Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (USA, 1982)

When I scrolled past it on the Shudder catalogue, something about the title “Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker“, combined with its poster, made me think it would be a documentary about legendary makeup artist Rick Baker. The workings of my brain are a mystery to me. It wasn’t until I saw the film pop up in their Queer Horror list as well that I realised my mistake.

Despite it dating from the time when I would watch every VHS horror I could lay hands on, I had never even heard of Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker. I think I remember seeing its alternative title of Night Warning in lists of video nasties, however. Either way, my month’s selection was a bit short on eighties horror, so on the list it went.

Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is currently streaming on Shudder in the UK.

Synopsis

Young Billy is orphaned after the brakes of his parents’ car fail and they collide with a logging truck straight out of Final Destination 2. Cheryl, his aunt, takes it upon herself to raise Billy, caring for him to a frankly creepy degree.

Now, 14 years later, Billy is a high school senior, and is planning his future. Success on the school basketball team means he may get a scholarship, allowing him to attend the same college as his girlfriend, Julia. Aunt Cheryl seems less keen on this, however, wanting Billy all to herself.

Matters escalate when Cheryl makes sexual advances towards a TV repairman, only to murder him when he rejects her. Billy witnesses this, but Cheryl half-convinces him that she acted in self-defence after the repairman tried to rape her. When the police investigate the matter, however, the detective in charge, Carlson, learns that the repairman was gay. He was also the partner of Billy’s basketball coach.

Carlson, consumed by homophobia, refuses to see the obvious conclusion, instead using his authority to persecute anyone he suspects of being gay — mainly Billy and his coach. Meanwhile, Aunt Cheryl is going to ever greater extremes to ensure Billy never leaves her clutches. Things are going to get messy.

General Thoughts

I kept thinking of Misery as I watched Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker. Aunt Cheryl’s controlling nature, psychological manipulations, and propensity for drugging people are all very Annie Wilkes. When the film was over, I double-checked the dates to confirm that Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker came out before King’s novel. It’s not hard to imagine this film being an influence on him.

I was surprised at how big a part homophobia plays in the story. Initially, the psychological horror comes largely from undercurrents of incest, but the focus gradually shifts towards the damage done by Detective Carlson’s bigotry. The gay characters are never treated less than sympathetically, both by the story and its protagonists. It is unusual to see homophobia used as shorthand for villainous intent in a film from this time.

Just the fact that Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker was targeted as a video nasty by the British press and censors shows how overblown the whole scandal was. Sure, Cheryl’s incestuous designs on Billy are creepy as hell, but this is not an notably violent or sadistic film. These days, the violence wouldn’t raise an eyebrow if you saw it on television.

Verdict

Pretty much everything about Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker was a pleasant surprise. It works perfectly as a piece of psychological horror, and Aunt Cheryl is particularly nightmarish variety of human monster. Her descent into madness and barbarism is gripping, and I was constantly worried about what she might do next. This is a film where no one feels safe.

At the same time, it is the kind of twisted family drama that would still work without the more horrific elements. The emotional stakes of Billy’s attempts to break loose from his aunt’s control would be gripping enough even if she weren’t a spree killer. While some of the characters are perhaps overblown, the horror is rooted enough in reality to feel frighteningly plausible.

My only slight complaint is that the ending could have been stronger. Cheryl maybe becomes too much of a caricature in the final act, although this will probably still work for most viewers. The final scene, however, is too keen to wrap things up neatly, and I found it difficult to suspend disbelief right when I most needed to. Even so, this is a slight misstep in an otherwise successful film.

A definite recommendation, then, if you’re in the mood for an overlooked minor classic from the eighties. Just be prepared to feel uncomfortable if you watch it with your family.

The October Horror Movie Challenge

Please do join in and share your own thoughts with us about this or any other films as the month goes on. You can usually find us on Twitter, BlueSky, Reddit, Discord, or lurking in the dark corners of your home.

If you would like to play along at home, my provisional selections are:

We’re All Going to the World’s Fair (USA, 2021)
Tales That Witness Madness (UK, 1973)
When Evil Lurks (Argentina, 2023)
Under Paris (France, 2024)
In a Violent Nature (Canada, 2024)
Torso (Italy, 1973)
Titane (France, 2021)
Rorschach (USA, 2015)
The Coffee Table (Spain, 2024)
Dr Caligari (USA, 1989)
Bit (USA, 2020)
The Guard From Underground (Japan, 1992)
Oddity (Ireland, 2024)
Speak No Evil (Denmark/Netherlands, 2022)
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (USA, 1982)
Grave Torture (Indonesia, 2024)
Bedlam (USA, 1946)
The Innsmouth School For Girls (USA, 2023)
Daddy’s Head (UK, 2024)
All You Need Is Death (Ireland, 2024)
Eight Eyes (USA/Serbia, 2021)
Poor Things (Ireland/UK/USA, 2023)
Seven Deaths in the Cat’s Eye (Italy, 1973)
Longlegs (USA, 2024)
Night of Fear (Australia, 1973)
Stopmotion (UK, 2024)
Terrifier (USA, 2016)
Azrael (USA, 2024)
Faust (Germany, 1926)
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (Hong Kong, 1991)
I Saw the TV Glow (USA, 2024)

A Final Note

If you have been enticed here by these posts, please do look around at some of our other film reviews. We also have a podcast, called The Good Friends of Jackson Elias, which occasionally covers horror films. If this appeals, you might want to check out some of the following episodes.