Blood on the Funny Who Is Also a Sick Freak Samples
Unforgettable
It's VERY hard to believe that it has already been four years since I first saw this film. I vividly remember the non-stop tastelessness, the pathetic attempts at humour, the frequent gore, and of course, Ralphus, who is one of the most vile characters that I have ever seen in the movies. Yet, having said all that, I liked this movie. There are some scenes that are as funny as anything that you're ever likely to see...although in a SICK way. It isn't for the squeamish or the easily offended, but if you can appreciate low-budget trash for what it is, then you'll probably find that this movie is well worth your time.
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Sick and disturbing trash flick
Blood Sucking Freaks is often considered an exploitation classic, and is one of the select few Troma films to receive a reputation anything like that. It's not hard to see why this film is so well revered among fans of wayward cinema - the gore is disgusting, the torture scenes are extended and make for highly unpleasant viewing and there's an extremely misogynistic tone running throughout the film; something that is very popular with many fans of this sort of cinema. I definitely consider myself an exploitation fan, but I'm only going to rate this film as a must see for people like me; as in it's own right, Blood Sucking Freaks really isn't all that good. The film reminded me a lot of a HG Lewis movie, and the plot seems to take some influence from the "classic", The Wizard of Gore, as it follows a stage act. The stage act here concerns S&M and torture, and the "magician" at the centre achieves his realistic effects through actually killing his actors on stage while his crowd watch. Furthermore, the girls are put to use again for his own sick pleasure, and he has a cage full of rabid, meat-eating naked women in his basement...
The main problem with this film as far as I'm concerned is that it gets too caught up in the sadistic acts and the plot doesn't move fast enough, so after a while it starts to get boring. Director Joel M. Reed clearly has an eye for nasty torture, however, as this film features some of the sickest sequences I've ever seen; chief among them being the guillotine scene, and the part where someone drills a hole in someone's head and proceeds to suck out their brains with a straw! Seamus O'Brien is the lead actor, and it's not surprising that this was one of only two roles for him. His acting is campy and silly, and I really couldn't see him fitting into any other kind of film...which is both praise and a criticism. The locations and special effects all look very cheap, and it's clear that this film was shot on a very low budget; but this grittiness creates a very unclean atmosphere, which helps the film overall as it bodes very well with the nastiness of the action on display. Overall, Blood Sucking Freaks isn't exactly a classic film for my money - but it is mandatory viewing for exploit fans.
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One of the Kings of Exploitation Films
Bloodsucking Freaks (1976)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Joel M. Reed's notorious exploitation flick about an off, off Broadway show being hosted by Sardu (Seamus O'Brien), which advertises "torture" but it is in fact real torture. Sardu and his dwarf assistant Ralphus (Luis De Jesus) keeps a group of women chained up with the sole purpose of killing them on stage. Sardu eventually decides to kidnap a ballerina (Natasha Di Natalie) so that he can impress (and kill) a critic who sees him as trash. Soon her football star boyfriend (Niles McMaster) and a crooked detective (Dan Fauci) are trying to find out what's really going on.
Also known as THE INCREDIBLE TORTURE SHOW, this film became best known under the BLOODSUCKING FREAKS title and there's no question that it's quite vile, disgusting, sexist, revolting and just about every other negative word you can think of. With that said, there's something so beautifully bizarre and weird with this picture that, if you can stomach it, you can't help but have some dirty fun with it. Yes, technically speaking there's really nothing impressive here and you could bash some of the bad acting and poor effects but why hate? Yes, this is an extremely low-budget movie and we could nitpick it to death but you can't get over the fact that this thing picks up new fans each and every year.
I think what makes this film work so well is the simple fact that it's downright bizarre. It almost seems like a group of friends just got together to make a movie and decided to come up with the craziest situations they could think of. There are numerous torture sequences here, which are so over-the-top that you can't help but laugh at them. Unlike many exploitation films, this one here is shockingly not mean- spirited and this here is another reason it works. This actually plays quite well as a black comedy and there's no doubt that you'll be laughing at how silly some of the stuff is. Just take a look at the cannibal women living in the basement. Watch the "doctor" scene and the brain drilling. Just the way this scene plays out is meant to make your stomach sick and you to laugh at how crazy it actually is.
