The Butcher (2006)

User Rating:

3.7/10   

Director:

Edward Gorsuch

Writer:

Michael Hurst (writer)

Release Date:

11 July 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Rest in pieces.

Plot:

While driving to Las Vegas with his college friends Rachel, Liz, Atlanta, Sophie and Adam, the selfish and wealthy Mark decides to take a shortcut...

Plot Keywords:

Lifting Person In Air | Pretty Girl | Roadkill | Chainsaw Murder | No Ending

Cast

Myiea Coy	...	Sophie
Hazel Dean	...	Sarah (as April Gilbert)
Ashley Rebecca Hawkins	...	Atlanta
Bill Jacobson	...	Franklin Mayhew
Tiffany Kristensen	...	Liz
April Lang	...	Mrs. Mayhew
Annie Mackay	...	Angel
Tom Nagel	...	Adam
Alan Ritchson	...	Mark
Nick Stellate	...	Sheriff
Pej Vahdat	...	Chip
Catherine Wreford	...	Rachel

Also Known As:

The Harvest (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong horror violence, language, some nudity and drug use.

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Manitoba/Ontario)

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

MRG Entertainment

Movie Connections:

References Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

Soundtrack:

Giving Thrills

Rip-Off of other movies but still good enough to entertain

The script of "The Butcher" was obviously written taking bits from Wrong Turn and The Hills Have Eyes with a little scent of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Although not so violent as the latter, this flick doesn't fail to the genre: Horror.

However I must ask the Screenwriter why he gave the name "The Butcher" to this film. A most suitable name would be "The Insane Family". I'll bet you'll say the same thing after seeing this.

The acting is not bad, the special effects are good and the story doesn't run into the clichés usually made, except for the spoken dialogs. Stupid lines and nonsenses like asking if anybody is there in an obvious empty house and calling for help in the woods knowing that the killer is doing a chase was a completely dumb thing to write making it unoriginal as seen in other films countless times.

I must point out the unreal factor not exclusive of this movie but always seen in others of the same genre. After the death of their female friend, there's some convincing acting about her death, but then is all forgotten and everyone is "cool" and behaving as if nothing horrible has happened.

Nevertheless I found "The Butcher" entertaining and far better than "Venom" and because it showed a good directing and things that were very different from those movies mentioned. We do not see the usual way of a teenager get killed like in Jason Friday 13th or Halloween and we have always the perspective where the killer is and where the victims are.

There's some slow pace at the middle of it and the gore is not intense but all the action and the subsequent end turns this into a mildly enjoyable time spent.

Definitely a good renting. (Actually, the best thing, and if you can, it's to try to see it free).