PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I love low budget SOV films and will take them over any mainstream big budget movie that Hollywood vomits out on a regular basis. I particularly love the horror ones that came out in the 80s and 90s, and there is just something about them that make me feel all warm, fuzzy, and cozy inside when I watch them.
I had heard about Woodchipper Massacre but for some reason I had never sat down and watched it. I ran across it last night when I was looking for something obscure to watch and decided to give it a go. I was always curious about it, and it sounded like it might be up my alley and am a little surprised that I hadn’t seen it until now.
So, was it worth it or is this one movie that should have been shoved into a woodchipper and forgotten about?
Keep reading to find out…
Synopsis
A trio of siblings is left under the care of their oddball and overbearing aunt when their dad goes on a trip, and one of them ends up accidentally killing her. Since they had just rented a woodchipper to do some work in the area they decide to throw her corpse into it to get rid of any evidence that they killed her.
I loved Woodchipper Massacre and had an utter blast with it. It was fun, cheesy (in the best possible way), and it had one of the best kid actors in it that I have ever seen in my life. It’s basically what you get when you cross Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead with Fargo, and I honestly loved every minute of it.
Directed by Jon McBride (Cannibal Campout, Feeders) who also co-wrote the script (and appeared in the movie) with Glen Skaggs (who had no other film credits), this movie is an awesome, fun movie that will keep you glued to your seat the entire time. The people behind it made it for around $400 and it shows, but it also shows that they put a lot of effort, heart, and passion into it as well. Sometimes the lower the budget is the better the film is if you ask me, and this movie is a perfect example. Yes, it is corny at times and the acting leaves a lot to be desired, but that it is a big part of its charm and some of the reasons that it just works in general.
The premise isn’t the most original, but I enjoyed it. Dad is going out of town and has his sister watch his three kids while he is gone. Unbeknownst to him though, she is a total kook that the kids can’t stand for several reasons. She is accidentally killed when she tries to take a survival knife away from the youngest child, so the siblings decide to get rid of her body in the woodchipper and make up a story about her just taking off since she wasn’t the most stable person in the world. They think they get away with it until her loser son shows up looking for her because he needs money, and let’s just say that things don’t work out so well for him in the end at the hands of the siblings.
One of the things I enjoyed most about the film is the cast. Don’t get me wrong, none of them are great actors, but at the same time they aren’t the worst in the world either. McBride plays the eldest son Jon, and he is just a likable character in general. Denice Edeal plays his sister Denice, and she is just your typical 80’s teenage girl who is more interested in boys than anything else. Patricia McBride (Night Crawlers, Feeders 2: Slay Bells) is a complete hoot as the aunt, and her overacting is something to behold. She chews up the scenery more than a coked-out Nic Cage on a law mower, and I loved every moment she was on camera.
My favorite character though, has to be the youngest sibling, Tom. Played by Tom Casiello (who later went on to write for The Young and the Restless and Days of Our Lives) who owns every scene he is in and my favorite thing about this movie. He is probably only around eleven or twelve, but he understood the assignment and is a total blast in general as the way he delivers his lines is hilarious and he just has stage presence about himself. While none of these actors may be considered as great by anyone else, I thought they all did a wonderful job and made the movie more enjoyable and entertaining as a result.
While the effects may not be that impressive (what do you expect for 400 bucks?) they are still fun and are awesome in a cheesy sort of way. As I said earlier, the low budget look that the film has is one of its strengths, and to be honest the effects here look better than any CGI effects I have ever seen. If you ask me, they look better than the AI produced ones from the recent Disclosure Day film (that looks like a video game more than anything else) and is further proof that you can make a good movie without having to spend a fortune to bring it to life.
In general, Woodchipper Massacre is just a fun, wonky little movie that is highly enjoyable. It isn’t for everyone, but I dug it. I thought that it was quite awesome, and one of the funniest things about it is that the kids were more worried about getting the yard work done before the dad got home than they were about cramming some folks into a woodchipper.
Check it out if you haven’t seen it, I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.