The film will always be remembered for how crazy it is and there's no doubt that the violence and gore is so over-the-top that you often can't believe what you're watching. The non-stop nudity is another thing the film is notorious for and when you combine all of this stuff it's easy to see why it earned (and deserved) the X-rating. It should also be noted at how fun the cast is. Seamus O'Brien, who was murdered shortly after the film was released, is simply charming in the lead role and De Jesus is also a blast as the assistant. Fauci is also entertaining in the role of the crooked detective and especially the wonderful way he delivers the lines.
BLOODSUCKING FREAKS certainly isn't going to be a movie for everyone. In fact, the overwhelming majority are going to be highly offended and disgusted by it, which is a good thing if you're a fan of exploitation. Any movie that continues to shock nearly forty-years after it was made means that it was done correctly.
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This is one of the greatest exploitation movies ever!
Extreme violence, graphic nudity, white slavery, a diabolical midget, forced ballet, imprisoned girls being caned on their bare arses; this movie has everything! How can this movie get such a low rating??? Any fan of John Water's "Pink Flamingos" or Troma movies such as "Mother's Day" or "Toxic Avenger" will find this movie to be a masterpiece! Yes, it is demented. Sure, it is in bad taste. Of course it is as sick as hell, but I love this movie. I have seen many movies that attempt to push the boundaries of decency, but this is the funniest one I have ever been privileged enough to view. Sure, you can get the nudity and violence in a film like Caligula or Ilsa, but this movie offers so much more. The humor is darker than a grizzly bears butt during new moon, but if you are as twisted as I am you will want to view this cinematic opus of insanity over and over again. I have watched it many times, and will watch it again many times in the future. When I have had a bad day, there is nothing like this farcical film about captive women being abused by a midget and a madman to cheer me up.
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A blood-shedding, brain-sucking, ass-piercing, bravura B-movie bacchanal for broad-minded, barrel-chested funk freaks!
I have long had the wholly altruistic goal to meet that vivid-minded 'special person' who is no less eroticized by 'Bloodsucking Freaks' as I am! Super-Svelte sex-surgeon, Sardu, the diabolical dungeon despot, is always Hawt to trawt!!!! One of the most nakedly exhilarating films ever made! A blood-shedding, brain-sucking, ass-piercing, bravura B-movie bacchanal for broad-minded, barrel-chested funk freaks hip to Ralphus's degenerate death trip, baby!! This is the apogee of transgressive medieval boinkage! For long erroneously derided as mere cartilaginous filth, 'Bloodsucking Freaks' is a macabre masterpiece, a lexicon of perfectly scurrilous shunt, the film Gaspar Noé so desperately wants to make, but his wizened, art-louse balls lack the uncommonly vast Grindhouse girth of iconoclast, Joel M. Reed's humongous package!!!!! Wherever you are, you god-like, B-Movie behemoth, I want you to know, you, noble sir, are a bona fide, maniacal genius, a towering titan amongst the measly, timorous-minded ticks nibbling so parasitically on your leviathan, filmmaking talent!
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Essential exploitation
Warning: Spoilers
*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*
"Bloodsucking Freaks" is an essential exploitation flick. All horror and B-movie fans should see it. Put it on the list of flicks to check out before you die. It's gross, sick, inhumane, disturbing and yes, exploitative. It is must see B-movie madness.
"Bloodsucking Freaks" tells the tale of a bunch of warped S&M freaks putting on a show. They want to create a new theater of the macabre. They take girls on stage and torture them as the audience cheers. Soon the fiends won't be satisfied with the usual whippings and beatings. They want critical recognition of their talents. They decide to stage a bloody ballet so their main critic can soak up the action. Many topless women will howl in agony before this show is over.
This is exploitation stripped down to its purest form. There is not much plot here to get in the way of the sadism. What we are left with is a movie that exists only to delight B-movie fans with its love of pain, suffering and bloody naked women.
This movie is sicko. It wanted to push the limits of bad taste as far as it could. It succeeded. One could make some nitpicking criticisms, like the dancing dwarf was driving me insane, but I don't think anything could really derail a movie that has so many delirious torture scenes with topless women screaming their heads off. If all of this sounds disturbing, you probably don't want to watch this one. This is for acquired tastes only. As for me, I have acquired the taste. "Bloodsucking Freaks" delivers the sick thrills.
