A
disturbed unemployed slaughterhouse owner
Lester Bacon (Don Barrett) can't get rid of two
businessmen Harold Murdock (Lee Robinson)
and Tom Sanford (Bill Brinsfield) who wants to
buy his property as Sheriff Borden (William
Houck) demands him off the property.
He discovered that his powerful rotund retarded
son Buddy (Joe Barton) has slaughtered two
teenage pranksters Kevin (Joel Hoffman) and
his girlfriend Michele (Courtney Lecara) with his
own meat cleaver cause they were tormenting his
hogs and trespassing in his property after
drinking and partying nearby so this gives Lester
an idea. He tells Buddy to put away both Harold
and Tom along with Borden so their troubles will
be over.
Lester calls both Harold and Tom up to discuss
stuff over only to set Buddy out to slaughter the
two businessmen.
Borden realises that neither Kevin or Michele arrived
home yet and that his deputy is missing plus that
he discovers that Harold hasn't returned to his
office since being at the Bacon's slaughterhouse
so he decides to do some researching.
A bunch of teenagers lead by the Borden's
daughter Liz (Sherry Bendorf) decides to
record a video in the slaughterhouse. Buddy
spotted them trespassing so he knows who to hunt
down the next time they arrive arrive on their
property again.
Liz and her friends then go to a pig-out fest
party in their local county at night. Suddenly
there's a thunder storm which caused a power
outage so a couple of the mischievious partying teenagers who recorded their video at the closed down slaughterhouse Skip (Erich Schwartz) and Buzz (Jeff Grossi) dares their girlfirends Liz and Michele (Jane Higginson) to
go back there during the thunderstorm to see who will chicken
out first for a 20 dollar bet since it's now dark and creepier looking than it is in the daytime.
The terror really happens then especially when
Lester and Buddy finds out that Liz is the
sheriff's daughter and the body count piles up
more.
When I first rented this slasher
film I hated it with a passion as I found it a
little sick. But years later on I thought to
myself "This is a horror film and Rick
Roessler just beefed it up more and wanted
to shock the viewers".
I remember interviewing one of the actresses from
this site and told me that's what horror films
are which is usually very gory and at the time I
wasn't used to more extreme gore than in a Friday
the 13th or A Nightmare On Elm
Street type flick.
Well ever since I ran this site I decided to own
tons of horror films even one's I wasn't crazy
over to refresh my memory to review them. Well I
found this on sale for a good price on DVD with
lots of extra features on it and had to get it.
It was raw and violent as it just shows people
going to the slaughterhouse in most scenes just
to be butchered including your stupid everyday
teenagers. But this film was on a shoestring
budget and it was well done for what it was and
is very 80's cheese horror along with other
typical slasher films during that era but I
enjoyed watching most of retro those types for
what they were.
Along with the sick humor the film is very dark
and gloomy with the slashings so it's to be
watched if you are in the mood for a corny, gory
and campy teenage slasher flick cause this is
exactly what the film is. There are many scenes
that borrow a bit from Texas Chainsaw
Massacre like the dead animals etc.
which I think that's what Roessler was
trying to aim for since it spoofed on many of
those old school slasher flicks.
The beginning was very impressive showing a full
moon giving it a great low budget horror feel to
the film as well as a dipstick deputy and his
wife or girlfriend driving along a pier by a lake
area near the slaughterhouse with teens partying
and drinking during their school break which
looked like alot of fun. It also was one of my
favourite scene's since someone is watching them
and can leave a chill down your spine. Then the
first killings start to happen with two teenagers
messing around at the property as one of them
torments Buddy's hogs. You think to yourself
beforehand that this is not a good idea at all in
which you never know what the owner is like.
Of course the opening starts with real pigs
getting slaughtered at a slaughterhouse which
looked gross but seemed necessary for this film.
Then there's Lester Bacon who is losing his
sanity even more while being forced to shut his
own business and manipulating Buddy to kill off
the people responsible for his bankruptcy in
which is a good psychological feel to the story
with anyone who ever had to deal with politicians
by losing their jobs and wishing they could put
an end to their lives. The story surrounding this
certainly looked dark and demented while watching
as to what is going on after Lester encounters
two teenage corpses giving him an idea proving
that he was never right in the head the first
place.
Of course we have the typical teenagers enjoying
their morning by cruising around in a nice sunny
weather as well as them pigging out on burgers
and fries at a diner discussing the pig out party
their town is putting up which makes you think of
the good times when you were a kid and going to
these places when school is out.
Of course they trespass at the slaughterhouse in
the daytime to make their own music video in
which you wonder to yourself if Buddy will catch
them and butcher them like the other two but he
is watching them for sure. Yet alot of this was
fun to watch which brings out the real teen
spirit with what everyone is doing and having fun
with what they're doing.
