Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker

I have to say, it’s nice watching Joe Bob Briggs Last Drive In Theater. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have even known about Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (also known as Night Warning). Which surprises me because I’m a fan of Susan Tyrrell. She plays crazy really well. You get a twist ending, an aunt and nephew way too close for comfort, and a homophobic cop.

<img src="butcherbakernightmaremaker.jpg" alt="Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker.">

Photo Credit: Royal American Pictures

Released: Feb 1982

Runtime: 96 mins

Director: William Asher

Writer: Steve Breimer, Alan Jay Glueckman, Boon Collins

Actors: Jimmy McNichol, Susan Tyrrell, Bo Svenson

PLOT

A teenager finds himself being dominated by his aunt who's hell-bent on keeping him with her...at all costs.

MY THOUGHTS

College is for rich kids and people with brains- you wouldn't fit in–Cheryl Roberts

In Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker there’s about six kills on screen and one implied (though we see their desiccated body). Within the first five minutes of the movie we see a couple die in a car “accident”. It was kind of over the top but I did like the log smashing the driver’s head. The rest are basic stabbings or shootings. Nothing really outstanding. Though you do see a head in a jar.

As far as the acting goes, it’s decent. Not too annoying. Several recognizable actors. We have Bo Svenson (known for Inglorious Bastards and Kill Bill vol. 2) playing a homophobic, asshole cop who does love his dog. And Britt Leach (known for the Last Starfighter, Silent Night Deadly Night, Weird Science, and several tv shows) who plays the other detective who is smart and realizes things are not as they seem.

The great Susan Tyrrell (known for Forbidden Zone, Angel, and Flesh+Blood just to name a few) plays the crazy Aunt Cheryl. She starts off normal but quickly descends into madness when she realizes she couldn’t control Billy. She plays Cheryl crazy enough that you can’t root for her, but you do feel a bit sorry for her. She just seems broken.

Rounding out the cast is Jimmy McNichol (known for several tv movies and shows. He acted along with his sister Kristy McNichol. As well as being a very successful teen heartthrob.) as Billy the nephew accused of being gay and of being a murderer. And Julia Duffy (known for lots of tv work) playing Julie, Billy’s girlfriend.

From the very beginning you know what you are in for. The crazy scene where Billy’s parents leave him with his aunt so they can go visit family, only to end up in a crazy car crash. Fast forward to Billy’s 18th birthday. He wants to bring his girlfriend to his birthday dinner but his aunt says she is his date (wtf?). 

A handyman comes over and poor Aunt Cheryl tries to seduce him but he’s not having it. Not until he insults her and hits her. This sets her off and she stabs the man. Billy walks in to see it. The police show up, and one of the cops is convinced Billy killed the man, even though Cheryl admits to killing him after he attempts to rape her. Unknown to Billy and Cheryl, the man was gay so the cop is convinced that the man and Billy were hooking up and something went wrong.

Meanwhile, Billy is trying to get a basketball scholarship so he can go to the college his girlfriend is going to. But Cheryl is not happy that he wants to leave. So she starts drugging his milk when he has a game that a scout was going to be at. 

Unfortunately, the more Cheryl drugs Billy, the more unhinged she becomes. We see a distinct change in her when she cuts her hair. At this point Billy is suspicious about his past so he gets his girlfriend to distract his aunt while he snoops. 

While Julie is talking to Cheryl, Cheryl clubs her in the head and drags her body into the basement (?). Margie, a nosy neighbor, shows up to kind of snoop around. Billy, while nosing around in Cheryl’s room, finds his birth certificate that says Cheryl is his mother! Margie is sneaking around the house and overhears Cheryl admit that she is Billy’s mom! 

This all culminates in a fight between Billy and Julie versus Cheryl. Cheryl kills anyone who interferes. In the end Billy has to kill the bigoted cop because he just wouldn’t believe them when they said Cheryl was the killer. We later learn he goes on trial for shooting the cop but is found not guilty by reason of insanity. Later Billy and Julie are together and going to College together.

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Overall there was just a lot going on in this movie. We have the main storyline between Cheryl and Billy, then there’s the homophobic cop who won’t listen to anyone, and then the whole storyline between Cheryl and Billy’s dead father. A movie with a decent cast and plot. I would recommend watching if for nothing else but to see Susan Tyrrell.

And now for your Forever Final Girl Exclusive…Did you know?:

  • Though no one involved in the film's creative process has ever given an on-record interview about the genesis for the movie, it apparently began as a novel. A book released around the same time as the movie under the title "Butcher Baker Nightmare Maker" is far more complex than a simple novelization. It includes vivid physical descriptions of the characters that often differ greatly from the actors' onscreen appearance, as well as in-depth backstories for several characters, including secondary characters who receive little screen time. The book also leaves it a mystery until far later in the narrative as to what happened to Billy's parents, and also continues on past the movie's ending, wrapping up the stories of several characters whose fates are not addressed in the film's epilogue.

  • The film (under the title "Nightmare Maker") was one of the original UK video nasties on the DPP 72 list. It was later submitted for a UK video certificate (as "The Evil Protege") in 1987 but was rejected by the BBFC.

  • Nominated for a Saturn Award for the Best Horror Movie of 1982 by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.

  • Despite playing a high school age couple, Julia Duffy was about ten years older than Jimmy McNichol. Duffy was approximately 30 years old at the time of filming.

  • Reportedly, star Susan Tyrell had never seen the film, believing it to be "awful," until an interview in 2008. After watching it Tyrell said she enjoyed the film.

  • Star Susan Tyrell wore a wig through much of the film until her "haircut" during the last half hour. Tyrell's actual hair style was quite short in real life.

  • Jimmy McNichol performed his own stunt for the bit where Billy falls down the attic stairs.

  • Bo Svenson was injured during the filming of his death scene when a special effects man placed an exploding squib on the actor backwards. The explosive blew into Svenson's stomach instead of outward and resulted in a painful burn.

  • Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is the only movie that Ted Nicolaou is credited with the Music Department. He went on to direct several Full Moon movies.

  • Bill Paxton was briefly considered for the leading role of Billy Lynch after a good audition. The producers wanted the role to go to a known star though, and McNichol was cast. Paxton, an unknown actor at the time, was then cast in the supporting role of Eddie.

Check out my other reviews here: Forever Final Girl

Let’s get into the rankings:

Kills/Blood/Gore: 3.5/5

Sex/Nudity: 2/5

Scare factor: 3/5

Enjoyment factor: 5/5

My Rank: 3.4/5

IMDB: 6.3/10

Rotten Tomatoes: critics:  9.2/10  audience:  6.3/10

Letterboxd: 3.4/5