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Lives up to its notorious reputation
Warning: Spoilers
Rating highly as a prime piece of raw'n'revolting 70's grindhouse sleaze, gleefully wallowing in the utmost depths of depravity with a certain jolly mean-spiritedness that's both fiercely funny and genuinely appalling in equal measure, this infamous cult splatter shocker delivers exactly what it promises in its foul tale of merry sadist Master Sardu (marvelously essayed with lip-smacking hammy brio by Seamus O'Brien) and his theatre of the macabre where he presents a "faked" Grand Guignal stage show depicting extreme acts of torture and depravity. Writer/director Joel M. Reed definitely gives the audience their grubby money's worth: brain sucking through a straw, dismemberment, snarling nude cannibal gals locked in a cage, nipple electric shock, a white slaver ring, gay necrophilia, fried eyeballs, grisly teeth extraction with pliers, vicious S&M whippings, a harsh'n'hateful misogynistic streak, oodles of bare female flesh, and one of the most repulsive examples of forced fellatio ever committed to celluloid are all present and accounted for. Moreover, the cast attack the blithely base and tasteless material with unfettered aplomb: Diminutive porn stud Luis De Jesus has a fiendish field day as Sardu's savage dwarf assistant Ralphus, Dan Fauci contributes an amusing turn as meddlesome blackmailing Sergeant John Tucci, Alan Dellay makes for a perfectly obnoxious jerk as uptight snob critic Creasy Silo, and lovely blonde Viju Krem is suitably sweet and fragile as fetching abducted ballerina Natasha D'Natalie. The authentically grubby New York City locations, Ron Dorfman's basic cinematography, a hilariously cruel sense of spot-on pitch-black gallows humor (this fine fetid flick is essentially a remarkably dark satire on the seamy underbelly of show business), and Michael Small's alternately jaunty and shivery synthesizer score further enhance this gloriously ghastly atrocity's considerable uniquely gross and repugnant charm. Absolutely essential viewing for sick cinema buffs.
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There's No Business Like Showing Body-Parts Business
I think when dealing with such a cinematic tableau as Blood Sucking Freaks, with its fiendish goateed midget, s & m and torture, cheekily done decapitation, dismemberment and torture, cannibalism on the verge of an outbreak of the living dead and sexual humiliation, the framing counts. All of this could very easily devolve into a Hershell Gordon Lewis debacle and be tasteless with only the freak show element to it. This is a freak show (as the title posits), but it's also, primarily, a satire on backstage dramas, complete with the melodramatic slave-driving (and in this case that's not too figurative!) director who wants to put something spectacular on stage but has to put up with the drama of putting it together. With, you know, flailing limbs and screaming stark naked women and ravenous pieces of flesh.
I don't blame anyone who finds this reprehensible trash, but I think why I enjoyed it much as I did - and though it's obviously not laugh-a-minute stuff, there's a very healthy if completely sick sense of humor and absurdity to it all - is that the filmmaker Joel Reed recognizes Its reprehensible trash. He makes his lead "Master" (And an actor at that who is having the time of his life playing a pretentious psycho) and cohort little man the real freaks, and in a sense this is almost like an inverted version of Tod Browning's 1932 film: a savage comedy on terrors and horrors, especially in the realm of shady show business (I mean, that IS where all those off-off Broadway actresses go to after all!)
A good deal of it is cringe worthy and hard to watch - a tooth extraction scene got to me the most - but so much of it is tongue not so much planted in cheek but sticking out the cheekbone that it's hard to take it seriously. This isn't to say there isn't some convincing gore and body parts flying about, and certainly the preponderance of naked ladies in either total buff or dominatrix get ups makes it bonafide 70s exploitation verging on sexploitation, but so much is done knowing it looks goofy and silly. And yet there's even a scene or two, like when the lead ballerina actress under the spell of the master performs and beats up the theater critic, that do have some non-too-shabby camera shots and lighting, making a delirious mood (a second rate clockwork Orange scene as per directed by an actor that is a second rate Peter Cushing why not).
