Mad jake

"Helping people is my business". Jake is completely… MAD! So are his two sons. The older son (whose animated facials and yokel dialogue delivery will always have you in stitches) drives a Torino with spikes at the front bumper. This is used to smash and knock off innocent people from the road, so his daddy Jake can turn up with his tow truck to help them out. However he is actually there to help himself to their fresh, healthy body organs, so he can sell them on the black market to a travelling salesman (a terrifically edgy Ray Walston). Yep this southern religious fanatic is just not a tow-trucker driver, but a surgeon at trade… a rough one too. But he has his eyes set on a beautiful young crippled teenager who he believes he can cure, as she and her family are returning home from a beauty pageant when they encounter vehicle trouble. Guess who is on the spot to help them out. "Mad Jake" aka "Blood Salvage" is a sickly twisted and insane backwoods horror outing with plenty of pitch-black tongue-in-cheek humour and the story/visuals really do wear its influences proudly. What came to mind are Tobe Hooper's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Eaten Alive", especially for the use of a hungry alligator roaming Jake's property. Also "Motel Hell" and "Slaughterhouse". Still this little on-the-cheap b-picture is a simple mish-mash, made much more the merrier for its wacky performances (great villain performances -- Danny Nelson), in-jokes (one regarding Elvis' whereabouts and cameo by Evander Holyfield), nasty surprises/images and of course a horror favourite the always commendable John Saxon. The suspense is certainly sustained in patches and a definite feel of helplessness feels the air when the young, if totally obnoxious handicapped girl (played with girt by Lori Birdsong) finds herself at the mercy of Jake and his sons (well not so the bulky, dim-witted one). It probably goes on for a little too long, but the encounters were certainly amusing (can't get enough of roof hitting with a broomstick) and the direction surefooted in installing a secluded atmosphere. The music score did become grating at times. One thing though don't you just hate it when the video / DVD synopsis spoils certain twists… even if it's typically foreseeable. Daft, but oddly fun.

This is an entertaining film. It's kind of like a cross between Deliverance and Nightmare on Elm Street. It's hard to find but if you're a "B" horror fan you'll dig it. The real treat is the barn and the gadgets that the film makers came up with to illustrate the "salvage" operation. I wish we could see more of that. There's a surprising cameo by Evander Hollyfield (with ear complete - a little ironic given the subject of the film).

I saw this film under the title "Mad Jake".It tells us the story about deranged farmer Jake and his two imbecile sons-they murder tourists for their organs,which are later sold to rich merchants."Blood Salvage" is certainly twisted and grisly,and also very funny.The acting is decent,and there's short cameo by a famous boxer Evander Holyfield,who actually produced this one."Blood Salvage" borrows from "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"(1974)and "Eaten Alive"(1976-for example huge alligator as a pet companion of Jake),but it is more slickly made than those two.Recommended,but definitely not for the squeamish.My rating:7 out of 10.

Well, In the B movie sense anyway. It is greatly entertaining. If Hiram doesn't keep you laughing throughout this movie then you are living a sad life. It even has John Saxon in it, which some will recognize as the father in "A Nightmare on Elm Street" It has some decent acting (although The main character's (April) voice is a little annoying.) Ok effects, and a whole lotta laughs. If you are on a B movie hunt. Pick this one up!

This movie is one of the best horror's I've seen in awhile. It rips off the texas chainsaw massacre and motel hell all throughout the movie. But it takes the same material and puts it in to something way better. The acting is good and the bad guys actually have a motive for doing what their doing. It's very logical too. It makes you think. If you see this somewhere do rent it.