Synopsis
The movie Blood Freak (1972) is a low-budget horror film directed by Brad F. Grinter and Steve Hawkes, who also stars as the main character Herschell. The film is notorious for its bizarre plot, poor production values, and moralistic narration by Grinter, who frequently smokes cigarettes on screen [1]. The film has been described as “a Dracula on drugs” and “the world’s only turkey-monster-anti-drug-pro-Jesus-gore-flick” [2] [3].
The movie Blood Freak (1972) begins with Herschell, a Vietnam veteran and biker, helping a young religious girl named Angel, whose car has broken down on the road. He takes her to her home, where he meets her sister Ann, who invites him to a drug party. Herschell declines to take any drugs, but is attracted to Ann, who seduces him. The next day, Angel tries to convince Herschell to join her church and give up drugs, but he is reluctant. He agrees to work at a turkey farm owned by Ann and Angel’s father, a mad scientist who is conducting experiments on the turkeys.
At the farm, Herschell is offered a sample of a new experimental drug that is supposed to enhance the turkeys’ growth and meat quality. He drinks the drug, which has no immediate effect. However, when he eats a turkey that has been injected with the same drug, he suffers a violent reaction and passes out. He wakes up with a grotesque turkey head and a thirst for blood. He goes on a rampage, killing and drinking the blood of the drug addicts and dealers he encounters. He also kills Ann’s boyfriend, who tries to blackmail him.
Meanwhile, Angel prays for Herschell’s salvation and recovery. She is visited by a mysterious man, who claims to be a friend of Herschell and tells her that he knows how to cure him. He takes her to the farm, where he reveals that he is actually the mad scientist’s assistant, and that he was the one who gave Herschell the drug. He says that he can reverse the effects of the drug by injecting Herschell with another substance, but he needs Angel’s blood as a catalyst. He tries to stab Angel, but Herschell intervenes and kills him. He then injects himself with the substance, hoping to restore his human form.
The film ends with a twist: the entire story is revealed to be a nightmare that Herschell had after reading a horror comic book. He wakes up in his bed, next to Ann, and realizes that he is still human. He throws away the comic book and hugs Ann, while the narrator warns the audience about the dangers of drugs and the power of faith [1] [3].
Cast
- Steve Hawkes as Herschell
- Dana Cullivan as Angel
- Heather Hughes as Ann
- Bob Currier as Guy
- Brad F. Grinter as The Narrator
Trivia
Some interesting facts about the movie Blood Freak (1972) are:
- The film was shot in Florida on a budget of $12,500 [4].
- The turkey head mask that Herschell wears was made from a real turkey skin and feathers, and was infested with maggots and flies [4] [5].
- Steve Hawkes suffered severe burns on 90% of his body while filming a stunt for another movie, and used the profits from Blood Freak to pay for his medical bills [4] [1].
- The film was banned in the UK for its graphic violence and gore [7].
- The film has a cult following and has been featured on several websites and podcasts that review bad movies [2] [3] [4].
Reviews
- “Any movie this ridiculous, amateurish, and just plain awful is well worth viewing.” – Coffee with Jeff [2]
- “Blood Freak is one of those movies that is so incredibly bad, so mind-numbingly awful, that it actually becomes entertaining. It’s a movie that you can’t help but laugh at, even as you wonder what the hell the filmmakers were thinking. It’s a movie that is so ridiculous, so nonsensical, that it transcends its own genre and becomes a comedy.” – The Triskaidekafiles [3]
- “Blood Freak is a film that defies all conventional standards of quality and coherence. It is a film that is so inept, so ludicrous, so grotesque, that it achieves a kind of perverse genius. It is a film that is so unique, so original, so bizarre, that it deserves to be seen by anyone who appreciates the weird and the wonderful.” – The Bedlam Files [4]
Cody Meirick on November 4, 2023