Its almost no wonder then this was, I think, the first film acquired for distribution by an at the tome fledgling company called Troma in ny. Though at times perhaps more extreme than what even they put out - Kaufman admits on the DVD intro that if they were to acquire the film today they would have second thoughts - it's a ridiculous, self conscious, sometimes very smart, sometimes (no, practically always) very crude comedy of horrors (or horror of a comedy) that makes its villain a nasty but incredible presence, and some bad acting
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if the title appeals, give it a go
Having acquired this on Blu-ray, I was most surprised to discover that I had never seen it. I certainly saw plenty of its ilk back in the video collecting days. It has to be said, however, that like the old sex film posters, there was a considerable gap between what was offered and what was provided. Imagine my surprise then to find not only had I never seen it but that it was as described complete with a cage of 'bloodsucking freaks', well naked ladies who eat chunks of human flesh. At the start we cut from an on stage atrocity to an audience shot where some 'complain' that it is all a sham, 'just acting'and the impresario informs us not so. As a film audience, of course, when we see the body parts cut off and eyeballs removed know well that this is acting and effects but it becomes clear that within the film these activities are real Its all very silly and over the top but the effects aren't bad, the humour is amusing and the low budget not as obvious in some. Trouble has been taken with the set design too and most scenes actually look good as opposed to ill lit basement sequences badly put together. Hardly something to recommend to just anyone but if the title appeals, give it a go.
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The dynamic duo!
"Bloodsucking Freaks" may have been quite the shocker back when it was first released, but by today standards it comes across as a pretty funny, low budget classic that gets better and better as your watching it. "Bloodsucking Freaks" serves it's purpose nicely. It also has a VERY generous amount of unshaven bush and 70's boobies in practically every scene. Awesome!! Although the special effects aren't all that special, "Blooduscking Freaks" contains a very nice share of blood, quirky sadistic murders, and fun elements of torture sprinkled throughout. The real charm of "Bloodsucking Freaks" lies within the perfect partnership of Master Sardu and his little henchman Ralphus. The scenes with them together (whether its a game of backgammon or a gleeful torture sequence) play out beautifully and comically. Ralphuses smile alone is sure to melt your heart. Sardu and Ralphus are really the stars of this show, and they seem to be having a great time in the movie. The more I watched them together, the more I couldn't stop laughing.
Brazen, unrelenting, and carefree, "Bloodsucking Freaks" is by definition a "B" movie at it's finest.
Perfect for all you cult classic lovers.....
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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"
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89 minutes worth of amusing filth.
"Bloodsucking Freaks", the alternate title for this sick bit of cinematic sleaze, is not that accurate since there's really only one blood sucking freak in this thing. "The Incredible Torture Show", now THAT'S a better summation of what goes on here. Seamus O'Brien plays Master Sardu, a master of the macabre who puts hapless victims through unspeakable acts of brutality, content to have his audience think it's all just special effects and trickery. He's assisted by the demented Ralphus (Luis De Jesus) and assorted other cretins, and abducts ballet dancer Natasha D'Natalie (Viju Krem) so that she can be a part of his theatrical antics; critic Creasy Silo (Alan Dellay) also becomes a part of the act. Meanwhile, Natasha's boyfriend Tom Maverick (Niles McMaster), a football player, tries to track her down with the help of a sleazy detective, John Tucci (Dan Fauci). Even knowing that "The Incredible Torture Show" is clearly made with its tongue in its cheek, it's obviously going to have a somewhat limited audience. Yet these hardcore exploitation devotees are likely to be satisfied with what they see here. There ain't much in the way of story, just a lot of nasty, nasty depravity (and enough female nudity to make some viewers VERY, VERY happy) that ultimately becomes a little numbing. Still, there are some undeniable highlights, as heads, feet & hands get severed, teeth get extracted, a lady is electrocuted, etc. One's gotta love that one "doctor" character (Ernie Pysher) who goes to great pains to torture one victim; this guy is such a nut that even Sardu and Ralphus think, "This guy's too crazy, even for us!" A strong indicator of this movie's tone is when good old Sardu is having a meal that's precariously balanced on the back of a babe who's obliged to play the role of table, yet humour is added when he snarls, "Don't you DARE ruin my dinner!" O'Brien gets into the grim and goofy Grand Guignol spirit of writer / director Joel M. Reed's concoction, hamming it up quite nicely, as does the diminutive De Jesus. Fun gore effects abound, and the cage full of naked wild women is a Hell of a nice touch. In the end, Reeds' sense of bravado has to be admired, as he goes just as far as he can. The result is a truly trashy bit of insanity certain to give its audience some appreciative chuckles. Seven out of 10.
