Pigs, Men are Pigs...Women are Psychos

Ahhh, pigs and the psychos who love them. We will avoid dissecting a 1970s drive-in film for the social commentary and take a literal look at 1972's "Pigs."  Who among us hasn't scrambled for a quick and easy way to get rid of a corpse?  As our friends in the 4H Club will tell us, feeding human remains to pigs is the only sure fire way to do just that. So, in cities or suburban areas, we still rely on vats of acid, but in rural areas...well...you use what you have...pigs!

Lynn (Billy Bob Thornton's ex-wife, Toni Lawrence) murders her dad when he tries to rape her.  This violent reaction lands her in the state mental hospital (the 1970s, such a judgmental decade). She is certifiable as she still has imaginary conversations with the fiend.  Like all good asylum inmates, she escapes.  She ends up at Zambrini's (Marc Lawrence) place.  This old man runs a diner and pig farm. This weird guy robs cemeteries and morgues for corpses, as his pigs only eat human flesh.  Zambrini hires Lynn as a waitress and lets her live in a back room.

The only young women in 100 miles, Lynn draws immediate attention from the roughnecks working in the oil fields.  Ben (Paul Hickey) is the first to come calling. He sees Lynn as fresh meat, and she sees him as her dad.  During pre-marital sex, she castrates Ben and then continues to slash away. Un phased, Zambrini takes Ben's remains and feeds him to his animals.  Sheriff Cole (Jesse Vint) starts coming around and asking questions about missing corpses and Ben.  He is suspicious of Lynn and Zambrini's desire to protect her.  Lynn will keep on killing and the pigs will get fatter.  Zambrini better watch out as any man, in Lynn's unstable mind, becomes her dad.

As the mental hospital and law get closer to unraveling Lynn's secrets, she gets bolder.  Is Lynn a victim giving men exactly what they deserve?  Or is Lynn just plain insane?  What exactly are the pigs a metaphor for? Okay, that's an easy one.  The ending will have us all screaming "Ouch!" Perhaps "Pigs" is the film that "Charlotte's Web" would have been if Tobe Hooper had been the director.  Either way, for some nice, gory 1970s drive-in fare, see "Pigs."