Video Nasty Rewatch part 6 - Blood Feast

I saw bits of this one long before I knew what the video nasties were. In John Water's 1993 comedy horror Serial Mom we got to see the lead's son Chip slavering over gory clips from this 1963 splatter movie but we had no chance so see it uncut in this part of the world legally for another 12 years as it was part of the prosecuted 33 video nasties.

Was it worth the wait? Kind of. It's definitely unique. And it's definitely one of the worst acted films I've ever seen which is saying a lot seeing as I've sat through Fatal Deviation. Just that just adds to the joy. It's inept, it's dismal, it's shoddy, it's great craic.

Fuad Ramses is a lunatic. A caterer with an interest in Ancient Egypt, especially the goddess Ishatar. He's bored of 1963 Florida and to pep things up he's decided to resurrect her and to do so he's using an ancient Egyptian technique called a blood feast. The ingredients for this feast are the legs, tongues, faces and brains of the poor misfortunates who happen across his path and director Herschel Gordon Lewis shows it all in disgusting close up. But you can't take any of it seriously because its gore effects are easily as bad as it's acting. All ketchupy blood and sheeps tongues.

But here's the thing, despite the terrible gore and thesping there's a charm here that's absent in the majority of the nasties. Maybe its the hilariously simplistic story that feels like an episode of the 60's version of Batman? Maybe it's the ridiculous organ music that plays over the top? Maybe it's the kitsch fashions and locations? The cop that solves the murders because he too has a love for ancient Egypt? Somehow it all melds together into an entertaining whole and even better is the fact that it's only 67 minutes long. 67 minutes. Ahhhhh. Glorious. Way more films could do with being that length.

Does it deserve it's nasty status? No. Not a hope. It almost feels innocent. The cheesiness negates the brutality totally. It feels out of step with every other film on the list bar Axe! and even then feels tame beside it. There's none of the sleaze, sexual assault and leering brutality that got so many of the other films on the list banned. Just an overindulgence in goo and murder scenes that will make you howl with laughter. I'd love to watch this one drunk tbh.

Next up. Blood Rites. Back into the badness we go.