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YUM YUM, I'LL HAVE THAT BRAIN SHAKE TO GO!!
Anyone who takes this film seriously should be punished in the same style as the victims in this movie. A black-humor, and a funny one at that. You will laugh your ass off when you see some of the more absurd scenes in this movie. Extremely campy, and slow moving at times, but a perfect 70's horror film to watch when it's raining outside and the kids aren't home.
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"Don't You Dare Ruin My Dinner!"...
The term "torture porn" came into vogue some years ago, referring to movies deemed to have no value, purpose, or anything to offer, other than shocking violence / gore. It's a bit humorous that many people act as if this were some new phenomenon.
BLOODSUCKING FREAKS stands as part of a tradition started by the likes of Herschell Gordon Lewis in the early 1960's. Basically, these are true, updated Grand Guignol theater presentations on film. Grand Guignol didn't rely heavily on plot, but on pure shock. This movie does what it sets out to do. It's violent, vile, and visceral, much like LAST HOUSE ON DEAD END STREET, though with decidedly less structure or story line. It does have a wicked sense of humor to -somewhat- offset the senseless, grisly acts.
If you are averse to cannibalism, dismemberment, decapitation, degrading female nudity, etc., you might find this quite disturbing. However, if the thought of a mad doctor drinking someone's brains through a straw intrigues you, then this is your movie! Is it art? Is it pointless rubbish? Is it dangerous? Well, perhaps it's none or all of these things. One thing is certain, it's not easily forgotten...
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Exploitative Trash - At It's Finest!!!
Warning: Spoilers
If you like twisted, morally inept, unredeeming socially valueless cinema as much as I do - then BLOODSUCKING FREAKS is for you. Just rewatched this one again after not having seen it in close to 10 years - and I STILL love this trashy sleaze-fest as much, or probably more than I did then...
Master Sardu and his warped midget Igor-like sidekick, Ralphus, run a Grand Guinol style theater using kidnapped women as the show's "stars" - S&M style torture and mayhem ensue. A smart-ass critic and a sexy ballerina become part of the "fun" when Sardu spots 'em out at one of his "shows". Throw in a brief side-plot about Sardu also using captive women for a slave-trading ring, and there ya have it. Not too much in the way of plot to really speak of, which works just fine for this type schlock-cinema...
BLOODSUCKING FREAKS is not for everyone - at all. It really isn't particularly gory compared to some stuff that's out there nowdays, and the FX are pretty amateurish by today's standards, but this is a great example of classic grimy exploitation film-making at it's "finest" - it's nasty, grainy, darkly humorous and just sadistic enough to still be a little disturbing. Lots of great goofy/gory scenes, including: finger removal, cannibalism, nipple electrocution, hand-severing, eyeball-eating, teeth removal, brain-drilling, a severed head blow-job, homo-necrophilia, and penis-sandwich eating - to name just a few of the more notable scenes - and Ralphus' psychotic little dance is just too much!!! Definitely one of the most sleazy, possibly morally offensive films ever - and that's why it's a classic in my book. Definitely in the realm of "they don't make 'em like this anymore"-cinema. HIGHLY recommended to sleaze and horror fans - if campy sadistic torture isn't your thing, ya might as well leave this one alone. 9/10....RALPHUS RULES!!!
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Atrocious, disgusting piece of trash. I love it.
Master Sardu and Ralphus deserve a status of semi-Gods. Both are repugnant characters that seem to enjoy torture, S&M, brutality, and attention.
Everything gets out of control in this movie when ambition hits our main characters. But for the pleasure of fans of exploitation, we have violent, disgusting scenes involving sexual pain, gore, and torture.
I consider this movie as a re-invention of "Blood Feast". It features almost the same violent sequences, the quality of gore, plot, and even score. But "Bloodsucking Freaks" is absolutely more disgusting mainly because of it's thematic.
Sure, we the exploitation fans get more goodies like beautiful women, nakedness, gore, and torture devices.
