Welcome to Porterville, Maryland, a quiet little town..well, quiet except for the people who end up dead and/or on the menu. You see, the town librarian, Sally Daimon (April Monique Burril), seems like a quiet little gal, but her dark side turns up when she or her family is threatened, or when she gets pissed off..and that’s when Chainsaw Sally comes out to play…
The world of Chainsaw Sally is the work of April and her husband Jimmyo Burril. Originally created to be a horror host ala Elvira, Sally quickly took on a life of her own, and started taking the lives of others. The first entry in the Sally saga, simply titled ‘Chainsaw Sally’ was released in 2004. Written and directed by Jimmyo Burril (as are all the entries in the series), we see why Sally and her brother Ruby ended up the way they are, seeing their parents killed by intruders, her father slaying said intruders with a chainsaw as his last act before dying. In addition, we see a greedy land developer trying to put condos where Sally’s old home is…and she’s not happy about it. The film is bloody fun, with the added bonus of Gunnar Hansen playing Sally’s father, and Herschell Gordon Lewis as the hardware store owner.
The Burrils followed this up in 2010 with The Chainsaw Sally Show, a web series. The series followed her exploits of continued slaughter of townsfolk who make her mad ( littering, parking in a handicapped zone, etc), as well as being pursued by a mysterious man in a cowboy hat (Bill Price). A second webseries ( and subsequent DVD) came out in 2012 . This time, another killer named Angel Eyes ( played by Jimmyo Burril) has come to Porterville and starts claiming credit for Sally’s kills, as well as making things very personal for her… and a clash of killers is inevitable.
The two web series were an improvement on the initial film, with the Burrils getting even better at their crafts. April isn’t just another pretty face (and body), she does a fine job playing the different sides of Sally, going from comedic to maternal concern to flat-out psychotic rage. The supporting cast holds up well, too. Sally’s brother Ruby, played with flamboyant glee in the film by Alec Joseph, is replaced by Azman Toy in the web series. Toy brings a more childlike quality to Ruby, with less drag queen flair. The town cops, Zeke and Earl, are played by Aaron Martinek and Brad Smoley respectively, These incompetent cops are one of the comic highlights of the series. Poe, a young girl befriended by Sally, is played by Lilly Burril, truly making this a family affair. Nicoette le Faye is Miss Busy Bee and Jordan Wyant is Greta Morehead, and both are a joy to watch. Indie Horror Queen Debbie Rochon is also on hand as Blondie, the town psychic/prostitute, and does a great job as usual.
My final verdict? Chainsaw Sally is a great ride. The characters are ones you can care about, the story is well-written and goes places you wouldn’t expect. It’s gory, funny, vicious, sexy…everything one could want in horror entertainment. If you haven’t seen Chainsaw Sally, go check it out. If you don’t, you might make Sally angry…
