Previously mistreated schizophrenic and former psych ward patient (Toni Lawrence) does a circuit breaker after an attempted rape by her less than gallant suitor, turning into an avenging angel, luring unsuspecting men to sudden death, and feeding their remains to the ravenous pigs of her employer, the shady Zambrini (Marc Lawrence). Local sheriff (Vint) begins to suspect she may not be the perennial victim she appears, while her surrogate protector (Lawrence, at his unhinged best) is abetting her crimes, exploiting her psychopathic capabilities (and keeping his pigs well nourished). The rural setting and bluegrass soundtrack creates some semblance of hysteria, and the supporting cast features some capable, recognisable faces, but the story meanders aimlessly with little punctuation or scene establishment; just a series of unprovoked retributions followed by macabre squeals, as porky and his swine friends poke their snouts into the entrails of hapless victims. It's a paranoid malaise in which the two leads share a co-dependent dementia, each servicing a twisted and morbid lust, the pigs profiting from the residue.While Marc Lawrence can always depict a perverted psychopath, his daughter Toni is a little less convincing, requiring the assistance of that ubiquitous child singing that seems to signify repressed infantile abuse. Jesse Vint, the dependable (and throughout his career, perpetual) country law enforcer is appropriately concerned, and delivers a relaxed, natural performance that almost resurrects this film from the bowels of c-grade cinema; almost. The two dotty neighbours (Ross & Korn) are amusing, suspecting that Zambrini's hogs may be porking out on more than grain feed, even suggesting that he's a cannibal (given that he eats the pigs, ipso facto).The shrill squeals of the ravenous hogs that echo throughout the film are harrowing, and the ambiance is uncomfortable in the same way that made "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" such an ordeal. Script is fine as is the cinematography and acting, but there's just not enough depth to the storyline to make it the minor cult classic it could have become.

This was the only film edited by Irvin Goodnoff in his surprisingly long career in the movie biz. When you watch Pigs, you''ll understand why ol' Irv never got around to picking up the scissors and glue again. Quite simply, this is one of the most poorly edited films ever made: rife with continuity errors, incredibly sloppy quick cuts, and general ineptitude, Pigs defies almost every rule in the Big Book of Film Grammar. As a result, much of the film plays like an experimental effort with psychedelic overtones, which (depending on your point of view) renders the whole thing either unwatchable or a must-see junk movie classic. I would love to know what inspired screen heavy Marc Lawrence to write, direct, and star in this film, which also features his daughter Toni in the lead role of a woman who escapes from Camarillo State Hospital only to stumble across Farmer Zambrini's swine facility. Zambrini (Lawrence pere) feeds his hogs premium feed--human flesh--but local lawman Dan Cole (Jesse Vint) isn't convinced this is against the law. The film fosters the bizarre notion that the pigs somehow 'become' those they've eaten! Filled with thunderous hog squealing, human screams, groovy music, and lots of fish-eye lens footage, Pigs is never boring--and the acting is, by and large, very good. Ignore Troma's DVD and wait for someone like Code Red or Scorpion to give this film the lavish special edition treatment it clearly deserves!

Lynn Webster (Toni Lawrence, Marc's real-life daughter) is sent to an asylum for shock therapy after killing her father when he tried to rape her. She escapes, steals a car and ends up in a small farming town where weird truck stop owner Mr. Zambrini (Marc Lawrence) gives her a waitress job for room and board. The relationship ends up working out nicely for both -- Lynn goes on a killing spree after almost getting raped again, while Zambrini covers her ass by hacking up the bodies and feeding them to his flesh-craving pet pigs he keeps pinned up behind the restaurant.Familiar character actor Marc Lawrence made his directorial debut (and as 'F.A. Foss,' also his screenplay debut) with this very cheap and dark-looking, but fairly well-acted and sometimes creepy, low-budget backwoods horror flick. It laid unreleased for about 12 years, but I've seen worse.

This movie is about as simple as it gets. Basic, simplistic: the cinematic equivalent of a pair of white socks."Daddy's Deadly Darling" (or "Pigs", as I know it) deals with a psychotic young woman who escapes the asylum and works at a restaurant where the owner keeps man-eating pigs in his back yard and feeds people to them on occasion. This isn't a movie plot: it's a bad (like early '80s SNL bad) comedy skit in search of laughs. Sound scary? Moody, at best. Well-written? Like a Pauly Shore movie (and only HALF as entertaining). Acting? WHAT acting?Is there anything at all about this movie I can recommend? Well, you can buy the tape and record a couple of episodes of "Friends" on it. THEN you'd have something scary on tape.No stars. Nothing. I hate this movie and you should too, if you love real horror movies.Oink-oink, indeed.