Blood Freak (1972)

Directors:

Brad F. Grinter
Steve Hawkes

Writers:

Brad F. Grinter (writer)
Steve Hawkes (writer)

Release Date:

1972 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A Dracula On Drugs!

Plot:

A biker comes upon a girl with a flat tire and offers her a ride home. He winds up at a drug party with the girl's sister...

Plot Keywords:

Biker | Turkey | Monster | Turkey Farm | Severed Foot

Cast

Steve Hawkes	...	Herschell
Dana Cullivan	...	Ann
Heather Hughes	...	Angel
Bob Currier
Anne Shearin
Linda Past
Debbie Smith
Sandy Kneelen
Domink Grutta
Randy Grinter
Larry Wright
Dolores Currier
Jane Tarber
Lee Morris
Sam Taker

Also Known As:

Blood Freaks

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R (re-rating) (1975) | USA:X (original rating) | Canada:16+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Trivia:

The original financier backed out during production and left directors Brad F. Grinter and Steve Hawkes to complete the movie with their own resources.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: After Herschell gets in a fight with the dope dealer (Guy) he pins him on the ground, lifts away his hands, and as the dope dealer lies there, the director can be heard saying, "Get up slowly."

Movie Connections:

References "The Twilight Zone" (1959)

Blood-drinking turkey monster mania!

A very shaky camera follows leatherclad 'Nam vet Herschell (Steve Hawkes) down the Florida turnpike, where he helps Angel, a stranded, bible quoting "seeker of the truth" in hot pants. The two go back to her place, where a hippie drug party hosted by Angel's cute, baby-voiced "far out" sister Anne is taking place. When Herschell ignores the advances of a woman, she informs him, "You' re nothing but a dumb b***ard who doesn't know where it's at, anyway!"

Herschell ends up getting a job at the father's turkey farm, Anne gets him "hooked" on pot and scientists in lab jackets trick him into eating chemicals that transform him into a turkey headed monster that gobbles, hangs people upside down, slits their throats and drinks the blood, all while dressed in flared bell-bottom pants!

One very blood, standout murder scene has a guy getting his leg cut off with a table saw. Some real turkeys are beheaded, too, for additional gore. But the action stops cold when the on-screen, chain-smoking narrator (played by director Grinter) reads preachy, pro-Christian commentary off of cue cards on a desk!

The big, muscular Hawkes sports Elvis hair, thick sideburns and weird, blotchy skin, and is one of the worst actors I can think of. Other cast members flub or forget their lines and often look directly at the camera and laugh! No one is credited with writing it on the version I have (the original VHS copy), but with lines directed toward Hawkes like, "He's strong, he's handsome and he enjoys being attractive to the opposite sex," I strongly suspect he had his hand in there somewhere.

Do NOT miss this movie!

Score: (technically speaking) 1 out of 10 / (for laughs) 10 out of 10!