Badasses, Boobs and Body Counts
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The Plot: Blood Sucking Freaks begins by introducing us to Sardu (Seamus O’Brien) and Ralphus (Luis De Jesus) as they’ve just received a new shipment for their macabre magic act. We quickly see that the shipment they just unpacked from a wooden crate is a nude woman.
Next we get to see the magic act itself as Sardu explains to the audience that what they’re about to see is real and not slide of hand. In the audience is Tom Maverick (Niles McMaster) a famous football player, his gal Natasha (Viju Krem) a famous dancer and local newspaper art critic, Creasy Silo (Alan Dellay). Once the act comes to an end, Creasy and Sardu have words as Creasy tells Sardu that he will never give his show a proper written review.
Soon after this, Sardu sends Ralphus out to abduct Creasy and once back in his studio Sardu imprisons the critic all the while forcing him to watch the torture of other slaves. Ralphus also manages to abduct Natasha to use as the headliner in his upcoming show. Last but not least, we learn that Sardu is running an underground slave trade and is selling women in bondage for big bucks.
The Takeaway: I’ve seen Blood Sucking Freaks a few times now as I’ve owned the DVD for a number of years. Despite having seen it 3 or 4 times, I tend to forget how brutal and unforgiving the film is when it comes to the treatment of women. The plot, as thin as it seems to be (the slave trade), is nothing more than an excuse for the torture and exploitation of women throughout the film. That being said, there is a plot and it plays out nicely regardless of the other despicable elements found in the film. But if you’re easily offended by women being beaten, used as dinning tables, enslaved behind bars, used as dart boards, used to fulfill sexual fantasies, dismembered or beheaded, then you should stear clear of Blood Sucking Freaks as the film has all these things and so much more.
Film Facts: Blood Sucking Freaks was written and directed by Joel M. Reed. It was originally titled Sardu: Master of the Screaming Virgins and was released theatrically under The Incredible Torture Show but was retitled to Blood Sucking Freaks when Troma Entertainment picked the title up for distribution. If seeing the film and wondering why it reminds you of The Wizard of Gore (1970), it’s because the film is based on that Herschell Gordon Lewis film.
Actor Seamus O’Brien (Sardu) only appeared in one other film, The Happy Hooker (1975 – a film I will pursue for a future review) and director Reed only directed two other films after Blood Sucking Freaks , Blood Bath (1976) and Night of the Zombies (1981).
Thoughts In My Head: – This looks like it’s going to be a sleazy good time – Sardu’s form of art is that of torture – Boobs galore in this one, but not in a sexy way – A lot of full frontal as well, again, not in a sexy way – Sardu’s dinner setting in on the back of a woman on her hands and knees, oh boy – This doctor is worse than Sardu, he’s drinking brain matter from a straw – Ralphus just might be the worse of the bunch in this film. He really enjoys what happens around him – Time for Sardu and Ralphus to play darts, using a naked woman’s ass as a dart board no less. – Wow, even the cops are corrupt in this film. I’ll find your gal for 10K says the police investigator – Sardu has done it, he’s brainwashed Natasha to star in his show – Well, OK, maybe the better word is hypnotized her – That’s it Natasha, recognize your master by kissing his feet – Nice, Sardu is using Natasha to torture Creasy in his final act – Ewe, gross, Sardu is having sex with a corpse, a male corpse, yeah, he needs help – Yum, a cock meat sandwich
Favorite Badass or Badass Moment: Sorry kids, no badasses in this one Favorite Boobs or Boobs in a Scene: Many boobs to choose from, but none are sexy in a way I can choose a favorite pair Favorite Death Scene: The dental patient
Boob Count: 25 pair Body Count: 11
IMDB Rating: 4.3 / 10 My Rating: 6.0 / 10
Final Thoughts: Blood Sucking Freaks is hands down the sleaziest exploitation film I’ve ever seen. It more than just exploits the women in the film, it degrades them like no film did before it, or after it for that matter. The elements of horror also push the boundaries of acceptance for the time the film was produced in.
The Plot: The Puppet Monster Massacre begins by introducing us to Dr. Wolfgang Wagner as he’s just captured a hunter in the woods near his spooky old mansion. The Doc then implants a monster egg in the belly of the hunter and within seconds the creature is born when it rips its way out of the hunters stomach.
Next, several teenagers in the local town receive letters from Dr. Wagner offering them $1M if they survive a night in his spooky old mansion. As Friday night rolls around, the teenagers all converge at the mansion and the adventure begins.
