did lay the groundwork for the slasher movie explosion that happened into the 1980s and beyond. In Taking Shape: Developing Halloween from Script to Scream, authors Dustin McNeill and Travis Mullins examine the history of the original film and the evolution of the franchise, as well as its impact on horror overall. In their follow-up, Taking Shape II: The Lost Halloween Sequels, McNeill and Mullins give readers a fascinating look at 24 “lost” sequels, which never made it onto celluloid. For any slasher-movie devotee, these are must-reads.
Buy them: Taking Shape, Taking Shape II
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11 Killer Gifts for Fans of Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Other Terrifying Slasher Movies
Source: Philippines Wonders
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