The time has finally come for the story of country music legend and restaurateur Bobby Sweet: Sweet Meats. A Troma Team production, Sweet Meats is a horror comedy that will have you singing, laughing, and wondering what those famous burgers and fries really taste like.
Bobby Sweet is a country music legend and has been the world-renowned face of “Sweet Meats” since establishing his first restaurant with his wife. Sometimes a “secret ingredient” should stay that way.
Sweet Meats, IMDB
If you’ve never seen a Troma film, know they’re absolutely one of a kind. These low-budget indie films are the B-movies of the horror world. Sweet Meats exemplifies that type of film exactly; with a homemade feel and a soul of splatter, Sweet Meats is everything good about indie films. I was fortunate to get a little inside peek to the making of this film, having contributed funds to the Indiegogo campaign — that said, I’ve seen filmmaking updates spanning the past few months and let me tell you, writer/director Ricky Glore and crew put their all into this film. I can feel the fun oozing out of every crevice of their restaurant.
This is especially evident in the principle characters. Bobby Sweet (played by Glore) has the drive to become a world class country star. Restaurant owner Nick Gruoch (Andrew Gordon) is scummy but clearly has pride in his ventures. Jerry (Timmy H. Barron) and Laddie (Eileen Earnest) stole the show as my two favorites, constantly going back and forth with each other and providing hearty laughs and gruesome goofs. While Laddie is the master of hilarious off-hand remarks that’ll make you spit your soda out, Jerry ‘s loveable demeaner gives some humanity to this splatter fest. Laddie in particular gives an unhinged performance in a scene featuring a meat grinder.
Speaking of splatter, Sweet Meats wouldn’t be the same without some gross-out moments and excellent effects. We’re dealing with meat, murder, and a restaurant; you can put together what happens in this story. This film is no stranger to blood, various animal parts, severed limbs and the like — all done by a pig-masked villain. Of course, it’s all set to a totally singable soundtrack of original music. It’s giving Texas Chainsaw meets musical dinner theater.
If you manage to get your hands on the blu-ray, you’ll find some bonus features that take you more into the story, including: exclusive commentary from Ricky Glore and cinematographer Nick Hiance, behind the scenes featurettes, and a sing-a-long subtitle option. Sweet Meats pretty much guarantees you’ll be singing about your best friends and dreams of superstardom ’til the cows come home.
Sweet Meats was a joy to watch. You may be surprised to know I haven’t seen many Troma films, but I can assure you that this fits right in with them. By now I’ve enjoyed quite a few of Glore’s films and absolutely look forward to more. Sweet Meats feels like family. It feels like good times with your friends. It feels like a warm meal from a roadside diner. As sung in the film, it is the sweetest meat!
What did you think of Sweet Meats? Let us know in the comments!
Stay tuned for information on screenings and other releases. Be sure to follow Ricky Glore and NKY Films on Instagram!
