In true 80’s horror film fashion, the feature film Popeye the Slayer Man, which releases to select theaters and on VOD on March 21, 2025 via Vantage Media (and is available for Pre-Order NOW on Apple TV), has just unleashed its official tie-in song and music video titled “Sailor to Slayer.”
Written by Kyle Brian Abbott, Dustin Treinen, and Angela Relucio, known collectively as The Man From Alphabet, the music video features vocals by Relucio, who also stars in both the video and film. She recalls of the song’s inspiration: “Knowing the film intimately, shaped my approach to the lyrics. I wanted to go deeper than Popeye’s monstrous facade while honoring the other characters’ experience, and capturing the sort of raw chaos that makes you feel on edge. Just a taste of what you can expect from the film.”
Added Treinen, “Writing a theme song for a horror movie has been a dream of mine ever since I saw Killer Klowns From Outer Space, so I was thrilled to pitch to the film’s creative team. I was driven to create a dark mood for the song and head down an energetic and hard-hitting path, with groove and melodies that create the same tension we feel when watching a slasher.”
For Abbott, it was a no-brainer to jump on board: “I’m stuck in LA gridlock when I hear this radio show host raving about the movie’s announcement. Coincidentally, Dustin called me up a few hours later and asked me to co-write the music for it. I was, like, ‘Fuck yeah! When do we start?!’ The film’s reputation had clearly preceded itself.
Popeye the Slayer Man is directed by Robert Michael Ryan from a screenplay by John Doolan (Remains), and is a co-production between Salem House Films, Millman Productions, Ron Lee Productions, and Otsego Media. Jeff Miller (The Toybox), Cuyle Carvin (Ouija Witch), and Ryan also contributed to the story. Producers include - along with Miller, Carvin, and Ryan - Alexander Tucker, Nathan Todaro, and Alysa Blasetti.
Reads the synopsis for Popeye the Slayer Man, “A group of friends sneak into an abandoned spinach canning factory to film a documentary on the legend of ‘The Sailor Man,’ who is said to haunt the factory and local docks, only to find out that the legend is all-too true.”
Popeye the Slayer Man stars Sean Michael Conway, Elena Juliano, Mabel Thomas, Marie-Louise Boisnier, Jeff Thomas, and Steven McCormack, along with “scream queens” Angela Relucio (Code Black, The Cabining) and Sarah Nicklin (The Black Mass, Garden of Eden).
Jason Stephens plays the title role.
Special makeup effects are supervised by R.J. Young with cinematography by Korey Rowe.
Said Ryan of Popeye the Slayer Man, a film which has been featured on Drudge Report, CBS News and outlets around the world since its announcement in November of 2024,“We went old-school with this movie, using practical effects for the horror. I wanted this film to have a more visceral feel reminiscent of the classic horror films of the ‘70s and ‘80s.”
Added Miller, “We hope audiences will have as much fun with this movie as we had making it. Grab a can of spinach, sit back, and enjoy!”
Said VMI Worldwide COO and Head of Acquisitions Jessica Russo, who negotiated the deal, “Popeye the Slayer Man’s dark reimagining of the classic Popeye character delivers a fresh take on a beloved icon that audiences will die for.”
About VMI Worldwide
Vantage Media is the global distribution arm of the established sales agency VMI Worldwide who is known for the representation of high-profile independent films such as A Sudden Case of Christmas starring Danny DeVito and Andie MacDowell, Darkness of Man starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, etc. VMI Releasing has found success in being a leading distribution partner with the goal of being the distributor by filmmakers for filmmakers. Vantage Media’s recent releases include Stellan Skarsgård’s and Andrea Riseborough’s What Remains, Bryan Greenberg’s directorial debut Junction, and Haunted Heart, starring Matt Dillon.