THE
BLOOD DRINKERS (1966)Director: Gerardo de Leon
Image Entertainment
THE
BLOOD DRINKERS (1966)
In the mide 60s, Hemisphere Pictures was an independent film company that was known for a series of modestly successful war films shot in the Philippines, including THE WALLS OF HELL and THE RAVAGERS with John Saxon. Hemisphere had already done one horror title, TERROR IS A MAN (aka BLOOD CREATURE), directed by Gerardo de Leon (who, with Eddie Romero, would later explore similar territory with the "Blood Island" trilogy). By the time Hemisphere and de Leon tackled the subject of vampires with THE BLOOD DRINKERS, the company was a full-fledged horror production and distribution outlet.
THE BLOOD DRINKERS is one of the
more unusual vampire films that you'll ever see. The story concerns Dr. Marco
(Ronald Remy), a cursed vampire with a cloak, occasional wrap-around-shades,
and a shaven head that gives him an incredible resemblance to Telly Savalas
(especially during his stint as Blofeld). Dr. Marco has an entourage of weirdos:
a mustached hunchback with an overbite, a somersaulting dwarf, and a kinky lady
assistant named Tania. He arrives in a small village to try and save his dying
lover in a plan to get the bleeding heart from her healthy twin sister. Amelia
Fuentes (CURSE OF THE VAMPIRES) plays both sisters, wearing a blonde wig as
the v
ampire's
sickly mate.
On
the surface, THE BLOOD DRINKERS looks like a cheap exploiter with such silly
devices as an oversized phony bat that is scene a few times too often, but it
actually has a very atmospheric, almost poetic quality to it. The film boasts
some rather stunning visuals and lighting, and if you don't already know, it
shifts from red and blue tinted scenes to full color. According to Sam Sherman's
commentary, these scenes' tints were strategically placed rather than just randomly
constructed (like Al Adamson's HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS which later used
a process influenced by this film). They actually give a surreal quality to
the proceedings, and a full color sequence where Marco and his love emerge in
full daylight is quite extraordinary. Like de Leon's follow-up vampire picture,
THE CURSE OF THE VAMPIRES, this is filled with themes of religion and corruption
within a family.
The DVD of THE BLOOD DRINKERS is now remastered, looking far superior to the various public domain bootleg videos out there. Presented full frame, when the picture is tinted, the red and blue hues looks intense, and the color scenes are distinct if not overly vivid. There are scuffs and dirt on the source print, but nothing too severe. The audio is perfectly acceptable, with the English-dubbed dialog sounding especially crisp and clear.
Extras
include another impressive commentary (running a little under an hour) by Sam
Sherman who was one of the driving forces behind Hemisphere during its heyday.
Sherman uses the opportunity not only to discuss the merits of THE BLOOD DRINKERS,
but also to commence a history of Hemisphere, something he will (thankfully)
continue to do on other titles in Image's "Blood Collection." There
is also a video commentary (around 20 minutes) with producer/director Eddie
Romero who actually had little to do with this film but was one the owners of
Hemisphere and would work on a number of exploitation films in the coming years
(the interview is included on all discs in the series). Romero appears very
cheerful and unpretentious, and he talks a bit about how he got started, the
budgets of his films, and his association with Gerardo de Leon. I wish we could
see Romero discuss his horror films in more detail, but the interview is still
a rare treat.
Thirty minutes of never-before-seen
outtakes and "trims" that are comprised of extended scenes of existing
ones, as well as subplots that never made it into the final cut (this footage
is silent with no dialog) is also included. Other extras are trailers for BRIDES
OF BLOOD, MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD 
ISLAND,
THE BLOOD DRINKERS, BEAST OF BLOOD, BRAIN OF BLOOD and BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRES
(aka CURSE OF THE VAMPIRES) and "House of Terror" Live Horror Show
Promo. There is also a modest still gallery made up of photos and ad art from
the first two "Blood Island" entries.
Also here are the excellent liner noted (included in an insert booklet) written by Jim Arena (who is also doing the notes for all the other titles in the series). Arena was born to write these notes, as he saw THE BLOOD DRINKERS (retitled THE VAMPIRE PEOPLE) on a double bill with BEAST OF BLOOD at a Long Island drive-in in 1972! He also wrote a fan letter to Hemisphere back in the day, and they actually responded and sent him various posters, stills and pressbooks. (George R. Reis)