At the mansion, Dr. Wagner explains why they are there and that he wants to pass his fortune onto one of the kids in attendance. However, and behind closed doors, we see that the Dr. wants the kids as food for his new monster and he wants the Hawkins kid (Charlie) saved for last for some reason or another.
The Takeaway: The Puppet Monster Massacre is a fairly entertaining horror comedy. Now keep in mind, there’s nothing new here as the story is stolen directly from William Castle’s House on Haunted Hill (1959), so if it feels familiar, that’s why. As far as the film goes, at least from a filmmaking standpoint, it’s fairly well made and the puppets used in the production are of ‘Muppet Movie’ quality and get the job done.
My biggest issues with the film is its pace and over-use of CG. At 70 minutes a film should never feel slow, yet this does. Also, the film lives in a world of CG as there are very few, if any at all, ‘real world’ scenes (or actual sets). The world in which the puppets live in are all green-screened and this somewhat took me out of the film on occasion.
Film Facts: The Puppet Monster Massacre was written and directed by Dustin Mills. Mills followed this film with Zombie A-Hole (2012 – also available on DVD) and looks to be directing 3 more films in 2013. Bath Salt Zombies (interesting title), Night of the Tentacles (a film I may take in on name alone) and Theatre of the Deranged II . Mills seems like a nice guy (via a video on the The Puppet Monster Massacre web site) and certainly has a passion for his craft. I wish him luck in the future. Now to get my hands a copy of Night of the Tentacles .
Thoughts In My Head: – Charlies grandpa has a potty mouth – Puppet boobs! YES! – Are these English accents real, hmmm… I think not – “you’re a giant pussy” – Gwen – Umm, you have a car, why hike to the front door of the mansion – This music sounds like the music from Phantasm – Cursing puppets are funny – I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t take a shower in a complete strangers house – Lol, Raimi Campbell just shit himself – Fucking Nazi’s – The monster has grown in size. Where is Godzilla when you need him
Favorite Badass or Badass Moment: Sorry kids, no badasses in this one Favorite Boobs or Boobs in a Scene: Mona (I think this is the one who shows her boobs) Favorite Death Scene: There are a number of deaths in this one, but nothing stands out
Boob Count: 3 pair Body Count: 25+
IMDB Rating: 5.0 / 10 My Rating: 4.0 / 10
Final Thoughts: While The Puppet Monster Massacre is slow in spots and the story has been done time and time again, I say give it a look if you can get this one from your local bargain bin or via the web.
The Plot: Land of the Minotaur begins with a murderous ritual. Two unknown people, a man and a woman, are strapped to stone tables and are quickly executed by a small group of cultist, one which includes the evil Baron Corofax (Peter Cushing).
We next meet Father Roche (Donald Pleasence), who meets a couple friends and puts them up in his home for the night. While Roche is asleep, these friends sneak out of his home in search of a tomb in which they believe a couple of people have gone missing. While in the tomb, they find the bodies of the missing and encounter a large stone Minotaur, who scoots along the floor threatening them.
As the film progresses, Father Roche calls two more friends to help him search for the missing three. Upon searching the tomb themselves, they find the ritual room seen earlier in the film. At this point, Baron Corofax invites Father Roche and his friends over for a chat and we come to learn that this film is heavy on dialogue and clearly a paycheck for Pleasence and Cushing.
The Takeaway: Land of the Minotaur is a somewhat misleading title as is the original movie poster. If looking at the poster, one might think they’re getting ready to watch a fantasy film, or maybe even an Indiana Jones like adventure film, yet, the film is far from either of these. The original title would have better sufficed, The Devil’s Men , as the film is about a cult who worships a stone minotaur and sacrifices those who enter the minotaurs cavern. That being said, the film is a rather dull journey that’s heavy on dialogue and light on plot.
Film Facts: Land of the Minotaur (aka The Devil’s Men – a more appropriate title) was directed by Kostas Karagiannis and written by Arthur Rowe. The film was distributed by Crown International Pictures and was released in August of 1976. As a director, Karagiannis has 146 director credits on his IMDB resume, which most where produced in his native land of Greese. Writer Arthur Rowe has an interesting resume to say the least. Most of his work can be found in TV. He wrote for shows such as The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. (1966-1977), Mission Impossible (1966), The Streets of San Francisco (1972) and Starsky and Hutch (1975) to name a few. He also penned the screenplays for Zepplin (1972) and The Magnificent Seven Ride! (1972).
