A family with a few secrets of their own are terrorized by the spectre of a Japanese samurai warrior at their home deep in the woods.People begin to die,some by sword,some by arrow before mother's two kids step in and dispatch the sword-wielding samurai with their newfound magical power."Blood Beat" is a strangely fascinating film to watch.It has tons of flaws:confusing plot,lousy sound and cheap optical effects that made me laugh.There is some nudity and gore(knives entering bodies,a bloody stomach and neck wound)to keep your mind briefly occupied,but I'm still trying to understand this bizarre supernatural slasher.Wish me good luck.6 out of 10.
39 Reviews
A wintry acid trip of a horror film
drownsoda9019 December 2019
"Blood Beat" follows a young woman named Sarah who goes along with her boyfriend to his family's rural farmhouse in Wisconsin to spend Christmas. Their celebrations are soon interrupted by her boyfriend's mother's apparent psychic visions, followed by the spirit of a Japanese samurai soldier armed with a sword who begins decking the halls with body parts.
I think it's probably inarguable that "Blood Beat" is the strangest Christmas-set horror film that's ever been made. It's not really a "Christmas film," though for some reason it is set during the holiday; it's also not entirely a slasher film, as it is littered with supernatural goings on and psychic extravagances that go without explanation.
The most baffling (and alluring) thing about the film is that next to nothing is elucidated for the audience; the psychic connections between the characters, the ghost of the samurai, the utterly bizarre dialogue--it all comes and goes with a casual passiveness that is rather astounding. I have read that the French filmmakers who made the film were on drugs during its shooting, which does not surprise me in the least. However, I will admit that, despite its logical inconsistencies and bizarre structure, the film is actually well-shot, especially for having been made on a shoestring budget. It looks fairly professional and slick at times, save the odd camera filter edits that go wild in the final act. The atmosphere is at times creepy and oppressive, and the wintry woodsy setting is well-captured, adding a chilly element to the proceedings. In some ways, the film reminded me of its equally strange contemporary "Satan's Blade."
Overall, I found myself consistently perplexed and amused by "Blood Beat," mainly because so little of it makes a shred of sense. One can try and put the pieces together themselves, though I'm not sure they were designed with the forethought to be put together in the first place. The film is utterly bizarre, and I say that as someone who has seen their fair share of weirdo genre flicks. If nothing else, "Blood Beat" is a true B-movie one of a kind. 6/10.
I think it's probably inarguable that "Blood Beat" is the strangest Christmas-set horror film that's ever been made. It's not really a "Christmas film," though for some reason it is set during the holiday; it's also not entirely a slasher film, as it is littered with supernatural goings on and psychic extravagances that go without explanation.
The most baffling (and alluring) thing about the film is that next to nothing is elucidated for the audience; the psychic connections between the characters, the ghost of the samurai, the utterly bizarre dialogue--it all comes and goes with a casual passiveness that is rather astounding. I have read that the French filmmakers who made the film were on drugs during its shooting, which does not surprise me in the least. However, I will admit that, despite its logical inconsistencies and bizarre structure, the film is actually well-shot, especially for having been made on a shoestring budget. It looks fairly professional and slick at times, save the odd camera filter edits that go wild in the final act. The atmosphere is at times creepy and oppressive, and the wintry woodsy setting is well-captured, adding a chilly element to the proceedings. In some ways, the film reminded me of its equally strange contemporary "Satan's Blade."
Overall, I found myself consistently perplexed and amused by "Blood Beat," mainly because so little of it makes a shred of sense. One can try and put the pieces together themselves, though I'm not sure they were designed with the forethought to be put together in the first place. The film is utterly bizarre, and I say that as someone who has seen their fair share of weirdo genre flicks. If nothing else, "Blood Beat" is a true B-movie one of a kind. 6/10.
Like Nothing You've Ever Seen
annablair-1919121 June 2019
You could call Blood Beat a slasher film, but that would be too easy. It might have all the trappings of one (mostly one secluded location, a sword twirling villain, a decent body count), but it marches to the beat of its own wonky drummer.
I'm not saying Blood Beat is good, but nothing this unique and odd can be totally bad. I was riveted from start to finish, so it must have done something right. Mostly, I just couldn't believe my eyes. I found it all rather well shot and appealing looking and the addition of a Japanese samurai as a villain is certainly not something you see a lot of. There's also an incredibly odd sequence (in this movie? Shocker!) where a young woman's masturbation seems to beacon the killer to her location. It sorta felt like a similar moment in High Tension.
Blood Beat is a hard one to recommend, because everyone's threshold for strange, artsy trash is different, but it's worth giving a shot. You might enjoy it.
I'm not saying Blood Beat is good, but nothing this unique and odd can be totally bad. I was riveted from start to finish, so it must have done something right. Mostly, I just couldn't believe my eyes. I found it all rather well shot and appealing looking and the addition of a Japanese samurai as a villain is certainly not something you see a lot of. There's also an incredibly odd sequence (in this movie? Shocker!) where a young woman's masturbation seems to beacon the killer to her location. It sorta felt like a similar moment in High Tension.
Blood Beat is a hard one to recommend, because everyone's threshold for strange, artsy trash is different, but it's worth giving a shot. You might enjoy it.
Strange and entertaining
Cujo1086 October 2010
A family's Christmas reunion gets off to a bad start when the son brings home his girlfriend, leading to an awkward feeling of deja-vu between her and the boy's psychic mother. Weird things begin happening, the weirdest of which happens to be the presence of a glowing samurai warrior who's murderous tendencies appear to be linked to the girlfriend's orgasms.
