Amsterdamned, Slasher in the Canals

From The Netherlands, 1988's "Amsterdamned." Beautifully filmed in Amsterdam, utilizing the canals, this slasher film has the best motorboat chase ever put on film, and some of the goriest kills ever put in European slasher films.  The scene where the bikini babe gets knifed, north to south, will stick with you long after the end credits roll. Great acting and brilliant direction by Dick Maas, discerning slasher film fans may think they have solved the mystery of the killer's identity, but they will constantly have to reassess.

A fiend swimming through the Amsterdam canals in SCUBA gear finds various victims to butcher. The first killing is a prostitute, and he doesn't only murder her....he creates a gory show for some unsuspecting tourists (see picture above). The murders get gorier, as two men in a boat checking leaks in sewer pipes are cut to pieces by our fiend.  Amsterdam's best detective, Eric (Huub Stapel) is on the case.  The killings, however, continue at a furious pace, and our maniac gets bolder.  As the mayor worries about tourism dollars ebbing, a beautiful blonde in a bikini and inflatable raft is cut in two in broad daylight.  Now our crime spree is making international news.  Eric is a good detective and he is getting closer.  Unfortunately, time is not on Eric's side, and the murders begin hitting closer to home.

Oh yes, Eric develops a love interest, the sultry Laura (Monique van der Ven).  Laura is a widow with a weird psychiatrist (....mmmm, possible suspect?).  As he and Laura get closer, and engage in pre-marital sex, our SCUBA monster goes through the Dutch like crap through a goose.  After Eric spots the SCUBA clad fiend, he engages in boat chase that goes through the canals (...and streets!) of Amsterdam.  This chase will leave both our protagonist, and antagonist bloodied, and expose Laura to a horrific vulnerability.  Who is our psycho?  Will it ever be safe to sunbathe in canals again?

This film works well as a mystery and horror piece, but be warned, the ending is right out of the horror genre.  This film will have you wincing, and the gore is piled pretty high.  The ending is horrifying, and we generally care about Eric, Laura, and their plight.  Available in good quality on YouTube,  pour yourself a Heineken and check out "Amsterdamned."