The Butcher (2007/Korea/Palisades
Tartan Asia Extreme DVD)
Picture:
B- Sound: C+ Extras: C Film: B-
Prepare
to enter a world of terror and blood like never before. A group of people have been beaten, bound and
gagged in preparation to be slowly tortured, cut, dismembered, disemboweled and
finally killed, and all of it taped on film, snuff. Trapped in a bloody slaughter house they must
listen to the cries of those being killed as well as the producers talk about
new ways of filming their final moments.
Their torturer, The Butcher (2007)
wears head of swine as he prepares to carve into their flesh with his
chainsaw...
A tale of murder, not for revenge, not for ransom, but for the entertainment of
others to watch and to profit from it. This
film tells it tell from 2 points of view, the so called director filming the
snuff, and the one being tortured. There
is no background on anyone but movie simply starts with them in the slaughter
house filming the 'show.' What is scary
however isn't the man in the mask, but how the producers nonchalantly taking
about needing new ideas killing and filming their so call 'actors' and 'stars.'
Be forewarned, this not a film for the faint of heart or for those who are
afraid to see blood, but for those who love horror. Banned from the country that made the film
Palisades Tartan Asia Extreme brings The
Butcher to America.
The shocking idea that people profit
from filming the torture and death of others for entertainment, snuff remains
as ugly as anything. The film is simple,
yet gives it a unique twist by a first person view as if the viewer is the one
being tortured. The film gives a sense
of what it feels like to be tied down and helpless, the entire film takes place
in a small enclose slaughter house and it adds to the effect of being trapped
or claustrophobic. The film explorers
the psychological mind of brutality and what person might do when faced with
torture and death and better than many of the exploitive films in the same
cycle.
The anamorphically
enhanced 2.35 X 1 image sort of contradicts the idea this is being taped since
that is not an aspect ratio for such cameras, but looks good for what we
see. The Dolby Digital 2.0 offers simple
stereo and is good, but not great, offering mixed audio as if it were a live
recording. Extras include the original
theatrical trailer, storyboards, stills and an alternate ending.
- Ricky Chiang
