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.

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.

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 greatest moment in "Blood Mania" is the point when you come to realize that the writer and lead actor of this terribly inept movie is actually one and the same person! So, in other words, this dude – Peter Carpenter – probably couldn't care less that the overall film is dull & derivative, because he arranged for himself that he could smooch and fondle the perky breasts of no less than three extremely cute and luscious women! Nice going, Peter! Hey, I certainly don't blame the guy because a) apparently he died quite young about one year after the release of this film, and b) at least "Blood Mania" is a lot more watchable than the other movie he wrote; "Point of Terror" starring Dyanne Thorne. Carpenter depicts Craig Cooper, a hunky and successful private physician with a stunning redhead girlfriend, but he's being blackmailed by a sleazy thug who knows that he performed illegal abortions in the past. One of Craig's patients is a wealthy private clinic owner with a nymphomaniac daughter named Victoria. Her insatiable sex-hunger is marvelously illustrated near the beginning of the film, when she jumps the pool boy who literally screams for his mother! Victoria wants to kill her father with drug aphrodisiacs and share the inheritance with Craig, but only if he promises to remain her personal sex toy forever. Complications arise when the inheritance unexpectedly goes to deceased's other daughter Gail. Luckily for Craig, Gail is another very beautiful chick that also easily falls for his charms, but obviously the mad raving Victoria will not allow this romance to happen! Okay, so… Where's the blood? Where's the mania? I'm actually convinced that this could have been much better, if only they focused more on the atmosphere and plot instead of the on the bare chests of the female cast members. The opening sequences hint at psychedelic situations, but the rest of the film is slow-paced and full of redundant dialogs. There's a bit of nasty bloodshed near the ending, but the actual finale is dumb and unsatisfying. The constant "music" is irritating and the best characters (like the witty nurse) get neglected. Worth seeing only for the continuously exposed boobs of Maria De Aragon, Reagan Wilson and Vicky Peters.

Blood Mania (1970)

* (out of 4)

Victoria (Maria DeAragon), the slut daughter of a rich old man, gets the bright idea to impress the doctor (Peter Carpenter) she likes by killing her father so that she can give the doctor his inheritance money. The sex maniac daughter eventually kills her old man and this here gets the doctor interested because the money can keep his good name from being ruined by a blackmailer. However, the good doctor has around five other women on the side and this isn't going to sit well with Victoria.

That's basically what happens in this film but once again, I haven't the slightest clue what this film is about. If you're looking for any blood then you might as well skip to the final five minutes where we get one good kill scenes but don't fear, the movie makes up in other ways. I'll state the obviously bad stuff first however. Everything from the acting to the directing is lower than what you'd expect from an Ed Wood film and especially any scene where one of the characters has to be emotional. Another incredibly silly thing is Peter Carpenter and his playboy act. The actor also served as producer and I can't help think he used this ability to be in sex scenes with beautiful women. His macho act never works but it does bring several laughs to the film.

Is Blood Mania a complete bus then? Nope and I'll tell you why. Outside an interesting animated sequence to start the film, this movie, like no other I've seen, has an outrageously good amount of nudity. You've heard people say a horror film needs at least one murder every ten minutes well this film has a nude scene at least every three minutes. All of the doctor's lovers are happy to get naked and they do so throughout. Even though the story and actors were bugging me to death, I could never call this a complete disaster since the director was smart enough to throw in plenty of good looking women.