L'étrangleur de Vienne

This isn't the type of movie I'd usually watch, but a friend who's obsessed with obscure films brought it over. I found that I was thoroughly entertained by the movie. It has a quirky comedic feel, although it has a horror/slasher theme to it. There definitely isn't anything in it that shouts special effects and some of the editing is a little amateur, but it works. Buono's facial expressions really make up the bulk of the entertainment.. the cop/reporter guys are way too fake but the women are hot.. not to mention partially nude in many scenes. By the time they catch up with the bad guy, you really feel satisfied that his activities are being exposed. I wouldn't recommend it as a 'great' movie to watch, but definitely worth checking out if you are in the mood for something a little different.

Big, creepy looking Victor Buono is released after serving 3 years in a mental institution but it's not long before he's committing murder and turning his victims into sausage meat at his Vienna butcher's shop. Watched this on VHS as Strangler of Vienna. I think a better title would have been The Mad Butcher of Vienna. Anyway it is a black comedy, very similar to Sweeney Todd. Very little gore in the print that I saw so and apparently uncut, so I'd question the parents guide here. The film dies suffer from bad dubbing but there are some colourful characters, the humour works reasonably well and we get a few instances of female nudity. Pretty tame by today's standards.

With Buono's comedic performance as a butcher who decides to take back over his butcher shop after 3 years in the asylum, and the film's overall tongue-in-cheek approach to the story, this film is an entertaining, dark-humored thriller. The film's bloodless approach to the subject matter is also a welcome change as well to numerous others of its ilk. Also, watch for the well-directed climax!!

Odd blend of black humour and gruesomeness featuring a good, over-the-top performance from Buono, whose bulk and mild manner make for an effective psychopath.

The story is a Sweeney Todd rehash that catches the sinister aspects, while retaining the comic elements and being relatively gore-free.

Otto Lehman is shown to be sexually inadequate and belittled by his wife, resorting to voyeurism to satisfy his desires as he spies on a woman across the street. His frustrations trigger his aggression, while the butcher theme is used as a means of disposing of bodies, but isn't the motive for the killings.

Obvious similarities to 'Psycho' and 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'; also real-life German serial killers Fritz Haarman and Peter Kurten.

The film has enough to recommend it as an above average entry into the slasher genre, although the light hearted approach does tend to outweigh the horror elements too much.

Don't rent this cheap flick... A guy who kills people and feed their meat to his customers? Boy, no wonder his sausage is so good. Yeah right. The Mad Butcher will put you to sleep and leave you bored to death... not on the edge of your seat.

THIS MOVIE SUCKS, DON'T WATCH IT!!!!!