Watch Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker For Free

To me, this movie is perfection.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

When his parents are tragically killed Billy goes to live with his aunt who appears to be fixated on keeping him with her at all costs. When the aunt kills a man who won't sleep with her the police detective investigating suspect the aunt is protecting Billy who he thinks was having a relationship with Billy.An incredibly dark thriller with some very strange events. Bo Svenson who plays the lead cop on the case has to be one of the most unlikeable characters in horror film history, he is so unpleasantly homophobic/sexist/racist it makes it quite difficult to watch. Susan Tyrrell as the psycho aunt is brilliant and plays her with a truly demented edge, Jimmy McNichol as Billy and Julia Duffy as Julie are also very good. Writing overall is good, the character aunt Cheryl story's come out bit by bit and is always interesting(especially her relationship with Billy) as is the climax, but the detective story is so deliberately offensive it does undermine some of the story. The make-up effects are very good, the opening scene is impressive as is the violent set-pieces at the end. The atmosphere is excellent, the tension mounts and builds to a very strong finale.Not a gory or exploitative horror but a well made and brilliantly put together picture. How this well thought of film was banned as a video nasty and then rejected by the BBFC is astounding, this does deserve a release on DVD it has been on the shelf too long.

Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (AKA Night Warning AKA The Evil Protégé) opens with a great car accident that results in the driver's head being pulverised by a log falling from the back of a lorry, and his blood-spattered wife screaming helplessly as the vehicle careers off the road and over a cliff; it's an excellent start to what proves to be one of the better official Video Nasties, a macabre psycho killer thriller that benefits from a delightfully twisted plot, lots of gruesome murders, and fine performances, especially from Susan Tyrell and Bo Svenson, doing what they do best, playing a complete loony and a bigoted cop respectively.Tyrell is 'Aunt' Cheryl, who has raised Billy (Jimmy McNichol) since the age of two, after his parents were killed in the aforementioned car crash. Billy is now 17, and is looking forward to attending Denver University with his girlfriend Julia (Julia Duffy), but Cheryl has grown a little too attached to her nephew over the years and is determined to do whatever is necessary to make him stay with her.Svenson's narrow-minded detective, Joe Carlson, appears on the scene after Cheryl kills a man who she claims tried to rape her. Carlson's investigation leads him to suspect that Billy killed the man and that his aunt is covering for him, but the detective couldn't be further from the truth: Cheryl is barking mad and this isn't the first time she has killed... and it won't be the last! As Cheryl spirals out of control, she drugs Billy to keep him under control, hacks a couple of people to death with a machete, and bludgeons Julie with a meat tenderiser, throwing her in the basement where the poor girl discovers the remains of Cheryl's first victim, including his severed head preserved in a pickle jar. On top of all this violence, the plot also introduces elements of homophobia and incest, and throws in a sex scene for Billy and Julie, thereby getting in its quota of nudity.Even if all of this death and deviancy had somehow managed to escape the BBFC's attention during the Video Nasty era, the provocative image on the video cover was guaranteed to make them sit up and take notice: it depicted a gore-drenched Tyrell, top open to expose her bloody cleavage. Copies were seized, the film was banned, and has remained unavailable in the UK ever since—a shame, 'cos it really deserves better.

Nightmare Maker achieved cult status through it's inclusion on the DPP 'Video Nasty' list, which has also lead to it becoming a 'lost' film. It's somewhat unfortunate that William Asher's film was included on the infamous list, as aside from a couple of gory scenes; there really isn't anything in this film that warrants it's banning. Nightmare Maker focuses on themes of insanity and incest, and the way that the director portrays these themes is bold and uncompromising…although I find it hard to believe that this film was banned for it's themes by the same set of censors who made such decisions as banning 'The Driller Killer' merely for it's artwork. The plot focuses on Billy Lynch; a young man living with his aunt after his parents were killed in an unfortunate car accident. However, his relationship with his aunt isn't how she would like it; as the aunt has designs of a sexual nature on the boy, and does her best to ruin all of his plans; including his relationship with his girlfriend, and his hopes of winning a scholarship. All in all, making his life a nightmare...The film features performances from a few well known actors, including Bo Svenson as a bigoted sheriff and Susan Tyrrell as the maniacal aunt. The film also features a small early role for Bill Paxton; who, as he would in the rest of his career, doesn't appear in the film for long enough. The acting performances overall aren't bad considering the type of film; but it would be unwise to go into it expecting anything brilliant. Susan Tyrrell does get to enjoy herself as the central matriarchal figure, however, and seeing her descend into insanity is a lot of fun. The style of the film is very eighties indeed, and through gritty cinematography; director William Asher ensures that the film feels every bit like the 'Video Nasty' that it would become shortly after it's release. The scenes of gore are short and don't show much blood; although scenes involving a machete, as well as the pivotal scene that sees Billy's parents killed in a car crash are rather bloody and deserve mention. The plot never really gets going properly, which is a shame; although the final fifteen minutes are very good indeed and manage to bring closure to all the plot threads. Overall, this certainly isn't the best film on the Video Nasty list; but it's a good one, and well worth tracking down!

The strongest of horror films always seems to be those whose victims are sympathetic and whose villains are mercilessly frightening. Night Warning is a testament to just that!Young man becomes the unhealthy obsession of his aunt, who raised him, which leads him into a web of madness and murder!Night Warning is a relatively unknown film, which is a shame because it is a truly effective and fairly original thriller. The story is very intriguing, full of mystery, suspense, and some solid shocks. A big part of the originality factor of this film is the fact that the story dares to explore subjects very rarely touched upon by most genre pictures, such as incest, homosexuality, and the question of what morally right really is. It is a complex and emotionally strong tale, that's gripping in a way that few thrillers ever are.The excellent cast is another strong feature of this movie. Bo Svenson is solid as a homophobic police detective. A young Jimmy McNichol is touching as an attractive teen desperately trying to have a normal life. The greatest of all though is Susan Tyrrell as one of the most demented villains you'll ever see! Also among the cast is a young Bill Paxton in one of his earliest roles.Night Warning is a terrific shocker that seems to have been lost over time, but for those seeking a truly jarring genre picture it is well worth finding a copy of!**** out of ****