Review by Roger Carpenter
If you are a horror movie aficionado then no introduction is needed for Blood Feast, nor to the films of Herschel Gordon Lewis in general. But just in case you’ve never heard of this pioneering no-budget epic, here’s a quick synopsis. Blood Feast is the story of an Egyptian caterer, Fuad Ramses, who is into the dark arts and has a need for human body parts. It just so happens a series of gruesome killings of young women around town are occurring. Detective Thornton, along with the help of the beautiful and unwitting Suzette Fremont, try to solve the case before every young co-ed in town disappears. Blood Feast was a sensation when it was first released to the grindhouse/drive-in circuit in 1963. Over the years it became the stuff of legend to horror fans everywhere with Fangoria magazine praising Lewis’ films in its pages, unleashing gloriously gory color stills of the most violent moments. Along with Fangoria singing Lewis’ praises, the release of Blood Feast—as well as much of Lewis’ filmography—to VHS in the early 80’s created a newfound interest in his films and catapulted him back into the limelight where he stayed firmly planted until his death in 2016.
If you are a fan of horror or exploitation then the story of the budding filmmaker will be familiar. Lewis and producer-friend David F. Friedman made a name for themselves producing no-budget exploitation films throughout the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Beginning with nudist camp films and other “nudie cuties” the team blazed a trail through the exploitation market, particularly in the south, for decades. By the early 60’s nudie cuties had become passé, so an infusion of violence into the genre created what were called “roughies.” The pair continued to grind out roughies as well as tons of films in other genres but became most famous for their gore pictures, of which Blood Feast was not only the first, but is widely considered the first American gore film. In an age when many low-budget films were still in black-and-white, Lewis and Friedman made Blood Feast in glorious color, the better to stun the audience with their primitive yet gruesome effects.
Lewis and Friedman had no pretenses about what they were making. They knew they weren’t making high art and they didn’t care. They simply wanted to make a few bucks—enough to earn a living as well as allow them to make the next picture. They famously bought their film stock based on the length of the picture they wanted to make and bought only what they needed, meaning there were very few additional takes on many of their films. But this allowed them to minimize their cost while maximizing their profits, thereby allowing them to continue to make pictures. This blasé attitude wasn’t unique to Lewis and Friedman. In fact, many filmmakers who made similar pictures for the same reasons, didn’t bother to keep up with their films, preferring to look towards the next film and not worry about the old ones which were sitting around and not turning a profit on the circuit anymore. Unfortunately, this attitude resulted in many legendary exploitation features becoming lost for years, some never to be found again. The fact that Lewis’ films survive is something of a miracle…but, then again, perhaps not, considering the number of prints that had to be made over the years due to the popularity of the film.
This same attitude is part of what makes these films so enjoyably kitschy. On the one hand, the pair tried to make the film for as little money as possible. This meant a limited number of takes, non-actors in major roles, cardboard sets, and minimal budget for effects. Lewis’ films, including Blood Feast, are so thin in places you can almost see through them. On the other hand, Lewis and Friedman—who was a carny before moving into film—knew they had to show the goods to attract audiences. In fact, they understood that if they showed enough of the goods audiences would ignore the shoestring budget just to see things on screen they had never seen before. And that was the impetus for the creation of Blood Feast: quite simply, Lewis asked himself, “What has the audience not seen before and how can we get a toehold into that niche?”
