Year: 1987
Duration: 1:25:19
Directed by: Rick Roessler
Actors: Joe B. Barton, Don Barrett, Sherry Leigh
Language: English
Country: USA
Also known as: Matador, L’abattoir, Slaughterhouse, l’abattoir de l’angoisse, O stages, Bacon Bits
Description: The owner of a slaughterhouse facing foreclosure instructs his 350lbs, mentally retarded son to go on a killing spree against the people who want to buy his property.
Whenever my longing for the good old days becomes too much for me to bear, I often turn to Rick Roessler’s obscure 1987 slasher Slaughterhouse for some much-needed love and affection. The delicate relationship between man and beast, mongoloid and pig is handled with such grace and tender loving care that one often forgets the picture’s oh-so subtle slasher subtext. However, there are many other themes running throughout — loyalty, for example, as well as strength within the family unit — giving this otherwise simplistic horror entry just enough depth to keep those thirsting for thought-provoking entertainment from belching audibly before vanishing unexpectedly into thin air.
The Slaughterhouse saga is a simple yet remarkably brilliant affair: An overweight gentlemen by the name of Buddy (Joe B. Barton) joins forces with his overbearing father to prevent the hostile takeover of their once-thriving slaughterhouse by a local competitor. Under the pretense of caving to the pushy businessman’s generous offer for the land, Buddy and his degenerate daddy lure the unsuspecting fools into the derelict factory, a building filled with an assortment of potentially fatal objects. To sweeten this already delectable side-order of 80’s horror, the filmmakers have sprinkled light teenage tomfoolery across their timeless tale of corporate greed/pig appreciation, creating what many have referred to as “a horror movie I’ve never heard of. Sorry about that.”
So astounded was Rick Roessler with the final cut of Slaughterhouse that he never directed another feature ever again. After all, how does one top perfection? How does an artist overcome the lofty expectations set forth by what is considered by many to be their greatest achievement within their respective medium? For the half-dozen of us who weep uncontrollably at the very sight of a double-decker sausage sandwich topped with melted cheddar and thick, crispy slices of bacon, Slaughterhouse is an unstoppable visual masterpiece surpassed only by Thierry Zeno’s virtually unwatched Vase de noces. With this project, Roessler’s artistic phallus became permanently barren — he can say no more.
The picture’s most blatantly unusual element is the questionable inclusion of morbidly deformed character actor Rocky Dennis as Liz Borden. His brave portrayal of the film’s mannish heroine is truly the stuff of Hollywood legend — you simply cannot tear your eyes from the screen. Rocky’s intense performance is matched note for note by veteran horror thespian Joe B. Barton. Known the world over for his tender approach to the Hitchhiking Biker character found in Jackie Kong’s underrated 80’s curiosity Blood Diner, Barton lovingly brings hulking pig fanatic Buddy to glorious three-dimensional life in ways only a true master craftsman can muster. Never have I been so completely moved by one actor’s skill and ability in front of the camera. Sheer natural genius.
If one or more of your closest friends is a foul-smelling, garbage-munching swine with dreams of satanic world domination, Slaughterhouse is the film that will enhance your meticulously detailed explanation of your surreal childhood to the pasty white yuppies who sip gourmet coffee in front of the library every Tuesday afternoon. Disguised as a mild-mannered slasher inspired by the likes of Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Jeff Lieberman’s Just Before Dawn, Rick Roessler and his talented cast explore such pertinent small town issues as poverty, the unspoken bond between father and son, and the importance of keeping unused industrial machines in tip-top shape in the event of a hostile corporate takeover. Powerful stuff, indeed. Share it with your friends.
Screenshots
Download
on
Cool.
I wanna watch this movie.
But i can find this in web. 🙁