punishmentpark Yes, there is plenty to complain about if you want to, and it has been done, too. Just for a little taste: terrible acting, a script full of holes (though I liked the premise) and that soundtrack that just went on and on and on and on. Those elements are familiar to many cult flicks, and by now I can say I have seen a few. But, having seen 'a few', I can also say I've learned what to look for better. Some of those elements even become charming at some (perverted? whatever) point... And, as for the music, at some times it wás great ánd appropriate. The beautifully stylized gore and use of color made for a great atmosphere at quite a few moments. So, I should try 'Two Thousand Maniacs!' (1964) again sometime, which I didn't appreciate as much as this one... I have seen 'a few' since, indeed.A big 7 out of 10 for this one.

Jonathon Dabell Depending on what angle you come at Blood Feast, it's either a one-star dog or a ten-star masterpiece. One star if you're looking for a film with an intelligent script, strong acting, atmospheric scoring, genuine suspense and powerful shocks. Ten stars if you're looking for cult campiness on a grand scale or a film which single-handedly invents a new genre. The genre busily being created is the gore/splatter genre… some might argue that the earlier Hammer horrors were the first true gore flicks, or perhaps The Monster Of Piedras Blancas with its infamous severed head scene. But in truth, those films were just a bit bloodier and more daring than what people were accustomed to. Blood Feast is an altogether different beast, for this is a true gore film – by which I mean that entrails are exposed, a tongue is torn out, an eye is stabbed out, limbs are severed and bodies are mutilated. Through modern eyes none of it looks terribly real, but at the time this took on-screen carnage to a whole new level.Egyptian caterer Faud Ramses (Mal Arnold) is asked to prepare a banquet for the birthday of pretty young student Suzette (Connie Mason). He tells Connie's mother that he will create an authentic Ancient Egyptian banquet, the likes of which hasn't been seen for 5000 years. What she doesn't realise is that he intends to serve up a genuine "Blood Feast", which is a cannibalistic meal comprising of the cooked organs and body parts of human beings. Ramses is responsible for a series of gruesome murders, each victim being a young woman who has had part of her anatomy removed by the demented killer. Apparently the whole feast is somehow supposed to resurrect the Ancient goddess Ishtar, or so Ramses believes. Suzette's slow-witted boyfriend Pete (William Kerwin) is the cop working on the case; will he piece together the clues before his girlfriend becomes the murderer's next victim? In most aspects Blood Feast is a truly inept film. Director Herschell Gordon Lewis subsequently hid behind claims that the film was intended as some kind of black comedy, but the reality of the matter is that there isn't much that's terribly funny here. The gore is everything really – there's certainly nothing to get excited about in other departments. Mason's performance ranks amongst the most amateurish seen in any movie, ever. The music consists of random notes bashed out on what sounds like a church organ, and bears no relationship to events on screen. The story is riddled with stupid logic holes (like the fact that the killer drags his heel due to a limp, and leaves a trail of tell-tale footprints when he carries out one particular murder at the beach…. yet the cops keep insisting that he's some kind of criminal genius who never leaves them a single clue!!!) The list of flaws is endless and could take up several pages…. but why bother? The gore's the thing, and if you're looking for the original inspiration for all those mad slasher flicks then Herschell Gordon Lewis's inept classic Blood Feast is the place to start.

Scott LeBrun In director Herschell Gordon Lewis's own words, his landmark gore film may not be anything exactly "good", but it is a trailblazer and it does command a certain amount of respect. Lewis, or HGL as he is affectionately also known, and his filmmaking partner, David F. Friedman, realized they needed to move away from the "nudie cuties" that they'd already made and find a new element to exploit. And, man, did they find it. The now legendary "Blood Feast" features ingredients that would make his subsequent efforts identifiable, such as the hilarious bad acting, the tacky, bright & colourful effects, and the dark humour.The story concerns a mad caterer, Fuad Ramses (Mal Arnold, playing the role with hysterical eye popping gusto), intent on creating a feast to honour his god Ishtar and using human body parts as part of the process. The detectives on the case are just about useless; meanwhile, Ramses is hired to cater the birthday party for local gal Suzette Fremont (Connie Mason, Playboy Playmate of the month, June 1963), so will Suzette be his ultimate victim or will her detective boyfriend Pete Thornton (William Kerwin, billed as Thomas Wood) figure everything out in time?As the awesomeness that is "Blood Feast" plays out, we are treated to such things as limb amputation, tongue & brain removal, and flagellation - all done in loving close up for the camera. The atmospheric music, done by Lewis himself (he served as the cinematographer as well) is a hoot, with those drums pounding away and those violins and organs creating priceless accompaniment. Among the thespians robbed at Oscar time include Lyn Bolton as Suzette's hat loving mom Dorothy, Scott H. Hall as the police captain (you can actually see him reading his lines on camera), and especially Gene Courtier as the grieving boyfriend on the beach. That's emoting at its finest! Mason is much more notable for her looks than her acting, but given her looks, who wants to complain? Kerwin is likable as the one guy with presumably at least half a brain in his head, and Arnold is extremely memorable. "Have you ever had...an Egyptian FEAST?"The immense success of the movie, due in no small part to Friedman's marketing genius (including the distribution of vomit bags at showings, and insuring interest by obtaining an injunction against the film in Sarasota, Florida), and led to more of the same for HGL: "Two Thousand Maniacs!" and "Colour Me Blood Red", rounding out the "Blood Trilogy", as well as "The Gruesome Twosome", "The Wizard of Gore", and "The Gore Gore Girls".His work is all recommended, but "Blood Feast" is the perfect place to start for fans eager to check out the horror & exploitation films of yesteryear.Eight out of 10.

Red-Barracuda Well whether you like it or not Blood Feast will always be a landmark movie. This is truly the year zero when it comes to depictions of graphic cinematic violence. Sure it wasn't the first movie to show scenes of gore but it took the concept to an unheard of level, basing the entire movie around the idea. Director H. G. Lewis is nothing if not fearless in his presentation of blood and guts. While the gore scenes are hardly realistic, they are often somewhat nasty. Lewis's subsequent gore movies follow this specific template, where they are simultaneously funny and mean-spirited. A crazy combination that simply should be a disaster but in the case of Blood Feast, the sheer audacity of it is jaw-dropping. It's a film that sure has its flaws. Production values are extremely low and the acting is often mind-boggling. Lewis's camera work is at best, uneven. But, frankly, the scenes of carnage are so in your face, and do not disappoint. The film remains far more violent than most horror films today and it's difficult to imagine what audiences of the early 60's would have made of the atrocities that spooled before their eyes. I expect it must've been a mixture of appalled outrage and morbid glee.Mal Arnold is pretty unforgettable as the murderous caretaker. His delivery of lines is just nuts; it often looks like he is reading off a board just off-screen. He's a lot of fun. Connie Mason provides the eye-candy and she is hardly an actress, but her stiff line-delivery fits into this trash-opus perfectly. Lewis himself is of course hugely unpretentious and straightforward as a film director, so he basically points the camera at the action and films, there is no artistry in Blood Feast. But this is very much a part of the fun, as this is pure exploitation with no apologies. In my opinion this remains Lewis's best feature. I realise it has many, many faults but I just find the whole thing a very entertaining trash-fest. And one of the most important exploitation films in history too.