But then there's a dipstick deputy discovering
the slaughterhouse with creepy things like a dead
cat hanging on a ceiling which delivers alot of
shocks for the viewers watching this and knowing
that he is going to be toast soon when he
continues to explore.
Then there's the businessmen coming to meet
Lester separately not knowing they're being set
up for deadly events in which these moments
looked gruesome and disturbing by what Lester and
Buddy have in mind using the corpses too. These
moments almost looked similar to an Elm
Street type of feel with the black humor
used from Lester's actions which looked clever
for a slasher flick going to the extreme during
this time period.
Of course the teens have a fun time at the pig
out eating and dancing away with a band
performing while a thunderstorm happens causing a
power outage which looked a bit cheesy but
impressive too. While this happens the teenagers
dare each other to go to the sluaghterhouse
betting money on them. Right away this was
impressive and you think to yourself that this is
a bad idea. A real bad idea.
The scene where they go to the slaughterhouse at
night is the best of them all which it looks
incredibly spooky with the surroundings as well
as Buddy stalking them and hacking these inncoent
trespassers away one by one. It's also a good
message to other teenagers who trespass on a
property to be careful as you may not escape
alive with your luck running out big time. Liz
Borden trying to look for her friends with the
thunder and lightning happening was silent and
greatly done almost in a Halloween type fashion when Laurie Strode was looking for
her friends in a dark quiet house with Michael
Myers waiting for her but it's both Buddy and his
father Lester when she spots the results of
finding her friends which isn't a pretty site at
all.
Just seeing these dead teenagers on the hooks at
the slaughterhouse is scary enough.
Bottom line is this movie is cleverly done but
sometimes there's spaces in between the film not
getting to the horror here and there but it's a
fun look at teenagers having fun but then their
fun has come to an end quarter way through with
their dares. The story is quite slow at first and then quarter way through piles up for the real terror saving the best for last. Sometimes dark comedy and horror
don't mix but this was an acception as it was
both frightening with the odd good humor too. It
both went hand in hand together and can give you
nightmares if you are adjusting to gory teenage
slasher films for the first time. A good drive in
type of hillbilly slasher flick.
Then ending certainly leaves a door open for a
sequel begging you for more.
The acting was quite good for the
most part. At times it can seem a bit hokey but
again this film was a spoof on those old school
slasher flicks so it really sets the mod for it.
Don Barrett (Lester Bacon) who played the
slaughterhouse owner was a natural born character
actor as you can tell and it's too bad he hasn't
done much more film work but maybe he has done
most of it on stage as he can show his true craft
of acting that way and has the talent for it. He
brings his demented character very strongly with
his powerful words and his obnoxious and
aggressive attitude too. A great aggressive
reaction on how good his
business was towards someone else. Does a great job
scolding his onscreen son on what he has done and a nice evil
actions on him telling him what he should do to
the people forcing him to close down his business. Was great by acting insane by using one of his sick kokes using corpses as jury for a trial to kill his next victim. Does well getting crazy with one of the female teens along with doing
some disturbing moments which looked powerfully
done too. He seemed to portrayed a
nice Freddy Krueger type of a personality. He was
the best male actor indeed. Of course he has had
alot of experience doing dinner theatre plays.
Although Joe Barton (Buddy Bacon) has no
lines and just grunts like a pig he performed
very menacing which is just what his character is
all about and knows his role inside out. He
had the good masculine appeal to his role along
with his rough looks. He was convincingly
powerful with how he did stuff and showed some
good evil facial expressions. Plus was great by using brutal force swinging his meatcleaver as well as using a sharp metal object in another part of the story and swinging it at someone's face with full might. Knew on how to drive his killings at an intnse pace.
I found Sherry Bendorf (Liz Borden) a
natural and even has the looks to get other work
as she proved herself to perform well as a
typical teenager. She brings alot of energy with
a nice outgoing nice girl attitude onto the
screen. Does a nice job acting scared while trying to find her onscreen friends alone at night in the slaughterhouse with her nervous speaking trying to keep it together as she does this naturally. She certainly knew how to scream in
horror by what she encounters quarter way through
and certainly knew on how to change her mode for
this. She almost reminds me of that Jamie Lee
Curtis scream queen type of personality. She
has gotten other work in cheesy films.
I also enjoyed Eric Schwartz (Skip) as
the main boyfriend in which he has that certain
appeal that you can cast him in teen comedies
like Porky's, Joysticks or even Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
He knew on how to play a natural teenager wanting
to have a fun and wild time and really knowing on
how to get into this type of character too. He
was a good guy next door type who gets into
mischief at times in which he really made his
part very likeable. A shame he never carried on
with his acting career.
