The Mutilator (originally titled Fall Break) is a 1984 American slasher film written, directed and produced by Buddy Cooper, and co-directed by John S. Douglass.

Years later, Ed, now in college, is asked by his father to close up the family's beachfront condominium in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, primarily used by the latter as something of a clubhouse for himself and his hunting partners.

According to writer and co-director Cooper, the MPAA originally wanted to assign the film an X-rating, which the filmmakers rejected due to its association with pornography.

Contemporaneous newspaper reports show that The Mutilator screened in Raleigh, North Carolina, as Fall Break beginning January 6, 1984.

[4] Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times criticized the film upon its theatrical release, deeming it "a dull, amateurish shocker whose most striking characteristic is its complete lack of any ideas, good or otherwise.

It hearkens back to a time when the real stars of horror cinema were the effects, with each kill representing a new creative challenge for the makeup maestros.

"[10] In a retrospective, Chris Coffel of Bloody Disgusting praised the film, writing, "The Mutilator contains all the classic slasher tropes.

"[11] Film scholar Jim Harper notes in his book Legacy of Blood: A Comprehensive Guide to Slasher Movies, "Although not a gore classic, The Mutilator is bloodthirsty enough to keep gorehounds happy, and just interesting enough to keep hold of viewers through the slow parts.

[13] In November 2015, the company announced they had delayed the release after they found a fully uncut 35 mm print of the film held at the U.S. Library of Congress.