Cannibalism is bad enough, but do you have to hate what you eat on top of it?
What They Say:
THEY CAME FOR DINNER…TO FIND THEY WERE IT!!
Microwave Massacre stars legendary stand-up comedian and actor Jackie Vernon (the voice of Frosty The Snowman from the beloved animated Rankin / Bass classic animated holiday special) as Donald, a disgruntled construction worker whose wife s predilection for haute cuisine drives him to cannibalism.
Donald unwittingly stumbles upon a solution to his two major problems in his life his nagging wife and his lack of tasty meals when, one night, he bludgeons his better half to death with a pepper grinder in a drunken rage. Thinking on his feet, Donald dismembers the body and sets about microwaving the remains, which turn out to be rather delicious. Trouble is, now he’s got a taste for human flesh that needs satisfying…
Eschewing all notions of good taste, Wayne Berwick s Microwave Massacre is a deliciously depraved exercise in political incorrectness that has gone on to gain a cult following thanks to a characteristically deadpan performance from lead Vernon, who delivers such choice lines as I m so hungry I could eat a whore . Vegetarians need not apply!
The Review
Audio:
The film’s mono soundtrack is based off the original master tapes and sounds perfectly fine. For a movie shot on such a minor budget, the score is surprisingly solid, especially the track that’s looped during the menu screen. For better or worse, the score really lends to the movie’s overall sleaze factor.
Video:
The movie received a new 2K scan based off of the original 35mm negative. Some of the scenes shot in the dark are lacking in clarity, which is pretty common in small productions like this, so there’s nothing out of the ordinary to complain about.
Menu:
Scenes from the movie are looped, accompanied the best track from the score. In addition, the menus themselves are the usual top quality you get from these Arrow releases. My only complaint would be that a couple of the better moments are spoiled in this loop, so I’d recommend jumping right into the movie if it’s your first viewing.
Packaging:
A screener was provided, so the packaging was not available for review.
Extras:
Brand new audio commentary with writer-producer Craig Muckler moderated by Mike Tristano
Brand new making-of featurette including interviews with Muckler, director Wayne Berwick and actor Loren Schein
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork to be revealed
First pressing only: fully-illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Nightmare USA author Stephen Thrower
Cannibalism is hardly kind, but does it have to be so mean-spirited as well?
Jackie Vernon, best known as the voice of Frosty the Snowman from the old school stop motion Christmas specials, plays Donald, a construction worker who wants simple food he can eat with his hands. His wife, May, wants to elevate their home life beyond those working class trappings by preparing fancy food and rekindle their love with romantic dinners. It’s a classic domestic life situation, where one partner longs for sophistication and a “better life” while the other wants simple creature comforts and what they perceive as tradition. It’s a scenario that can easily lean in some chauvinistic directions, especially when the husband’s viewpoint– usually that traditional, simple approach– is presented as “superior,” but Microwave Massacre isn’t satisfied with only being a little sexist in its relationship dynamics.
The movie’s titular Massacre is directed at women in general. Every woman presented in the movie is the target of some form of violent predation. It isn’t simply a matter of Donald going into a rage, killing his wife, and accidentally eating her hand as a midnight snack. It isn’t even a matter of leading Donald on a murder spree where he picks up prostitutes, lures them back to his house, and butchers them for the next day’s lunch after sleeping with them. Even the women who somehow manage to avoid becoming a meal are subjected to sub-Porky’s level sexual “humor,” such as the first scene where a young woman walking through Donald’s construction site is assaulted by a passer-by while Donald’s friends ogle on and race towards her in an attempt to get in on the action.
That’s Microwave Massacre’s idea of humor– to treat women like literal slabs of meat to be slapped about and tenderized for the amusement of the scumbag men populating this movie’s world.
Yuck.
In Summary:
Microwave Massacre’s sexist and hateful, and the few moments where it strays from those attitudes to be the horror comedy it purports to be don’t make up for its failings.
Content Grade: D
Audio Grade: B+
Video Grade: B
Packaging Grade: N/A
Menu Grade: B+
Extras Grade: C
Released By: Arrow Video
Release Date: August 16th, 2016
MSRP: $22.99
Running Time: 76 minutes
Video Encoding: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Review Equipment:
Toshiba 55L711U18 55” 4K UHD TV, Playstation 4
