City in Panic (1986)

Directed by Robert Bouvier [Other horror films: N/A]

So this film has a bit of a negative perception for some obvious reasons, but I think it’s a decent film. It’s not great – aspects are certainly amateurish and I think the killer’s identity could have been hidden better – but it’s a decently entertaining slasher, and I’ve enjoyed it both times I’ve seen it.

Let’s talk the controversy first, though – many of the victims in the film are gay men, many of whom have AIDS. AIDS plays a somewhat large part in the film, and obviously that was a heated topic in the 1980’s. It’s not really dealt with in all that sensitive a manner, but it’s also accurate that the gay people in the film aren’t all sterotypical, and there is a character who berates a homophobic cop, so it’s not all negative in it’s portrayal, for whatever that might be worth.

In a way, while insensitive, it’s at least different. In most slashers, women get the brunt of violence, but in the first scene of City in Panic, we see a man getting killed in a shower (quite reminiscent of Psycho), which is a nice change of pace. It’s not a great kill, but seeing a different group being targeted at least keeps things fresh, and leads to a few kills that actually are good.

The best one, of course, would be a castration after one poor man attempts to use a gloryhole. There’s decent blood splatter, and while it’s not overly graphic, it does look quite painful. Another kill took place in a gym – a man doing some upside-down exercises gets attacked, which is at least a unique death. Not all the kills are good, as some are a bit dry (one individual gets run over by a car), but when they get them right, it’s enjoyable.

It’s also worth mentioning that the killer here has a good giallo look to them. A long trench coat, a fedora, black gloves – this killer could have been in any number of Italian movies back in the 70’s, and while I think they perhaps mishandled the identity of the killer here, I do rather appreciate the retro look they have.

David Christopher Adamson didn’t do bad as a lead, but as with many characters in the film, I don’t think we really get a great handle on him. He’s a radio host who seems moderately liberal (supports gun control, and also supports ‘law & order’), but we just don’t learn all that much that makes us care for him. Edward Chester’s attitude toward homophobic cops was one I appreciated, and as a homophobic cop, Derrick Emery did well. I’m mixed on Lee Ann Nestegard, but I did love Ron Rynka’s dancing (as the male stripper named He-Man, he was quite a hoot).

City in Panic isn’t the best slasher from Canada, and it’s sometimes problematic in it’s approach on a rather sensitive topic, but I’ve seen this one twice, and I keep having a good time with it. It can be a bit slow, but it’s engaging throughout, and City of Panic is worth seeing, at the very least, if you’re a fan of 80’s slashers, or if you want to see what a Canadian giallo might feel like.

7.5/10