A
TASTE OF BLOOD (1967)
Directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis
Something Weird DVD
Reviewed 01.26.04
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
Two hours. That’s a pretty
long time. You could do a lot with
two hours, right? Why not spend
them with Herschell Gordon Lewis,
as he weaves the tale of John Stone,
a crusty, blue-faced vampire? Sound
good? Well, read on...
H.G. Lewis decided to create his
epic in 1967. It would feature spectacular
living room locations, better acting,
and more exciting cinematography
than any of his other films. He
also decided to fill its two hour
run time with tedious dialogue and
a painfully obvious plot line involving
Dracula. Why? I don’t know.
I do know that A Taste Of
Blood is technically Lewis’s
best film and does have its moments.
So sit back and take it all in.
John Stone is a man’s man
and president of a company. He spends
his days drinking with his wife,
putting golf balls into glasses,
and cracking jokes. Stone could
pass for a younger Chevy Chase and
really hams it up with his deep
booming voice. He receives a mysterious
package in the mail from his ancestors,
containing two bottles of ancient
brandy. After knocking a few back,
Stone becomes an insomniac and starts
avoiding his wife, Helene. Helene
enlists the help of Hank (frequent
Lewis actor Bill Kerwin from Blood
Feast), Stone’s best
friend, to get to the bottom of
things. By this time, Stone is taking
off on long trips to London and
doesn’t appear during the
day. We soon learn that John Stone
is Dracula’s great grandson
and must travel around the globe
(well, London and Texas), avenging
the Count’s slayers, while
becoming a vampire himself in the
process.
So this film is considered Herschell’s
masterpiece. I like the novelty
of that idea. Compared to his other
films, it’s quite impressive.
Taste definitely feels
like a “real” movie,
not like it was shot on two sets
over a weekend. The acting is a
step above at times and the colors
look great. However, take note:
there’s a ton of dialogue
in this film and it’s not
always that interesting. There’s
a little blood and minor gore, but
nothing compared to Lewis’s
usual goop-fests. Bill Rogers, who
plays John Stone, looks great in
his sleazy blue vampire make up.
I think the vampire scenes are quite
creepy and effective.
You’ve got to be in the right
mind set for this one...it’s
a love it or leave it type of movie.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Like I mentioned before, this film
looks fantastic and the print is
beautiful. Deep rich colors accentuate
the tacky 60s living rooms and make-up
effects. The money is all there
on the screen (!). Unfortunately,
at 74 minutes and 95 minutes, we
run into two ten minute sections
that look like garbage. Looks like
someone submerged these parts of
the film in a fish tank -- green
emulsion lines, ultra-faded colors,
and scratches galore. It’s
slightly distracting, only because
the rest of the print looks so nice.
EXTRAS
Chalk up another enjoyable commentary
to H.G. Lewis and Something Weird’s
Mike Vraney. They keep things moving
despite the long run time and the
disc is worth it for this track
alone. An unlisted Dave Friedman
(Herschell’s one-time partner)
even shows up to chew the fat.
Also included is an H.G. Lewis gallery
of exploitation art (repeated from
other discs), a great trailer made
up entirely of footage that does
not appear in the film, and a five
minute short called “Nightmare
At Elm Manor,” which features
a ghoul-vampire chasing a naked
girl through a house.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I really enjoy this film. It’s
got a mesmerizing charm to it. If
you don’t like talky b-movies
though, you may want to steer clear. |
Taste it
On the move
Behold the ring
Mr. Stone
|
