'I want uh uh something unusual... something totally different.'
Welcome back to my Dark Corner of this Sick World.
‘This man’s uncanny’
Herschell Gordon-Lewis’s Blood Feast is an important film in horror history as the first gore movie,
the genre in which Gordon-Lewis would spend much of the rest of his career,
and Blood Feast with its messy killings of pretty girls,
#Scream#
is the template for the Gordon-Lewis formula in that, there isn’t a whole lot else but if you want blood…
and bikinis…
then you’re sorted.
Murders have been happening.
‘7 killings in 2 weeks’
and the police are baffled.
‘This looks like one of those long, hard ones’
At least the film doesn’t take itself seriously.
Body parts of the victims have been removed.
Different each time.
‘This time he took the brains’
Meanwhile, Mrs Fremont is planning a birthday party for her daughter and wants something exotic,
‘Have you ever had an Egyptian Feast?’
Fuad Rameses here has some ideas and doesn’t seem suspicious at all.
‘It has not been served for 5000 years’
Probably cold by now,
but Mrs Fremont is delighted because her daughter loves Egyptian history.
‘Well that’s a coincidence’
You think that’s a coincidence? Her boyfriend is one of the detectives and also likes Egyptian history,
although maybe for different reasons.
‘The goddess is attended by 20 vigin girls’
- He is a creepy boyfriend.
‘On 2nd thoughts you might be safer with the killer than you are with me’
That should set the mood.
Back to the store, and it turns out Rameses is more than just a caterer.
‘Oh my Ishtar’
In his backroom he worships the eternal Department Store Mannequin.
Which seems surprised to see him.
To resurrect Ishtar he will serve a cannibal feast.
‘I do cater to unusual affairs’
If only one of the victims could give the police a clue.
‘She did belong to a book club list’
‘Book club list? Wait a minute, wait a minute, what do you mean book club list?’
Why she might as well belong to a death cult!
Although there is a book doing the rounds that warrants a look.
Not a film that does subtle.
Now we meet Connie Fremont, who would be looking forward to her birthday, but...
‘I was reading about these murders and it sort of takes the joy out of everything’
Oh everything bad happens to you.
Her mother is more upbeat.
‘Anyway, the dinner party Saturday will take our minds off all this horrible killing’
Sooner or later the cops need to find an actual clue.
‘Itar! Itar!’ #death rattle#
‘That almost sounds familiar’
I don’t think he was really listening to that Egyptian lecture but eventually does make the connection,
‘Ishtar – Itar’
Which leads the cops to Rameses’ lair.
'These are the leftovers for the preparations of the Feast of Ishtar’
Wasteful. All this would have kept if he’d got it into some Tupperware. But...
‘The feast of Ishtar is about to begin’
Gordon Rameses is already at the birthday party and all he needs to complete the ritual is the virgin sacrifice.
‘It is necessary, my dear, to lie outstretched on an altar’
Well I’ve never cooked for myself – we have girl – so I suppose all this is normal.
'Oh Mr Rameses, I must our guests are...' #Screeeeeeam#
Rameses flees and the police give chase until…
Why would you think a garbage truck would be a safe place to hide?
#Tortured Screams of Death#
Well that’s that, anyone got a pithy sign-off?
‘He died a fitting death like the garbage he was’
At which point I assume they were running short because…
‘Pete, how in the world did you figure this out anyway?’
‘Well Frank…’
You’re not Hercule Poirot we didn’t need this explained again. Just exit stage right, with synchronised smoking.
'Let's go home.'
I said this was an important film, and it is, but also a very bad one,
the acting is awful. ‘
Aren’t you excited?’
‘Yes mother, of course I am’
Like really awful.
‘I can’t remember’
and unless their swimming pool is tidal, they got a backing track from the sea…
It does at least have a sense of humour.
‘I’m afraid this feast is evidence of murder’
‘Oh dear, the guests will have to eat hamburgers tonight’
And it’s the first of its kind, which is always special,
but I don’t think any budget should make a film this bad.
‘This is the worst yet’
And I’m not sure Gordon-Lewis’s movies ever got any better.
Thanks for watching. To see more of our Herschell Gordon-Lewis reviews, click here.
Tell us your favourite scenes from the Godfather of Gore in the comments below.
'Well the killer must of thought she was dead, its a mircicle she wasn't.'
'Well she is now.'