BloodTheTelepathicDog Not a bad little horror/thriller, "Blood and Lace" tells the story of sexy young Ellie Masters (Melody Patterson), daughter of town tramp Miss Masters, who is orphaned when her mother is murdered after servicing a client. Too young to move out on her own, social worker Mullins (Milton Selzer) places her in an orphanage operated by the demented Miss Deere (Gloria Grahame) and her sleazy handyman (Seinfeld's Len Lesser).Ellie has nightmares of a man haunting her--chasing her with a hammer. Her mother was killed with a hammer but the killer was never found. Ellie fears that the killer might find her in the orphanage but that's the least of her troubles. She quickly finds out that Miss Deere is a Naziesque dictator and that her handyman Len Lesser has his eyes set on her youthful form. Throw into the mix two more dirty old men, social worker Mullins and police detective Vic Tayback, as young Ellie has a dirty old man chasing her from every corner.STORY: $$ (Nothing special. In fact, there are some rather absurd plot developments, like Gloria Grahame keeping murdered children in a meat locker and dragging them out for headcounts when Mr. Mullins stops by. She keeps them in the infirmary, with the lights out, telling Mullins they are sick with the flu and asleep. Also, Tayback's unconventional methods at luring out the killer are foolish).ACTING: $$$ (Gloria Grahame, a Hollywood heavy-hitter, does her best in this low-budget film. Although this isn't "In a Lonely Place," Miss Grahame still gives a fine performance when other former stars would probably sleep walk through the role. Len Lesser, Uncle Leo on "Seinfeld," is terrific as Gloria's greedy henchman and Vic Tayback is delightfully sleazy as the police detective with more than a professional interest in Ellie. Melody Patterson shines in the main role as the tortured Ellie. She isn't your typical screaming dame but a young, sassy lady with character. When she first arrives at the orphanage, she quickly befriends coquettish Bunch (Terri Messina) but before they shake hands Ellie is off seducing the stud Bunch proclaims to be her beau. Ellie is easy to hate but given Patterson's strong performance you'll still pull for her).NUDITY: $ (Nothing of note here. Terri Messina goes topless to seduce Walter (Ron Taft) when he shows more interest in Ellie, but her back is turned and you don't get the naughty bits. There is a nice catfight scene between Patterson and Messina).

timshelboy ... a recommendation! Gloria Grahame runs the kind of orphanage where discipline is imparted with a meat cleaver, orphans are hung on meat hooks to punish them and the bodies are kept in the deep freeze so that they can be brought out for when social services call. That the orphanage is strapped for cash we know because Gloria puts all the orphans to work, and also because there don't seem to be enough clothes to go round - especially for the older nubile female orphans (age range appears to be 12 - 30 ish). The new arrival, however, turns out to be more than a match for Gloria - and has indeed just taken out her own mother & mother's lover (in a witty claw hammer and arson opening scene). Predictably, Gloria ends up on a meat hook herself. This one was made for about tuppence but was/is a HUGE HUGE HUGE hit on the grindhouse circuit. My DVD cover promised "disturbing and politically incorrect scenes", and it sure wasn't lying. I believe it is regarded as the Citizen Kane of orphanage set torture porn movies. 4/10

matthew-hays For those who love trash, this movie has everything! From its lurid, brutal double murder sequence at the opening (love that hammer-cam!), "Blood and Lace" is an entirely unforgettable film. I first saw it as a kid and was amazed at how terribly nasty and cheap it all was. Seeing it as an adult was even better. Everything about this film, from its acting to its writing, is fabulously over-the-top and kitschy. There are numerous ludicrous plot twists, and the sheer insanity of the set-up (nefarious orphanage management makes money by killing the orphans, keeping them frozen and then, when inspectors show up, explain that the kids just aren't feeling well as a cover) is so incredulously bizarre it makes you wonder which brand of glue the screenwriters were sniffing when they came up with this. I love it!

HEFILM Yes the "original" idea that opens Halloween has to come from on of the opening shots of this film. It's a hammer being carried through the house instead of a knife but it's very very close.That said Halloween is a much better movie, which goes almost without saying. But this does have a lurid feeling and a warped ending. It's that modest to low budget grunge of the 70's that oozes sleaze and danger.Unfortunately the plot here borrows from obvious sources as it goes along which dampens the more original aspects. Tayback fans from his nice guy TV star role will be shocked, or may want to be by seeing him here.Still warts and all this film has its memorable moments especially for fans of the era.