This is a classic of exploitation that should only be enjoyed by fans of the genre. Or in case that you can take extremely low budget involving bad acting, atrocious direction, over the top gore, a catchy score (love the piano), then you should consider spending/wasting your time on this one.
You won't forget this one and after the repugnant climax, you will keep this one in your memory.
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A very unpleasant film!
The dastardly Master Sardu ( Seamus O'Brien) has made a special theater for adults that show torture and death in the grand guignol style to make his audience think the deaths on his shows are fake as a police sergeant is on the verge to find out the shocking truth about the shows.
Sickening, misogynistic and sleazy trash flick written and directed by Joel Reed and released by the infamous and popular low budget studio known as Troma, this movie is guaranteed to make you feel nauseated. When it was released in 1975 the film was attacked by women's groups as "woman hating filth" as they may be right but the movie became a midnight cult fave (ala, "Pink Flamingos" or "Rocky Horror Picture Show") and made a lot of people sick back then yet it still does as it's truly one of the most disturbing movies i've ever seen, the movie isn't one to defend and will offend anyone who watches it.
Also recommended: " Men Behind The Sun", " Cannibal Ferox", " Mountain of the Cannibal God", "Jungle Holocaust" ( a.k.a. Last Cannibal World)", "Man from Deep River", " Caligula", "Pink Flamingos", "Blue Velvet", "A Clockwork Orange", " I Spit on Your Grave", "Maniac ( 1980)", "High Tension", "Eaten Alive! ( 1980)", " Re-Animator", "Evil Dead II", "The Toxic Avenger", " Cannibal Holocaust", " Day of the Dead", " Pink Flamingos", "Beyond The Dark ( a.k.a Buio Omega)", " Basket Case", "Suspiria", " Tenebre", " The New York Ripper", " Hostel", " The Texas Chainsaw Chainsaw series and 2003 remake", " Fight Club", "Natural Born Killers", "Troma's War", " Se7en", " Ichi The Killer", "Urotsukidoji: Legend of the Overfiend", " Riki-OH: The Story of Ricky", " Last House on The Left", "Mother's Day".
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Blame game
Now I want to believe that the intentions behind the making of this (and I had no nerve to watch any extras on the disc I own) were "pure" or rather a matter of showing society what can become or the depths of human psyche. Having said all that and while this is old and some effects may not have aged as well, this still is quite brutal to watch.
I did watch the extended uncut version and it really isn't something I want to watch ever again. Haneke made it very clear with Funny Games what he meant to tell us - and I hated it! I suppose that was the reaction he hoped to see from viewers or rather any reaction at all. He made it clear what he was telling us. And I do not relish or enjoy torture, even when in the confounds and under the "disguise" of being a movie. I'm not judging anyone else, especially those who make the distinction between reality and entertainment. This movie however seems to relish too much on the violence ... and while there is occasional humor, it may not be enough to counter impact the madness.
All that will depend on your own threshold and what you are willing to endure. So nudity, blood and gore are on the menu here - fake but real ... but ultimately fake. So as I said, maybe the movie after all is trying to tell us something. But it dwells too long on the bad - you can't persecute "Serbian Film" and like this. Especially because the Serbian Film, actually is obvious in its message, even if at least as explicit as this one is ...
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Unspeakable sickness...
Oh yeah, this definitely is one title for all you sick puppies out there to see! "Blood Sucking Freaks" is Troma's most sick-spirited and exploitative movie and Joel M. Reed's only intention clearly is to shock and disgust. But I must confess that it works, too, since this is easily one of the most memorable stomach-turning movie experiences I ever beheld. The plot centers on the deranged psycho Sardu, who runs the "Theatre of the Macabre" where audiences are exposed to the torturing and dismemberment of young women, only they don't know that what they see is real. The theater simultaneously is a cover for Sardu's more profitable business: the trading of white female slaves. He's assisted by the perverted midget Ralphus (who does a little dance every time something vile happens) and an insanely unorthodox doctor. Somewhere hidden between all the sickness, there also is the ultra-thin plot line of a famous ballerina who's kidnapped by Sardu and her athlete-boyfriend trying to trace her. The menu of atrocities is far too long to list and features for example the dissection of a girl with a rusty bone saw and an amateurish brain operation! The weak make-up art is the only thing that keeps this movie from being the sickest film ever made, actually. Still, I noticed that many other reviewers labeled "Blood Sucking Freaks" as 'funny' or even 'hilarious'... Let me tell you that this is not a funny film and people probably only claimed so because they don't know how else to respond to an exploitation-adventure like this. This is women unfriendly (I'll never understand what drives some women to star in films like this), aggressive and nauseating cinema. I'm glad that I saw it but I can't give a proper explanation why...
