10 Slasher Horror Movie Openings That Surprised Us All

10. The Mutilator

Buddy Cooper and John S. Douglass' The Mutilator opens in such cheery fashion.

Here, we have an unnamed woman (Pamela Weddle Cooper) happily baking a cake for the birthday of her husband Big Ed (Jack Chatham). The couple's young son Ed is there, gleefully going about his business and waiting for the arrival of his old man so that the birthday celebrations can begin.

Just as you get comfortable with this setting, though, this 1985 effort flips a switch - well, pulls a trigger, technically - and turns this idyllic scene into one of tragedy.

Having cleaned his father's guns, Ed accidentally unloads one, sending a bullet through the wall and into his dear, dear mother, killing her in the process just as Big Ed turns up at the house.

This in itself is a grim moment, but things take a darker turn when Big Ed slaps the sh*t out of his son, debates shooting him, then has a total breakdown that sees Big Ed pour a bourbon for himself and his wife's corpse.

Given this stark opening scene, it's no surprise to see it later revealed that big Ed winds up stalking the now-adult Ed and his pals.