The Butcher (2009)

For nearly twenty years after his boxing career ended Merle Hench works for Murdoch, the capo of a San Fernando mob outfit. Merle spends his days cracking heads and collecting debts, it is ... See full summary »

Director:

Jesse V. Johnson

Writer:

Jesse V. Johnson

Stars:

Eric Roberts, Robert Davi, Keith David

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eric Roberts	...	Merle 'The Butcher' Hench
Robert Davi	...	Murdoch
Keith David	...	Larry Cobb
Geoffrey Lewis	...	Naylor
Irina Björklund	...	Jackie
Paul Dillon	...	Doyle
Jerry Trimble	...	Eddie Hellstrom
Michael Ironside	...	Teddy Carmichael
Bokeem Woodbine	...	Chinatown Pete
Guillermo Díaz	...	Owen Geiger
Julie Carmen	...	Rose
Vernon Wells	...	1970's IRA Commander (as Vernon Maxwell)
Maddy Howard	...	Waitress
Anthony V. Pugliese III	...	The Man from Reno
Duane Whitaker	...	Car Buyer

Storyline

For nearly twenty years after his boxing career ended Merle Hench works for Murdoch, the capo of a San Fernando mob outfit. Merle spends his days cracking heads and collecting debts, it is not a job he enjoys. Cool, calm and collected, soft spoken even, Merle's an anachronism, a man out of place and out of time. His Boss thinks Merle has outlived his usefulness and is expendable. So they set him up to take the fall for a multi-million $ heist of a rival mob boss. A habitual gambler on a 20 year losing streak, Merle's luck turns as he survives the trap and winds up with a piece of the take and the girl. Merle might have been content to just disappear and spend his windfall with Jacqueline. But the betrayal of his loyalty for 20 years snapped something inside. Merle Hench, otherwise known as the Butcher is slow to anger yet quick to act, he's learned to live and let live to keep on going, but not this time. Everyone thought his nickname was a joke, what they didn't know was that Merle ...

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Plot Keywords:

cult film | strong female character | woman wears a bra and panties | nickname | debt | 

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Taglines:

never gamble when you are desperate ...

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Merle kept saying the charger was a original 69 charger. To bad its actually a 71/72 charger.

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Goofs

When The Butcher considers selling his muscle car, he advertises it to the potential buyer that this is a 1969 Charger. This is not correct, as the body styling and interior featured on his car wasn't introduced until 1971. (It's either a 1971 or 1972 model.)

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Connections

Referenced in Cult Legends and Rising Stars: Cult Legends: Bokeem Woodbine (2016)

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Soundtracks

Brilliant Blue
By Keaton Simons
By Arrangement with Terrycloth Edwards Publishing BMI

User Reviews

Kickass action movie that fizzles out

Over-the-top violence with an incredulous plot line. Why the police never catch up to this guy just further eludes to the fairy-tale concept. Reminds me of a film noir minus the black and white. A lot of 1940's themes, cheesy lines and concepts set in the modern age. The movie is filled with violent bloodbaths mirroring that of a Steven Seagal fight scene. How this guy comes out on top is clearly some well executed choreography. It leaves the viewer in utter disbelief. It basically takes a turn for the worse and loses momentum like a lead balloon like the director gained a terrible drug addiction and just didn't care anymore. I almost feel like I've been violated. This one is probably a good film if you're on a psychedelic drug because it is all hype and little else.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 July 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Butcher

Filming Locations:

1751 E Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

World Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1