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Blood Diner (1987) Blood Feast (1963) Mardi Gras Massacre (1978) Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat (2002) Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964) Color Me Blood Red (1965) Blood Feast (2016) 2001 Maniacs (2005) 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams (2010)

Contents: 

The films included either belong to the Blood trilogy officially or were stated by the filmmakers to a remake/sequel to the series, official or otherwise. It does not include films that were “influenced” by the original three films, of which there are many.

Blood Feast (1963)

PLOT

While running a successful catering service, zany cook Ramses (Mal Arnold) must sacrifice women to his goddess Ishtar. He has recently been hired for a wealthy family's wedding and decides to serve his sacred "Blood Feast" to make it special. There are only eleven weeks until the big day, so he will need to quickly slaughter enough ingredients to fill the pot of human body parts he keeps in the backroom for religious reasons. His plot to find victims includes tracking down every female who purchased his book "Ancient Weird Religious Rites," which is poor planning if he wants to sell a follow-up book. Also, everyone is down to eat his food, no matter how creepy he is about offering it.

Breakdown

Blood Feast is the granddaddy of gore films by the Godfather of Gore, Herschel Gordon Lewis (some give Fulci the title, but since he started much later, he is more like the uncle of gore).  The venture marked a shift in genres for the director, who up to that point made mostly Nudie Cuties. 
Those reading this have probably seen the film clips countless times or are aware of the graphic VHS cover art that landed it on the Video Nasties list. If you have particularly good taste, you've grown accustomed to being greeted by excerpts at the beginning of Something Weird Video releases ("Well Frank, It looks like one of those long hard ones" or "Have you ever had an Egyptian feast?”). However, even if you are not acquainted with this chunk of historical gooey cheese, there is a good chance the DNA has crept into something you have seen. The film took cinematic violence to the next level and, with its limited theatrical run, brought full-color over-gore to the U.S. big screen. Partnered with the works of José Mojica Marins, Lewis' campy story of the cult of Ishtar and their cannibalistic ritual gave a foundation to the Splatter genre. Coming out in 1963, Blood Feast is the oldest member of the U.K.'s infamous Video Nasty list and arguably created some of the horror tropes still used today. It pushed boundaries and gleefully wallowed in bloodsoaked bad taste, and the influence can be seen in extreme cinema since.
Legend has it that Lewis was inspired by Hitchcock's Psycho or, more specifically, the fact that all the violence took place off-screen. Seeing this as a deficit, the director sought to remedy the lack of grotesque visuals in horror by showcasing all the nasty bits that others before had only implied. Teaming up with David F. Friedman, the two set out to shock audiences by depicting gruesome acts at the forefront with some healthy camp to make it go down smoothly.

The menu features an amateur lobotomy, torture, and general dismemberment, including an iconic tongue removal. An excess of blood is served up bright red and dripping off slaughterhouse entrails captured by lingering shots so you can take it all in.  Frequent Lewis collaborator Mal Arnold problematically chews scenery as occult cannibal chef Fuad Ramses. It is problematic, not because his real last name was Epstein, but because he is a white actor wearing heavy-handed makeup befitting a junior high stage production to make him appear to be an elderly Egyptian.  Sporting a cartoon accent, Ramses limps around the screen giving Torgo  (Manos: The Hands of Fate) a run for his money and brings the Jerry Lewis to ritualistic homicide. Each scene is accompanied by an odd assortment of organ pounding, timpani drum banging, piano, and bizarre-sounding string instruments provided by HGL himself. Even the police sirens sound like they were provided by these strings.
For all of its camp, bizarre logic, and over the top acting, this gory film is great fun, and it set the stage for future splatter films.

Connections:


Two Thousand Maniacs! (1964)

PLOT

Both William Kerwin (billed as Thomas Wood) and Connie Mason return in a story that sees a few carloads of city folk making their way through the deep south. Through some Wile E. Coyote-style trickery, they end up in the town of Pleasant Valley, a welcoming community of folks that seem to be frozen in time in more ways than one. According to locals, it's the town name celebration, and part of the tradition is inviting some outsiders to join. Unbeknownst to the guests, their fateful role is more involved than advertised. Things get gruesome, there is much splatter set to banjo picking, and the film wraps up with a satisfying Twilight Zone conclusion.