"Bloodbeat" is one of the more bizarre films you could ever see. What we have here is a slasher shot in Wisconsin by a French director with a ghostly samurai as the killer. It's actually pretty effective for the first two thirds of the running time, particularly a creepy home invasion and ensuing chase. Through some splendid editing, this sequence is interspersed with the girlfriend's writhing and upward-thrusting in bed. It's also undeniably cool seeing a samurai as the villain in a slasher. During the final third, however, the film veers off in an unsatisfying direction with over-the-top antics and ridiculous special effects. Disappointing, but not enough to ruin the film for me. Oh yeah, excessive overuse of violin chords too.
"Bloodbeat" is one of the more bizarre films you could ever see. What we have here is a slasher shot in Wisconsin by a French director with a ghostly samurai as the killer. It's actually pretty effective for the first two thirds of the running time, particularly a creepy home invasion and ensuing chase. Through some splendid editing, this sequence is interspersed with the girlfriend's writhing and upward-thrusting in bed. It's also undeniably cool seeing a samurai as the villain in a slasher. During the final third, however, the film veers off in an unsatisfying direction with over-the-top antics and ridiculous special effects. Disappointing, but not enough to ruin the film for me. Oh yeah, excessive overuse of violin chords too.
A Supernatural Christmas Slasher From Wisconsin...In Shambles.
meddlecore30 November 2021
Bloodbeat is an odd tale about a brother and sister who come home for Christmas...only to end up fighting for their lives in a battle of light vs darkness.
The kids grew up hunting deer with their father, but their mother is a psychic artist, sorceress and prophetess, who paints what she forsees.
Thus, when her son brings home his new girlfriend for Christmas, to meet the family, she senses that something isn't right with her.
They make the mistake of bringing the girl deer hunting with them.
Where she ends up freaking out and running away...right into the path of a dying man.
Later that night, she has a dreams of finding a suit of samurai armour in a chest.
Now, every time she gets riled up- or has an orgasm- this rogue samurai comes to life...and attempts to hunt down and kill any and all of the deer hunters who happen to be in the vicinity.
After killing all of the neighbours...the ghost turns his sights on the family itself.
The mother- having been privy that something was awry- tries to intervene, and use her magic to stop the entity.
But it's vengeful spirit is just too powerful.
It's not until the two siblings combine their powers- which they have inherited from their mother- that they are able to stop this dark ronin once and for all.
The film doesn't do a very good job of explaining exactly who the ronin is, where it came from, why it was attached to the boy's girlfriend, or where the mother had "seen (the girl) before", despite those being central elements to the plot.
It all just kind of goes down...and then ends.
So you're left kind of confused in the end, other than, perhaps, to read into it, that the ronin is the devil, who, for some reason, has become attached to the girl, so as to attack this family that possesses powerful spiritual abilities.
But, really, that's all just reasoned speculation, based on a few subtle elements of the storyline.
It's not the worst supernatural Christmas slasher out there, but, they certainly could have done a better job developing the plot structure a little better...
4.5 out of 10.
The kids grew up hunting deer with their father, but their mother is a psychic artist, sorceress and prophetess, who paints what she forsees.
Thus, when her son brings home his new girlfriend for Christmas, to meet the family, she senses that something isn't right with her.
They make the mistake of bringing the girl deer hunting with them.
Where she ends up freaking out and running away...right into the path of a dying man.
Later that night, she has a dreams of finding a suit of samurai armour in a chest.
Now, every time she gets riled up- or has an orgasm- this rogue samurai comes to life...and attempts to hunt down and kill any and all of the deer hunters who happen to be in the vicinity.
After killing all of the neighbours...the ghost turns his sights on the family itself.
The mother- having been privy that something was awry- tries to intervene, and use her magic to stop the entity.
But it's vengeful spirit is just too powerful.
It's not until the two siblings combine their powers- which they have inherited from their mother- that they are able to stop this dark ronin once and for all.
The film doesn't do a very good job of explaining exactly who the ronin is, where it came from, why it was attached to the boy's girlfriend, or where the mother had "seen (the girl) before", despite those being central elements to the plot.
It all just kind of goes down...and then ends.
So you're left kind of confused in the end, other than, perhaps, to read into it, that the ronin is the devil, who, for some reason, has become attached to the girl, so as to attack this family that possesses powerful spiritual abilities.
But, really, that's all just reasoned speculation, based on a few subtle elements of the storyline.
It's not the worst supernatural Christmas slasher out there, but, they certainly could have done a better job developing the plot structure a little better...
4.5 out of 10.
Slow paced, mundane and devoid of anything scary...
paul_haakonsen28 October 2021
I happened to stumble upon the 1983 horror movie "Blood Beat" here in 2021. And yeah, I had never even heard about the movie, so I didn't know what I was getting into here, aside from it being a horror movie. But of course I gave it a chance, as it was a horror movie that I hadn't already seen. Who knows, maybe I had been missing out on a great horror cinematic experience.
Turns out that I hadn't. I truly and honestly hadn't missed out on anything here. The storyline in "Blood Beat", as written by writer and director Fabrice-Ange Zaphiratos, was just insanely mundane, slow paced and rather boring actually. It was rather difficult to submerge myself into the storyline here and take a liking to the characters or the storyline itself, as everything just felt so bland.
For a horror movie then "Blood Beat" was a swing and a miss, no pun intended. Even for a movie made in 1983, then this was a stale horror experience, as there were far better and far more scary horror movies in the years before this one and the same year. So yeah, "Blood Beat" didn't really cut it.
The acting performances in the movie felt somewhat rigid and wooden, as if the actors and actresses weren't really buying into the plot and storyline themselves. And it showed on the screen and it certainly was keeping the movie down a notch.
If you enjoy horror movies, even the old 1980s horror movies, then there are far, far better choices readily available out there, and I wouldn't really recommend you wasting your time, money or effort on "Blood Beat".
