Release Date - 1987
Genre - Comedy/Horror
Tagline - "Alcatraz, for 39 years it held society's most depraved killers. Now it's home to something even worse"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)
Rating (out of 5):
Several years ago I was hitting up my local pawn shops and thrift stores when I came across the DVD release of the 1987 horror comedy Slaughterhouse Rock. I had never seen the film before and after a few weeks of owning it I decided to check it out one weekend with a few beers. Sadly, I was unable to finish it and tossed it on my shelf. When Vinegar Syndrome announced the release of the film om blu I wasn't really interested in it until I saw that it was a double feature with Hard Rock Zombies. I decided to give it another shot after I watched Hard Rock Zombies.
The film follows a group of friends who visit the infamous Alcatraz prison after one of them continuously has dreams about it. They hope to find answers but soon find themselves face to face with a demon that possesses one of them while the ghost of a hair metal musician helps them find a way out.
Slaughterhouse Rock was not for me and I hate to be that negative about it. I wanted to love it but it was so fucking dull and damn near impossible for me to finish. It was just as bat shit insane as Hard Rock Zombies but the pacing was all wrong for me. Some smoother editing and better acting would have made this one a lot more entertaining. The acting in this is far from perfect and several of the scenes felt lazy. The cast has no enthusiasm in some of the later scenes and just spat their dialogue out with no conviction. The earlier scenes are better acted but it was still awkward at times. I love the dry acting that most early 80s slashers had but these characters blend in with others and it's often confusing trying to figure out who is who. The story for this one is right up my alley but the lazy acting and editing makes it extremely difficult to follow. I loved the demon possessing the group that is trespassing along with the ghost of the female hair metal victim but the remainder of the film is long, drawn out scenes with miserable dialogue as we bounce from scene to scene with no reason or explanation. I could have loved this story but it doesn't work the way it is. Finally, the film is not as gruesome as it could have been. We get some generic deaths with some blood and unimaginative practical effects. Overall, Slaughterhouse Rock is not one I can recommend but if you are eyeing the Hard Rock Zombies then it's worth the price. However, if you want it just for Slaughterhouse Rock then I would skip this release.
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