I
DRINK YOUR BLOOD (1970)
Directed by David Durston
MTI/Grindhouse/Fangoria DVD
THE FILM
I’m going to have to go ahead
and declare a state of emergency
this evening. You see, I’ve
been shocked. Not creeped out...or
even scared. Just shocked. And it
took a twenty-four year old film
to do it.
There’s only one way to do
this. I Drink Your Blood is a frantic film. Total insanity.
From the instant producer Jerry
Gross’s name lights up the
screen to the abrupt and baffling
ending, the unknowing viewer is
bombarded with dirt, gore, and sleaze.
It’s an over-the-top trash
melting-pot; a nightmarish tryst
that could easily be defined as
a patchy conglomerate of several
familiar bad film icons. But that
would be too easy. See, I Drink Your Blood is the first film in America to
receive an “X” rating
based on violence and content (as
opposed to explicit sex). Obviously,
this film stands alone in a historical
context. But does it take the cake
and deserve to throb side by side
with your most favorite exploitation
films? Sorta.
During a birthday-suit satanic ritual,
a cult of eight LSD-laced hippies
spot a girl, Sylvia, peeping in
on their festivities. What’s
the natural reaction? Send two of
the toughest dudes on a beat/rape
spree. Thankfully, we’re spared
the visuals. The next day, our band
of malcontents run into van troubles,
forcing them to take up residence
in an abandoned motel. Ironically,
the motel happens to be in the same
little ghost town that houses Sylvia
and her family. Grandpa says, “Something’s
got to be done about that gang of
savage hyenas.” Sylvia’s
little brother Pete seeks revenge,
as only he can: rabid meat pies.
The louts eat, mouths begin to froth,
and soon enough, everybody gets
violent. I’m not going to
give away any of the other details.
It’s better when you don’t
know what’s coming. Or going,
for that matter.
Caffeine editing, bizarre moog blips,
and small town claustrophobia. Sounds
good, right? For the most part it,
is. As I mentioned, I Drink Your Blood is frantic -- the film flies by
before you know it, barely letting
up on the semi-realistic gore and
weirdness (frequent dismemberment,
rabies spread like an STD, close-ups
of meat and eating) for some 50s
sitcom-styled character interaction.
The acting is never convincing and
always outrageous, particularly
the character of “Pete,”
a little guy that surely covers
every bad film acting base you could
ever imagine. Unfortunately, the
film also features several unsettling
depictions of animal violence, switching
gears from sleazy fun to downright
gross-out. It’s not even a
matter of whether or not the animals
were already deceased: I know I
never want to see another half-decapitated
goat or mass rat burning ever again.
The scenes severely impact the tone
of the film, making the whole that
much more jolting. So is that a
good thing? I guess it depends on
who you are.
I’m left shocked and astounded.
I Drink Your Blood is a sickie, but it’s also
a pretty enjoyable night of drive-in
grind, the kind you often read about,
but don’t believe exists.
It’s too outlandish for me
to fall in love with, but I can’t
deny that the film delivers on its
promises. Twenty-four years later,
even.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
A direct port of last year’s
limited edition Grindhouse DVD,
this wide release version looks fantastic. The picture quality
of the full frame print is achingly
nice, directly opposite the grime
on display. Colors are bright, detail
is perfect, and while slight blemishes
do exist (white speckling and lines),
they just add to the feel. Probably
one of the crispiest pictures I’ve
ever seen on such a low-budget exploitation
film. The mono sound was an exact
match for the picture: clear-cut
and audible.
EXTRAS
Now this is how you do it. Film
aside, the extras presented here
constitute a trash film smorgasbord!
In addition to a choice between
the X-rated theatrical cut or the
R-rated director’s cut of
the film (which, strangely, are
both identical), there’s a
boatload of ads, deleted scenes,
easter eggs...it just doesn’t
stop.
Let’s start out small. We’ve
got three still galleries: production
stills, random cast shots, and an
amazing ad art section (focusing
strongly on the double feature drive-in
pair up with Del Tenney’s
I Eat Your Skin),
which features posters, lobby cards,
ads, video boxes, etc. All very
nice. Next up, there’s a brilliant
trailer for the previously mentioned
double feature, a two minute scorcher
that features the very best in exploitation
tag lines. Following that, a minute
long radio spot does a similar bang-up
job. Moving along, we get bios and
filmographies for director David
Durston, actress Lynn Lowry, actor
Bhaskar, and producer Jerry Gross.
Gross’s bio is particularly
in-depth. Tucked away within each
bio are a few film clips -- a 10
minute video of Durston at a Cult
Movies convention, a trailer for
George Romero’s fantastic
The Crazies (featuring
Lynn Lowry), and an extremely bizarre
six minute interpretive dance routine
from actor Bhaskar.
And onto the more extensive supplements.
Four deleted scenes, all of which
are pretty entertaining, focus on
a few of the comedic elements that
were excised from the film before
release. Grandpa’s extended
acid trip is a highlight. From there,
we have a 3 minute outtake roll,
directly from the cutting room floor.
Botched lines, frequent clapboard
appearances, and alternate versions
of scenes are featured. Next up
is a 30 minute feature titled “The
I Drink Your Blood Show.”
This is a fun segment featuring
Durston interviewing four vets in his backyard (actors Lynn
Lowry, Jack Damon, and Tyde Kierney,
and the guy who designed the film's
ads). The interviews are brief,
fun, and pointed. Finally, we get
an excellent feature length commentary
with Durston, Bhaskar, and an unnamed
moderator that pops up a few times.
The track is jovial and packed,
with slight overlap from the other
features. Juicy bits include Durston’s
doctor-supervised LSD session to
prepare for the film, the story
behind the film’s ghost town
sets, and setting things straight
on the animal scenes.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Regardless of the film, this is
a stunning DVD. Fan of I
Drink Your Blood? This extras-packed
edition is a definite must-own.
Casual viewer that would like to
finally experience this notorious
picture? A solid rental should be
your choice.
— Joseph A. Ziemba, 10.25.04 |
The Bros. Revenge
Ouch!
Could she? Would she?
Mr. Frothy
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