Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker

WARNING SPOILERS CONTAINED HEREIN. Hilarious over-acting by Susan Tyrrell as Aunt Cheryl, the main psycho of the movie. Susan Tyrrell is the female William Shatner in this regard. Some nice touches she does are licking spilled milk off her son while he's in a drugged sleep; and frenching him after her kills her (well, moments before she dies, that is). Bo Svenson as the police Lt. delivers some ridiculous and nasty homophobic dialogue, and gives a great performance as well. The ending is pure twisted trash with everything going completely berserk, and is the funniest part of the movie- especially with the lame-o music as the credits roll by. Have fun!

Jimmy Lynch (Billy McNichol) is a promising high school basketball player. When he was a child, his parents were both killed in a freak road accident, and has since then been looked after by his loving, but slightly overbearing aunt Cheryl (Susan Tyrrell). He returns home one night to find his aunt holding a knife after killing a maintenance man. She had desperately groped him, shouting that she needs a man, only for him to reject her. Det. Carlson (Bo Svenson) is assigned to investigate, and when the bigoted detective finds out that the maintenance man was gay, he suspects Jimmy of also being a homosexual. He then discovers that Jimmy's basketball coach is also gay, and suspects the murder is a result of a big gay love triangle. When I was deciding which Video Nasty to watch next by reading up about them on Wikipedia, this film, also known as Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker, certainly caught my eye and sounded more interesting than the likes of Faces of Death. A Video Nasty exploring homophobia and incest, whilst mixed with a bit of gruesome violence? I was sold! As usual though, I was left disappointed. While the film certainly raises itself above tedium every now and then, it is no more than a standard psycho- biddy film, and those aforementioned themes left relatively unexplored. However Tyrrell turns in an effective performance, and Bo Svenson is certainly very funny (although I doubt that was the intention) as his rather dated gay-bashing cop. Not the worst Nasty by a long, long way, but certainly a missed opportunity. And watch out for a young Bill (listed here as William) Paxton. www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (1982) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Billy became an orphan at the age of three when his parents were killed in an accident. He went to live with his Aunt Cheryl (Susan Tyrrell). Fourteen-years after the accident the aunt is still watching and caring for Billy (Jimmy McNichol) but when he starts to show interest in another girl and in moving away it causes the aunt to slowly breakdown into madness. BUTCHER, BAKER, NIGHTMARE MAKER is a film that i had heard about long before I actually got a chance to see it. I had heard some pretty crazy things about the picture but in all honesty, nothing you read can prepare you for what an incredibly strange picture that you're going to see. I've seen a lot of very weird and very surreal movies in my life but there's really not another picture out there like this one. Is that a good thing? Probably so because this thing is just so out there in so many ways. It's hard to label this film but it's certainly not a slasher as some have labeled it. To me it fits in with the "hag" movies from the 1960s like WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? as you've pretty much got an incredibly strange older character who is beyond anything you've ever seen. Tyrrell certainly steals the picture as the bizarre aunt who is constantly pouring out this strange sexuality towards her nephew. The entire performance is just so out there yet it's never over-the-top or campy. It's hard to even say if it's a great or bad performance. It's just so original, so different and so strange that it's hard to believe what you're watching. Another thing that really stands out is the Detective Carlson character played by Bo Svenson. There's a murder that happens early in the picture that Carlson is investigating and his main goal is to pen it on Billy who he think is a homosexual. This character has a certain hatred of gay people that is rather striking to see. Look, I know this type of thing was different in 1982 than it is today but the hatred shown here is still pretty eye-opening and shocking. The way the homophobic attitudes hang throughout the film and play into the story just adds a touch of craziness. For the most part the performances are good. As I said, Tyrrell is just something else. Svenson is excellent in his role as he plays the part extremely tough and unlikeable. You've got a nice performance by Julia Duffy as the girlfriend and McNichol is good in his role as the adult Billy. Britt Leach adds good support as does Steve Eastin. You'll also notice Bill Paxton in an early role. As weird as this movie is, there's no question that there are some major flaws with the picture. The timing isn't all that good and I'd argue that there's not enough tension throughout the picture. The middle portion of the picture also really drags in spots as the story never really progresses as it should. With that being said, BUTCHER, BAKER, NIGHTMARE MAKER is just so strange that it's impossible not to recommend it.

When I watched NIGHT WARNING (what a terrible nonsensical title!), I had a vivid sense of deja vu because the movie reminded me a lot of EPITAPH, a movie about a psycho mother who torments her daughter. Though EPITAPH was made after NIGHT WARNING, I saw EPITAPH first and still prefer that one over NW. Unlike EPITAPH, which had a creepy voyeuristic aspect to it that fitted the story, NIGHT WARNING looks like a TV movie (with a couple of * scenes thrown in) and never creates a level of creepiness that EPITAPH achieved. The main story-line, about the demented sheriff going after the kid because he thinks the teenager is gay, was stretching the whole crux of the movie to the point of ridiculousness. The story ended up looking like a bloody THREE'S COMPANY episode. Plus, the sheriff was a total nutcase and was more scary than the demented mother, who was supposed to be the main villain. All in all, I have to say that the movie was almost totally forgettable. Not scary. Too long. Contrived. And the acting, except for a few actors, was mostly bad.

I don't know what movie y'all are talking about because this is terrible. If it's camp, camp is supposed to be fun. The direction is stodgy. The script is a mess, and uninspired. Everyone in it, including Susan Tyrell, is awful. And can we talk about McNichol? Not only can he not act, he can't dribble. Skip this one.