Breakdown

Still partnered with producer David F. Friedman, Herschell Gordon Lewis took an early stab at hicksploitation with Two Thousand Maniacs!--exploitation with an exclamation point! The film had a substantially larger budget than the previous outing, affording it a grander scale and several degrees of polish. It is often stated that this movie jump-started horror’s obsession with killer-rednecks, even being cited as an influence for Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Two Thousand Maniacs' story was, itself, inspired by the Scottish musical Brigadoon. This should come with an explanation, but it would be wrong to ruin the twist if, for some reason, you haven't seen HGLs 56-year-old classic.
Even though it is just as cheesy as Blood Feast and filled with violence for entertainment's sake, it's hard not to bring up the baggage involved when the monster in your movie is the immortal ghost of America’s shitty moments in history. Additionally, it took some criticism early on for its role in cementing the stereotype of the isolated southerner, especially as the killer-hillbilly cliche picked up speed in the genre following suit. In the end, this is exploitation cinema, if it is shocking and topical--to this day, it has excelled at its job, or the world sucks, or both.
It is probably the most loved of the trilogy, and for good reason, Two Thousand Maniacs! holds up in both over the top splatter and dark comedy with hints of satire and uneasiness, all these years later.

Connection:


Color Me Blood Red (1965)

PLOT

The plot is a crimson reimagining of Bucket of Blood complete with a couple of beatniks thrown in. Adam Sorg (Gordon Oas-Heim) is a depressed painter looking for something new to add to his color palette. When his girlfriend cuts herself, he discovers blood is the perfect shade of red and begins using it in his art. It goes well, but to make his masterpieces, Sorg must begin harvesting his craft supplies from the local population. There is an additional parade of swimsuits in Herschell's version and some implied premarital sex, which even the artistic murderer partakes in.

Breakdown

Lewis closes out the Blood trilogy and his partnership producer David F. Friedman, with Color Me Blood Red. Despite a plan for a fourth entry(in some capacity), Friedman reportedly felt the theme had run its course. The movie was completed in 1964, but the split caused it to sit unreleased for over a year.
While Two Thousand Maniacs! amped up the gore, this third in the series seems to have taken a step back. Not that it lacks in carnage. The movie boasts some notable examples, including the killer milking an intestine for its hemoglobin. Scarce "canned" grooves accompany the visuals at times, a far cry from HGL’s homemade music. The director’s original odd tunes are missed, but the new ones, when they show up, match the beach vibes. As one of the trilogy's stronger actors, the lead Gordon Oas-Heim(Don Joseph) is less of a cartoon than the previous killers. He is supplied with the same type of writing and direction, but his chops make his killer a little more sinister and grounded (not much, though).
Many of the settings, characters, and the dialog could be at home in a beach film made almost ten years before. There's an aura to some scenes that give the impression that a teenage party sing-along could bust out any moment. Plenty of lines induce laughter, whether it's the comedic self-reflection or an unrealistic reaction to a leg washing up on the shore. Altogether, the experience comes across as a collage of cinema tropes with dismemberment thrown on top. Ultimately, it lacks the stand-out ingredients of the prior films in the series, and in comparison, it comes off as the more generic sibling. That's not to say it isn't fun because it's packed full of the qualities that provide entertainment throughout the trilogy, namely corny acting, quotable silliness, and blood.
The final part of the series is probably the least loved, exemplified by the fact that it's the only one to this day without a remake or sequel. With that being said, the cheesecake and splatter come through for fans of the series with extra chunks of squishy satire. Between bloodletting and the giggle-inducing quotes, the film portrays some of the dynamics between artist, critic, gallery proprietor, and art consumer, highlighting absurdity with black humor.  They say art is subjective but is blood?

