William Lustig's low budget slasher entry of 1980 was fondly-remembered, in as much as the story of a deranged young man who kills and scalps his victims can be thought of that way! As with other grungy, micro-money horrors such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, enterprising producers sought to remake the mini-masterpiece, bringing it bang up to date and including a coat of twenty-first century gloss for good measure. Who did Franck Khalfoun want for the part Joe Spinell made his own thirty years previous...? Elijah Wood. Yes, the dewey-eyed, adorable presence who made Frodo's journey to the heart of Middle Earth that little bit sweeter. The Hobbit hole dweller shaving the hair off his toes and roaming the streets at night butchering unfortunate young women... audiences were praying for Samwise Gamgee to pop up behind him, give him a slap, and tell him to stop being so ridiculous! There's casting against type, and then there's getting a puppy to poo on your neighbour's doorstep. Some things just aren't done, and soiling the minds of Lord Of The Rings fans forever falls squarely into that category! In the same sense that Gollum would look weird starring in High School Musical, so Wood appeared wildly out of place here.
I am a journalist and comedian who enjoys American movies of the 70s, Amicus horror compendiums, Doctor Who, Twin Peaks, Naomi Watts and sitting down. My short fiction has been published as part of the Iris Wildthyme range from Obverse Books.