My rating of writer and director Fabrice-Ange Zaphiratos' 1983 movie lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
Turns out that I hadn't. I truly and honestly hadn't missed out on anything here. The storyline in "Blood Beat", as written by writer and director Fabrice-Ange Zaphiratos, was just insanely mundane, slow paced and rather boring actually. It was rather difficult to submerge myself into the storyline here and take a liking to the characters or the storyline itself, as everything just felt so bland.
For a horror movie then "Blood Beat" was a swing and a miss, no pun intended. Even for a movie made in 1983, then this was a stale horror experience, as there were far better and far more scary horror movies in the years before this one and the same year. So yeah, "Blood Beat" didn't really cut it.
The acting performances in the movie felt somewhat rigid and wooden, as if the actors and actresses weren't really buying into the plot and storyline themselves. And it showed on the screen and it certainly was keeping the movie down a notch.
If you enjoy horror movies, even the old 1980s horror movies, then there are far, far better choices readily available out there, and I wouldn't really recommend you wasting your time, money or effort on "Blood Beat".
My rating of writer and director Fabrice-Ange Zaphiratos' 1983 movie lands on a generous three out of ten stars.
Have yourself... a merry Samurai Christmas
Coventry29 December 2023
What in the name of Santa Clause was this? Well, "Blood Beat" is what happens when you insist on watching several Christmas horror movies during the holiday period each year, and you're running out of options. When all the decent and half-decent ones are gone, you're left behind with A) lousy and incomprehensible low-budget 80s guff, and B) movies that only feature a tree and some lights to indicate it's a Christmas flick.
Like practically every other reviewer on this website, I don't have a clue what "Blood Beat" is about. A family in rural Wisconsin gathers for Christmas, but the mother and the son's new girlfriend immediately don't get along because they're both weird. Family hunting parties end in hysteria, mommy makes hideous paintings with a trembling hand, the groceries fly around in the kitchen, and the housecat takes a nap in the middle of the Monopoly game board. And, oh yeah, whenever the girlfriend is sexually active in her bed, someone violently dies by the sword of an infuriated and vengeful Samurai Warrior spirit. Doesn't all this sound utterly ridiculous?
Yes, it does! "Blood Beat" is one of the strangest movies of the 80s, and - as far as Holiday Horror goes - the worst one since "Silent Night, Deadly Night: Part II" and the 2009 "Black Christmas" remake. The only noteworthy moments are some brief nudity scenes and a flashy blue lightshow during the climax.
Like practically every other reviewer on this website, I don't have a clue what "Blood Beat" is about. A family in rural Wisconsin gathers for Christmas, but the mother and the son's new girlfriend immediately don't get along because they're both weird. Family hunting parties end in hysteria, mommy makes hideous paintings with a trembling hand, the groceries fly around in the kitchen, and the housecat takes a nap in the middle of the Monopoly game board. And, oh yeah, whenever the girlfriend is sexually active in her bed, someone violently dies by the sword of an infuriated and vengeful Samurai Warrior spirit. Doesn't all this sound utterly ridiculous?
Yes, it does! "Blood Beat" is one of the strangest movies of the 80s, and - as far as Holiday Horror goes - the worst one since "Silent Night, Deadly Night: Part II" and the 2009 "Black Christmas" remake. The only noteworthy moments are some brief nudity scenes and a flashy blue lightshow during the climax.
Moderately engaging low budget horror
Leofwine_draca12 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
BLOOD BEAT (1983) is a strange and low budget slice of supernatural horror hailing from rural Wisconsin. It was released straight-to-video and I remember owning the old chunky pre-certificate VHS tape back in the day. These days, it can be viewed (in high def!) on Amazon Prime. The story involves a group of characters holing up at a remote farmhouse for a hunting trip, only to encounter the spirit of a vengeful samurai warrior intent on slice them up with his katana...
The promise is certainly an engaging one but it's the execution where this one falters. Very little happens for the first two-thirds, apart from a little atmosphere building. I was put off by the extremely amateur performances from the main cast members, there are no good actors here! Once the spirit shows up it all starts to kick off and get more interesting, building to an effects-fuelled climax that works to a moderate degree.
The promise is certainly an engaging one but it's the execution where this one falters. Very little happens for the first two-thirds, apart from a little atmosphere building. I was put off by the extremely amateur performances from the main cast members, there are no good actors here! Once the spirit shows up it all starts to kick off and get more interesting, building to an effects-fuelled climax that works to a moderate degree.
What the hell was that all about? Answers on a postcard, please...
BA_Harrison19 February 2018
Sarah (Claudia Peyton) accompanies her boyfriend Ted (James Fitzgibbons) and his sister Dolly (Dana Day) to the rural Wisconsin home of their mother Cathy (Helen Benton) and her partner Gary (Terry Brown) to celebrate the holidays. During a spot of deer hunting (just the ticket to get one in the festive spirit) Sarah freaks out, after which things get very strange indeed: running through the woods, Sarah stumbles into a man with a stomach wound; Cathy gets the feeling that she knows Sarah from somewhere else (why? I haven't the foggiest); Sarah finds a samurai outfit in a trunk (which promptly vanishes with no explanation), Cathy paints uncontrollably; and someone dressed in the samurai garb starts to kill people with his katana. From time to time, the picture is solarised for the samurai's POV, and in the craptabulous finalé, several of the characters' hands begin to pulse with energy for a baffling showdown against the killer.
I haven't the faintest idea what writer/director Fabrice A. Zaphiratos was thinking when he made this oddball horror-very little about the film makes sense-and the result is definitely one of the strangest films of the '80s. Unless you're a fan of the completely absurd, give this one a miss. Even if you are a fan of the completely absurd, think seriously before viewing.
Some brief nudity and a smattering of gore earn this mess a paltry 3/10.