Jane Higginson (Annie) was a Canadian
actress and shows her talents well in this film
too as another typical teenager. She knew how to
come across as someone very innocent girl next
door appeal and at times a little too spooked
about the nearby slaughterhouse in which was
impressive since she came across nicely that way
along with her beautiful looks too. Good concerned looks as well as her wondering about the pigs nearby
and why they're acting strange which seemed
impressive and spooky like as well as her telling
the others to go as she feels spooked being out
at the pier at night. A
good anxious reaction when she spots someone about to kill one of her onscreen friends. She made it
in other b-films as well as her role in the
daytime soap General Hospital.
Most of these other actors remained virtual
unknowns.
William Houck (Sheriff Borden) certainly
brought a great strictness to his role as the
head law of the county along with his gruff looks
too. He was quite powerful with his performance
and has a nice strong attitude to what he does in
the film. He brings both a lawman and a family
man together into one. A good demanding actions telling someone that he has two weeks to leave his property. Does a nice job acting nervous and scared towards his onscreen receptionist that something is wrong as he was believeable by behaving like this. He was great while pointing his gun towards a maniac telling him to freeze which he was powerful doing with a good strong voice as well.
There are certain actors that were too
melodramatic like Jeff Wright (Deputy
Dave) who played a dipstick deputy not showing
enough characterisitcs like he was trying but it
flops and also doesn't react too well to certain
things in which he lacks big time. He was too
goofy in his role and not in a good way. Yet a good shocked expression
on his face after what happens to him but his intense painful reactions were lacking big time.
Supporting actor Bill Brinsfield (Tom
Sanford) really knew on how to be aggressive as a
businessman at another slaughterhouse and really
getting to the point with what he does and also
does well yelling and screaming during his death
scene too which looked quite intense. A good demanding
moment telling his fellow actor about
leaving his business. Good nervous expressions
near the end of his scene
and showing great aggressive anger telling him to let
him go when someone grabs him.
Supporting actor Joel Hoffman (Kevin) presented himself very well onto the
camera as a drunken party teen hanging out near
the slaughterhouse area at night bringing a
descent amount of energy although he was the
first one to get killed off by Buddy which was
too bad and does a better job acting in this one
than when I saw him in Slumber Party
Massacre 2.It showed his corpse many
times though as he performed this and not a
dummy.
Plenty of gore in this film but of
course in a horror film that should be expected
regardless so we get what we want.
A guy is whacked in the face with a meatcleaver.
Bloodied corpses are displayed on hooks
A dead cat is hung (I was offended at first as I
love cats)
A deputy's hand is cut off which is extremely
graphic with blood splurting out
A businessman's head was crushed to death
Another businessman was slaughtered in a meat
grinder showing his guts
Last but not least, Lester's head was crushed in
when a vehicle ran him over towards the end.
The coroner has a big job to do.
There
is synthesizer's used in the flick which really
fits for the film itself especially some of the
booming sounds when Buddy is spying on people
trespassing on his property. In the beginning
there's rotating sound effects as well as some
deep grunting sounds too which is quite
frightening. There's also rusty sounds too which
works wonderfully and some howling sounds too for
some slaughtering moments. Not only that there's
some nice high pitched screeching sounds during
the final struggling moments all done by Joseph Garrison.
There's
also a good 80's soundtrack by a band that sounds
similar to Devo with their scores called Vantage Point in which I enjoyed
listening to their keyboard music as well as
their odd guitar riffs too especially their song
for the closing credits.
There's also a rockabilly type of song by a group
called Rock n Billy with their song
"Hot Rod Devils" with some good echoey
vocalising in which this moment was used during
Buddy dressing as a deputy driving around in a
police car which seemed necessary for this scene
even if the song was fairly corny and cheesy.
Lester Bacon: My
god! You've gone hog wild!!!
Lester
Bacon: Buddy's a good boy but he's got
what you'd call basic hygene problems.
Skip: 20 bucks says that you won't last an hour in that
place
Liz Borden (Winks her eye at him) You're on.
Liz
Borden: C'mon you guys you can keep your
20 bucks
Liz
Borden: Annie? Skip? Buzz? C'mon you
guys I've had enough..... I'm ready to call it
quits!
Lester
Bacon: This little piggie went to the
market, this little piggie stayed home and this
little piggy had roast beef and this little piggy
had none... (Points at Liz) and this
little piggie went way way way all the way home (And
he cackles)
Lester
Bacon: Easy son, we don't wanna hurt
her.... Yet! What's your name little girl?
Liz Borden: Liz (Forces out her last
name) Borden!!!
Lester Bacon: Liz Borden? Lizzie
Borden??? Well I'll be a suck egg mule! The
sheriff's daughter?? Lizzie Borden??? Almost
better than having her old man here. And
something for Buddy to play with than himself!!!
Lester
Bacon (After stabbing Sheriff Borden
towards Liz holding up his knife) You're
next little pig!
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