The Incredible Torture Show

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...

Bloodsucking Freaks is genuinely disgusting, but it's hard to say it's absolute trash, because it's so obvious that everything is done in a tongue in cheek way. It's as much a satire on the theatre world as it is a grimy, gory exploitation film.

The premise of the film is that the head of an experimental theatre group named Sardu is miffed that his torture stage show has been panned by a powerful critic so he kidnaps the critic, a ballet dancer, and a few other vixens and tortures them.

The entire film is absolutely ridiculous, but you'll recognize a few actors from the film Alice, Sweet Alice and the gore effects manage to be both impressive and hokey at the same time. It's not must see entertainment, but there are worse movies out there.

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.

If you enjoy a movie full of weird, sick and revolting content this is the one to watch! I absolutly love this movie. No their isnt any vampires in it (Although it does have similarities) but it is filled with sadistic, gross, torturistic images sure to satisfy any vampiristic desires..

Think of it as a sideshow of the grotesque for that is how I view it. If I had to point out the shortfalls in the movie I would say the ending although ok, could have been better and at times the content moves along rather slow but once it gets going you will love it..

In a strange way it reminds me of the "suicide club" segment in the "Nighttrain To Terror" movie.. You find yourself anticipating the next scene. Is this movie sick? Depends on the viewer and their outlook. I would say it was great grotesque entertainment..

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.