Woodchipper Massacre

I didn't know what to expect other than a killer killing people with a wood chipper. The story was funny and predictable but entertaining overall.

Oh my god!! I'm a firm believer that bad movies can be good fun, but this is awful. The Woodchipper Massacre brings the horror film to a new low. There is not a doubt in my mind that this is one of the worst pieces of crap ever filmed. The acting, the music, the sweaters...I can't even describe it. It's obvious that it's just a couple of kids messing around with a home video recorder and thought they'd make a movie. I don't think you can really call it a movie though. The Woodchipper Massacre is a disgrace to B-movies everywhere. It's easily worse than Bloody Murder, and that's saying a lot. How this got distributed I'll never know. This is a major candidate for the title "worst movie ever made." It definitely gets my seal of approval.

This movie was shot on video in 1988 as Jon McBrides second feature. Shot on a Panasonic AG-450 S-VHS camcorder, and using local actors, friends and family Jon made a masterpiece. Well written and scored by Jon, the video was edited and distributed nationally in 1989. I rented this movie in the early 90's and it inspired me to take my hobby of video and take it another level. When I realized that anyone with the talent and ambition could actually make a movie and have it out there for millions to see I pursued television. Jon went on to make many other movies and appear in several other TV shows, Soaps, and even a Michael Jackson video! Little Tommy grew up to be an Emmy award winning writer for daytime drama. Jon had a good eye for talent. Most recently, WOODCHIPER MASSACRE was featured on the national syndicated show, "Videobob's Stupid Movie of the Week". The was a hit and one of the best ratings grabber for the show. - VB

You'd think with a name like 'Woodchipper Massacre', you were in for some really cheap video nasty. Well, it is cheap, but I don't know about how nasty it is. There's about as much sadism and gore in the film as there was in Weekend at Bernie's..

I somewhat get the feeling that the title was foisted by the distribution company who released this thing on VHS..

It ended up reminding me more of something John Hughes would have made if he'd only had a budget of 400 dollars, could only get amateur actors, and had decided on a somewhat darker plot than in the films he did become famous for making. It's three kids, each a funny kid stereotype, whose parents aren't around that week, finding themselves committing woodchipper misdeeds.

And despite the amateurish execution, it's all pretty fun and funny.

I've never actually seen this film but can tell you one thing about its production. While a comedy/oldies radio DJ in 1988, I got a call from the production company. They asked if I'd write and record a bit they'd drop into the soundtrack as sounds eminating from a TV (the television screen itself would never be shown). I said sure, wrote a parody of '50s sci-fi monster clichés, rounded up some sound effects and called in another DJ, Pam Landry, to play the female part. As she happened to be on the air at the time, she put on a long song, joined me at the mike in the production room and we cut the voicetrack in a single take. Giggling, she then went back to her show while I mixed in the goofy sound effects. We'd have never done it if we'd known that "Woodchipper Massacre" was going to be such a turkey -- but, then again, we never got paid for our efforts, either! -- Gary Theroux