Masked Mutilator

Zeke’s rating: 4 out of 5 Choke Slams

Two of the greatest things God blessed us with on this planet are horror movies and wrestling. But you know what’s even better? When horror and wrestling combine for the ultimate B-movie experience! This is what we have in today’s review of Masked Mutilator.

As a child of the 80s, I was a huge wrestling fan. It was the golden age of the sport, filled with icons such as Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, The Undertaker, Sting, Lex Luger, and Ric Flair. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, we had the attitude era that started in the late 90s and carried into the early 2000s. This is when the more extreme stuff, like ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) went mainstream. And I loved it! I actually had the privilege of going to one of their events and saw a drunk guy pee all over the parking lot with a dazed look in his eyes and a smile on his face. Fun times.

With that said, you can imagine my excitement when I came across a film called Masked Mutilator. I had high hopes for this movie, and it did not disappoint! To make things even better, one of my favorite B-movie actors of all time directed and played a leading role in this movie. Brick Bronsky, who passed in 2021, starred in the epic Troma films Class to Nuke’em High Part 3, Return to Nuke’em High Part 1, and Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.

An interesting fact about Masked Mutilator is that it was filmed at two different times, over two decades apart. In 1994, the main storyline was filmed and was tucked away until 2018-2019, when the wrap-around segment was filmed. Filmmakers combined the two recordings and released it in 2019.

Masked Mutilator opens with the wrap-around segment, in which Investigative Podcaster Jim Dorian (Steve Mittman, of Blood Hunter: Thirst and Rage) hosts a show called “Dorian Investigates”. He has with him one of the surviving victims (and his girlfriend) of the Masked Mutilator’s carnage. As he begins to tell his story, the scene switches to Vic Mangino, aka Masked Mutilator (played by WCW, NWA wrestler, Jeff Sibbach), accidentally killing an opponent in the ring.

Credit: IMDb

He seems to show no remorse over his actions, and after leaving the sport, he takes a job as a house parent at a teenage rehabilitation center. And this is where the fun begins.

We’ve got a great team of bad actors that play the teenagers in the home, and it makes for some hilarious interactions. First, there is bad boy Rocker (Glen Hetrick, Star Trek: Discovery 2019 and Face Off TV show judge), who pretty much hates life and everyone else. He likes to play air guitar and bang his head to music only he can hear in his mind. Then we have Mason (Chet Cole, If Then Scenario), Rocker’s right-hand man. He thinks he’s super tough but comes off as the type of guy who probably sleeps with stuffed unicorns and plays with dolls underneath his covers at night. We also have our “yes man” Jake (Paul Sutt, of Watchmen), who’s a typical 90’s stoner and tags along with Rocker and Mason. But what would our story be without the promiscuous girl and the good kids who have fallen on hard times? Have no fear, reader, we have both in Masked Mutilator.

Marcy (Amanda Kupchinsky) is the house slut. She denies it vehemently while attempting to bang everything that secretes the slightest amount of testosterone. Our good kids who have fallen on hard times are Greg and Leslie, a brother/sister duo played by Andrew Denzel and Heidi Shelhamer, whose only claim to fame—like Kupchinsky—is Masked Mutilator. And our story wouldn’t be complete without throwing in a presumptuous intern, a karate badass, and a chef who can’t cook for shit.

The illustrious Brick Bronsky stars as Steve Carson, who comes on to serve as an intern to help Vic. He’s idealistic, pompous, and thinks he knows it all. Our karate expert is Brain Worth (Tom Taylor, of Blood Hunter: Thirst and Rage), who winds up in the house for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Former professional wrestler Doug Yasinsky, aka Dashing Doug Flex, plays the part of Carl the Cook, serving the houseguests up with one inedible dish after another.

With the stage set, the murders begin. One by one, the kids in the house are picked off by the Masked Mutilator. The kills are mostly done with wrestling moves, including Masked Mutilator’s finishing hold, which is basically a crude version of Ted DiBiase’s Million Dollar Dream. The gore is fun and done in typical B-movie fashion. Throw in some fake severed limbs and you got yourself a nice serving of B-movie soup.

As the story unfolds, things take a turn, and Brian Worth must use his karate skills to try and save the day. There are some red herrings and twists to try and throw you off of guessing who the real killer is, but certainly don’t expect anything like Scream or Valentine. Lower your expectations, and when you’ve done that, lower them a little more.

All in all, Masked Mutilator is an enjoyable B movie. If you like your wrestling mixed with horror, or your horror mixed with wrestling, I recommend you check out this little gem.

Masked Mutilator is currently streaming on Tubi, Vudu, Prime Video, YouTube Premium, The Roku Channel, and Google Play.

Ezekiel Kincaid lives for horror and loves to watch it, write about, and talk about it, whether that be in his own horror novels or in reviews. His experience as a pastor and paranormal investigator brings everything he writes to life. Contact him at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com.