I love my horror films and I can enjoy the B-movies but I literally had to force myself to sit through this entire film.

The acting was sub-par and the casting of characters was terrible with over the top, extreme stereotyping. I would of even went as far as saying whomever designed those characters is a bigot.

The plot was not overly complicated initially to follow, but the story went from somewhat understandable and ended up into the bat s**t crazy territory. I honestly have no idea what the ending was trying to convey.

Someone should of told the script writer to use the KISS principle and not over complicate the plot. Now to go look for my next horror movie to watch :D

===Spoiler Alert=== If you enjoy movies about a group of misguided social rejects, trekking across a desert area in a bus for no apparent reason just to die. You might have a reason to start watching it. However, the whole part where we get 6 dead serial killers summoned so we can play a game of "Highlander" and the victor of the fight takes their "power" (which this film explains really nothing about that),makes it really hard to stick with the movie. ==End Spoiler==

Stephen Judd's serial killer showdown, "The Butchers" takes a lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek approach to bringing some of the world's most notorious killers together on screen. The plot has the six killers coming to blows with a group of travelers whose bus breaks down outside of a ghost town turned tourist trap focusing on the life and crimes of these vicious serial killers. The crap goes down when Semi's character, JB, sets out conjure the killers, whom he shares a kindred spirit with, then is interrupted by the arrival of the stranded group.

"The Butchers" has a creative concept going for it, bringing together these infamous killers. All of whom are just as likely to go for each other as the collection of victims thrown in their path. Judd plays up the fun side of horror with overdrawn characters that have no real dimension, acting only as meat for the grinder. The acting is as low budget as it gets in this sort of shtick, but there is no real attempt to pass the characters off as anything more so isn't too annoying. There are a few actors that give decent performances and the direction Stephen Judd takes telling the story make it understood that this is cheap, sensationalized, slaughterfest fun.

The special effects are a blend of CGI and practical effects. The CGI is within reason and keeps focus on the occult aspects displayed. The majority of the kill scenes and gore are practical methods that, although on the cheaper side, work well to create some gruesome moments. The blood and guts of the horror elements are the real treat in this film. Some of the scenes actually come off better than other moments, even for a low budget film there is some pretty sweet moments in "The Butchers". Just keep in mind this is a fun romp where carnage is king. Thankfully the dialog stays short and in context to the situation so I was able to enjoy the film more than I would if the writing required the actors to get theological, or wordy. The sound effects and overall atmosphere does good to keep the energy level up on "The Butchers" so I didn't really feel any lag.

"The Butchers" is not a deep, witty, horror story. The film stays pretty straight horror, leaning toward a comedy edge. The real sell is the blood and gore which for a low budget film gives good gore. The highlight of this one is the killers themselves. On screen, as they clash with one another and the victims, the story becomes really entertaining. "The Butcher" may not appeal to all horror fans, mostly because of the simple story, cheap thrills and gimmicks, plus some of the effects fall short of when it comes to being effective. However, for what it is, this is a fun, entertaining indie horror worthy of a once over. There is a lot things that are disappointing, but there are also some moments that really shine.

Steven Judd directs this unnervingly odd horror film with a cast of outrageous caricatures that are laced with a certain realism. There is a sleazy bus driver, who manages to lose his passengers, a preaching evangelist, an aggressive Goth who cannot speak without pouting, a health obsessive, two brightly clad horny gum-chewing teen girls, and a possible hero Simon (Damien Puckler). We meet Simon at the beginning of the film, where, as a child, he clubs to death his abusive father before sprouting muscles and designer stubble and subtle tattoos. As the most sensible and handsome member of the ill-assorted crew, he soon becomes unelected leader of the pack. However, my favourite member is 'Auntie May' (Mara Hall),a larger lady who has seen-it-all-before and has a fine line in weary expletives relating either to her own, or someone else's ass. ("Auntie May ain't no b**** to f*** with," she warns at one point.) There's little that impresses Auntie May.

Because the characters are so extreme, the weird and unnerving situation they find themselves in seems strangely fitting, and as a result, deliberately stylised. They stumble upon a ghost town, which houses the 'Death Factory', a museum that had been run by occultists and dedicated to serial killers including Ed Gein, Jeffrey Dahmer and a lesbian Jack The Ripper (amongst others). The Goth, Ren (Jeremy Thorsen) and his girlfriend Star (Tonya Kay) find a 'Book of the Dead', read it, and subsequently bring the serial killers to life. In such a setting, such surreal happenings don't seem entirely unreasonable.

After that, the narrative seems to settle into a more straightforward groove, if you can call stabbing, biting, disembowelling, and soft-core sex straightforward. Gratifyingly, the resurrected serial killers will just as willingly slaughter each other as any of the ex-passengers. And the bus driver? He might well be Satan, so that's something. The finale in particular is a terrific visual pay-off, the scope of the ensuing battle is spectacular and satisfying.

Messy this is, serious it isn't. It certainly isn't a comedy, but the low budget cheerfulness invites you to view it a certain way, to go with it. If you think during the opening moments, that it's going to be a certain kind of film – like I did – you'd be wrong. This isn't like any kind of film – and it is well worth seeing.