|
THE FLESH AND BLOOD SHOW
(1972)
Directed by Pete Walker
Media Blasters DVD
Reviewed 03.15.07
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
Pete, you've established the cushion.
Now where's the pushin'?!
UK agitator Pete Walker made horror
films which pump the blood. After
a slew of hooky 1960s softcore romps,
creepers became P.W.'s stock and
trade. Combining social angst with
stylized exploitation, Walker sought
to uproot the stuffy state of British
horror. This led to a string of
benchmark 1970s shockers, which
hit a zenith with the House
Of Whipcord-Frightmare-The
Confessional mid-70s triptych.
Got it?
This is The Flesh And Blood
Show, Walker's full-on horror
debut. It immediately followed the
director's biggest, sexiest 3-D
hit, The Four Dimensions Of
Greta. Therefore, confidence,
urgency, and attitude were in high
supply. So were large breasts. The
Flesh And Blood Show was poised
for greatness, as if to taunt, "If
you want it, here it is. Come and
get it." I wanted it. I came
to get it. I soon cooed back, "Make
your mind up fast." Unfortunately,
the film refused to listen.
Jane, Mike, Carol, Tony, Angela,
Simon, and Poindexter (just kidding)
are rehearsing some kind of ridiculous
performance art in a decrepit, abandoned
theater down by the docks. It's
cold and the weather is constantly
overcast -- two elements which naturally
induce sex, lesbian petting, nudity,
and yes, a mad Othello killer. Touché!
Throw in a few mannequins, a practical
joker, and disturbing black and
white flashbacks involving a little
kid and something she shouldn't
be seeing. Then, remember that all
actors are "SCUM -- EXCREEEEMENT!"
and workplace sexual relations are
never a good idea. NEVER. And there
you almost have it.
Steve Chibnall's Making Mischief:
The Cult Films of Pete Walker
devotes several pages to exploring
psychological layers of The
Flesh And Blood Show. I don't
buy it. Skimming Walker's later
knack for social cynicism, but displaying
technical traits that would come
to define his work, this film is
a stark baby step with stunning
locations, tons of nudity, moments
of genuine fright, and a riveting,
partly 3-D climax. No more, no less.
The on/off play between reality
and theatrical displacement fills
up space, but not enough. That's
the big pitfall. Essential elements
point towards a sure thing, but
the film is content with jogging
in place for a majority of its runtime;
not to mention a severe lack of
promised "Blood." As a
result, all of the warped-yet-tame
violence, mysterious occurences,
and entertaining "smut"
monologues get filed for use at
a later date. That would be 1974's
Frightmare.
I've always wanted Day For Night
on trash-horror terms. The
House Of Seven Corpses
kind of blew it. The Flesh And
Blood Show didn't get much
closer. What was that about a fool
and his money...?
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Previously available from Something
Weird on DVD-R after wallowing for
years in VHS pity, The Flesh
And Blood Show now makes a
solid DVD debut. The anamorphic
widescreen presentation is nice
and grainy, a little flat, and touched
with an average amount of dirt and
rips. No pixellation is evident,
which is always a plus with rarer
films. Thankfully, the original
mono soundtrack was left perfectly
intact.
EXTRAS
Short, but only kinda sweet. The
"Interview With Pete Walker"
(12 minutes) sounded interesting
enough ("My films rubbed a
lot of people the wrong way..."),
but my newly-purchased DVD kept
freezing every 30 seconds. I tested
it on two separate players, but
no dice. From what I did see, it
was terrific to witness Mr. Walker
relaxing in a bermuda shirt on the
beach. Viva retirement!
Also included is a brief image gallery
(VHS cover, press book, and behind
the scenes photos), a great trailer
for the feature, and five additional
trailers for Pete Walker films;
The Comeback, Frightmare,
Die Screaming Marianne,
The Confessional, and House
Of Whipcord. What, no Schizo?
Inexcusable!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Pete freaks take heed. The Flesh
And Blood Show has a lot going
for it. Unfortunately, dulled sabotage
keeps the film from rising to the
top of Walker's golden legacy. Worth
seeing once, but nostalgic repeats
seem unlikely. Even for P.W. aficionados. |
Carol Simontony
Flesh fiend
Badfingers
Othell-no!
|