I haven't the faintest idea what writer/director Fabrice A. Zaphiratos was thinking when he made this oddball horror-very little about the film makes sense-and the result is definitely one of the strangest films of the '80s. Unless you're a fan of the completely absurd, give this one a miss. Even if you are a fan of the completely absurd, think seriously before viewing.
Some brief nudity and a smattering of gore earn this mess a paltry 3/10.
Quite good for zero budget
unbrokenmetal5 October 2002
I was quite surprised by this movie. Obviously it was made with no money at all, but acting, photography, editing and story are well done. Proves once more you can do an entertaining movie with very little. "Blood Beat" owes a bit to "Poltergeist", "Witchboard" and "The Shining" maybe, but has a good storyline of its own about the ghost of evil (dressed up as a samurai warrior, also incarnated in one young lady) against a family whose members seem to have a certain talent for (good) magic. The special FX to show the magic (red powerlines vs blue powerlines) look ridiculous by today's standards, but hey, this is just a cheap little horror movie to waste a Sunday afternoon with, okay? The movie has a couple of memorable scenes (e.g. the samurai slaying the older woman, while the possessed young lady is getting more and more "excited", I thought the rapid cutting was breathtaking). If you see a copy on a probably dusty shelf, give it a try, as the video tape will be cheap I bet.
Really not great
hawkknight88-12 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The film is confusing. Most other reviews seem to agree there's a big 'wtf' element about the whole thing. But the acting is really poor. There's amateur continuity changes between scenes, or some scenes are very short, then others are awkwardly long. The animations are what they are - low budget, but they tried.
Spoilers...?
The mom is psychic, and so is her son's girlfriend? Her son's girlfriend finds some random chest with samurai armor then becomes possessed (in sexual fits) and murders people as the samurai spirit? It's so odd - and you can tell from all of the question marks that I'm not even sure what happened.
I kind of feel like I wasted my time. But I also like bizarre movies usually.
Spoilers...?
The mom is psychic, and so is her son's girlfriend? Her son's girlfriend finds some random chest with samurai armor then becomes possessed (in sexual fits) and murders people as the samurai spirit? It's so odd - and you can tell from all of the question marks that I'm not even sure what happened.
I kind of feel like I wasted my time. But I also like bizarre movies usually.
Pure weird.
BandSAboutMovies16 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Amazon Prime video is amazing. This isn't sales pitch. It's the truth. What finally sold me was the sheer amount of movies that I can search through. It's the closest thing I've found to the shelves of an old mom and pop video store. Ah, the old days of Prime Time Video, where I'd look at all the lurid horror boxes and try to decide how many I could watch in a weekend.
Blood Beat is one of those box covers you'd look at over and over again, trying to decide whether or not you should rent it. Then, when you finally sit down and take it in, it blows your mind and you try to describe it to your friends and they think you have to be making it all up. Ah, the pre-internet days. Well, now that we're all online, I'd like to think of you as my friend. And I'm going to tell you all about this crazy movie.
Fabrice A. Zaphiratos has two directing credits to his name and this is one of them. That's a shame - his direction here tends toward the strange and unexpected. There were moments here where I just yelled in glee at the TV, shocked at what was happening. It's not the best movie you've ever seen, but it aspires to be one.
This feels like a regional horror movie made by a bunch of European art directors on too many drugs. It's also the only Christmas horror movie I've ever seen that has a psychic samurai slasher. But it really isn't even about Christmas. It's also the only film I've ever seen that has a murder scene synched up with a girl's orgasms. Also, the house the family lives in tries to kill everyone at one point, but no one decides to leave it.
This all starts with Cathy and Gary talking about how they'll never get married, despite him wanting to be a father to her children. This scene feels like something out of a pure drama and not in a tacked onto a horror film way. I actually thought I had accidentally loaded up a student film or an attempt to film a 70's hard and honest look at relationships. But soon enough, Dolly and Ted come home. Ted's girlfriend Sarah is the cause of great concern, as Cathy's psychic abilities warn her of the young girl. Surely, she's seen her before. And when Sarah finds a samurai sword in her bedroom, things get strange.
As weird as the film gets, it never plays anything for laughs. It's earnest and deadly serious. Unlike a modern film, it explains nothing. You're open to explain for yourself why the mother and girlfriend have a psychic link. Why is the killer a samurai? Why are there strange video effects throughout? Why is the mom a painter? I'd love to discuss this film at a party with a roomful of people who have just watched it.
This movie is why I love movies. It feels like a discovery. I want to share it with you.
Blood Beat is one of those box covers you'd look at over and over again, trying to decide whether or not you should rent it. Then, when you finally sit down and take it in, it blows your mind and you try to describe it to your friends and they think you have to be making it all up. Ah, the pre-internet days. Well, now that we're all online, I'd like to think of you as my friend. And I'm going to tell you all about this crazy movie.
Fabrice A. Zaphiratos has two directing credits to his name and this is one of them. That's a shame - his direction here tends toward the strange and unexpected. There were moments here where I just yelled in glee at the TV, shocked at what was happening. It's not the best movie you've ever seen, but it aspires to be one.
This feels like a regional horror movie made by a bunch of European art directors on too many drugs. It's also the only Christmas horror movie I've ever seen that has a psychic samurai slasher. But it really isn't even about Christmas. It's also the only film I've ever seen that has a murder scene synched up with a girl's orgasms. Also, the house the family lives in tries to kill everyone at one point, but no one decides to leave it.
This all starts with Cathy and Gary talking about how they'll never get married, despite him wanting to be a father to her children. This scene feels like something out of a pure drama and not in a tacked onto a horror film way. I actually thought I had accidentally loaded up a student film or an attempt to film a 70's hard and honest look at relationships. But soon enough, Dolly and Ted come home. Ted's girlfriend Sarah is the cause of great concern, as Cathy's psychic abilities warn her of the young girl. Surely, she's seen her before. And when Sarah finds a samurai sword in her bedroom, things get strange.
