The Burning

Name: The Burning
Genre: Horror
Released: May 8, 1981
Duration: 91 min
Rating: 42
Cast: Brian Backer, Brian Matthews, Carolyn Houlihan, Carrick Glenn, Fisher Stevens

1981

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 5 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

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The Burning

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Movie Details & Credits

Filmways Pictures | Release Date: May 8, 1981 | R

Starring: Brian Backer, Brian Matthews, Carolyn Houlihan, Carrick Glenn, Fisher Stevens, Jason Alexander, Larry Joshua, Leah Ayres, Lou David, Ned Eisenberg

Summary: A former summer camp caretaker, horribly burned from a prank gone wrong, lurks around an upstate New York summer camp bent on killing the teenagers responsible for his disfigurement.

Director: Tony Maylam

Genre(s): Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 91 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Notable mostly for its prime-era Savini bloodshed and a few quick glimpses of a young Holly Hunter (uttering about as many lines of dialogue as won her an Oscar a dozen years later for The Piano), returning to The Burning three decades later is like contemplating any summer at camp: Peel away your nostalgia, and you’ll be left with 20-second sex bouts and insect bites. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

A few effectively directed sequences and special makeup effects by Tom Savini (most of which were cut to avoid an "X" rating) are the only reasons to sit through this terribly familiar material. Read full review

Gary Arnold

The repeated fake-outs even lead one to entertain the fond delusion that The Burning might be absent-minded enough to diverge into harmless farce and end up as a rehash of "Meatballs." Regrettably, once Cropsy strikes again, he can't seem to stop, and the movie keeps him company by going methodically beserk. [28 May 1981, p.D11]

Empire Kim Newman

The best thing about this is Tom Savini's superb, uncensored special effects. Read full review

Janet Maslin

The Burning makes a few minor departures from the usual cliches of its genre, though it carefully preserves the violence and sadism that are schlock horror's sine qua non. Read full review

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User Reviews

Computey18

Oct 18, 2022

Now this is a Good example of a Slasher film Done right, Likeable Characters, a Good Villain and very gory kills. Whats not to like about this film.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

villain_edits

Feb 28, 2022

Bem divertido, só não gostei muito dos personagens, eu tava meio que torcendo pra quase todos morrerem mesmo, um personagem que eu queria muito que morresse ficou até o final e além disso demora pra engrenar com as mortes e tals. Mas vale a pena pra quem é muito fã de slasher.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

HellHoleHorror

Feb 15, 2022

This definitely is not original. The story has been seen many times. On the plus side the cast is great, the effects gory and the atmosphere quite good. It is very predictable from beginning to end but this makes it better somehow. The scares are silly but they do make you jump and that isThis definitely is not original. The story has been seen many times. On the plus side the cast is great, the effects gory and the atmosphere quite good. It is very predictable from beginning to end but this makes it better somehow. The scares are silly but they do make you jump and that is all that you want from this type of film. Overall it is an unoriginal classic slasher before the swish Scream (1996) ages.… Expand

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