Blood Freak

01/24/2016 13:57

Film: Blood Freak

Year: 1972

Director: Brad F. Grinter and Steve Hawkes

Writer: Brad F. Grinter and Steve Hawkes

Starring: Steve Hawkes, Dana Cullivan and Randy Grinter

 

Review:

The film begins with Randy Grinter, who plays himself, setting the stage for this film. This will happen a few times throughout the film as well as at the end and he gives his opinion on what is happening as well.

We then shift to a man riding a motorcycle, played by Steve Hawkes. He is a big guy and he helps a woman that is on the highway pulled over, she is played by Dana Cullivan. She is highly religious and he goes home with her. Hawkes comes in on her sister, played by Heather Hughes, having a party. She is a hippie and all of her friends are doing drugs. Cullivan asks Hawkes to not do any drugs while he is over and he agrees.

While there, Hawkes is asked to have sex with a girl while her boyfriend is there. He insults her though when he calls her a tramp. Her boyfriend is the drug dealer who supplied this party and he wants to get back at Hawkes by having him smoke a joint laced with something.

Hughes is immediately attracted to Hawkes and wants to get with him. She is upset when he is more interested in listing to Cullivan and bible verses. She meets up with the drug dealer and she takes some stuff from him to get Hawkes hooked and to fall for her.

Hawkes and Cullivan then go to meet with her father. They do a bible study and Hawkes mentions that he is new to the area and needs a job. The father offers for him to work at his turkey farm until they find where he should work. Hawkes agrees. They also allow him to stay at the house.

The next day he is working on something by the swimming pool when Hughes hits on him in her bikini. She finally convinces him to smoke marijuana. They end up making love. The problem is she does not set an alarm and he is late for his first day of work.

Hawkes does arrive and is taken on a tour of the farm. He is then taken to meet with two scientists that work there. They inform him that they do experiments on some of the turkeys and ask if he will be the guinea pig to see if there are any side effects. They say they will throw in more money and marijuana if he’d be willing. He agrees.

When he gets home, he is having terrible pains. He is feigning for more marijuana so Hughes calls the drug dealer. He brings a joint and Hawkes smokes it. He is feeling a lot better and then attacks the dealer, telling him that he got him hooked and he will need to keep him supplied.

The next Hawkes goes to work and eats an experimented turkey. He does feel anything at first, but then convulses on the ground. One of the scientists sees him, but leaves him there. There is then a talk between him, the other scientist and the father. Nothing has been done about him and they just left him there to die. The father tries to find a way to cover this up.

Hawkes didn’t die though. His head has changed into that of a turkey. He goes back to Hughes, who still loves him and considers a life with him despite this. Hawkes goes out, killing marijuana addicts and drinking their blood. Can he be stopped? How far will he go? Is this even real?

I don’t have a lot good to say about this film. I am a big fan of 1970s horror films and love to see them with that rough look that his one has. This is a cult film, so I will give it credit there. I will also say that Hawkes is a big guy. Cullivan and Hughes are pretty easy on the eyes as well. I also thought it was creative that one man gets his leg cut off by a table saw and I read that he is actually an amputee. If that’s true, I like the idea.

Now this film is just absurd. The acting is robotic across the board. It is weird that supposedly they are mostly students from an acting class, which shocked me, because none of them were that good. I hated the Grinter monologues because he comes off as pretentious and you’d think they would edit out his coughing fit that ends it. He goes on about how dangerous marijuana is and about what we put into our bodies, yet he is smoking a cigarette. The turkey head looks horrible fake, but I let this go a little because I love the creativity. I also was not a big fan of the twist that happens near the end as well. I’m also annoyed with the absurdity of most of this film. Cullivan and Hughes are sisters, but we never see Cullivan at home after the party. She doesn’t seem upset at all that her sister slept with Hawkes and she really just gives up on him immediately. We never see the dad at home either. This film also makes you believe that marijuana is highly addictive, but it is not. There is just a lot of issues with this film.

Now I normally would tell you not to watch this film, because it is bad. This is a cult film so I would recommend seeing it with friends for a good laugh at how outrageous this is. The acting isn’t good, the film comes off pretentious with its anti-marijuana/drugs, pro-Christian rhetoric. If you are looking for a serious horror film, please avoid this one. If you want one to enjoy a few beverages and get a laugh out of it, then by all means try this one.

 

My Rating: 3 out of 10