As weird as the film gets, it never plays anything for laughs. It's earnest and deadly serious. Unlike a modern film, it explains nothing. You're open to explain for yourself why the mother and girlfriend have a psychic link. Why is the killer a samurai? Why are there strange video effects throughout? Why is the mom a painter? I'd love to discuss this film at a party with a roomful of people who have just watched it.
This movie is why I love movies. It feels like a discovery. I want to share it with you.
Ever wondered if an ancient Samurai could fill the boots of Jason Voorhees?
LuisitoJoaquinGonzalez21 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
There have been just over 400 slasher movies released since Halloween moulded the genre way back in 1978. Despite this impressive catalogue of titles to search through, it's amazing how often the critics manage to get the category muddled with movies that just don't fit with the traditional trappings. A Nightmare on Elm Street for example is by no means a slasher movie. Glove fingered Freddie's murderous tactics are far too supernatural to allow him to share a place with the archetypal hack and slash icons such as Cropsy, Mikey Myers and Mr. Voorhees himself. That doesn't mean that there aren't any supernatural slasher movies in existence whatsoever. Just take a look at Uli Lommel's The Bogeyman, the rancid Boarding House and John Carl Buechler's mish-mashed Demonwarp for a taste of slash-happy shenanigans mixed with a slice of fantasy just for good measure. It's alongside those aforementioned entries that Bloodbeat comfortably finds it's nesting place within the hack and slash cycle. Despite an otherworldly final third that makes Gandalf's antics in Lord of the Rings look like a lazy Sunday afternoon in South London, the overall emphasis of the plot sticks closely to the rules regulated by the forever touted kings of the category.
Ted (James Fitz Gibbons), his girlfriend Sarah (Claudia Peyton) and his younger sister Dolly (Dana Day) head to their mother (Helen Benton)'s remote woodland retreat to spend the Christmas vacation with their family and friends. Upon arrival Sarah begins to feel unsettled by a strange psychic link that she shares with Ted's mysterious mother. Later in the week, a family deer-hunting trip is ruined when Sarah stumbles across the mutilated corpse of a local wanderer. Soon after the body count begins to mount as a supernatural figure dressed in Japanese samurai garb begins hacking through the townsfolk with a katana. Before long the hulking killer begins closing in on the secluded family as they struggle to come to terms with the bizarre and inexplicable occurrences that have plagued their seasonal gathering
From the start it's only too easy to see how Bloodbeat has been labelled amongst the multitude of slasher movies that were released during the heyday of the early eighties. Victims are butchered by an ominous shadow in the traditional steady-cam build up and director Fabrice Zaphiratos signals his knowledge of the genre by adding the eerie heavy breath that was made famous by John Carpenter in 1978. It's only towards the conclusion that things take a wayward twist into the paranormal, as the killer rages a comical battle using extrasensory-perception instead of a carving knife or pickaxe! The highlight of the showdown is when the maniac confronts the final group of survivors in the secluded cabin. They each take turns to inflict psychic damage on one another whilst gurning like they're suffering from a particularly nasty bowel complaint.
It's a real shame that we don't get to see that much of the bogeyman's disguise as it is by far one of the best that I can remember in slasher cinema. The samurai is one of the most majestically elegant screen icons ever set to celluloid, and to see such a figure taking the place of the more traditional masked villain is a great achievement. The cast, although amateurish, move the plot along neatly and Bloodbeat manages to keep the interest levels running high right up until the climax. An exceptional use of sound also helps to create an uneasy atmosphere and the director chooses wisely to add haunting orchestrated melodies to a few superbly edited set-pieces. It's easy to ignore some of the overcooked cinematography, as it seems that the director was doing his best to keep the momentum running high throughout the runtime.
One criticism that can be levelled at Zaphiratos is that he throws a little too much of everything into the blender and what we're left with is a lump sum that's a little too uneven to digest. We're never really given a straight resolution to exactly what a ghostly samurai warrior is doing terrorising an American woodland retreat and a little more clarification would have been greatly appreciated. Why he decided to break the slasher mould and opt for a climax owing more to the likes of Poltergeist is a mystery in itself. Yes you can laugh at the Commodore 64-esque special effects and the strained faces of the ESP confrontation, but all in all this is a mildly diverting slasher journey that's perhaps a little unlucky to be so overlooked. At times taut and suspenseful, almost always intriguing and bizarrely bemusing to boot, Bloodbeat isn't that bad if you can find yourself a copy. It's strange but bizarrely alluring
Ted (James Fitz Gibbons), his girlfriend Sarah (Claudia Peyton) and his younger sister Dolly (Dana Day) head to their mother (Helen Benton)'s remote woodland retreat to spend the Christmas vacation with their family and friends. Upon arrival Sarah begins to feel unsettled by a strange psychic link that she shares with Ted's mysterious mother. Later in the week, a family deer-hunting trip is ruined when Sarah stumbles across the mutilated corpse of a local wanderer. Soon after the body count begins to mount as a supernatural figure dressed in Japanese samurai garb begins hacking through the townsfolk with a katana. Before long the hulking killer begins closing in on the secluded family as they struggle to come to terms with the bizarre and inexplicable occurrences that have plagued their seasonal gathering
From the start it's only too easy to see how Bloodbeat has been labelled amongst the multitude of slasher movies that were released during the heyday of the early eighties. Victims are butchered by an ominous shadow in the traditional steady-cam build up and director Fabrice Zaphiratos signals his knowledge of the genre by adding the eerie heavy breath that was made famous by John Carpenter in 1978. It's only towards the conclusion that things take a wayward twist into the paranormal, as the killer rages a comical battle using extrasensory-perception instead of a carving knife or pickaxe! The highlight of the showdown is when the maniac confronts the final group of survivors in the secluded cabin. They each take turns to inflict psychic damage on one another whilst gurning like they're suffering from a particularly nasty bowel complaint.
