Director – Rick Roessler
Starring – Joe B. Barton (Blood Diner, Sledge Hammer!), Don Barrett (Hobgoblins, Desperation Rising), and Sherry Leigh (Demon Wind, Born Killer)
Release Date – 1987
Rating – 3.5/5
Blu Release – 4/5
Growing up I would come across so many movies that I wanted to see only to fall short for some unexpected reason. I would often venture to the local video store to grab a movie. Once I had my sights set on one gem I would immediately see a few more that peaked my interest and vow to check them out next time only to be heartbroken when I returned to find them already rented to someone else.
The first film to do this to me was Dellamorte Dellamore, aka Cemetery Man. It took me almost 5 years to finally finish the film. Almost every time I went to rent it I would find the film already rented to someone else. After suffering for years with this a friend of mine finally bought it on VHS with the rise of eBay. Sadly, the tape screwed up only minutes in. It wasn’t until Anchor Bay released it on DVD that I was able to finally watch it.
Another film that I always looked forward to seeing was the 1987 slasher Slaughterhouse. I loved the VHS art for the film but so did others because I only found it on the shelf once and never again when I wanted to check it out. I found the DVD in a thrift store a few years ago after I had joined Horror Society. I grabbed it but reviews took all my time so I never got to check it out. Not long ago my friends over at Vinegar Syndrome released the film on blu and was kind enough to send it my way. I was finally able to make time. That Vin Syn for hooking me up like always!
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows an old man and his mentally unstable son who own their own slaughterhouse and meat processing plant. The two had fell on hard times and find themselves about to be foreclosed on. Facing financial ruin the man sends his cleaver wielding son to kill those trying to take his property after discovering he had already killed two local teens. Soon a group of aspiring filmmakers looking to shoot a horror film in the slaughterhouse find themselves in the middle of the old man’s bloody revenge.**Spoiler Alert**
Deep down I knew the film wouldn’t be the best slasher I had ever seen but it couldn’t have been bad. Hell, I could never find the damn thing on the shelf at the video store so it had to be decent so I went into this thinking it would be mediocre at best. I was very surprised by the film and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The acting for this one is surprisingly entertaining. When it comes to slashers the last thing people notice is the acting. Most of the time the acting in a slasher is very weak but people are too focused on the killer and the kills to worry about the acting. With that being said, Slaughterhouse has a great cast. When this comes to slashers this one has one of the best supporting casts I’ve seen. Everyone makes the film enjoyable and helps the story along just fine. I truly enjoyed Joe Barton’s performance as the killer. He was truly in tune with his character and delivered one hell of a performance. I wish we would have received a sequel or Barton had found himself in a similar role.
The story for this one is not your typical slasher. The slashers of the early 80s relied on the mystery of who the actual killer was. Was is someone that was wronged only to come back years later to exact revenge or was it a surviving relative who has survivor’s guilt? Has slashers progressed they adapted and changed. We started getting the killers at the beginning of the film and watch them as their body count grows. This one is part of the newer age of slashers from the late 80s. The film has a good pace and well written characters. The killer is memorable and the setting is fun.
Finally, the film has several on screen kills and these were the only real let down the film offered. The kills were very weak and unimaginative which truly sucked considering the killer had an awesome weapon. The effects are minimal which is another damn shame. Overall, Slaughterhouse is an underrated slasher from the second part of the 80s. The cast is great and the story is very unique in terms of slashers but the kills were a big let down. This one was well worth the wait. Check it out.
Special Features:
2K Restoration
Commentary
Interviews
Making a Low Budget Indie Featurette
Producing Slaughterhouse Interview
Archival Interviews
Epilogue: 30 Years After the Slaughter
Radio Interview Featurette
Local News Coverage of the Premier
Behind The Scenes
Outtakes
No Smoking Slaughterhouse Snipe
Trailers
TV Spots
Radio Spots
Shooting Script Gallery
Reversible Cover
Subtitles