Connection:

Mardi Gras Massacre (1978)

PLOT

A killer dismembers his way through New Orleans brothels in a search for the "most wicked" women for his ritual. Here the goddess in need of resurrection is Aztec. Also, nobody eats anything but bar food. 

Breakdown:

Mardi Gras Massacre is the sleazy-detective take on the Blood Feast concept. It takes itself more seriously and ends with an epic TV-style police chase.
"Next to its inclusion on the UK's Video Nasties list, the movie's most popular trivia notes the similarity to Herschell Gordon Lewis' Blood Feast. Often called an unofficial remake or spiritual sequel, a bulk of the plot was lifted from the influential 60s benchmark. The borrowed points are undeniable, but Jack Weis strips it into its own brand of cheap exploitation. Personally, living in the future and having seen a bunch of movies about naked ladies getting sacrificed for some reason, I could have lumped the tributes with every other film using this trope since HGL's classic, had I not been told. If anything, this film just got a running start on ripping the film off. The often mentioned link to Blood Feast makes it hard not to compare the two with unfortunate results for the movie in question.  If Blood Feast was a daiquiri with fruit sticking out of it, Mardi Gras Massacre is just the vodka in a dirty cup. It's not going to compete with the colorful camp and carnage of its source; luckily (and maybe by accident), it started playing a different game altogether. The biggest thing it all has against it is it's inherent need to measure up to one of the greats when it's just a fucked up exploitation film. Without this relationship, the movie serves well enough as a goofy watchable pre-slasher, if not a forgettable one. The bad guy doesn't even cook. It's got blood, but there is no feast.” - Read the Full Review by RevTerry

Connections:

  • Director stated the film was an unofficial remake or "spiritual sequel" to Blood Feast.

Blood Diner (1987)

PLOT:

Early on, the film lets you know that it doesn't take itself seriously by including a ludicrous historical sense with some "5 million-year-old Numarian" (Numarians lived in a period about 300 million or so years ago) amulets. When we meet The Fuad Ramses character, changed to Uncle Anwar Namtut (Drew Godderis) , he is referencing pharaoh Tutankhamun as opposed to Pharaoh Ramesses II… I thought he was Numarian? Anyway, Uncle Anwar is on a quest to put together a blood buffet to awaken Goddess Shetar (as opposed to using an Egyptian Blood Feast to raise Ishtar) when he gets distracted by some women (depicted by stock clips from unnamed roughies). The fuzz were closing in, and knowing his card would soon be punched, he passes the goddess-raising torch (and "Numarian" jewelry) onto his nephews. He also tells them to study his book Black Magic of Vanished Cultures, which actually sounds a little more grounded than the Ancient Weird Religious Rites from Blood Feast. Fast forward some years and the boys run a booming health-food diner that serves up a vegetarian fare, seasoned with not-so-vegetarian secret ingredients. The restaurant allows them to prepare for their life's work with some free time left over for wrestling. To successfully raise Shetar, the boys must build a Frankenhooker style vessel for the deity, recite from the aforementioned book over a female Virgin and then sacrifice her. They also need an audience who has eaten from the special buffet and might turn into zombies after partaking. Unlike Bloodfeast, the resurrected goddess makes an appearance here with lightning bolt eyes and body-horror that would fit right into a Japanese Splatterpunk film. As hinted above, somewhere in there is a weird wrestling subplot featuring a heel named Little Jimmie Hitler. If that wasn't odd enough, there is also a band in the last act whose lead singer has hair like Sleazy P.  Martini and the rest of the members are dressed like Hitlers-- not just Nazis, but Hitlers--painted-on mustaches and all. It should come as no surprise that this film also belongs to the subgenre of talking brains in a jar. We all have an uncle that's a little off; just be thankful they aren't Anwar.

