Once upon a time, there was a rock band that were killed on the island of Alcatraz. Now, a man named Alex Gardner is having nightmares about their deaths and the man who killed them. The dreams are all too real and his friends, after discovering him floating above his bed one night, decide to take him back to Alcatraz in order that he confront his demons, literally. Once there, things go from bad to worse and people start to die all over again with only Alex and the spirit of the dead singer able to put a stop to the demon.

Slaughterhouse Rock has an interesting premise, and for the most part, the film delivers; however, it lacks in several areas, which hampers it from being more than just an average picture. Directed by Dimitri Logothetis, the man uses a steady hand, and while he had a decent budget for his film, he used the money sparingly. It tended to show throughout the film, often through the use of darkness and shadows, obscuring things so that special effects or their limited use might be covered up. Not a bad way of doing things, either, as it stretches the viewer’s imagination while cutting costs as well. That being said, what there was could have been just a little bit stronger to make for a more exciting experience. Those that ended up being killed, along with the use of blood, were okay, but given what the movie was about, Logothetis could have spread those dollars out a little more to make the horror of the picture shine through in a greater manner.

Nicholas Celozzi would star as Alex, and the man would do a fair job of it, making people believe he was tormented by his disconcerting, ever-increasing dreams. Donna Denton plays Carolyn, his friend, who convinces him to go to the island to face the spirit of the killer. Toni Basil portrays the deceased rock songstress, who helps and guides him on his quest. The rest of the cast was decent enough, but they were simply there to provide bodies for the demon, which was also not a bad thing. Being a horror movie, somebody has to die. Just to make it a little more intriguing for the audience, or at the very least, the male audience, Logothetis would cast Playboy Playmate Hope Marie Carlton, though she would remain fully clothed for this performance.

There is not a lot to go on to really recommend this movie to anyone. It remains pretty standard fare from the decade of its release. Not standing out or being memorable in any way does not help, making it something of a dud, though an entertaining one when all is said and done. There was supposed to be some comedy within, quite possibly from Basil, yet whatever there might have been did not have the intended consequence. Slaughterhouse Rock never bores the viewer, and it moves along at a good enough pace; it simply needed more to be a real classic.

2 out of 5