It’s been quite some years since we’ve had a film about the demon barber the most notable recent entry being way back in 2007 with Tim Burton’s version of the stage musical starring Johnny Depp in the title role who surely must be wishing that Amber Heard was a customer. But Sweeney Todd Slice and Dice is far from being a musical and is very much out and out horror with Terry Bird in the title role.
Starting in 1846 Todd as a child is haunted by the loss of his parents at the hands of an unsympathetic judge. Now as an adult he earns a living as a barber albeit it with few customers by the look of his almost constantly empty shop, presumably London was flooded by Turkish barber shops even in Victorian times. Still nursing a grudge against the judge he goes about his business as normal until a chance meeting with Tobias (Steven Brandon) afflicted with Down’s Syndrome. Todd saves him from a vicious beating and it’s Tobias who introduces him to his mother, a local baker, Mrs Lovett (Jo Dyson) who also harbours a grudge against the same judge.
It’s Mrs Lovett who hatches their plan of revenge against the higher echelons of society with Todd despatching them with his cut throat razor for Lovett to dispose of via her meat pie fillings. Her hunger for revenge is offal…sorry, awful and they edge ever closer to be uncovered with a detective on the trail too
Sweeney Todd Slice & Dice is a low budget horror with some neat touches – sepia tinged flashbacks and a montage of slaughter set to the jauntily appropriate tune of ‘Boiled beef and carrots’ work well. Terry Bird has an extensive back catalogue of playing heavies in a lot of TV comedies that includes ‘Not Going Out’, ‘My Family’, ‘Roger, Roger’, ‘Black books’ and even ‘ChuckleVision’ and his heavy build and fearsome look is well suited to the title role as is Jo Dyson who spits out every line with relish. What works less well is many of the supporting roles many of whom trot out their lines like they’ve been pressed gang into taking a role in the school play delivering all their lines with all the conviction of a disillusioned Evri courier.
For horror fans the story lends itself to plenty of gore although when several characters get their throats cut there’s a distinct lack of arterial spray which perhaps owes more to the films low budget than anything else. But the film is perhaps more of a scene setter for a any intended future franchise with Bird, who also produces suggesting an interesting mash up for follow up films as revealed in our chat with him here……
related feature : ‘Speak No Evil’ – director Christian Tafdrup talks about the original film with THAT bleak ending!
related feature : ‘Shivers Me Timbers’ – Popeye goes potty!
We chat with producer and star Terry Bird about the film…..
Here’s the Sweeney Todd Slice and Dice trailer….
Sweeney Todd: Slice and Dice arrives on digital and DVD on 2 June, released by Kaleidoscope Film Distribution