It's a real shame that we don't get to see that much of the bogeyman's disguise as it is by far one of the best that I can remember in slasher cinema. The samurai is one of the most majestically elegant screen icons ever set to celluloid, and to see such a figure taking the place of the more traditional masked villain is a great achievement. The cast, although amateurish, move the plot along neatly and Bloodbeat manages to keep the interest levels running high right up until the climax. An exceptional use of sound also helps to create an uneasy atmosphere and the director chooses wisely to add haunting orchestrated melodies to a few superbly edited set-pieces. It's easy to ignore some of the overcooked cinematography, as it seems that the director was doing his best to keep the momentum running high throughout the runtime.
One criticism that can be levelled at Zaphiratos is that he throws a little too much of everything into the blender and what we're left with is a lump sum that's a little too uneven to digest. We're never really given a straight resolution to exactly what a ghostly samurai warrior is doing terrorising an American woodland retreat and a little more clarification would have been greatly appreciated. Why he decided to break the slasher mould and opt for a climax owing more to the likes of Poltergeist is a mystery in itself. Yes you can laugh at the Commodore 64-esque special effects and the strained faces of the ESP confrontation, but all in all this is a mildly diverting slasher journey that's perhaps a little unlucky to be so overlooked. At times taut and suspenseful, almost always intriguing and bizarrely bemusing to boot, Bloodbeat isn't that bad if you can find yourself a copy. It's strange but bizarrely alluring
Weird and Wild Experiment
kittyelizabethfarmer4 July 2021
While watching Blood Beat, I couldn't help but wonder if this was someone's student film project. While there's clearly talent at work here, it comes across as confused and unfocused without anything it's really trying to say or give the viewer.
The sword-wielding spirit of a Samurai possesses a college girl while at her boyfriend's family's house for the holiday break and causes all sorts of strange things to happen.
Blood Beat is nearly impossible to critique, because it's so hard to figure out what it's even about or what the filmmakers were intending. What it does have going for it is a lot of low budget filmmaking charm which takes it further than it probably should.
The sword-wielding spirit of a Samurai possesses a college girl while at her boyfriend's family's house for the holiday break and causes all sorts of strange things to happen.
Blood Beat is nearly impossible to critique, because it's so hard to figure out what it's even about or what the filmmakers were intending. What it does have going for it is a lot of low budget filmmaking charm which takes it further than it probably should.
Orgasms and Samurai Killer? I'm All In!
andrewestrella20 December 2018
So, following the very much perfect Deadly Games, things took a turn for the weird, but I couldn't really say bad. Now, let me preface my review by saying that Blood Beat is one of the weirdest films that I have ever seen in my life.
From the extremely awkward close ups, to the really awful dialogue, to the terribly loud classical music that pretty much conceals any real words coming from the actors, to some really weird female orgasms, to a Japanese samurai killer, this is all just really weird.
The plot, from what I could tell was this: A brother and sister return from college to visit their parents in Wisconsin. The family is very fond of deer-hunting by the way. Anyways, the brother decides to bring home his girlfriend to stay with him at his parent's house. As soon as the girlfriend meets the mother, she gets this really peculiar look on her face. The mother starts to become really erratic, draws really abstract paintings, and becomes mentally unstable. She somehow can see that the girlfriend is evil, even though she is actually really sweet. The girlfriend is creeped out by the mother. Regardless, a samurai ghost starts to kill people throughout the area. And whenever the ghost kills people, the girlfriend gets a massive orgasm that practically makes her levitate.
Like I am not even kidding. Whenever the ghost stabs someone with the sword, the girlfriend has the most incredible orgasm that people could only dream to have. Like what in the actual hell? It was so weird, but was kind of cool too? Anyways, the samurai ghost causes the house to have an earthquake, people start dying, the family obtains really weird mind-trick powers (that have horrid special effects), and an epic mystical fight between the mother and the girlfriend happen.
Now, this may sound confusing. But I would try to urge you to watch the film, because it was one of the most unique cinematic experiences I have ever had. The filmmaking wasn't bad at all (except for the cheesy effects), but the acting, although horrendous, was probably intentional. Nothing made sense at all, but it was highly entertaining.
While many people left the theater, about thirty of us remained, and we laughed, loudly expressed our happiness or anger, and ultimately had a blast. I have never screamed out "WHAT?!" in the theater so many times in my life. It was so weird and made no sense, but it was totally enjoyable.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to enter a cinematic void, and escape the mass amounts of horrendous blockbusters that consume every AMC theater. Also, if you enjoy female orgasms from ghost samurais stabbing people with their sword, then here you go.
PS: Despite how horrendous the special effects were, I will rest my case that it beats a lot of modern CGI, especially in Justice League.
From the extremely awkward close ups, to the really awful dialogue, to the terribly loud classical music that pretty much conceals any real words coming from the actors, to some really weird female orgasms, to a Japanese samurai killer, this is all just really weird.
The plot, from what I could tell was this: A brother and sister return from college to visit their parents in Wisconsin. The family is very fond of deer-hunting by the way. Anyways, the brother decides to bring home his girlfriend to stay with him at his parent's house. As soon as the girlfriend meets the mother, she gets this really peculiar look on her face. The mother starts to become really erratic, draws really abstract paintings, and becomes mentally unstable. She somehow can see that the girlfriend is evil, even though she is actually really sweet. The girlfriend is creeped out by the mother. Regardless, a samurai ghost starts to kill people throughout the area. And whenever the ghost kills people, the girlfriend gets a massive orgasm that practically makes her levitate.
