High school senior Billy (Jimmy McNichol) has been raised by his Aunt Cheryl (an absolutely dynamite Susan Tyrrell, Angel and it’s sequel Avenging Angel) since the death of his parents in an automobile accident… and let me just say, that particular incident is portrayed as some Final Destination-level shit, and with each passing frame the tragedy becomes side-splitting comedy as the film engages in the largest example of overkill you are ever likely to see!
Any how Cheryl is psychotically possessive of Billy-boy… actually she’s just plain psychotic… and horny, an award-losing combination that results in her stabbing (and killing) a television repairman, Phil Brody (Caskey Swaim) by name, who refuses her amorous advances.
Her excuse was that he was attempting to sexually assault her… a huge-ass lie that is soon proven to be absolute bullshit by the revelation that Brody was a homosexual. That particular factoid is uncovered by hard-ass bigot/extreme homophobe Detective Joe Carlson (Bo Svenson, Walking Tall, Part 2, Wizards of the Lost Kingdom… in a scenery devouring, totally despicable… but strangely captivating performance) who takes on the case with the same tenacity a fly takes to devouring shit… soon blaming Billy as the real murderer thanks to his involvement in a love triangle with Brody and his husband, Billy’s high school coach, Tom Landers (Steve Eastin)… a triangle that only exists in Carlson’s mind.
Will Billy be able to avoid the bum rap while keeping a step ahead of his revoltin’ relative?
Holy hell, long-time TV Director William Asher (working from a screenplay courtesy of Steve Breimer, Alan Jay Glueckman, and Boon Collins) delivers one-hell of an off-kilter cinematic experience with Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker; a psychotronic fever-dream of a fright flick that manages to be a neo-Gothic thriller, fucked-up exploitation flick, and a fun twist on the slasher genre all at once!
As presented, the narrative is located just left-of-center from reality, as every character acts just a bit extra than we would imagine; resulting in a truly heightened atmosphere that is nothing if not surreal, while being totally hypnotizing to the viewer!
No one showcases that batshit flavor more than Tyrrell, who manages to give an overly physical, near silent-film intensity level, performance while managing to be both disturbingly off-putting as well as impossible to take your eyes off from.
It’s that very dichotomy that keeps this one infused with an infectious, manic energy that makes it as insane as it is unique… which equals off-beat cinema gold through and through!
Adding to the fun are an outrageously charming co-starring turn from Newhart’s Julia Duffy, a solid performance from character actor Britt Leach, and an early appearance from Aliens’ Bill Paxton!
The pic also contains an unbelievable sense of mounting insanity… and while the presentation of said insanity is way, WAY over-the-top, it’s still effective because of the complete unpredictability of Cheryl’s actions.
This is accented by the bonkers score from composer Bruce Langhorne that flip-flops from dreamy faux-strings, to jangly synth-laden suspense queues… then you may get a freeform rock odyssey that is contrasted against pieces that would be right at home on an episode of Dark Shadows, which given some of the Gothic elements present (dark family history, a house with secret rooms lit by candle-light) is appropriate… bbut all said and done it’s a score every bit as fractured as the psyche of our antagonist.
By way of trivia, this film also contains some uncredited cinematography from Speed Director Jan de Bont, and editing from Subspecies main man Ted Nicolaou.
Speaking of trivia, there’s plenty to be found over the film’s three audio commentaries (which appear on both the 4K and included Blu-ray editions of Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker) featuring McNichol, co-writers Breimer & Glueckman (moderated by Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson, and Co-Producer/Unit Production Manager Eugene Mazzola. When taken as a whole, they paint a fascinating journey through the film’s production by those that were there!
Also appearing on both disc’s is the pictures theatrical trailer (under the title of Night Warning).
The Blu-ray edition features additional content as well including a host of interviews featuring Svenson, Director of Photagraphy Robbie Greenberg, Nicolaou, and archival chats with McNichol, Tyrrell, Actor Eastin, Make-Up Effects Artist Allan A. Apone, and Breimer… and a TV spot that seems to be playing at a speed that makes it look like you are watching it with motion smoothing on.
Finally a film I can recommend to lovers of psychotronic cinema and Newhart alike (just as the prophecy foretold); Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is an out-of-control diabolical delight and should absolutely not be missed by lovers of bizarre cinema!
