Using the paraquat controversy as a plot peg, "Bloodeaters" is a very low budget horror pic joining the hundreds of gore films inspired by George Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" hit. Pic was filmed in Pennsylvania in 1979 under the title "Forest of Fear".
A set of young criminals are harvesting a $2,000,000 crop of marijuana, when a Federal agency orders the forest sprayed with Dromax, an experimental herbicide. Chemical turns the sprayed humans into bloodthirsty zombie-like monsters who prey on unwary victims in the remote forest.
Film's main subplot deals with corrupt government agents, but by film's end the morality of heroes, villains and zombies is foolishly subordinated to audience-baiting "survival is everything" tactics.
Grainy 35mm blowup of a film shot in 16mm is a tipoff to the amateur efforts here on all artistic and technical levels. McCrann's corny script consists largely of vamping between gore scenes, with plenty of blood and ugliness for what used to be called the "slob" trade in the heyday of William Mishkin pix. Zombies emit dumb grunting sounds comically reminiscent of Soupy Sales' old White Fang and Black tooth tv sketches.
Acting in "Bloodeaters" varies from the monotone of nonpros to very hammy comic relief, the latter including Hariet Miller's turn as the shrewish wife of the cropduster. It is distressing to see John Amplas, who received critical kudos in the title role of Romero's "Martin" (shot in 1976) reduced to playing a stock heavy in another regional production.
My review was written in October 1980 after a Times Square theater screening.
