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The Slayer

Original / alternate title: The Slayer
1982   |   USA   |   Supernatural slasher / horror

A woman plagued by apocalyptic nightmares joins friends on an isolated island, only to find that her visions may be bleeding into reality. The Slayer combines stalk-and-slash mechanics with surreal dread, creating a film that feels as much like a nightmare spiral as a body-count movie.

Film details

Original / alt titleThe Slayer
Year1982
DirectorJ. S. Cardone
CountryUSA
RuntimeApprox. 80 min
Main castSarah Kendall, Frederick Flynn, Carol Kottenbrook, Alan McRae

UK status

DPP 72 — DROPPED / ACQUITTED

Included on the DPP 72 and dropped rather than successfully prosecuted.

Current UK position:
A highly regarded cult horror title, especially admired for its dream logic and final-act sting.
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Why it caused controversy

The film was placed on the DPP list during the panic because its unclassified VHS release and supernatural slasher / horror content were considered potentially obscene. The case was later dropped, acquitted or not successfully pursued, so it did not become one of the final 39 successful prosecutions.

UK censorship / Video Nasties history

A quick status check first, followed by the film’s censorship timeline. A DPP prosecution was an obscenity case against a particular video publication — it was not automatically the same thing as a permanent nationwide “ban”.

DPP listYes — DPP 72
Prosecuted?Dropped / acquitted / not successfully prosecuted
Seized?DPP-listed title; the list was used operationally in police raids, but this archive does not claim every individual cassette was seized
Banned / cut / rejected?DPP-listed, but the case was dropped/acquitted; no permanent national ban follows from that listing alone.
Later BBFC certificateA highly regarded cult horror title, especially admired for its dream logic and final-act sting.
Now uncut / restored?A highly regarded cult horror title, especially admired for its dream logic and final-act sting.

Detailed censorship timeline & facts

1982Released as an atmospheric American horror film.
UK VHS eraBecame known to British collectors during the panic years.
1983–1984Listed by the DPP and later dropped.
Cult growthWord of mouth improved the film’s reputation over time.
Modern eraNow often praised as one of the strongest dropped nasties.

FACTS & TRIVIA

  • The movie is celebrated for its bleak dreamlike atmosphere.
  • Its island setting creates a strong feeling of isolation.
  • J. S. Cardone later directed The Trick or Treats and Black Day Blue Night.
  • Fans often single out the ending as one of the film’s biggest talking points.
  • Its sleeve art is more famous than many of its original release materials.
  • The DPP case was dropped.

Distributor / VHS label

Video release

Archive cover shown is the user-supplied scan. UK distributor / VHS-label attribution varies by edition and is not asserted here without a verified sleeve imprint.

Trailer

Open a search for the original theatrical / VHS-era trailer. This keeps the archive linking to publicly available trailer sources rather than hosting copyrighted film footage.

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Research sources

DPP 72 list ↗
Archive note: the DPP list changed during 1983–84. This site distinguishes the 39 successfully prosecuted titles from the 33 acquitted / dropped titles, and separately labels related censorship-era films.

Related films

I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses1978 • DPP — DROPPED 33
Inferno1980 • DPP — DROPPED 33
Killer Nun1979 • DPP — DROPPED 33
Late Night Trains1975 • DPP — DROPPED 33