Bloodsucking Freaks (1976) The Incredible Torture Show (original title)

Director:

Joel M. Reed

Writer:

Joel M. Reed (written by)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Join The Fun!... Human Dart Boards... "Home Style Brain Surgery"... Dental Hijinks!

Plot:

Sardu runs the theatre of the macabre. Sardu is into S&M. Sardu likes to kill people in public and make them think it's fake.

Plot Keywords:

Macabre | Theatre | S&M | Stage | Torture

Cast

Seamus O'Brien	...	Master Sardu
Viju Krem	...	Natasha D'Natalie
Niles McMaster	...	Tom Maverick
Dan Fauci	...	Sergeant John Tucci
Alan Dellay	...	Creasy Silo
Ernie Pysher	...	The Doctor
Luis De Jesus	...	Ralphus (as Louie de Jesus)
Helen Thompson	...	Master's Assistant
Saiyanidi	...	Master's Assistant
Carol Mara
Linda Small
Alphonso DeNoble	...	White Slave Dealer (as Alphonso)
Illa Howe
Lynette Sheldon
Jenny Baxter		(as Janis Beaver)
Karen Fraser
Michelle Craig
Crystal Sync		(as Erica Wolfe)
Gail Renay
Rita Montone
Judy Best
Carol Henry
Athena Anderson
Joann Friedman
Sharani Gomez
Juliet Graham
Suzanne Wall
Arlana Blue	...	Naked Cannibal Woman
Evalyna Wade
George Davalos	...	Shipping Van Guy
Robert Kirsh	...	Shipping Van Guy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jennifer Stock	...	Girl Torn in Half by Rack (uncredited)

Directed by
Joel M. Reed

Writing credits
Joel M. Reed		(written by)

Produced by
Alan C. Margolin	....	producer
Joel M. Reed	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Sahl

Cinematography by
Ron Dorfman		(as Gerry Toll)

Film Editing by
Joel R. Herson
Victor Kanefsky

Casting by
Dorothy Palmer

Makeup Department
Bob O'Bradovich	....	makeup artist

Sound Department
Emil Neroda	....	sound re-recordist (as Emile Neroda)
Freddie Rottnest	....	sound
Michael Becker	....	sound mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bob O'Bradovich	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
John Coleone	....	assistant camera
Stephen DeVita	....	gaffer
Ben Jennings	....	grip
Richard Louis	....	grip
Gale B. McCarty	....	still photographer

Music Department
Michael Lobel	....	music recordist
Cleve Polar	....	musician: percussion

Other crew
Gyles Fontaine	....	choreographer
Mayo Gray	....	continuity
Dan Tieger	....	production assistant (as Daniel Tieger)

Distributors

• American Film Distributing Corporation (AFDC) (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Troma Entertainment (1981) (USA) (theatrical) (retitled re-release)
• Vestron Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Astro Distribution (2002) (Germany) (DVD)
• Stomp Visual (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Haxan Films (France)
• Magnum Entertainment (USA) (VHS) (as The Heritage Of Caligula - An Orgy of Sick Minds)
• Palace Academy Home Video (????) (Australia) (VHS)
• Rochelle Films

Also Known As:

"The Incredible Torture Show" - USA (original title)
"Blood Sucking Freaks" - USA (reissue title)
"Sardu" - USA (informal alternative title)
"The Heritage of Caligula: An Orgy of Sick Minds" - USA (video title)

Runtime:

91 min | Australia:89 min (uncut version) | France:88 min | USA:88 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Canada:(Banned) (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Manitoba) (re-rating) | Finland:K-18 | Germany:(Banned) | New Zealand:R18 | USA:X (original rating) | USA:R (re-rating) (rating surrendered) | USA:Unrated | Australia:R

Filming Locations:

Columbus Circle, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Trivia:

Director Joel M. Reed didn't want to make the movie at the beginning. He had another script he wanted to do, about a rock star haunted by a teenage girl groupie, and he was trying to get money to finance that picture.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Sardu is done eating off the girls back, the plate of food is still full when he begins smoking. When he knocks the girl there is nothing on the plate.

Quotes:

Master Sardu:Her mouth shall make an interesting urinal!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Cinema Snob: Cannibal Holocaust (#3.15)" (2011)

In bad taste and proud of it!

I bless the day that I purchased my DVD player and PC, for they have both allowed me to sample rare delights such as this. The BBFC have never taken too kindly to this kind of movie, thus leaving the british fans of exploitation and horror movies with little to write home about...until now!

For those of you wishing to open your minds, scour the web and grab yourself a sense of humour (albeit twisted), Bloodsucking Freaks is probably a good starting point.

Directed by Joel M. Reed and starring Seamus O'brien, The movie is set predominantly in a New York 'theatre of the macabre' Where the evil, yet witty, Sardu (O'brien) delights in torturing young (and often naked) women on stage with various medieval devices, for an audience that believe the proceedings to be nothing more than illusions. Off course, they are not!

The wafer thin storyline revolves around Sardu trying to pass off his 'work' as art, but a disagreable art critic who attends one of Sardu's shows says he 'has seen better' and refuses to review his Grand Guignal...so Sardu plots revenge!

What follows, is about 80 minutes of bad taste, poor acting, terrible special effects, nudity, violence and gore, all polished off in a nice campy 1970's fashion. Basically, everything I enjoy in a movie that cannot possibly be taken seriously!

Bloodsucking Freaks is pure trash...and I mean that in the nicest possible way! Watch for Sardu's killer line..."her mouth would make an interesting urinal"