Woodchipper Massacre

Woodchipper Massacre

Year: 1988

Runtime: 81 mins

Language: English

HorrorComedy

Jon, Tom and Denise unintentionally cause the death of their senile aunt, who was babysitting them while their father is away on business. Panicked, they rent a woodchipper and attempt to hide the body in the backyard. Their plan unravels when their cousin Kim—her son—arrives unexpectedly, bringing fresh complications.

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Timeline & Setting – Woodchipper Massacre (1988)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Woodchipper Massacre (1988). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Aunt Tess's House

Set primarily in a single family home where Aunt Tess imposes total control. The house becomes a fortress of rules, with chores and homework as currency for obedience. The yard houses a woodchipper and a freezer, turning ordinary domestic space into a site of concealed violence.

🏡 Family home 🧭 Suburban setting 🔒 Authoritarian household

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:48

Main Characters – Woodchipper Massacre (1988)

Meet the key characters of Woodchipper Massacre (1988), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Aunt Tess — Patricia McBride

A militaristic religious extremist who rules the household with strict, punitive discipline. She prescribes a harsh worldview, preaching against dating, late nights, movies, and music, and she uses fear to enforce obedience. Her rigid control plants the seeds for the violence that unfolds.

🔒 Authoritarian 🧭 Militaristic ⛪ Religious extremism

Jon — Jon McBride

One of the children who participates in the crime; he enables and aids the plan, including helping dismember Aunt Tess and disposing of the evidence. He balances loyalty to his siblings with fear and obedience to authority, revealing a capacity for ruthless action.

🧠 Calculating 🗝️ Secretive 🚗 Complicit

Kim — Kim Bailey

The cousin recently released from prison who arrives seeking money and becomes a threat to the children. He is manipulated and eventually lured toward the woodchipper, revealing a volatile, opportunistic mindset.

💰 Money-minded 🕵️‍♂️ Threatened 🚪 Opportunistic

Tom — Tom Casiello

One of the children who clashes with Aunt Tess over the hunting knife and participates in the escalation of violence. He helps plan the murder and aids in deceiving their father.

🗡️ Impulsive 🧠 Strategic 🧩 Deceptive

Denice — Denice Edeal

The other child who allies with Tom; she participates in luring Kim and helping with the cover-up, illustrating how peer pressure and a coercive environment can drive young people to crime.

🤐 Silent accomplice 🧭 Manipulative 🪄 Resourceful

Dad — Perren Page

The father who leaves for a business trip and returns to a house that has concealed a brutal crime. His return underscores the deceptive normalcy the children manage to maintain.

💼 Working parent 🚶‍♂️ Absence 🧭 Authority figure

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:48

Major Themes – Woodchipper Massacre (1988)

Explore the central themes of Woodchipper Massacre (1988), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🩸 Violence

From murder to dismemberment and woodchipper grisly details, the film centers brutality within a family. The violence escalates as fear, secrecy, and coercion drive the children to lethal acts. There’s a stark contrast between everyday suburban life and the horror transpiring behind closed doors. The ending leaves the impression that violence can fester beneath a veneer of normalcy.

🧭 Control

Aunt Tess uses religion and militaristic discipline to micromanage every aspect of the children's lives. Her rules about dating, late nights, and entertainment cultivate a climate of surveillance and guilt. The children’s collaboration in murder reveals how excessive control distorts judgment and morality. The film probes the corrosive effects of authoritarian parenting on young minds.

🤫 Secrets

The family works to bury the crime while maintaining a façade of ordinary life. The missing truth unravels as clues—the woodchips and Aunt Tess’s ring—surface at the end. Denial and deception propel the plot as the kids continue to present a normal front to their father. Secrets here are deadly, with silence acting as a dangerous amplifier of guilt.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 13:48

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Woodchipper Massacre Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Woodchipper Massacre, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Woodchipper Massacre Summary

Woodchipper Massacre Timeline

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Woodchipper Massacre Timeline

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