Invasion of the Blood Farmers

Invasion of the Blood Farmers holds a very special place in my heart since my father played Chief Spano. At various times in my life, I've been asked, "what is something we don't know about you?" I respond with, "I'm a movie star's daughter!" I know that's stretching it a bit but my father did star in a movie :) I realize that Invasion of the Blood Farmers is not an award-winning movie but you get what you pay for in life. The Adlums (producer) were our next-door neighbors and my father and other people from the block were recruited to star in the movie. My father worked for the telephone company so he was not hired for his acting talent! They even tried to get my Aunt to record her scream for the movie - but she refused. There was not much money spent on making the film - Jenny's house in the movie was the Adlum's home and "going on location" meant a five-minute ride into town (I frequently drive-by the motel where my father made a phone call in the movie (the phone booth was taken down a few years ago)).

Given the meager support it received, the movie exceeds my expectations. I know my father's performance was not Oscar-caliber, and I bet you won't find it hard to believe that this was his only film (although he was on Bowling-for-Dollars!). But I enjoy watching it every now and then, not because it has the best special effects or award-winning acting. But because it's simple - kind of like a child's artwork. It may not be a Picasso, but it is a pure reflection of them. Only a few of the actors were "professional" - most were just playing --> no visions of "getting discovered". How many films can we say that about these days?

Just a few more notes about my dad that you might find interesting -->

when the movie came out in the theater, my dad took my brothers and a few neighbor kids to see it. They all got in free because the clerk recognized my dad's deep voice from the movie!

we always complained to him about the glasses he wore in the movie (they're not his real ones).He told Eddie he didn't want to wear them but for whatever reason,Eddie wouldn't let him take them off.

In the late 80s, my dad found out that he had a "fan club" in California. Two friends who liked the movie called out of the blue and told him how much they liked the movie and that they scheduled viewings of it at their college. My dad sent them a signed picture for their Invasion of the Blood Farmers viewings and they sent my dad an annual birthday card for over 10 years.

Our favorite line of my dad's is "Oh, I think understand." (he's in Jenny's house talking to her father).

Finally, give my dad some credit on his last scene - I think he gave an Oscar-caliber performance of dying!

Which fan of horror and exploitation could honestly say that they don't enjoy goofy Z-grade horror flicks from the 70s with a budget near zero from time to time. "Invasion Of The Blood Farmers" of 1972 is a god-awful film, of course, and fails entirely as a Horror movie. It is an awesome unintentional comedy, however, though the 'unintentional' is doubtable, since it seems as everyone involved in the film, especially director Ed Adlum, was very aware of the fact that they were not exactly filming a masterpiece, and the folks were just having a heck of a time on the set of the "Blood Farmers".

The story is extremely far-fetched, which contributes a lot to the fun-factor. The film is basically about a bunch of hicks, farmers from New York State who also happen to be members of a bizarre druid cult...

This is, of course a quite promising storyline if you're into the really trashy stuff. The performances are almost incomparably awful, which is no surprise regarding the fact that none of the actors were ever involved in another movie. What "Invasion of The Blood Farmers" provides is pure fun. Unfortunately, the movie also has several periods of pure boredom in-between. The awful performances, as well as the film-making that sometimes seems intentionally amateurish, provide good laughs throughout the film. Once again, if you're interested in any form of suspense whatsoever, this film should be avoided! This is strictly reserved for my fellow lovers of hilarious super-cheap cult-trash. In case you like awful cinema every now and then, I recommend to enjoy this zero-budget film and have a great time.

In rural New York, fiendish farmers are abducting people and harvesting their blood! Have the dastardly druids of old returned to appease their gore-loving gods? Or, have aliens arrived to siphon the populace dry? Or, both?

Local scientists uncover blood that increases in volume, while bloodstains refuse to be cleaned up from the floor of the local saloon! Can science unlock the secrets of the INVASION OF THE BLOOD FARMERS?

Beware! If the sight of pink blood makes you ill, stay away! If fuzzy dogs turning into car wash buffers makes you retch, steer clear! If the thought of a man showering causes you intestinal distress, run away, now! If farmers frighten you, then, well, flee immediately! There are actual farmers in this film! In straw hats and overalls! With a barn!

IN ADDITION, THERE IS: #1- A bellowing scientist with flyaway hair! #2- A jiggling man, jabbering like he's being electrocuted and staked to an anthill, simultaneously! #3- A space hippie / druid, who speaks as though he's rehearsing for the play-within-a-play sequence in HAMLET! #4- A shirtless hillbilly with an ax! #5- A staggering drunk, staggering to his own theme song! #6- A sheriff who sounds an awful lot like Frosty The Snowman in a mob movie!

All this in a town where it's always broad daylight, even at night! And! So! Much! More!

A non-produced, misdirected, miraculous shambles! Hyper-schlock addicts rejoice aloud! Thy deliverance is at hand...

It has been at least three years since I watched this somewhat piece of crap and to this day I can still not get it out of my head. The title is so intriguing that I find myself putting it into all of the scripts I write. The film it's self pretty much sucks and has no connectedness. It feels as if it has never been edited properly. Here are my thoughts on this film's integrity 1. The lighting is good for a film that is obviosly very cheap 2. The actors all look like hicks and thus gives reality to the piece 3. The most awesome part of this movie is that there is a character by the name of Jim Carry who goes missing and following this throughout the whole film character will repeat where's Jim Carry and it's funnier now since their is a famous actor by that name. This said the movie is pretty crappy aside from that one recurring joke thats not even really a joke. I say avoid unless you like crap like I do!

"Invasion of the Blood Farmers" is a B movie to treasure. It's overflowing with the kind of priceless ineptitude that makes movies like this so much damn fun. The acting, for the most part, is terrible, the dialogue is riotous, and the premise absolutely delicious.

It involves farmers who are also druids, harvesting the people of a rural area for their blood. Investigating the corpse of one person who managed to get away, scientist Roy Anderson (Norman Kelley) and his loyal student Don Tucker (Bruce Detrick) find that his blood is able to increase in amount on its own.

As they do their sleuthing, the Druid in Charge, Creton (Paul Craig Jennings) explains the whole motivation and plot just to make sure we get it.

This movie will stink up your joint something fierce; as co-written and directed by Ed Adlum, it provides laughs consistently enough to make it palatable for 77 minutes. The sound effects are appropriately disgusting, and the bargain basement gore is wonderful in its tackiness. Kelley is a gas in the lead, with fumbling support from Detrick, Tanna Hunter as his daughter Jenny, Richard Erickson as Sontag / Kinski, and Frank Iovieno as Police Chief Frank Spano. They're all "good", but Jennings, the one person in this whose acting borders on competent, is an utterly campy delight. The best exchange happens when Iovieno is interrogating Erickson; Erickson gives him a long winded, b.s. answer to a question, and Iovieno responds with a deadpan "Oh, okay, I think I understand". Sexy young Hunter and other ladies provide a little bit of eye candy.

Highly recommended to those cult movie fanatics who should have a great time enjoying it with beers and buddies.

Five out of 10.