in

Review: Tyler Amm’s Butcher the Bakers

Even though I’m a half marathon runner, I still enjoy a good cookie… or, like, seven. So, when I heard there was a horror-comedy titled Butcher the Bakers coming out, I was hungry and excited to see two of my favorite things mixed together. While Butcher the Bakers begins in a mom-and-pop bakery that sometimes sells penis shaped cookies, the action, horror and shenanigans takes to the streets and leaves the yummy goodness behind. Souls are on the line in this new film from director Tyler Amm. Co-written by Amm and Virginia Campbell, the plot revolves around a grim reaper collecting souls in a small town, a woman trying to avenge the death of her father, and two dimwitted friends who get hired to stop him. In the same vein as Tucker & Dale vs. Evil and Shaun of the Dead, Butcher the Bakers stars Ryan Matthew Siegler, Sean Walsh, Alex Dittmer, Mike Mehrens, Lisa Wojcik, Devon Ford, Joe Buckley, Nicholas Swartz, Renee Renholder and Dan Churney.

Shot under A Beard in Charge Films and Hometown Hero Productions, Butcher the Bakers… well, I’ll be honest, the first half wasn’t great. This film definitely has its target audience in mind, but I felt like the first half dropped the ball and none of the comedy was hitting like it was supposed to. I didn’t enjoy any of the characters, found the story and most of the acting to be uninspiring, and even some of the camera work was a little “meh.” However, something happened halfway through production that really steered this baby in the right direction. The disconnect disappeared and I was able to get involved with Butcher the Bakers and experience it in all its wacky glory. I wish that I could sidestep the first half, capitalize on the latter portion, and pretend this movie was golden, but I do have to warn potential viewers that they have to buckle up and wait for cinematic gratification.

When Butcher the Bakers makes its great turn-around, the comedy is fluid, perfectly timed and successful. I can tell the actors, especially Ryan Matthew Siegler and Sean Walsh, got into the groove and played off each other well and made this into a good “bro” movie. That’s going to be the demographic I would most recommend this title to – men in their early to mid 20’s. Butcher the Bakers is more Shaun of the Dead than You’re Next, and it definitely panders to its audience. The fight sequences become more believable as well and the special effects are absolutely on point. The entire movie becomes a deadly, mysterious and hilarious hunt where you don’t know who’s the predator and who’s the prey. It even tries to be emotional and dramatic near the end, but the horror-comedy overshadows that. I’m not lying when I say that I laughed a few times, even when the one character is talking about her dead dad.

This film features cinematography by Zach Shaw, editing by Tyler Amm and original music from Billy Niebuhr. The music had a cool, early 90’s vibe that I thought was a wise choice in terms of scoring. Again, Butcher the Bakers has a ton of potential, but dropping the ball in the first half severely diminishes its overall appeal. If you’re able to stomach the first half hour or so, then you’ll be treated to a mighty fine horror-comedy that ends up being one of the best new releases in that category. Strong acting, intriguing story choices, blood and guts, a whole town under siege, and most importantly – comedy that hits its mark time and time again. Butcher the Bakers releases on most VOD outlets TODAY, so I encourage you to peep the trailer below and decide if this is the type of movie for you. I’d return for a sequel, but I’d skip the first half of this one. Final Score: 5.5 out of 10.

Michael DeFellipo

(Senior Editor)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.