If you've seen a million cheap 70's/80's horror movies with bodies in the cellar, 'shocking' revelations, and dreary drama interspersed with a few gory killings then you might consider this a notch above the rest. Not that there's anything original about it, but director Asher (whose claim to fame are directing TV sitcoms and those beach party movies) has a good handle on the demented nature of this material. He deliberately paces it only to finally unleash it all for a very twisted and kinetic climax. He also shoots a very well mounted, realistic looking car accident at the beginning. Basically the story concerns a very possessive aunt (Tyrrell) who goes completely over the edge when her 18 year old Billy decides to move out. Seems hard to believe that a kid could be living with someone for 14 years and only when he's ready to leave does he realize what a nut she is. Then again if you have a part for a good looking kid that is dull, simple, and clueless then Jimmy McNichol (you know Kristi's brother) is the perfect person to fill it. Tyrrell is fantastic, but then she always is with these types of roles. Her performance though is almost equaled to that of Bo Svenson. His brash, gruff, unorthodox investigator character becomes almost as frightening as hers. Great chance to see young Bill Paxton and pre NEWHART Julia Duffy (you even get to see her topless). A real refreshing change of pace here where believe it or not, NONE of the victims are oversexed, screaming teenagers.

If ever a horror movie could be accused of throwing in everything but the proverbial "kitchen sink", "Night Warning" is that movie. With homosexual bashing, a nod to "Psycho", and a furious mother - son fixation, this film doesn't quit till all the cliché's are covered. The opening has a rather impressive car crash, that sets a somewhat intricate story in motion. Susan Tyrrell is in full deranged mode, and Bo Svenson is despicable as the investigating lieutenant. His entire investigation is built on "air castles' with homosexual overtones. Eventually the wheels of sanity come off, and Tyrrell gives a memorable performance that by itself carries the film into above average territory. - MERK

I'd heard about Night Warning, I was fortunate enough to see it at a weird-film society showing, and I finally found it sitting in a bin in Tulsa, Oklahoma. There's one problem with the film, and we might as well deal with it up front. Director William Asher tries hard, but he's got a TV sensibility trying to cope with one of the nastiest scripts ever written and two of the wickedest performances ever turned in by SAG members. In the hands of a master, this thing'd still be playing at midnight showings all over the Western Hemisphere. That aside, Susan Tyrrell's performance alone is worth the price of admission. Bo Svenson's performance alone is worth the price of admission. Julia Duffy's charming, unwrapped little mams together are worth the price of admission. Even Jimmy McNichol doesn't embarrass himself - no, he doesn't, watch it again, he's supposed to be a goofy, horny teenager in suburban/rural Arizona, not a sensitive coffee-house habitue, for godsake. Let's go back to Susan Tyrrell. She puts on a clinic for actresses who want to know what "over the top" consitutes. When she flips out - lordie. All I'll say is that at approximately 1:15 into the movie, when she reacts to Julia Duffy breaking out a window, she makes a move with her head that's the single scariest thing I've ever seen an actor do on film, ever, anywhere, period. (And I've seen Jim Carrey trying to be sincere, thank you.) And Bo Svenson is evil on skates. The script doesn't give him that much to work with, but he rolls right over that little obstacle. WHY does he rant, "I want those deviants off the streets!" Who knows, who cares? There's a story out on the Net that he was a royal pain on the set, and I could easily believe that this was a case of him getting to say things he's always wanted to say in public, and get paid for it. Find this gem at any price. Know it. Live it.

(***1/2 out of *****) I'm surprised this one isn't talked about more (at least, on a schlocky, cult-classic level). It's awesome! Susan Tyrrell ("Flesh & Blood") plays Cheryl Roberts, a frighteningly unstable woman who has to raise her nephew, Billy (Jimmy McNichol), when his parents are killed in a gruesome car accident in the opening scene. Aunt Cheryl's overaffectionate behavior towards her 17-year-old nephew sets the creepy tone for this movie from the first five minutes, but the main plot starts after she stabs a plumber to death for refusing her sexual advances. She claims that he was trying to rape her, so a police investigation starts up that uncovers dark, past secrets and a homosexual love affair between the plumber, Billy's basketball coach (Steve Eastin), and possibly Billy himself. Bo Svenson, acting a little like a gruff, B-movie Nick Nolte, chews up his scenes as the blindly homophobic Detective Carlson. But, Tyrrell is the real star here -- her progression from disturbing, obsessive aunt to all-out, screaming, homicidal madwoman is something to watch. This would probably be a two-star movie or less without her wonderfully tongue-in-cheek performance. On top of that, you get "Newhart"'s Julia Duffy as Billy's girlfriend (if you ever fantasized about seeing Stephanie Vanderkellen topless, here's your chance) and Bill Paxton (credited as `William'), a year after his scene-stealing role in the otherwise-mediocre slasher "Mortuary," in a couple of fun scenes as an a-hole b-ball teammate. My two big complaints with the film are the director's annoying use of slow motion every time someone's about to deliver a killing blow with one sharp weapon or another and a ridiculous textual epilogue (the kind you usually see at the ends of movies based on true stories) that appears before the end credits roll. Also, the front of the video box seems to be referring to a different movie ... ? Otherwise, hunt this one down and watch it with someone you love. HIGHLIGHT: Everything that happens after Tyrrell cuts her hair short is a highlight, because that's when she goes completely off the deep end and earns her place in B-movie cinema's Hall of Over-The-Top Performances.

This film comes under the category "it's so terrible it's good". Well, almost. It is good in some aspects, it builds up the tension and it also has a fairly good plot. But what makes this more on the terrible side is that it has horrible acting, horrible dialogue and nothing really makes sense. Night Warning may be a fun film to watch, if you can get your hands on a copy, but besides from what is generally a campy film, it is awful in very other way. Just wish this film had more money behind it for it to become fantastic. Everything has been laid out there, and even though I hate remakes, this one may be a good one to do so.