B.C. Butcher

If you are looking for a serious movie, then you couldn't be more wrong. But as a parody of prehistoric amazon cannibalism sexploitation slasher genres, this is right on the spot.

B.C. BUTCHER is a trashy non-starter set in prehistoric times and put out by Troma, who I imagine were the only ones who would dare added their brand to this kind of trash. The film is advertised as a prehistoric slasher but it's anything but and the titular character only shows up in two scenes. One of them is a lame gore scene, the other just very silly. Mostly this is about a tribe of cave people who sit around and sing a lot. There are no location changes, no real narrative structure, just a lot of lame comedy that won't make you laugh. Apart from the one gore scene this lacks the requisite bad taste and exploitation values (namely sex and violence) that you'd expect from a Troma release. A radio DJ has a random cameo and it's all supposed to be campy and funny, but it really isn't.

Dina (Miranda Robin) is murdered by Neandra (Leilani Fideler) for sleeping with Rex (Kato Kaelin because everyone needs a sidekick named Kato). Her corpse is taken away by a hideous Neanderthal (Dwayne Johnson, stuntman) and commands him to avenge her by killing everyone. I thought Poppy (Molly Elizabeth Ring) had the best lines and was going to be the "final girl." She was by far my favorite. The film by design is bad camp. The anachronisms were horrendous, including a wooden shack in the background....and where did they get all those leopard skins? And I did laugh out loud when Anaconda (Natasha Halevi) was telling her story, having to "quiet down the audience." However outside of that scene, the humor didn't work. The dialogue just wasn't there as they tried too hard to make this a "so bad it is good" cult film, forgetting it must be good enough to be entertaining. They needed more of Poppy to be the anachronistic voice of reason. Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity. Note to self: If your last name is "Bowling" never give a kid the middle name of "Love."

I'll make this short and sweet. If you like Troma films, you should dig B.C. Butcher even though - how can I put this gently - it doesn't go to extremes like the typical Troma film does. I found it surprising and actually quite interesting that the movie is pretty tame by Troma standards. That is a compliment, not an insult. Maybe just because it is a Troma film, I was expecting it to be more graphic? But graphic doesn't make a film good, being good makes a film good and this one was fun to watch. The women are beautiful and the guys funny, and you could tell the entire cast were having a good time. 99% of movies are too long, so I had no problem at all with it only being 51 minutes in length either. If you are sick to death of hearing about politics and human rights like me, crank this cool film up and escape...and laugh a little. With Troma, you either "get it" or you don't, and when it came to B.C. Butcher, thankfully I "got it".

If you've seen a single Troma film, you are practically an expert in what they infamously produce. They are almost a genre unto themselves. To call them bad isn't really an insult, it's mission accomplished. And describing what's wrong with them is high praise. B.C. Butcher happens to be one of their more accessible films and guaranteed to be the most unique slasher spoof ever. B.C. bimbo #1 finds out that B.C. bimbo #2 has been doing it with her boyfriend, and so disembowels her with a spear. Left for dead, but not quite dead, a hideous hermit caveman scoops her up and takes her home. Bimbo #2 telepathically sends him on a killing spree of revenge. It's all amusing nonsense. Obviously, everyone involved in making this movie is in on the joke. I don't know how many in the cast are recognizable to anyone else, but Kato Kaelin, famous for being O.J. Simpson's tenant at the time of the football hero's killing spree, appears to be having a great time hamming it up for the camera. He's fun to watch. And Rodney Bingenheimer, longtime L.A. D.J. and alternative music star maker has a cameo. The gore is deliberately poor. However, there are several really good independent rock songs. I don't know if there's a soundtrack album, but there should be. If you like camp, this is likely to entertain. And if you're not sure you want to waste 90 minutes, cheer up! It's only 51 minutes long.