Both Donald Pleasence and Peter Cushing where staples in cinema by the time they agreed to work in Land of the Minotaur . One year after this film, Cushing went on to play Grand Moft Tarkin in Star Wars (1977) but is often remembered as Professor Van Helsing or Baron Frankenstein (among many other roles) while working with Hammer Film Productions. Pleasence went onto play Dr. Sam Loomis in John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) and appeared in a total of 223 TV/Film productions over the many years he worked.
Thoughts In My Head: – Ahh, nothing like a human sacrifice to start a film – I have a feeling this will be classic, classically bad that is – People in this film like to stare blankly at each other – Laurie bathes like every 10 minutes, but we don’t get to see her naked, sigh… – This is a rather slow burn – Oh, the stone minotaur has a penis – This should have been called Land of the talking Minotaur – 5 more minutes left, yay – Bullets won’t stop these cultist, but a cross does the job
Favorite Badass or Badass Moment: Sorry kids, no badasses in this one Favorite Boobs or Boobs in a Scene: Sorry kids, no boobs in this one Favorite Death Scene: While there are deaths in the film, they’re nothing to write home about
Boob Count: 0 pair Body Count: 9
IMDB Rating: 4.0 / 10 My Rating: 3.5 / 10
Final Thoughts: Land of the Minotaur might be of interest for fans of Donald Pleasence or Peter Cushing. However, and aside from this, Land of the Minotaur is a rather dull outing as there are far better cultist sub-genre horror films to be had.
The Plot: Sugar Hill begins when we meet Diana ‘Sugar’ Hill (Marki Bey) and her boyfriend Langston (Larry Don Johnson). We quickly see that Langston owns a popular money making club and that he and Sugar are madly in love. We’re next introduced to a small group of gangsters who want part of the clubs action. After refusing to sell the club, the gangsters come back later that night and kill Langston.
Next we’re introduced to Valentine (Richard Lawson) who is a friend of Sugar’s and also her ex-boyfriend. Valentine is a police investigator who is in charge of the Langston murder case. After this meeting, Sugar finds herself deep in the swamps looking for a voodoo priestess named Mama Maitresse (Zara Cully). She then asks Mama to cast a spell on the men who killed Langston and in doing so, Mama calls on the dead Baron Samedi (Don Pedro Colley) who in turn brings to life a small army of zombies.
Once Sugar gives her soul in exchange for the small army of zombies, she begins to hunt down the gangsters who killed her man. At one scene after the zombies kill a couple of gangsters, Valentine finds some evidence that points at the possible killer. But this evidence doesn’t sit right with Valentine as the coroner informs him that the killer is possibly already dead. Will Valentine get to the bottom of the murders before Sugar finishes off the gangsters?
The Takeaway: This was the first time I had seen Sugar Hill . Being a huge fan of exploitation, blaxploitation and cult films in general, I’d often heard how good this film was so it was time to sit through it. Being a fan of Richard Lawson also helped propel my interest in seeing it as well. The story of Sugar Hill is basically one of revenge, something we’ve seen time and time again in this type of film, yet it manages to work rather well here. Marki Bey as Sugar puts together a wonderful performance as does Richard Lawson as the police investigator Valentine. Robert Quarry as Morgan plays a convincing ‘mob father’ and you may recognize him as he played Count Yorga (1970) a few years earlier. The films direction, pacing, editing and score are all above average making Sugar Hill better than your “A” typical blaxploitation horror film. And while the film isn’t frightening or scary per-say, it does wreak of creepy atmosphere at times giving it that feel of horror, even if it’s more of a revenge film.
Film Facts: Sugar Hill was directed by Paul Maslansky and written by Tim Kelly. It was said to have had a budget of $350,000 and was released in February of 1974 by American International Pictures (AIP). The film was shot in and around Houston, Texas and was Robert Quarry’s last AIP film. Quarry is best known (at least in the horror genre) for his role of Count Yorga the vampire. As a director, Maslansky only directed one film, Sugar Hill . As a producer, Maslansky’s resume is full of successful genre films such as Raw Meat (1974), Race with the Devil (1975) and Police Academy (1984) to name a few. As a writer, Kelly would only pen a small handful of other titles prior to Sugar Hill .
As gorgeous and talented as Marki Bey was, she only worked in the business up until 1979, mostly in TV, playing bit parts or supporting roles. Richard Lawson moved onto TV and film and over the years and has made a name for himself in the business. You may have seen him in Shaft (1973 – TV series), All in the Family (1977 – TV series) and Magnum, P.I. (1984 – TV series). For fans of the horror genre, Richard is probably best know for his role of Ryan, in Poltergeist (1982). I grew up watching Richard in all the above mentioned titles and love everything he’s worked in.
