‘By sword By pick By axe Bye bye’
The Mutilator is a 1983 slasher horror film written, directed, and produced by Buddy Cooper, and co-directed by John S. Douglass. It was originally titled Fall Break. The special make-up effects were provided by Mark Shostrom, Anthony Showe and Ed Ferrell.
The film was released in 1985 on VHS and Betamax in both cut and uncut versions. VIPCO released the film on DVD in the United Kingdom, although it cut but 7 seconds, and Dragon Video released the film in Germany, uncut.
Plot teaser:
While cleaning one his father’s rifles as a birthday surprise, young Ed, Jr. accidentally shoots his mother. Ed never forgives his son for this, and the two become estranged. Years later, while Ed and his friends are trying to think of something to do for their college’s fall break, Big Ed calls, and demands Ed come to his beachfront condo, and close it up for the winter. Ed’s friends convince him to accept the job, and take them with him, so it will be finished quicker, and they can spend the rest of their break hanging around the condo.
Ed’s group arrives at the condo, which Big Ed is passed out drunk in the basement of, having dreams about killing his son. After dinner, everyone goes for a walk on the beach, and Mike and Linda go skinny dipping in the pool. Big Ed discovers the two, drowns Linda, and uses a trail of her and Mike’s discarded clothes to lure Mike back to the condo, where he disembowels him with an outboard motor. A police officer stationed on the beach then stops by the condo, and is killed when Big Ed decapitates him with an axe…
Reviews:
Spoiler alert: “The death scenes are a decent mix, some are off-screen but the on-screen ones make up for it, including a pretty fun decapitation of a would-be red herring and the infamous gaff hook scene (which includes another decapitation). I also loved the insane final kill, where the killer, bisected but still alive, slices off the leg of a cop who was trying to help, while laughing as if he had won despite the fact that his legs were a few feet away.” Horror Movie a Day
“The Mutilator is a rather savage entry in the 80s slasher canon, as it lives up to its name by showcasing some tremendously realistic and grisly gore effects. One of them is a bit undercut by the silly reaction of one of the victims, but, otherwise, The Mutilator is the real deal for gorehounds. While Cooper doesn’t prove himself to be the most gifted of storytellers, he understands Chekov’s gun pretty well, so when you see a giant fishing hook early in the film, you can rest assured it eventually serves as one of the film’s signature moments. In fact, the movie is ultimately so unflinchingly violent that the silly, light-hearted tone really betrays its eventual ruthlessness.” Brett Gallman, Oh, the Horror!
“The Mutilator may be profoundly lacking on the surface (and truth be told unwatchable for many) and yet somewhere in its murky crevices strongly beats the heart of genuine horror. Hollywood can throw as much money as it wants at a project, nothing beats the power of one possibly insane but obviously sincere creative mind. I guess what I’m trying to say is that this movie is as dumb as a lamp post but a surprisingly vicious lamp post with a really awesome decapitation scene up its sleeve.” Kindertrauma
“All in all, whilst it may not be the most satisfying of slashers, Cooper deserves praise for adding such sadistic kills into his movie, whilst the special effects (courtesy of Mark Shostrom, who would work on A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge’s impressive transformation scene the same year) steal the show. The Mutilator is a sick and twisted little gem and one that every slasher fan should enjoy.” Christian Sellers, Retro Slashers
Cast:
- Matt Mitler as Ed, Jr.
- Ruth Martinez as Pam
- Bill Hitchcock as Ralph
- Connie Rogers as Sue
- Frances Raines as Linda
- Morey Lampley as Mike
- Jack Chatham as Ed, Sr.
- Bennie Moore as Cop
- Trace Cooper as Young Ed, Jr.
- Pamela Weddle Cooper as Mother