Additional content warning: the guillotine sequence is super-sickening and has an extra depraved twist at the end.
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A landmark moment in bad taste.
A masterpiece of Grand Guignol excess, Bloodsucking Freaks delivers a non-stop barrage of sado-masochism, degradation, torture, and murder (all served up with a very twisted sense of humour) that demands to be seen by fans of demented cult cinema. Director Joel M. Reed revels in delivering the most tasteless imagery his twisted mind can conceive, and an enthusiastic cast camp it up to the max, ensuring that, as far as sleazy exploitation films are concerned, Bloodsucking Freaks is pretty hard to beat.
The macabre plot, which was most likely inspired by the H. G. Lewis splatter classic The Wizard of Gore (but possibly also Theatre of Blood), sees a sado-masochistic white-slave trader named Sardu (Seamus O'Brien) getting his kicks from performing disgusting acts of perversion on stage, in front of an unsuspecting audience who believe that the horrific acts they are witnessing are merely an illusion.
When art critic Creasy Silo (Alan Dellay) verbally attacks Sardu during a 'performance', the sadistic showman decides to exact bloody revenge (with a little help from his equally sick dwarf assistant, Ralphus). Kidnapping Silo, Sardu prepares to present his next show, The Death of a Critic, a bizarre ballet which will star his outspoken detractor, along with beautiful dancer Natasha De Natalie (Viju Krem), who Sardu has brainwashed to become an obedient slave.
Sardu's evil plans are thwarted, however, when Natasha's boyfriend, football player Tom Maverick (Niles McMaster), suspects foul play and employs corrupt cop John Tucci (Dan Fauci) to investigate.
Director Reed might not be particularly great behind the camera, and his cast would never win any awards for their acting, but Bloodsucking Freaks is a real winner when it comes to imaginative depravity and unconvincing gore. Dubious delights on offer for viewers brave enough to watch include a jail full of naked, cannibalistic women, the infamous brainsucking scene (surely a big influence on Eli Roth's Hostel), a great beheading, loads of torture, and plenty of moments where Ralphus dances with sadistic glee (you just gotta love the little guy... so happy in his work!).
70s exploitation sure isn't for everyone, and many of today's horror fans might find the film too cheesy or amateurish for their tastes, but those who dig mad midnight movies and drive-in trash will have a ball with this unique piece of cinematic craziness.
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People should be more careful what they leave lying around on the floor
Slave trader by day, sadistic theatre impresario by night, Sardu kidnaps a famous ballerina and forces her to dance in his latest production, bringing down the wrath of her superstar footballer boyfriend and a corrupt cop.
Yes, it is that bonkers - and enjoyable too.
The acting is mostly weak, but the lead performance is suitably camp. And the pace is good. Above all the humour - not a laugh a minute, but there are genuinely funny moments. Plus a rather good scene with a guillotine.
I often find this type of film dull, but they got the right balance here. The gore was campy enough not to make me turn away, and while there was plenty of nudity and s&m the film didn't have a mean bone in its body. Apart from all the torture, murder and dismemberment.
One oddity: the actor playing Sardu was murdered in the following year, which fits with the sordid atmosphere of New York in the '70s.
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There's something wrong here, even for an exploitation film
Anyone whose tastes run towards exploitation films kind of knows "the drill," the recurring themes, methodology, and clichés of the genre. We embrace them, and an exploitation film which effectively "plays the game" can get away with a multitude of since which would be unforgivable in mainstream cinema (bad acting, bad writing, bad production values, etc.).
