FIVE BLOODY GRAVES (1970)
Director: Al Adamson
Brentwood Home Video

According to Sam Sherman, two of Al Adamson's biggest passions were making westerns and shooting in outdoor locations. With FIVE BLOODY GRAVES, the director gets to fulfill that aspiration with this seldom scene drive-in epic. Robert Dix (who previously starred in such Adamson flicks as BLOOD OF DRACULA'S CASTLE and SATAN'S SADISTS) plays the "hero" and also wrote the screenplay.

Dix stars as Ben Thompson, a lone gunman who is also exalted as some sort of "Messenger of Death." His actions are interpreted by a narrator (Gene Raymond) who is death, but his words come off like some sort of fourth rate voice-over that you'd hear in films like BEAST OF YUCCA FLATS and THE ASTOUNDING SHE MONSTER. Ben's enemy is Satago (John "Bud" Cardos), a fierce Apache who has a nasty habit of scalping women (well, at least cutting off the lower part of their wig). Satago killed Ben's wife, so that explains his bloody trail of vengeance.

Cardos (who did the stunts as well) also appears as Joe Lightfoot, Satago's half-breed brother who is fighting to keep his wife (Maria Polo) away from him. Adamson discovery Vicki Volante (BRAIN OF BLOOD) is a frontier woman who is nearly slaughtered by an Indian (the director wearing heavy red makeup and a long black wig), but soon ends up with an arrow in the back anyway. Later, our hero Ben allies with a wagon trail full of assorted misfits (on their way to stake a gold claim or something), and that's when the film becomes a B-movie hall of fame.

Scott Brady plays a tough, slaphappy gambler whose death scene is so hammy, he threatens to haunt anyone who attempts to bury him. John Carradine is a nutty minister who ogles at women and shoots people from behind his Bible. There's also Paula Raymond (THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS) as a Madam, Darlene Lucht (THE HAUNTED PALACE) as a hooker, and Jim Davis (MONSTER FROM GREEN HELL) as a scummy outlaw.

Filmed entirely in the scenic valleys of Utah, and loaded with inappropriate stock music that you've heard in dozens of other films, FIVE BLOODY GRAVES is a semi violent western that's somewhat entertaining (at least for loyal Adamson fans) but not nearly as fun or outrageous as something like SATAN'S SADISTS. Brentwood's DVD packaging states, "The Original 1970 Al Adamson Cult Horror Classic!" but despite the presence of Carradine, this is no horror film. However, it was once billed with Adamson's HORROR OF THE BLOOD MONSTERS, at which time a gimmick to receive a "fresh frozen stiff corpse" was carried out (in actuality, theater patrons were handed a coupon to go to a deli to collect a frozen chicken!).

The problem with properly assessing FIVE BLOODY GRAVES as a film is the fact that Brentwood has presented it on DVD full frame. This distracts from Oscar winner Vilmos Sigmond's cinematography, as it should really be seen at 2.35:1. There doesn't appear to be any panning and scanning going on, but rather, a stationary cropping that confines the action to the center area and removes much picture information all around. This causes some grain, but colors still look pleasing enough, with blues skies being most impressive. The mono sound is strong and clear of any detectable problems. It's pretty much culled from a transfer that was most likely meant for TV airings (where it was often shown as "The Gun Riders"), but it's much brighter and sharper then any of its previous VHS releases.

A second audio track contains a commentary by producer Sam Sherman and actor/screenwriter Richard Dix. Sherman's commences the commentary, and then cuts to (on two separate occasions) a recording made by Dix at an earlier time (he wasn't screening the film while making it). Dix shares his experiences on the set, and also discusses independent filmmaking and his father, the late actor Richard Dix (one of the founders of "United Artists"). Sherman obviously didn't have much direct involvement with this film (unlike most of the other Independent International productions), so he talks about how Adamson's father (who also has a bit part) discovered the film's location, the troubles of shooting "day for night," and tells a nice story about brothers Scott Brady and Lawrence Tierney. The commentary ends a little more than halfway through the movie.

Also included is the original theatrical trailer, which makes the film appear a lot sleazier than it really is ("The shocking scenes you are about to see are not suggested for the weak or immature."). It's slightly letterboxed, but still not in the original aspect ratio. A "photo gallery" simply grabs various shots from the DVD transfer and tries to pass them off as real stills. (George R. Reis)

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