Back in 1987, writer/director Rick Roessler and producer Jerry Encoe teamed up to bring the world the slasher film Slaughterhouse (watch it HERE) – a movie that has been a favorite of mine ever since I rented it on VHS at a very young age. Roessler always had thoughts of making a sequel, but the project never made it into production… Until earlier this year. Slaughterhouse 2: Death Metal was filmed in and around the Motor Transport Museum and old feldspar mill in Campo, California, and now it’s ready to have its world theatrical premiere as part of the Popcorn Reef screening series at the Regal Mira Mesa theatre in San Diego, California. The premiere is scheduled to take place on October 23rd, and with that date swiftly approaching, we’re proud to feature an EXCLUSIVE look at the film’s trailer! You can check it out in the embed above.
Roessler was inspired to finally get Slaughterhouse 2 rolling after Quentin Tarantino held a screening of the first film at his New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles and the screening drew in a full house. The original Slaughterhouse starred Don Barrett and Joe Barton as Lester Bacon and his pig-like son Buddy, who turn to murder in an effort to save their family slaughterhouse. The sequel has the following synopsis: 37 years later, the original team behind the cult classic Slaughterhouse are back to serve you a second helping of special surprises. Slaughterhouse 2: Death Metal centers on Les Bacon’s third son, Cleavon, who left the pig farm for a better life and was merely hinted at in the first movie. Like his father, Cleavon has a mute son, RemDog, who produces “Wonder Jerky” to sell around town. Wonder Jerky has a little extra something in it that you should already be able to figure out. Pt. Loma-OB Monthly adds that the father and son team make beef jerky inside the Motor Transport Museum, an old feldspar mill surrounded by hundreds of decaying trucks. That’s where they add the secret ingredient: human flesh.
As mentioned, Cleavon’s son is named RemDog, and he uses a flamethrower to dry out the meat for their Wonder Jerky. Wonder Jerky sales help pay the museum’s bills, with the people who buy and eat the jerky having no idea that they’re consuming treats made from the ground-up body parts of ill-fated hikers who are snatched from the Pacific Crest Trail.
Slaughterhouse 2: Death Metal was made on a budget of $250,000. Motor Transport Museum owner Bryan Butler stars as Cleavon, with local high schooler Remington Tully playing Rem Dog. Another local high schooler, Mary Grondona, plays a character named Ashley, and Lance Garmo – who runs the general store The Green Store – appears as the town storekeeper. The metal band Hemlock also makes an appearance. Returning from the first film is Sherry Leigh, who played heroine / sheriff’s daughter Liz Borden. Now the character has grown up to become the sheriff herself. Leigh’s husband Jim Larimore plays a “rich developer who covets the transport museum land.” The Hemlock track “Nobody Knows What a Killer Looks Like” serves as the title song for the film.
Slaughterhouse 2: Death Metal doesn’t have a release date just yet, but hopefully we’ll have more information on that soon after the premiere. In the meantime, take a look at the trailer, then let us know if you’re a Slaughterhouse fan by leaving a comment below. It’s a shame Buddy Bacon never got to come back for a sequel (Barton passed away in 2010), but I’m glad Roessler and Encoe are finally taking us back to the world of Slaughterhouse.