Okay, this one generated some controversy for using footage of horror icon Christopher Lee expounding on the occult for a supposed documentary that ended up being purchased by the film's producers in order to bookend the movie and punch up its marquee value with a name actor. Lee was understandably angry at the state of affairs and attempted to sue, only to back down when he realized it would result in a financial quagmire for himself. That's all been covered. What I'd like to talk about is the film itself.
Despite its exploitation-style title, MEATCLEAVER MASSACRE isn't a slasher movie. What we have is supernatural revenge flick, with the well-worn trope of a college professor who is an expert in (and practitioner of) the occult, specializing in evil pagan spirits that can be summoned to avenge wrongs. The trouble starts when the dear professor publicly berates one of his students, a sneering tough guy with anger management issues who takes the professor's drubbing as an assault on his worth. Allowing his rage to metastasize into full-blown psychosis, the creep convinces three of his buddies into going over to the prof's digs to have a talk. Drunk out of their skulls, the four descend on the professor's home where they proceed to attack the family, resulting in the wife, son and daughter being killed. The professor is rendered paralyzed and unable to speak. But things start to get hairy for the four goons, as one by one they get what's coming to them . . .
This shouldn't be as good as it is. The filmmakers clearly weren't novices, so there aren't any lingering shots of nothing or 5 minutes of passing landscape via a car window--MANOS THE HAND OF FATE it isn't. The shots are well composed, especially the death sequences of the goons, and there is even a black and white dream sequence that puts out a CARNIVAL OF SOULS vibe. Most of the actors never graced a movie screen again, but there isn't really a bad performance among the main actors. Larry Justin nails his role as the head creep Mason. With his Me-against-the world attitude and narrow face perpetually twisted into an angry scowl, he convincingly plays a young man about to pop off at any moment. Justin had a bigger career than most of his co-stars, appearing in a few exploitation titles before dropping off the radar. Doug Senior, as the baby-faced Dirk, plays his part as a guy totally in over his head, and you actually feel sorry for him. There's even a bit more character development for him, and we're privy to his interior monologue as he ruminates about how things were beginning to look up for him until, well, until. Senior managed to stay in the business for several decades, transitioning into television and working as late as 2015. J. Arthur Craig, as Wexler the detective, puts the clues together to find the killers, all while seemingly benefitting from frequent trips to an all you can eat buffet. Not sure if Craig was dubbed, but if he wasn't, the man could have found his niche in voiceover work--the guy sounds like a poor man's Orson Wells!
Overall, you get the feeling that this was a movie that wants to be better than it is--that even had the capacity to be better than it is--but was hamstrung by lack of funds, behind the scenes problems, meddling producers/financiers, or just plain old bad luck. If any of this is true (and in low budget indie films, it more often than not is) then the deceptive and unscrupulous adding of the Christopher Lee footage (as well as the psychotronic title) might have been a last-ditch effort to get distributors to prick up their unholy ears and put the film onto screens and in front of viewers. That's all conjecture, and, while it's no lost classic, this film seemingly aspired to be better than some flash-in-the-pan Ed Wood or Andy Milligan abomination. It's just unfortunate that it hasn't been appreciated more, if not for what it is, then at least for its intent.
Despite its exploitation-style title, MEATCLEAVER MASSACRE isn't a slasher movie. What we have is supernatural revenge flick, with the well-worn trope of a college professor who is an expert in (and practitioner of) the occult, specializing in evil pagan spirits that can be summoned to avenge wrongs. The trouble starts when the dear professor publicly berates one of his students, a sneering tough guy with anger management issues who takes the professor's drubbing as an assault on his worth. Allowing his rage to metastasize into full-blown psychosis, the creep convinces three of his buddies into going over to the prof's digs to have a talk. Drunk out of their skulls, the four descend on the professor's home where they proceed to attack the family, resulting in the wife, son and daughter being killed. The professor is rendered paralyzed and unable to speak. But things start to get hairy for the four goons, as one by one they get what's coming to them . . .
This shouldn't be as good as it is. The filmmakers clearly weren't novices, so there aren't any lingering shots of nothing or 5 minutes of passing landscape via a car window--MANOS THE HAND OF FATE it isn't. The shots are well composed, especially the death sequences of the goons, and there is even a black and white dream sequence that puts out a CARNIVAL OF SOULS vibe. Most of the actors never graced a movie screen again, but there isn't really a bad performance among the main actors. Larry Justin nails his role as the head creep Mason. With his Me-against-the world attitude and narrow face perpetually twisted into an angry scowl, he convincingly plays a young man about to pop off at any moment. Justin had a bigger career than most of his co-stars, appearing in a few exploitation titles before dropping off the radar. Doug Senior, as the baby-faced Dirk, plays his part as a guy totally in over his head, and you actually feel sorry for him. There's even a bit more character development for him, and we're privy to his interior monologue as he ruminates about how things were beginning to look up for him until, well, until. Senior managed to stay in the business for several decades, transitioning into television and working as late as 2015. J. Arthur Craig, as Wexler the detective, puts the clues together to find the killers, all while seemingly benefitting from frequent trips to an all you can eat buffet. Not sure if Craig was dubbed, but if he wasn't, the man could have found his niche in voiceover work--the guy sounds like a poor man's Orson Wells!
Overall, you get the feeling that this was a movie that wants to be better than it is--that even had the capacity to be better than it is--but was hamstrung by lack of funds, behind the scenes problems, meddling producers/financiers, or just plain old bad luck. If any of this is true (and in low budget indie films, it more often than not is) then the deceptive and unscrupulous adding of the Christopher Lee footage (as well as the psychotronic title) might have been a last-ditch effort to get distributors to prick up their unholy ears and put the film onto screens and in front of viewers. That's all conjecture, and, while it's no lost classic, this film seemingly aspired to be better than some flash-in-the-pan Ed Wood or Andy Milligan abomination. It's just unfortunate that it hasn't been appreciated more, if not for what it is, then at least for its intent.