Breakdown

In the 80s, producer Jimmy Maslon got a hold of  Blood Feast’s rights and started towards making a direct sequel, with hopes that the godfather of gore himself would come out of retirement to direct.  After writer Michael Sonye (Frozen Scream) had already begun to pen a serious sequel, it became clear that Lewis wouldn't be joining in on the project. Along with that, the distributor Vestron didn't see the sequel angle as a big draw and asked that it be a stand-alone story. So some names were smudged in the script, and the title was changed to Blood Diner.  Jackie Kong (The Being and Night Patrol) was installed as director, who, while keeping with the original's boundary-pushing dedication to shock, shifted to a highly comedic tone.
Both the main actors, Rick Burks and Carl Crew, appear in their first speaking roles as Michael and George Tutman. Originally, Maslon wanted George Steele and Michael Berryman for the brothers but lacked the budget to make it happen, so that idea went the way of many concepts in the project's original form. Even knowing this, it's hard to imagine anyone else in these roles as they embody the off-kilter dark cartoonist nature of the movie's final form. The two would play nameless thugs together in The UnderAchievers that same year. Crew later appeared in another cannibal related film in 1993s, The Secret Life: Jeffrey Dahmer. Unfortunately, a few years after the film's release, we lost Rick Burks to a car accident after only three titles in his filmography. The Virgin chosen for the sacrifice, played by Lisa Elaina, is named Connie in the film, most likely a nod to the actress Connie Mason who played the sacrificial candidate in Blood Feast.
Whatever it was supposed to be initially, Blood Diner is an 80s piece of horror-comedy cheese that both tributes and parodies the source.

Connections:

Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat (2002)

PLOT

 Fuad Ramses III (J.P. Delahoussaye) inherits the catering business previously run by his grandfather in the original film--along with his cooking inclinations. After the red-eyed statue of Ishtar stashed in the backroom glows on him, Faud the third (I guess the second led a less eventful life) takes to pulling cannibalistic recipes from the book "To Serve Man including Tasty Desserts."  Luckily for him, he is about to get hired for a massive wedding gig, and the guest list will provide him plenty of fresh meat for a resurrection ceremony. That is if some half-cocked police work doesn't get in his way. The film takes place in the same surreal colorful but grotesque reality as the original and makes several callbacks and references. More than once, this includes shameless meta-humor.  Ramses even acquires his grandpa's traditional exaggerated limp after a rogue stabbing.

Breakdown

Nearly forty years after splitting, Director Herschell Gordon Lewis and producer David F. Friedman teamed up in 2002 to make a sequel to Blood Feast(1963). Released in 2001, the belated follow up was completed in 2000 and even played a few festivals but ultimately spent a year on the shelf without finding a distributor. The late Mike Vraney, who had the original Blood Feast on his Something Weird Video label, joins as an associate producer on this loving latter-day entry. They try to capture the original charm while successfully amping up the gore, humor, and bridal-shower nudity. The result is a movie out of time, equipped with classically offensive carelessness and a corn flavor only attempted in this modern age. It's unlikely to win over any new fans but just might feel like a warm embrace to a select few fun-loving sickos. 
The project both adequately works its budget well and manages to have an undeniable retro grindhouse flavor without fake defects or film grain. A combination of site gags and great over the top satirical costuming bring a familiar kind of functional clashing to the heavy bloodshed. Elongated scenes of grotesque butchery utilize time-honored gore techniques that keep their flavor throughout. On most levels, the handy work is a faithful evolution in quality.
The bulk of the music is provided by the band Southern Culture on the Skids, which gives the film a fun rockabilly vibe along with incidental music in the form of synthesizers and drumming styled to evoke the timpani sounds of the original movie. A humorous sample of the words "Satan Satan Satan" is played whenever the character Mrs. Lampley enters the screen. I recognized the clip from "Satan" by Orbital featuring Kirk Hammet from the Spawn (1997) soundtrack. It turns out that Orbital borrowed that from Butthole Surfers’ "Sweet Loaf," as mentioned in the credits.  Included is an epic cameo during the wedding by a recognizable director who is a fan of Herschell Gordon Lewis.
Differing cuts of the film exist. For whatever reason, Shriek Show's ninety-two-minute, R rated edition guts nearly seven minutes of gore from a movie that is a follow up to purportedly the first-ever gore film. So please seek out the ninety-nine-minute cut, as the relentless practical FX are well done, and it is a splatter flick after all!

