The Daily Dig: Shredder (2001)

In the vein of eighties teen horror, it’s as campy as you’d want and expect, and all the tropes and stereotypical gags are present.

A group of teens heads to a ski mountain for partying and shredding, only to find themselves hunted by a ski-mask-wearing killer. Let’s dig into 2001’s SHREDDER, directed by Greg Huson!

As I See It

Cole? Skyler? Kimberly Van Arx? The whole film is written like an Aspen wet dream in the late nineties.

Bougie and punchable seemed to be the tone they were going for. It makes everyone more killable, and the audience will root for the slasher.

The film opens with a kill. That sets the expectations for what kind of film you’re in for. Lots of kills using the surrounding tools and little reason. The killer is as predictable as can be, and the little misdirection to get you off that trail (see what I did there?) is too weak for success.

They stay tongue-in-cheek throughout, including Skyler’s line, “You can’t kill me, I’m still a virgin.” It worked in other films without stating so, but of course, it won’t work here.

The climax diatribe about skiers is something to behold as Cole goes on his goading, anti-two-planked speech to try and lure the killer from the darkness. Put some logs on the fire, warm up some adult hot chocolate, and settle in for a winter horror.

Famous Faces

Scott Weinger (Cole) was the DJ’s dopey boyfriend Steve in the 1990s Friday night staple Full House and returned for the subsequent Netflix reboot Fuller House.

Lindsay McKeon (Kimberly) cut her teeth on nineties sitcoms like Boy Meets World and a reboot that fell short, Saved By The Bell – The New Class. Later on, she would feature in Supernatural as Tessa/The Reaper.

Brad Hawkins (Christophe) played the Gold Ranger in Power Rangers Zero.

Of Gratuitous Nature

There is plenty of sexuality present in the first half hour but no nudity. It almost seems like they were trying to make the film suitable for TV without much cutting, until… the sex scene where they use the old school red long underwear to their advantage for a shot. That’s the gratuitous sex and nudity I expected here.

Heartthrob

They knew exactly how to cast for the era. Thinking back to my own proclivities from that point in time, if I had seen this film at the time, a couple of film crushes could have emerged from this cheese-fest — with Lindsay McKeon leading the charge.

Ripe for a Remake

Nope.

Spawns

No progeny to report.

Where to Watch

Ronin Flix put out a Blu-Ray with some stellar new art from Devon Whitehead. You can rent it on Apple TV.