'It was kind of a joke': Campy horror film set in Slaughter Beach slays on Tubi

Newark resident Dan Davis might not be the first Delawarean to think the name Slaughter Beach sounded like the title of a horror movie.

That's why he researched the title on IMDB.com, only to discover there were no films on that website with that name. 

So, the filmmaker randomly created the '80s-inspired campy slasher "Slaughter Beach," which is now available on Amazon Prime, plus DVD and Blu-ray through a distribution deal with SRS Cinema.

This year the Clockout Films production landed on the popular and free streaming platform Tubi, which has tens of millions of subscribers.

"It was kind of a joke idea that we laughed off," Davis said about the concept behind his horror movie. "I think [Tubi is] the perfect home for it because you see a whole bunch of B-movie, sci-fi horror movies, like a whole [library] of them through Tubi."

What is 'Slaughter Beach' about?

The tagline for the feature-length film is "Life's a beach, then you die." The movie "Slaughter Beach" follows beach bums Ralph and Barry (Jon Mckoy and Ethan Han) as they struggle to find jobs.

The boys (including Barry who wears a cape) are thrown into harm's way when they choose to go after a psycho fisherman Fish Man Sam (Jim Cannatelli) who is haunting their coastal town. Can these amateur crime fighters reel in the crazy fisherman, or will their town become fish bait?

Tubi is 'so cool' for Delaware filmmaker & actor

"Slaughter Beach" is available on Tubi, a platform that announced last year it surpassed over 74 million subscribers The streaming service offers TV shows and movies of various genres.

Tubi, known for its B-rated content, is famous for streaming low budget-quality titles that are so ridiculous they're comical.

In one memorable scene from the 2023 drama "The Coney," available on Tubi, an actor shoots a man and things quickly go left for the shooter as he clumsily trips, crashing headfirst into concrete while attempting to flee the crime scene.

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The clip is on the YouTube channel KeepItCoolTV where people pointed out the actor who fell didn't appear to be acting, and he was slow to get up.

"The only thing real in the video is homeboy tripping over air and eating it," one commenter wrote. "OMG I’m in real tears right now. I guess another take wasn’t in the budget or the actor had nothing left in him after that spill," another said.

Despite Tubi's reputation for low-budget titles, the director of "Slaughter Beach" said he's happy his movie is on the hot platform; and his film students at Dickinson are impressed, too.

"I'm actually kind of the cool teacher now because they're like, 'Whoa, Mr. Davis has movies on Tubi. That's so cool,'" Davis explained. "Regardless of what they think of the quality, I think just the idea of it is cool." 

Actor Ethan Han (Barry) skipped college with dreams of chasing an acting career. While he's done several short films, along with shows at The Everett Theatre in Middletown, "Slaughter Beach" was his first feature-length film. He's thankful it's available on major streaming sites.

"It's super exciting to me. I told all my family and friends about it," Han of Newark said. "It's something I'm really proud of."  

Is the real Slaughter Beach named after a murder?

When asked about the backstory of the actual Slaughter Beach near Milford, Davis hopped on Wikipedia and highlighted two rumors he previously found on the site, before discovering a third.

One rumor on Wiki claims the beach's name is based on horseshoe crabs that die there annually. "That's why there's a horseshoe crab theme within the film," Davis explained.

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Another claim, which is the most controversial, is there was a man named Brabant who, in the mid-18th century, "slaughtered" many indigenous inhabitants by cannon to prevent an impending massacre.

"So, there is a murderous backstory to it," Davis said, clearly surprised. "Wow, I never read that one."

A third and final claim on Wiki states the beach was named after a local postmaster named William "Slaughter," which is a story the filmmaker has heard before, and he assumed the tale to be true. 

The town's website says it "has been debated over the years" how the beach got its name, and all three Wiki rumors appear to be similar to the tales referenced at slaughterbeach.delaware.gov. But the town's website doesn't state the official origin of the name.

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Denise Clemons, archivist for Lewes Historical Society, said she believes the name behind Slaughter Beach "comes from a family named Slaughter, based on research in ancestry." 

Horror film wasn't shot in Slaughter Beach

The name of Davis' film is "Slaughter Beach." But the project wasn't filmed there. The director said "90% of the movie was shot down in Rehoboth [Beach]," along with a couple of pickup shots in Old New Castle and Delaware City.

But why wasn't the film shot in Slaughter Beach?

"Slaughter Beach was just un-filmable," the filmmaker said. "It's just like this side town that was kind of mushed in with a bunch of houses. So it didn't really have a a filmic aesthetic to it."

If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@gannett.com. Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at delawareonline.com/newsletters. 

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Slaughter Beach in Delaware inspires horror film on Tubi, Amazon Prime