Thoughts In My Head: – COUNT YORGA! – There he is, one of my favorites, Richard Lawson. Love that afro! – ‘Sugar’ is one good look’n woman – Some pretty creepy music inside of Mama Maitresse’s place – Holy shit, take it easy whitey. Hope this construction dude gets whats coming to him – Damn, Sugar looks good in this white outfit – Robert Quarry, this dude can act – Oh, a fight between two hot chicks – Don Pedro Colley is brilliant in his role as Baron Samedi – OMG, I want that cane Baron Samedi is holding. – Sugar is HOT! – HAHA, awesome, a cursed chicken leg – Not only is Sugar sexy, she’s smart too – Morgan, as racist as he is, still has good taste in women (as he hits on Sugar) – Zombie massage, not good at all – Damn, look at that shirt and tie Valentine is wearing (white polka-dot shirt/red tie) – Revenge is sweet, especially when it comes from Sugar – Don Pedro Colley as the Baron nearly steals the film from Marki Bey with his over-acting, just brilliant – Quick-sand, Nooooooooo – Damn you Samedi, I wanted that cane!
Favorite Badass or Badass Moment: Diane ‘Sugar’ Hill Favorite Boobs or Boobs in a Scene: Sorry kids, no boobs in this one Favorite Death Scene: Though not violent, the thought of getting eaten alive by pigs is disturbing
Boob Count: 0 pair Body Count: 8
IMDB Rating: 5.5 / 10 My Rating: 7.0 / 10
Final Thoughts: Sugar Hill is the perfect example of how good blaxploitation horror films could be. Now admittedly, this sub-genre of the blaxploitation genre, is a small one, thus propelling Sugar Hill to the top given the other films in said category. Regardless of this, and placing Sugar Hill outside of the genre that it lives in, it’s is an outstanding horror/revenge film that shouldn’t be missed.
The Plot: Dogs of Hell begins in an office where military men surround a table talking about a new weapon they’ve created. We learn that they’re implanting chips into dogs and are able to control their actions, thus creating a new type of super-weapon never before seen. Next we see the dogs being packed into a semi-truck trailer in order to transport them.
Elsewhere near a small country community, we met a variety of people getting ready for some sort of outdoor celebration. We also get to meet the towns sheriff and his deputies. Back up the road a bit, just outside of this country community, we see the semi-truck transporting the dogs driving a little too fast over-turning on the freeway. Naturally, the dogs escape just seconds before the big rig explodes.
At this point in the film, the dogs begin to prowl the area killing a handful of magazine models out in the middle of the woods. The dogs then head towards town killing victims along the way. While all this is happening, the scientist responsible for training the dogs finds his way into town and tells the sheriff about the dogs. Will the sheriff find the dogs before they kill even more people, or will the Dogs of Hell have fresh redneck for dinner?
The Takeaway: The Dogs of Hell feels very much like a late 70’s made for TV horror film. The story is simple, yet it takes forever to move along. There’ a rather large amount of deaths, yet each death is either off screen (only showing us the result afterwards) or just plain lacking in imagination, thus making each death unappealing. The biggest issue I have with the film is the slow pace and the amateur performers brought in to tell the story. As far as the pacing goes, it takes nearly 50-minutes to actually see any dogs whatsoever. During this time we see and hear a lot of rednecks talking about country life, the problems they have and what they’re going to do, in order to get out of the one-sheriff town.
Film Facts: The Dogs of Hell was directed by Worth Keeter. Prior to this film, Keeter directed Wolfman (1979). After Wolfman , he went on to direct other B grade titles such as Tales of the Third Dimension (1984) and Trapper County War (1989) to name a couple. Keeter is best known for his work in The Power Rangers franchise as he directed multiple TV episodes and films such as Power Rangers Time Force: Dawn of Destiny (2002) and Power Rangers Time Force: The End of Time (2002) all within a 9 year period dating from 1993 to 2002.
