Woodchipper Massacre

Jon McBride wrote and directed this shot on video comedy horror 80s flick, about three siblings who are forced to have their mean awful Aunt Tess take care of them for the whole weekend, but when the younger brother accidentally stabs the heartless bad Aunt, they disposed her corpse by chopping it up and then putting it in the Woodchipper! It's a decent home video like film, this one to me lives up to it's potential, give it a Try!

In terms of production values, this late 1980s film is bad. Really bad.Woodchipper Massacre looks to be shot on a VHS camcorder. The images are not very sharp, the colors not very vibrant. This "film" has that faded, low resolution, consumer videotape look.The cast are obviously amateurs. They sound like they're reciting lines. They mug for the camera, and display exaggerated hand gestures and eye rolling. The cousin who threatens the kids is so buffoonish. His dialog is ridiculously over-written -- and then he over-acts, making an already silly character that much more so.Yeah, the script is bad. Ludicrous story. Gaping plot holes. Stilted dialog.And NO EXPLANATION as to what happened to the second body after it exited the woodchipper. The kids only look at the body (which is offscreen), but make no attempt to clean up anything. The camera then shows ... wood chips? A dog goes over to eat something. We presume it's a body part, but we don't see any body parts. We do, once, see a closeup of some wood chips with blood on them, and a bit of (what's supposed to be?) flesh.The sound recording seems to have come solely from the camera's built-in mic. The actors are always raising their voices. Sometimes screaming, often shouting, but always speaking LOUDLY throughout the film. At first I thought it was because the aunt was hard of hearing, but then I realized that, as they were shouting with or without the aunt present, they were shouting for the mic.The aunt is obviously wearing a wig.There is no "massacre." A very low body count. No gore. The deaths very fake looking.In terms of skill and talent, this film is one star. But I'm giving it two because I mostly enjoyed it. I was bored at times, but it was okay.I didn't enjoy Woodchipper Massacre for its own sake, but because it's a piece of horror film history. Consumer camcorders were introduced in the 1980s, and a few amateurs began shooting low-budget features in the VHS format. Okay, porn producers were the first VHS filmmaking pioneers, but they were closely followed by horror producers.So, Jon McBride is a filmmaking pioneer, having earned his brief mention in horror film history.Apart from its historical value, Woodchipper Massacre offers nostalgic appeal. The clothes and art decor is so 1980s, with touches of the 1970s (e.g., the boy's paneled bedroom).Not a great film. Not even a good film. But enjoyable for what it is.

SOV fans will enjoy this, gorehounds won't. This is a horror sitcom without gore. If you expect carnage and meat spatter, you'll be very let down. Understandable. Coming at this as a shot-on-video fan, you'll love this fun movie. If you get in the mindset this is a "horror" sitcom done over-the-top, you can appreciate it. Very niche. If you've seen movies like Cannibal Campout, Black Devil Doll From Hell, and The Basement boxed set, you're a good candidate for liking this movie. Everybody else might want to rent this flick.

This movie is not for everyone, but for those who like supercheesy no budget 80's retro, or anyone who want's to get into film making, this is a course study and goldmine. The movie was shot on a VHS camcorder in the Connecticut home and backyard of the writer/director and star of the film Jon McBride at a total cost of $400, and managed to get worldwide distribution, despite all this, or maybe because of it, I found this film to be really charming, and thoroughly entertaining. Definitely more of a comedy than gorefest (there is scarcely any blood in the film) it has a good pace, several chuckles, horrendous acting, and a fun 80's vibe, I also liked the cheesy casio score to the film. The DVD is packed with extras including commentary track with Jon McBride, interviews with the cast and crew, and previews for other Camp Motion Pictures.

This is a comedy in the style of sitcoms from the 70's and 80's. I found it very likable and funny. The cast was great, and Jon McBride is a very skilled low budget filmmaker.

Camp Motion Pictures has done us all a favor by unearthing this strange yet entertaining gem from the awesome 80s. Jon McBride directed and starred in this one, which plays out like a really bizarre sitcom. Even though it's called Woodchipper Massacre, there are not any splatter or bloody scenes. It is full of offbeat humor though and you just GOTTA love that consumer grade vhs camcorder look! At times you almost feel like you're watching someone's home movies. The special features are also great, and they include interviews with the cast and McBride. Pick this up if you are a fan of SOV films or, dare I say it, bad 80s fashion.

Don't waste your money on this. I've made better movies with my video camera at home. stay far away from this and cannibal campout as both are a waste of cash.I can appreciate a good cheesy, badly acted,directed movie but this is nonsense