Like I am not even kidding. Whenever the ghost stabs someone with the sword, the girlfriend has the most incredible orgasm that people could only dream to have. Like what in the actual hell? It was so weird, but was kind of cool too? Anyways, the samurai ghost causes the house to have an earthquake, people start dying, the family obtains really weird mind-trick powers (that have horrid special effects), and an epic mystical fight between the mother and the girlfriend happen.
Now, this may sound confusing. But I would try to urge you to watch the film, because it was one of the most unique cinematic experiences I have ever had. The filmmaking wasn't bad at all (except for the cheesy effects), but the acting, although horrendous, was probably intentional. Nothing made sense at all, but it was highly entertaining.
While many people left the theater, about thirty of us remained, and we laughed, loudly expressed our happiness or anger, and ultimately had a blast. I have never screamed out "WHAT?!" in the theater so many times in my life. It was so weird and made no sense, but it was totally enjoyable.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants to enter a cinematic void, and escape the mass amounts of horrendous blockbusters that consume every AMC theater. Also, if you enjoy female orgasms from ghost samurais stabbing people with their sword, then here you go.
PS: Despite how horrendous the special effects were, I will rest my case that it beats a lot of modern CGI, especially in Justice League.
If the Goodies made a horror movie
tvcarsd7 November 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Rednecks at their farmhouse in the sticks summon a samurai by killing a deer or something (that's the bit I didn't get). Then there is like a witch element where once the samurai spirit is dealt with by a simple single swing of an axe to the gut the witch that summoned it don's its outfit, takes its place and continues the murderous redneck rampage of knocking off family members. Hmmm, I think the writers were on dope.
There seemed to be a political angle too. I was hard to work out if it was an attempt at making anti-hunting or hunters themselves look bad because the message got so mixed up in all the gothic/classical backtracks and old school cellular colorful visual effects.
Things I really couldn't stand was when lines are being read verbatim, I wouldn't even call that acting. A little bit of acting enthusiasm would not have gone astray. There are plenty of other more entertaining 'B's that have similar IMDB scores as this one. Good for a laugh if you just start the movie at the midway point.
I want a remake with all the original footage and sound but with canned laughter added in where it just gets stupid. That would be great.
There seemed to be a political angle too. I was hard to work out if it was an attempt at making anti-hunting or hunters themselves look bad because the message got so mixed up in all the gothic/classical backtracks and old school cellular colorful visual effects.
Things I really couldn't stand was when lines are being read verbatim, I wouldn't even call that acting. A little bit of acting enthusiasm would not have gone astray. There are plenty of other more entertaining 'B's that have similar IMDB scores as this one. Good for a laugh if you just start the movie at the midway point.
I want a remake with all the original footage and sound but with canned laughter added in where it just gets stupid. That would be great.
Christmas samurai gives animal activist orgasms
timhds25 February 2021
Not even making that headline up. This movie covers a lot of ground, explains nothing, sets up almost nothing, uses student film special effects, has the most convoluted plot of any movie I've seen, and yet I couldn't stop watching it. Overall a 5, but a solid 10 on originality. Watch it, you won't be disappointed
i just couldn't finish it
kaefab28 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Its not even so bad its good its so bad is awful.
Its weird you don't understand most of it, where does the Japanese samurai killer come from killing all those red necks..
2 women have psychic powers ? And you got some bad sex between it all.
The FX are terrible and you don't see the samurai only is arm.
Its weird you don't understand most of it, where does the Japanese samurai killer come from killing all those red necks..
2 women have psychic powers ? And you got some bad sex between it all.
The FX are terrible and you don't see the samurai only is arm.
bloody weird
trashgang20 November 2008
Just watched this flick and I was thinking, what did I see. I noticed on the net that this is still an OOP and people are searching to find this mysterious flick. It's a bit of supernatural combined with horror. But it is all filmed with weird effects and weird story lines. It all starts off pretty well by getting to know the characters. A supernatural mother gets a weird feeling by seeing the girlfriend of her son. But after a while we get knowing that they all are supernatural and some samurai is hunting the forest and their house. Sometimes it made me remind of the original Boogeyman. The effects I mean. Sure it is a low budget flick. The mother and the girlfriend are believable. That makes the movie watchable. I never understood why masturbating of the girlfriend was so important concerning the samurai. Couldn't get the plot of the movie neither. Anyway, I got my copy on DVD-R and I'm glad I've got one, a weird one to watch, bloody weird.
Utterly Incomprehensible
Dirkmaster17 January 2016
I quite frankly don't see how anyone who has reviewed this movie has the ability to describe it. The audio is so muddy, and the lighting so poor, that I had absolutely no idea what was going on or why. Some deer hunters and other area yokels are killed by a bright blue light with a sword. Okay, yeah, fine, whatever. I was unsure even what their relationships were. It seemed like they were all related, but then they were sleeping together, so either there was incest, or they call each other brother and sister even though they're married. Maybe a cult? Couldn't tell you and could NOT care less. Avoid unless you are trying to get your Hurter Qual Card punched. It's not worth the time you will spend going "Wait, what?"
Where's my orange juice
kirbyclements12 January 2021
Ahhh, the hilarity of it all! What a weird movie. Just the linking in storyline of deer hunting, a samurai, a neurotic painter, a visiting girlfriend with an orgasm problem. A treat to watch, very original and very cheesy, especially during the poltergeist effects. Well worth the full watch.
Blood bulls$*%
lastsonnofkrypton12 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Look, I'm all for a crazy premise ('Teeth', 'It Follows', etc.), and on paper, this movie sounds hilariously nuts. Given the right writing, decent dialogue, and some character cohesion, it can work. This movie had none of those. It would've been far better off as a horror-comedy. There is - seriously - not. One. Bit. Of intentional humor in the whole entire film. I don't think the characters even giggled to themselves once.