Thoughts In My Head: – Ahh, an implant devise that controls animals, I smell weapon – I wonder if this was a 3-D film at one time – “Filmed in Future Dimensions 3-D” that answers that question – I can only imagine how bad the 3-D turned out to be – You’re a fucking kid, no one should be putting a “Ms.” in front of your name – The voice-overs don’t really match the performers appearance – Lemme guess, the semi-truck is going to over-turn and the dogs will escape – yup indeed – I’m pretty sure these girls aren’t models and are likely the dogs first victims – Yup indeed again – Mud wrestling? OK… – Oh, look, another useless fat kid in a horror film – 45-minutes in, at anytime in Dogs of Hell are we actually going to see a dog – The music in Dogs of Hell is terrible – HAHA, a DOG! – Cujo this is not – How the fuck does a dog get into the back of a car only to kill the driver 30 minutes later, yet the driver doesn’t even hear the dog pant
Favorite Badass or Badass Moment: Sorry kids, no badass in this one Favorite Boobs or Boobs in a Scene: Sorry kids, no boobs in this one Favorite Death Scene: Sorry kids, no favorite deaths in this one
Boob Count: 0 pair Body Count: 17
IMDB Rating: 4.5 / 10 My Rating: 3.5 / 10
Final Thoughts: Dogs of Hell feels like a made for TV movie that is slowly paced and only ever picks up at about the 60-minute mark. It is however a public domain film so you can view it for free via YouTube if you wish to indulge in this less than average killer animal horror flick.
Podcast Listening Portals Our Voicemail Line Follow BB&BCs via Email Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Join 828 other followers Recent Posts EP134 – Hideout in the Sun EP133 – Skinner EP132 – They Call Her One Eye EP131 – The Devil Within Her EP130 – Louisiana Hussy EP129 – Zombeavers EP128 – Mamorial Day Special EP127 – WolfCop EP126 – Taeter City EP125 – Deathstalker EP124 – Chatterbox EP123 – House of Whipcord EP122 – Cry of a Prostitute EP121 – Incident at Loch Ness EP120 – Day of the Warrior EP119 – Tarzan, The Ape Man EP118 – Bigfootery EP117 – Firecracker EP116 – Zero Woman Red Handcuffs EP115 – Butterfly and Sword EPB1 – Top and Bottom 5 of 2014 EP114 – Nekromantik EP113 – Stripped to Kill EP112 – Raw Force EP111 – Kung Fu Rascals EP110 – Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama EP109 – Dreamaniac BBandBC EP108 – Nightmare Sisters BBandBC EP107 – Bigfoot vs D.B. Cooper BBandBC EP106 – Creepozoids Blog at WordPress.com . The Parament Theme . Follow Follow “Badasses, Boobs and Body Counts” Get every new post delivered to your Inbox. Join 828 other followers Build a website with WordPress.com Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Cancel Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. %d bloggers like this: Add your thoughts here... (optional) Post to Cancel
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Recent Posts EP134 – Hideout in the Sun EP133 – Skinner EP132 – They Call Her One Eye EP131 – The Devil Within Her EP130 – Louisiana Hussy EP129 – Zombeavers EP128 – Mamorial Day Special EP127 – WolfCop EP126 – Taeter City EP125 – Deathstalker EP124 – Chatterbox EP123 – House of Whipcord EP122 – Cry of a Prostitute EP121 – Incident at Loch Ness EP120 – Day of the Warrior EP119 – Tarzan, The Ape Man EP118 – Bigfootery EP117 – Firecracker EP116 – Zero Woman Red Handcuffs EP115 – Butterfly and Sword EPB1 – Top and Bottom 5 of 2014 EP114 – Nekromantik EP113 – Stripped to Kill EP112 – Raw Force EP111 – Kung Fu Rascals EP110 – Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama EP109 – Dreamaniac BBandBC EP108 – Nightmare Sisters BBandBC EP107 – Bigfoot vs D.B. Cooper BBandBC EP106 – Creepozoids
EP134 – Hideout in the Sun
EP133 – Skinner
EP132 – They Call Her One Eye
EP131 – The Devil Within Her
EP130 – Louisiana Hussy
EP129 – Zombeavers
EP128 – Mamorial Day Special
EP127 – WolfCop
EP126 – Taeter City
EP125 – Deathstalker
EP124 – Chatterbox
EP123 – House of Whipcord
EP122 – Cry of a Prostitute
EP121 – Incident at Loch Ness
EP120 – Day of the Warrior
EP119 – Tarzan, The Ape Man
EP118 – Bigfootery
EP117 – Firecracker
EP116 – Zero Woman Red Handcuffs
EP115 – Butterfly and Sword
EPB1 – Top and Bottom 5 of 2014
EP114 – Nekromantik
EP113 – Stripped to Kill
EP112 – Raw Force
EP111 – Kung Fu Rascals
EP110 – Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama
EP109 – Dreamaniac
BBandBC EP108 – Nightmare Sisters
BBandBC EP107 – Bigfoot vs D.B. Cooper
BBandBC EP106 – Creepozoids
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