Microwave Massacre (1979) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Donald kills May during a drunken argument after coming home frustrated from work. Throughout the film, May's insistence on cooking elaborate gourmet meals has left Donald with barely edible food, and after a stormy night of confrontation, his temper finally snaps. He strikes her down with a large salt shaker in a brutal, impulsive moment, though he later wakes with no memory of the act.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes establish the growing tension between Donald's simple tastes and May's elaborate culinary ambitions, building to this breaking point.

• donald
• may
• murder
• salt shaker
• argument
• domestic violence

After the murder, Donald wakes the next morning with a brutal hangover and no memory of the previous night. Stumbling through the apartment with a growing hunger, he discovers May's corpse inside the microwave, a horrifying realization that triggers his macabre rationalization process.

• donald
• may
• body
• microwave
• discovery
• hangover

While searching for a late-night snack, Donald accidentally tastes May's severed hand and finds it strangely delicious. Rather than recoiling in horror, he discovers an unusual satisfaction in the meat and begins using it for his recipes. This moment marks his descent from a man in shock to an active participant in cannibalism.

• donald
• may
• cannibalism
• hand
• eating
• cooking

When Donald shares bites of May's hand with his friends Phillip and Roosevelt, they initially react with horror but then find the flavor oddly appealing. Their curious approval, even after learning what they tasted, encourages Donald to continue his culinary experiments. The dark comedy lies in how appetite overrides moral judgment.

• phillip
• roosevelt
• coworkers
• human meat
• eating
• approval

May's sister Evelyn arrives looking for her and discovers May's severed head still in the bed, left as a grim testament to Donald's crimes. Evelyn is immediately gagged with bread and tied up in Donald's closet, becoming his prisoner alongside the other victims of his kitchen experiments.

• evelyn
• may
• sister
• captured
• tied up
• discovery

Donald dies from a heart attack while cooking in his kitchen. Earlier in the film, a doctor had noted that Donald had a pacemaker implanted years ago due to weight issues, adding grim irony to his death from overindulgence in his grotesque culinary creations.

Foreshadowing: The doctor's warning about Donald's pacemaker and heart condition foreshadows his eventual collapse from excessive consumption.

• donald
• death
• heart attack
• pacemaker
• cooking

In the final scene, the camera zooms into the refrigerator where May's severed head is stored. Her eyes glow with an eerie orange light, suggesting supernatural lingering or spiritual presence. This ambiguous ending implies May's consciousness may persist beyond death, watching from beyond the grave.

Foreshadowing: Throughout the film, May's head appears sentient and aware, occasionally observing Donald with an unsettling presence.

• may
• ending
• glowing eyes
• supernatural
• refrigerator
• horror

Donald's doctor reveals he received a pacemaker years earlier when he carried extra weight, though his heart is currently functional. This medical detail gains ominous meaning when the repairman later notes that the faulty microwave wiring would be dangerous for someone with a pacemaker, creating an ironic full circle of technological and biological risk.

Foreshadowing: The repairman's warning connects the microwave to Donald's existing heart condition, setting up the fatal irony of his death.

• pacemaker
• microwave
• repairman
• danger
• heart condition

The repairman who inspects the faulty microwave is played by director Wayne Berwick in an uncredited cameo. He notes that the wiring could be dangerous for someone with a pacemaker before the camera cuts to the final horrifying reveal. This meta touch acknowledges the film's production while serving the narrative's eerie atmosphere.

• repairman
• wayne berwick
• director
• cameo
• microwave inspection

After the murder, Donald dismembers May's body in a methodical, almost clinical fashion. He wraps the body parts in aluminum foil and stores them in the refrigerator, treating the grisly task like ordinary meal preparation. The kitchen transforms into his macabre workshop where he experiments with his grotesque recipes.

• body
• disposal
• dismemberment
• refrigerator
• foil
• kitchen