This whole thing's just a mess. I don't understand what the movie title had to do with anything in the movie, I don't understand why a samurai ghost is hunting country folk in rural America, I don't understand what moms "visions"contributed to the film, i don't understand the girlfriend's connection to it all, and the list goes on.
Things pick up slightly (only slightly) in the second act when the ghost attacks the house, but then quickly slogs back to mediocrity once the attack is over. The first act is boring and slow, and the finale is just bizarre. There's odd WWII overlays parsed in for some reason. And then all of a sudden, the ghost can turn people to stone. Or dust. I don't know. And light random childhood photos on fire with their hands. Again, it's all a mess.
Pros:
Cons:
I'm not one to turn movies off mid-film. I rarely do it, and I usually watch on the treadmill anyways, so it's not like I have somewhere else to be most of the time. This one tempted me to turn it off. Pass 'Blood Beat' right on by, you won't regret it.
This whole thing's just a mess. I don't understand what the movie title had to do with anything in the movie, I don't understand why a samurai ghost is hunting country folk in rural America, I don't understand what moms "visions"contributed to the film, i don't understand the girlfriend's connection to it all, and the list goes on.
Things pick up slightly (only slightly) in the second act when the ghost attacks the house, but then quickly slogs back to mediocrity once the attack is over. The first act is boring and slow, and the finale is just bizarre. There's odd WWII overlays parsed in for some reason. And then all of a sudden, the ghost can turn people to stone. Or dust. I don't know. And light random childhood photos on fire with their hands. Again, it's all a mess.
Pros:
- the music is about the only thing in this movie that could possibly earn a passing grade (the licensed classical pieces, not the original score), but even then, it would fit more effectively in a better movie. C+, and that's being generous
- the acting is comedically bad
Cons:
- everything else
I'm not one to turn movies off mid-film. I rarely do it, and I usually watch on the treadmill anyways, so it's not like I have somewhere else to be most of the time. This one tempted me to turn it off. Pass 'Blood Beat' right on by, you won't regret it.
This one was SO. WEIRD.
sNate8715 November 2019
Where to begin with a movie like Blood Beat? I had never even heard of this until Vinegar Syndrome gave it a Blu-ray restoration a couple years back. It sounded odd enough that I decided to give it a chance. Odd is an understatement.
You are never given any explanations for anything that happens in this movie. It's not one of those experiences where the end credits begin to roll and you're angry because you feel like you wasted your time though. They never lead you on like you're going to get an explanation at any point, you're just along for the ride.
The film itself has slasher tendencies, but it's definitely not a full-on slasher flick. But for a slasher villain, the Japanese samurai is super cool and original. Not to mention that a girl keeps having orgasms every time it kills! Why? Who knows?! But it's a cool effect!
It also seems like the majority of the cast has phychic powers. How? Beats me! What does it all have to do with the mother's paintings? Don't ask me! But it adds an unusual supernatural angle to everything.
The film itself is actually shot rather well with some memorable cinematography. This combined with the editing, and in certain scenes the lighting, add to the trippiness of everything. Blood Beat almost plays out like a nightmare. There are many dream-like qualities to it.
I just finished the film as I'm writing this, and I'm so intrigued by this oddity that I feel compelled to research it a little further. This will be one I'll try to introduce to as many people as possible. Highly recommended to lovers of strange cinema, and those who know how to have fun with a "bad movie".
You are never given any explanations for anything that happens in this movie. It's not one of those experiences where the end credits begin to roll and you're angry because you feel like you wasted your time though. They never lead you on like you're going to get an explanation at any point, you're just along for the ride.
The film itself has slasher tendencies, but it's definitely not a full-on slasher flick. But for a slasher villain, the Japanese samurai is super cool and original. Not to mention that a girl keeps having orgasms every time it kills! Why? Who knows?! But it's a cool effect!
It also seems like the majority of the cast has phychic powers. How? Beats me! What does it all have to do with the mother's paintings? Don't ask me! But it adds an unusual supernatural angle to everything.
The film itself is actually shot rather well with some memorable cinematography. This combined with the editing, and in certain scenes the lighting, add to the trippiness of everything. Blood Beat almost plays out like a nightmare. There are many dream-like qualities to it.
I just finished the film as I'm writing this, and I'm so intrigued by this oddity that I feel compelled to research it a little further. This will be one I'll try to introduce to as many people as possible. Highly recommended to lovers of strange cinema, and those who know how to have fun with a "bad movie".
Unique
deborahrighetti20 October 2020
Blood Beat exists in that strange, rarely charted territory between art film and slasher flick. It has the gory goods, but it also wants to do something different with the slasher formula and say something about psychic connections and female power. I'm not sure if it's very successful with that, but I can pay Blood Beat one of the greatest compliments any film can get - I've never seen anything else like it.
What the hell was that?
TheOldGuyFromHalloween317 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Incredibly weird movie about some ugly Roger Waters looking chick who wears ponchos and her Bob Seger looking hunter boyfriend who live out in the woods.
One Christmas her son comes home with some spacey chick who hates hunting (maybe she shouldn't have gone along on a hunting trip then) and she slowly turns into a samurai for some reason and starts shooting laser beams at people or something. In one scene a bunch of foodstuffs come flying at the old hunter guy, including a can of Pepsi and Quik.
We get to see the breasts of the hunting-hating girlfriend but she's no prize. I would have rather seen the chubby sister naked. Truly bizarre.
One Christmas her son comes home with some spacey chick who hates hunting (maybe she shouldn't have gone along on a hunting trip then) and she slowly turns into a samurai for some reason and starts shooting laser beams at people or something. In one scene a bunch of foodstuffs come flying at the old hunter guy, including a can of Pepsi and Quik.
We get to see the breasts of the hunting-hating girlfriend but she's no prize. I would have rather seen the chubby sister naked. Truly bizarre.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