The film is, frankly, pretty bad. The acting is wooden and the effects primitive. Parts of the film don’t make sense (how does Fuad Ramses, who walks with a limp, outrun two young cops?). But Blood Feast is also simply a great deal of fun to watch just for these reasons. It’s fun to watch Connie Mason, Playboy Playmate of the Month for June 1963—attempt to act. I’ve seen mannequins with better chops than hers. But she’s delightful as she mugs for the camera, showing she was a much better model than she was an actor. (As an aside, I bet it was a huge windfall to land her as the star of the show, and you can bet Friedman as PR man milked her name for all it was worth.) It’s hilarious to see the grey in Mal Arnold’s Fuad Ramses change from scene to scene. Arnold is clearly channeling Bela Lugosi with his wide-eyed stare and slow dialogue. You can tell he is acting up a storm. Unfortunately, Arnold comes across as a heroin-addicted Bela Lugosi in one of Ed Wood’s pictures instead of the creepier Dracula-inspired Bela Lugosi. Bill Kerwin stars as Detective Pete Thornton, the hero of the piece. He is workmanlike, which is normally a negative. But in this picture, it’s a positive. And while some of the special effects are pretty terrible (if you’ve seen one bloody mannequin arm you’ve seen ‘em all), kudos to Lewis and Friedman for upping the ante by using real animal entrails for many scenes. Along with a bright red blood reminiscent of 70’s Japanese films, I’m sure these were stomach-churning for 1963 audiences.
So grab some popcorn and beer and a few friends who are likely to forgive you in the morning, sit back, and enjoy the heck out of Blood Feast. None of Lewis’ flicks will win any awards, but nearly all of them are vastly entertaining on one level or another, especially for viewers who may be a bit less discerning in what they watch.
Arrow Video USA has released a couple of indescribably huge H.G. Lewis packages, of which Blood Feast is included. These special packages include over a dozen of the man’s films as well as tons of collectible extras with the packages. They are well worth the price, but for many the price may be too steep. Thus, Arrow has seen fit to release Lewis’ original gore opus as a standalone disc (here’s hoping they will continue to release all the films included in their packages as standalones), in Blu-Ray and astoundingly bright and clear. Again, it is simply a miracle how films made in a handful of weeks for next to nothing and summarily tossed onto the drive-in circuit could look so gorgeous. The picture is beautiful and the colors pop.
Perhaps better than the film itself is the set of extra features included on the disc, some of which have been ported over from an earlier special edition release from another company. The audio commentary with Lewis and Friedman, moderated by Something Weird’s Mike Vraney, is worth the purchase price alone. They are like grandfathers telling stories to their grandchildren…albeit, some very twisted and off-kilter stories. It’s a highly entertaining and enlightening commentary and moves so quickly you will be shocked when they have to wrap it up (Blood Feast is just under 70 minutes long). You simply won’t be able to get enough of them, which is good because Arrow isn’t done. Also included are two more interviews with Lewis which address different aspects of his career like how he got into film as well as his earliest works in the nudie cutie genre. There is also an archival interview with Lewis and Friedman who reminisce about their days together on Blood Feast and other films. There is a short interview with other filmmakers on the legacy of Blood Feast as well as a pretty astounding 20-minute short on how to carve different cuts of meat, starring Bill Kerwin from Blood Feast and Harvey Korman (yes, that Harvey Korman!). I can’t imagine why this film would be produced or to whom it would be shown, but it’s definitely a blast from the past. There’s a promo gallery with the film trailer and radio spots along with the aforementioned audio commentary. While Lewis and Friedman were well-known to not have many outtakes, 47 minutes of outtakes have been unearthed for Blood Feast. 47 minutes. That’s simply mindboggling. The outtakes have no sound so the film score is played over them, but they are interesting as they confirm some of the stories the filmmakers tell in the commentary. There is some additional nudity and some interesting shots as different special effects are prepared. But an additional prize on this film is the inclusion of Scum of the Earth, Lewis’ first—and arguably the first—roughie. Shot in black-and-white, it is actually a well-made slice of sleaze, perhaps a little tame for today’s standards, about some morally bankrupt men who coerce and blackmail naïve young women into taking nude photos. The film again stars Bill Kerwin, with an appearance by Mal Arnold as well. There are also around five minutes of alternate takes for Scum of the Earth included, too.
Simply put, this is the best standalone version of Blood Feast on disc. If you love this kind of film, you are getting two for one, plus a ton of highly entertaining special features. This one is a can’t-miss purchase. You can purchase the film at Amazon or directly from Arrow Video at http://www.arrowfilms.co.uk/category/usa/.
