BLOOD
FREAK (1971)Directors: Brad Grinter & Steve Hawkes
Something Weird Video
BLOOD
FREAK (1971)Think you've seen it all? Visited the films of Meyer, Lewis, Wishman, Mahon, and wondering what's left in the cult film genre that still has the power to surprise you? Look no further than BLOOD FREAK! I am still shocked by what I've just seen. Unbelievable in the extreme and guaranteed to leave you wiping your eyes in disbelief, this Brad Grinter-lensed oddity has been a long time coming on DVD (the film's fans have been frothing at the mouth for this release for years!).
Meet Herschell (muscle-bound European
hunk Steve Hawkes), a Nam vet biker who helps out young Jesus freak Angel when
her car breaks down. Angel whisks Herschell back to her house, where he meets
her trouble-making sister, Ann. Hoping to engage Herschell in a little hanky
panky, she seduces him into smoking some highly addictive pot supplied by her
dealer. In about 10 minutes, Herschell is a raving drug addict, demanding more
of the addictive loco weed. In-between withdrawal fits, Hersch gets a job at
a turkey farm where he also partakes in amateur experiments by eating drugged
turkey. After one particularly tasty bird, Herschell metamorphoses into....well....a
bloodthirsty turkey man!! Sporting a giant turkey head, he kidnaps drug addicts
and pushers and graphically drains them of their blood (or in one case, cuts
off a leg with a buzzsaw!). But will love prevail after all the bloodshed?
If you threw a Ron Ormond pro-Christian
message flick, a nauseating H.G. Lewis gorefest, and an anti-pot PSA into a
blender, BLOOD FREAK would eventually pour into your glass. Sure, it's an often-quoted
cliche by now, but this movie is like nothing you've ever seen before! The acting's
appalling (Chesty Morgan deserves an Oscar compared to these people!), the production
values ludicrously cheap, and the script is intensely stupid. But face it: will
you ever see a turkey monster in any other film EVER? I think not. The gore
effects are surprisingly effective, with multiple neck 
piercings
resulting in geysers of blood being gobbled up by the starving turkey man! And
the leg removal sequence is made even more disturbing by the fact that the recipient
keeps screaming for what seems like days! Add into the already mind-boggling
mix a monotous narrator (Grinter himself) who erupts into a coughing fit by
the film's end and you have a bonafide cult classic well worth owning. And I
didn't even mention the banquet scene....
Considering the rarity of this
title, it is a miracle that BLOOD FREAK has survived to emerge on the DVD scene.
The transfer on the disc is probably the best the film will ever look. Color
contrasts are nothing to shout home about, and neither is the mono audio mix,
which is often scratchy and filled with noise. Dark scenes suffer from artifacting,
but is only distracting in a scene near the end of the film. But it's at least
better than VHS, and wait'll you get a lo
ok
at the extras!
Trailers, trailers everywhere,
all of which are superb! The BLOOD FREAK trailer is essentially a condensed
version of the film, highlighting some of the laughable dialogue and acting
and surprisingly gives major exposure to the turkey monster (one would think
that, a la NIGHT OF THE LEPUS, the trailer would gloss over what kind of monster
the film features). It also features gory outtakes from the film. H.G. Lewis'
BLOOD FEAST and COLOR ME BLOOD RED are familiar viewing by now, but it cannot
be denied that they are anything but captivating. BLOOD FEAST's tongue-ripping
scene is still classic (John Waters even included it in SERIAL MOM) and COLOR
ME BLOOD RED proves that the infamous "It's only a movie" tagline
originated earlier than 1972's LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT. It's quite surprising
to see the original European trailer for THE BLOOD SPATTERED BRIDE here, rather
than an American one. This trailer doesn't skimp on the violence and will provoke
justified comparisons to DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS. BLOODY PIT OF HORROR has bodybuilder
Mickey Hargitay (real-life Mr. Jayne Mansfield) as the Crimson Executioner.
