‘A tasty horror film!’
The Meateater is a 1979 American horror film written and directed by David Burton Morris [as Derek Savage] (Tales from the Crypt TV series: ‘Three’s a Crowd’) from a story co-written with George Caldwell and Damon Fuller. Also released as Blood Theatre.
The movie stars Arch Joboulian, Dianne Davis, Peter Spitzer, Emily Spindler, Gary Dean, Joe Marmo, Tony Anthony (Ghostbusters), Frank Montiforte, Richard Nathan.
Plot:
Mitford Webster suffers an unfulfilling life as a travelling shoe salesman when he receives news that he has successfully purchased a run-down movie theatre named The Crest. Ecstatic about his new purchase, Mitford uproots his family so that he can re-open the cinema. However, his dream is quickly shattered when panic sets in because a psychopathic man is discovered to be living inside the movie house…
Reviews:
“I do think there’s supposed to be some sort of commentary here about people who blame violence on violent movies […] The irony is lost on Lieutenant Wombat, who can’t tell the difference between Gerard Damiano and Mike Nichols. You get it, man? The makers of The Meateater have unmasked the hypocrisy. But the long tangents of pointless dialogue and oddly deadpan delivery of everything makes it hard to spot.” Vern’s Reviews
“Technically, The Meateater is an ideal shambles. Odd eye and mouth close-ups rub elbows with hilariously awful compositions, achieving an inadvertent, sloppy artsiness that fits the tone of the film perfectly. Deadpan non-actors hang on for dear life. The unglued score from Arlon Ober (Legacy of Satan! Nightbeast!) steps right in line. All of that, combined with a legit sense of the sinister (and a few chuckles), lands The Meateater into primo trash territory.” Bleeding Skull!
“I did like that they were showing nature documentaries and they juxtaposed shots of animals eating with people gorging themselves in the theater. In the end, this is just a weird little flick with a couple of nice effects, no nudity and some of the worst acting you will ever witness. Another win!” Divine Exploitation
Filming locations:
Crest Theatre, Monrovia, California in 1977.
Trailer:
