6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
An orphaned teenager finds himself being dominated by his aunt who's hell-bent on keeping him with her...at all costs.
Starring: Susan Tyrrell, Bo Svenson, Julia Duffy, Britt Leach, Steve EastinHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is one of those films where even jaded types might read the cast and crew listing, and respond with a hearty "WTF?" The film has one of the more "interesting" casts of its era, with an erstwhile Academy Award nominee, a fledgling teen idol, a future tv sitcom performer, a future big screen leading man, another once and future male action star, and a multiple Tony nominee with some amazing musical theater credits. As if that weren't enough, Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker was directed by a man who himself was probably more associated with television situation comedies than feature films. With all of that going for it, could Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker be anything other than a gonzo delight? Speaking of musical theater, years ago some snarky critic (is there any other kind?) summed up Frank Wildhorn's musical version of Jekyll & Hyde by saying it was "all about the hair", i.e., the different coifs that helped to identify the two alter egos of the titular character(s). Something quite similar might be said about Susan Tyrrell's performance as Cheryl Roberts, who has a perhaps "unnatural" attachment to her ostensible nephew Billy Lynch (Jimmy McNichol). Cheryl's mental and emotional unraveling is at the center of this story, and it includes a rather shocking haircut at one point that Cheryl gives to herself, perhaps comically added to give the audience a pretty major clue as to just how whacked out Cheryl is.
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The back cover of this release states this was "scanned in 4K from the original camera negative". For such a little remembered cult item, this is a really fantastic looking transfer for the most part, though the opening several minutes are probably the roughest in terms of grain thickness, due to an extended optically printed credits sequence. Grain can be quite thick throughout this presentation, but still resolves well, and further potential compression stumbling blocks like a bit of steam in Aunt Chery's kitchen don't provide any real challenges. The palette is very nicely suffused almost all of the time, though there are some occasional ebbs and flows in the warmth of the presentation. Detail levels are excellent in the best lit scenes, where everything from fabric textures to some of the splatter effects are offered with precision. There is some damage that has made it through the restoration gauntlet.
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track that delivers everything well enough, but which can show a just slightly boxy sound, especially with regard to some of the dialogue. A somewhat anachronistic score (for a perceived horror film) by folk artist Bruce Langhorne is presented with clarity. For such a hyperbolic enterprise, dynamic range is still somewhat limited. Optional English subtitles are available.
- Actor Jimmy McNichol (HD; 8:29)
- Actress Susan Tyrrell (HD; 10:55)
- Actor Steve Eastin (HD; 9:38)
- Make Up Effects Artist Allan A. Apone (HD; 4:56)
- Producer Steve Breimer (HD; 12:22)
The fact that this bizarrely gonzo effort was directed by William Asher, probably best known for having shepherded the long running Bewitched starring his then wife Elizabeth Montgomery, will probably be just another "meta" bonus point for some prospective viewers. It's kind of hard to tell if Tyrrell is indulging in some performance art in her interview, but if not, this was evidently not a happy experience for her, something that might also be alluded to in some of the commentary material. One way or the other, though, you're probably never going to forget Aunt Cheryl once you've met her. As your resident Oregonian, I kind of have to love the fact that Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker evidently had its world premiere in the relatively small college town of Corvallis (where both of my sons indeed attended Oregon State University). It evidently did well enough there to warrant a wider release, but this little data point really should be included with other Oregon-centric film trivia, including the fact that films as disparate as The General, Paint Your Wagon and Drugstore Cowboy, among countless others, were filmed here. Joking aside, this is an absolutely lunatic film with one of the most, um, eclectic casts imaginable, not to mention a director who himself is worthy of a Trivial Pursuit category. Technical merits are surprisingly strong in the video department for such a cult item, and audio is also fine, if not quite at the same level. Severin has once again assembled some appealing supplements. Recommended.
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