Blood Mania

There are people who are keen to point out Peter Carpenter's back- to-back 1970/1971 films Blood Mania and Point of Terror aren't horror movies at all. Which is in a sense fair, because the promotional material would lead one to believe that they were, but so what? Still others want us to know they think Carpenter was a Tom Jones wannabee and the music in Point of terror is bad. So what? Blood Mania and Point of Terror are perfectly trashy and entertaining pieces of early 70's schlock that are unique, wonderfully shot, and chock full of pretty people to look at.

Tonight I'm watching Blood Mania for the first time, and I have to say it's a lot of fun. Not in the traditional sense of the word "fun," but the sense someone who enjoys seeing movies that are unusual and enjoys finding something new and unique. Sure, peter Carpenter probably didn't have the chops to be a leading man in A movies, but he was every bit up to carrying these B movies on his shoulders, surrounding himself with beautiful scenery and beautiful women, and telling an outrageous story that challenges ones ability to believe.

It's sort of shame as a movie fan that we don't get these kinds of movies anymore. I mean we get bad movies, but not these kinds of bad movies. Blood Mania is an entertaining movie for those who aren't looking to waste their own time picking it apart.

Blood Mania: A scumbag doctor is blackmailed by a former associate to fork over $50,000 in hush-money for performing illegal abortions. To make matters worse, one of his despicable bed-ridden patients has a slutty daughter that won't take "no" for an answer-- she just wants some scumbag doctor sex! It doesn't take long for the daughter to realize the doctor needs a lot of cash--stat. Finally, she has the opportunity to make the doc her personal sex-slave boy-toy: murder dad! This movie seizes every opportunity to take the low road: it has a great deal of nudity, perhaps to distract the audience from the fact that the characters are all generally nasty and repulsive. It's more of a sleazy, soft-core porn/soap opera than it is the horror film it bills itself as. Pay no attention to the opening credit sequence, as it has nothing to do with the rest of the film. For cartoon fans, there is a wickedly cool animated title card at the film's opening.

The Plot.

A sex-crazed nympho helps speed along her father's death so she can use the inheritance to help out her depraved boyfriend.

Firstly the movie sucks. It's one of the weirdest films you'll ever see, and not in a good way.

It's really horribly tedious to watch.

On the plus side the technicolor rendering is great.

But to be perfectly frank, all three stars I am giving this movie are because of the female lead who had the hottest body I have ever seen.

Coupled with this is her complete willingness to strip down every 5 seconds. It's an amazing body to observe. Not an ounce of fat and the longest, flattest torso you will ever see.

Get out the Vaseline.

An excellent example of drive-in fare, "Blood Mania" is a well-shot and acted sex thriller, notable for its unusual and dominant musical and electronic sounds score. It was diverting 50 years ago and holds up well as an example of horror before gore and special effects took over and became foremost in the fans' content demands.

Story of blackmail and murder makes perfect sense, with the added attraction of all the leading characters guilty of something -no good guys here. The general soap opera approach is conducive to better character acting than usual amateurism or overacting of B-horror movies. The deliberate, placid pacing works well - a more traditional approach. The biggest surprise here is the frequent sex and nudity included, tastefully presented but abundant. Stylish erotic fantasy sequences are a highlight.

Unusual plot elements are still topical, notably the antihero doctor lead being blackmailed by a handsome young slimeball for his past history of performing abortions (picture was made three years before Roe v. Wade). Claustrophobic stagings are balanced by a fine very '60s interlude of the doc starting to romance a new character, heiress Gale in S. O. L. I. footage of a renaissance fair and then gamboling in the surf.

Rewatching this film so many decades later I was reminded how entertaining traditional storytelling was before gimmicks of all sorts (mainly SPFX) took over. More's the pity.

This film is best described as an early fore-runner for the glut of erotic thrillers choking the video store shelves today. In this one, a woman kills her father in order to get his inheritance to help a blackmailed doctor, but much to everyone's surprise, the inheritance goes to her sister instead! Nope, not making this up, folks. Worth a look to see the attractive DeAragon in the flesh, however, as well as the comical blackmailer who apes Clint Eastwood to the nth degree.