“Writer/director Carl Lindbergh actually creates a new villain to entertain audiences.”
by Bethany Rose
Within the first five minutes of Bunnyman Massacre, audiences should understand exactly what type of film they are watching. This sequel to Bunnyman is an unrelenting splatterfest that is not for the faint of heart. Blood will be spilled, guts will fly, and nobody is safe, not even the children.
The plot is as complicated as it needs to be, which is to say it isn’t complicated and doesn’t need to be. Bunnyman and Joe gleefully kill anyone who crosses their path, and during the film, many people cross their path. The action does let up for a little after Bunnyman and Joe take two women hostage. Not willing to die at the hands of a chainsaw-wielding man in a bunny outfit, they fight back in a clever way, opting for a slick bargaining technique over screams for help. This twist in plot was interesting, and for those tuning in for the blood and gore, there isn’t too much wait time until the carnage begins again.
- The Bunnyman Massacre
- Written & Directed by
Carl Lindbergh - Cast
David Scott, Julianne Dowler, Jennifer June Ross - DVD Release Date
12 August 2014 - Bethany’s Grade: B
Barring the slaughter that opens the film, there really are no sympathetic characters, save for perhaps Bunnyman himself. Any character development found in the film belongs solely to Bunnyman, and I actually would have been fine with even more development of his character, as long as it was done in the same strange way the rest of it was, not given in long chunks of exposition that would weigh down the film and potentially drastically change its tone.
But honestly, I didn’t really need any extra development of Bunnyman’s inner turmoil or echoes of his past to make the character any more interesting. In case you skipped paragraph two, he’s a chainsaw-wielding man in a bunny outfit, so he starts off the film interesting enough. What I would have liked to see more of was diversity in killings. I know that many iconic horror villains have their signature weapons, but they often stray from them in favor of resourcefulness or perhaps variety, especially in sequels. The chainsaw is a great visual (and audible) weapon, but Joe uses a gun way too much.
*****
When Joe and Bunnyman do break from routine, one of the most memorable scenes from the film occurs. After one of their victims becomes unluckier a bit faster than her friends, she is prompted by Joe to get into a barrel. I won’t say more than that, except that you’ll either be yelling at the screen for most of the scene, or you’ll be peeking at the screen through your hands that are unsuccessfully covering your eyes.
One thing that Bunnyman Massacre offers is an answer to many of the current complaints about the horror genre. Rather than remaking a beloved franchise, or recasting an iconic villain, or both, writer/director Carl Lindbergh actually creates a new villain to entertain audiences. There are throwbacks to some of the most memorable horror films, particularly from the 1970s and ’80s, but the film stays with the times in its clear embrace of gore and abandonment of a clear hero or heroine, and it definitely makes room for a franchise that features many sequels.
With all of this said, I still feel my grade needs to come with a caveat. The film does what it sets out to do. It is a bloody ball of mayhem that leaves a trail of victims covered in gore and, perhaps, bits of fur. But that is of course a polarizing plot. Though many contemporary action or superhero films likely have higher implied body counts, the multiple onscreen deaths in this film are likely for the hardcore horror fans, particularly fans of the gorier subgenres.