Great film that the trailer doesn't sell nearly well enough!! It's a great preview,
but the movie has amazing atmosphere that isn't conveyed appropriately here.
THE DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD is the slasher film that features up-and-coming
star Daphne Zuniga in a small role as a victim. It looks entertaining, but fans
report otherwise. I DRINK YOUR BLOOD/I EAT 
YOUR
SKIN doesn't show any scenes from the latter (a black and white zombie film
from 1964), but the 1971 BLOOD is a very, very disturbing horror film. Look
for Lynn Lowry (SHIVERS) and real mutilated rats; many of the special effects
are very well-done, and even when nothing is shown (a pregnant woman impaling
herself), you feel the viciousness of the film. Fans have been waiting for this
DVD from Grindhouse for an eternity. NIGHT OF THE BLOODY APES is an incredibly
long preview for the ultra-gory Mexican horror film. Who wouldn't want to see
this after experiencing the trailer?! Over-the-top gore effects, wrestling women,
and real-life heart surgery! Something Weird Video saw fit to release this on
DVD recently, along with its frequent second feature FEAST OF FLESH. FLESH FEAST
was Brad Grinter's collaboration with former screen siren Veronica Lake, wherein
she plays a mad doctor breeding maggots to seek vengeance on Hitler! Lake looks
very worn out in this film, and one can only think of how great she looked in
SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS. Look fast! You'll see BLOOD FREAK heroine Heather Hughes
("Angel") as the nurse heroine.
The shorts encompass every theme
and element seen in BLOOD FREAK. First up is THE WALLS HAVE EYES, which is a
condensed version of the 1969 film of the same name. The feature film details
a sleazy motel manager who peeps on his various tenants. The condensed version
focuses on a particular incident where the manager films a young woman shoot
up heroin in her leg (!), then have sex with her boyfriend (BLOOD FREAK star
Steve Hawkes). Confronting her with the footage in a blackmail attempt ("But....I
DON'T LIKE THESE PICTURES!"), Hawkes comes after the Peeping Tom and finishes
him off. The print is very jumpy, and I can't imagine the feature film being
more interesting. It's hard enough to stay awake with the 28-minute version.
BRAD GRINTER, NUDIST is an excerpt from the 1970 film SWEET BIRD OF AQUARIUS.
Very jumpy, splicy print, with Grinter playing a news anchor who advises his
cameraman (BLOOD FEAST star William Kerwin) to spice up his marriage with a
visit to a nudist camp! Dragging his wife to the camp (where Grinter is full-frontal
nude!), the viewer is witness to footage of GIRLS COME TOO spliced together
with footage of Grinter's backyard serving as the "nudist camp"! And
for anyone who wanted to see Bill Kerwin's 
"Thomas
Wood", look no further than this film....then seek help.... NARCOTICS:
PIT OF DESPAIR is an anti-pot PSA that appeared in an abridged version on Fantoma's
EDUCATIONAL ARCHIVES DVD (but with a much better print). This version digs deeper
into the life of a young high school kid who falls into a bad crowd of kids
who get him addicted to pot! BEGGAR AT THE GATES is a pretty boring short discussing
the various connections between religion and drugs. TURKEYS IN THE WILD tells
you everything you need to know about wild turkeys and their mating habits.
A DAY OF THANKSGIVING is another great educational short subject from Texas-based
Young America Films! A family has to do without turkey for Thanksgiving and
instead lists all the things they're thankful for. Sure, it's cheesy and badly
acted, but there's something wholesomely patriotic about it that makes it worthy
of repeat viewings. Rounding out the package is a gallery of comic book art
backed by rock music from The Dead Elvi (cool stuff!) and an Easter Egg on the
main menu advertising free turkeys at the local drive-in!
For all of you waiting for BLOOD
FREAK to arrive on DVD, stuff yourself with the main course and all the trimmings.
Those of you who haven't seen the film and are having second thoughts, quit
your gobbling and dig into this delicious beauty! It's essential Thanksgiving
viewing for the whole family!
(Casey Scott)