THE
MAD BUTCHER (1971)Director: Guido Zurli
Image Entertainment/Something Weird Video
THE
MAD BUTCHER (1971)Victor Buono was simply one of the greatest character actors who ever lived. Usually seen balding and mustached, and always enormous, Buono made his mark with eccentric supporting roles in WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE? (1962) and HUSH... HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE (1965) and occasionally was showcased in the lead, such as in the excellent THE STRANGLER (1964). By the early 70s, Buono was recognizable enough to appear on "The Odd Couple" TV series several times, and before his premature death in 1982 (he was only in his 40s!) he was on "Taxi," as Jim's (Christopher Lloyd's) wealthy father, a role he would surely have continued had he not passed on.
THE MAD BUTCHER is one of Buono's rare starring roles, perfectly suited to the actor's physical attributes and comedic abilities. He plays Otto Lehmann, a butcher in Vienna who was committed to a sanitarium after beating an old hag with a slab of liver. A few years later, he's deemed sane by the doctors and released to confront his irritating wife (who instantly comments on his rapid weight gain upon dismissal), her brother (his Peter Lorre-like assistant), and the increasing beef prices.
Otto still believes in keeping the prices low, and he economizes by making people the main ingredient of his famous sausages. The first victim is his wife, who he strangles in a fiery of built-up rage. When Otto is not busy selling sausages around Vienna in his push-cart, he's ogling his attractive neighbor (Karen Field) who undresses in a window across the way. When she disappears, her boyfriend (former muscleman flick star Brad Harris as a prying news reporter) suspects the butcher and alerts the bumbling police. They're hesitant to believe him at first, but when they find buttons and rings in their meat, they quickly suspect otherwise.
By no means a great picture (or a good one), THE MAD BUTCHER was an Italian-made feature picked up for distribution in the U.S. by Harry Novak's Box Office International. It's basically a Euro sleaze curiosity piece that's interesting due to Buono's participation and an ample dose of topless nudity. It's strictly black comedy, and despite the film's cannibalistic themes, there's no bloodshed (if not for the breasts, it probably would have got a PG rating). Buono and Harris are both American actors, but another homeland thesp, John Ireland, is often credited in the cast. He's nowhere to be found in any print, but his name is still associated with the film.
Something Weird's DVD of THE MAD BUTCHER is absolutely dazzling. Bearing the original title "Meat is Meat" on the print, the perfect source material was obviously culled from the original negative, giving us terrific colors and an extremely sharp image. The mono sound (including obviously post-synched voices) is also spectacular. The new transfer is letterboxed at 1.85:1, making for nice picture composition, especially when compared to the various VHS editions that were out there at one time.
Being that this is a Something Weird DVD, there are tons of extras on hand. There's the film's trailer (with the title "The Mad Butcher" sloppily edited in to replace "Meat is Meat"), trailers for other Harry Novak releases (including MOTHER, AXE, THE CHILD, RATTLERS and more), a short newsreel film about a native tribe called "Cannibal Island" (revealing that white men taste too salty), a short subject called "Cannibal Massage" (a black & white oddity from the 60s or 70s that has a cannibal with an afro feasting on a skinny white businessman in the big city), and Horrorama radio-spot rarities (featuring the great outrageous covers for other Harry Novak pressbook covers).
There are several Easter eggs present on the disc. Look carefully for where it says "Maim" (a parody of "Main"). When you press it, you get a grisly sound effect of a knife being sharpened, followed by a scream. When you press "Maim" on the bonus trailers menu, you'll witness the trailer for KISS ME QUICK, a 60s obscurity that features Dracula and the Frankenstein monster (and a Stan Laurel impersonator!) amongst a bevy of nude starlets! (George R. Reis)