By those standards, "Bloodsucking Freaks" should be hailed as a masterpiece of the genre, and, judging by its enduring cult popularity, it is. Still, there's something about this film which limits the viewer's ability to enjoy it for what it is, and, thus, limits itself. At first, it's hard to put one's finger on exactly what it is, but I think I've finally worked it out. Simply put, filmmaker Joel M. Reed made a film whose spirit is as mean-spirited and diabolical as what we see up on the screen.
"Bloodsucking Freaks," as often as not, plays its numerous horrors for laughs. (Indeed, Sardu and Ralphus occasionally come across as a kind of nightmarish stand-up comedy act.) The trouble is, the intention behind the humor is anything but good-natured. Any viewer with any kind of decency at all can't relate to the motivations behind what they see, and this diminishes the fun of watching this movie to a great degree. For exploitation fans, there is a fine line between brutal and unwatchable, and there are many times during which "Freaks" sinks below that line. And so while this film is an absolute must-see for fans of the genre (although how many such fans have not seen this movie?), it's not going to be one of the films in their collection which can be revisited often.
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Sick, perverted... but you can't stop watching it!
There is no other movie like Blood Sucking Freaks. Nothing similar. Even when it looks as the typical exploitation film, this is a completely different film. Probably we'll never know if this were the exact intentions of director Joel M. Reed, but conscious or not, he crafted a film that makes the viewer question his/her own morality, and sanity! The "main" plot is simple. Seamus O'Brien plays Sardu, a mysterious man who runs a small theater where he kills a young woman in front of the audience who believes it's all part of the play. The murders(almost always gruesome) are performed by Sardu's assistant, Ralphus(played by Luis De Jesus), who is as depraved as his master. However, this business is not Sardu's main source of income, he trades with young women he picks up and sells them to perverted rich people all over the world. One night, in the audience appears Creasy Silo, a recognized critic, and also Natasha, a famous ballet ballerina. These people caught Sardu's attention and he kidnaps them.
In Sardu's lair, Silo is tortured because Sardu hates him and Natasha is tortured because Sardu loves her and wants to make a show only for her and with her as main star. Surprised? it's only the beginning.
As expected of 70's B-movies, the acting is painfully bad, nevertheless, the main stars, Seamus O'Brien and Luis De Jesus do have very good scenes, a good chemistry, and O'Brien shines among the whole cast. It's a shame that he was killed after this and truncated a promising career in the horror genre.
There's plenty of nudity and gore, and even when the SFX are bad, the intention is clear: to shock, disgust, and amaze at the same time. And it succeeds. That's the magic of this movie. It puts the audience in the uneasy situation of being in the side of the monster, of the depraved. The "victims": the critic, the dancer, her boyfriend & the detective hired to find them, all of them are presented in a way that deserve our despise, none of them are likable characters and in contrast, no matter how horrid their crimes are, Sardu and Ralphus have a certain charm that it's hard to not like them, even when they are obviously the psychos of the movie.
This situation makes the audience feel disgusted, and that's Reed intention. We turn into partners in crime with Sardu & co, because it's impossible to root for the victims.
This movie is not for everyone, with all it's cheesiness, it requires some grade of maturity to understand the joke. This is a comedy people! Comedy at it's darkest & sickest form.
I rate it a 7/10 in terms of film-making, but an amazing 10/10 because it's interesting, creative, and even when people don't want to accept it. It's fun. We all are depraved.
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Hard to explain
I have had a tough time figuring out what i just saw at the end of this movie.This movie is a pointless horror film, full of gore, nudity and sadistic violence.I have to say i love this kind of crap, the movie seems like it was made by a sick maniac, it's perfect. Although i have to point out that it is extremely stupid that they send women in the mail, I laughed my ass off when i saw that. The jokes are extremely stupid and pointless. The scene that i found most disturbing was the brain surgery scene, I have seen a lot of sick sh** on TV but that scene gave me the creeps. Overall the movie is pure violence but if you like blood, gore and pointless murder it is your type of horror flick.
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Reed certainly delivers!
If you rent this cult classic, don't judge it on your first viewing. You MUST watch it 2 or more times before you can really appreciate it. Look past the blood and gore (although that's part of the fun) and see what really makes this film tick. The subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) humor make this worth watching over and over. Give BSF the benefit of the doubt! You will not be disappointed. (NOTE: The director, Joel M. Reed, is currently working on Bloodsucking Freaks 2: The School.)
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