Connections:

Blood Feast (2016)

PLOT

The setting is moved to a suburb of Paris, France, and Fuad Ramses(Robert Rusler) operates a retro-themed American-style diner instead of a catering business.  The restaurant Fuad Ramses runs with his wife is not doing well, and his daughter's tuition costs are also high, so he moonlights as a security guard at a museum that features Egyptian artifacts. Here, he has a run-in with the spirit of Ishtar, who wants him to hold a special feast for her.

Breakdown

Blood Feast 2016 is a remake of the original, directed by Marcel Walz and updated for the Hostel torture-porn crown. This time the killer is wearing a grotesque Anubis mask and taking visual pleasure in torturing victims instead of just using them as ingredients. There is some dark humor along with a throwback ballyhoo introduction to the film.  
A familiar face in modern low-budget horror, Sadie Katz brings the beautiful Egyptian deity to life. NOES 3 alum and Weird Science bully Robert Rusler stars as a much more subdued Ramses. A little more focus is set on the character's downward spiral, with a more grounded take on the cannibal cook's lunacy. As his wife, the film features Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2’s Caroline Williams in a functionally dramatic but somewhat underutilized role. Sophia Monk plays the daughter, a new character that takes over the plot. She puts a considerable amount of work into the role that stops short of its own justification.  The music and editing set much of the unsettling tone and utilizes timpani, much like the original film, and also boasts the darkest arrangement of In the Hall of the Mountain King, possibly ever. Mr. Lewis himself shows up for a cameo in the film as "Professor Hershel".
 With the diner and the esteemed Goddess making appearances as an on-screen character, it ends up holding some parallels with Blood Diner, but with a mood that swings hard into darker notes.  Where Diner took from the absurdity of the source, the 2016 attempt gets serious at times and applies a more grim shade to its subject matter. Overall, the film is a loving adaptation with references to the original, which attempts to modernize the premise. The differences are ultimately distinct, and results may vary.

Connections:

2001 Maniacs (2005)

PLOT

The 2001 plot follows the original's basic story, updating the nudity and humor departments. Here we have a group of young people driving through the South, where like those before, they end up detoured due to some trickery. Once they arrive, they are greeted as the guests of honor in the town's Guts and Glory Jubilee. Unfortunately, this role involves being tortured, killed in eccentric contraptions, and eaten.

Breakdown

Tim Sullivan's 2001 Maniacs functions both as a remake and a quasi-sequel to the original 1964 film. David F. Friedman returns to produce the film, joined by Eli Roth, legendary "Shemp" Scott Spiegel, and others. Like Blood Feast 2, it feels like a natural extension of the original films' rubber reality. Along with the source material, the meta-humor also serves to tribute several horror flicks that came after HGL's mark, through throwbacks and appearances by familiar faces in the genre.
Along the way, there are a fair amount of cameos, including Kane Hodder, as "Jason" and Eli Roth as his character from Cabin Fever (2002). Heading the main cast is Robert England, who transforms the sadistic mayor into a stand out character all his own. At his side is the legendary Lin Shaye as well as Giuseppe Andrews. Everyone seems to be enjoying the madness, which transfers into one of the film's strengths. 
The plot brings along the tongue in cheek offensiveness, done per the dark "non-pc" humor from the early 2000s. Many of the film's kills are reminiscent of the original version, with additional themed offerings in the playlist. The movie heavily utilizes practical special effects that keep their entertainment value to bring the splatter alive.
The entire project plays directly to fans of the original and distasteful horror altogether. Gore, nudity, and fucked up jokes come in abundance, making the runtime feel like a jog. It's hard to imagine it sitting well with a majority of viewers, but the satire is aligned with the off-kilter attitude of the source material. 
A minstrel duo made up of Johnny Legend and Scott Spiegel, musically narrates the brutal mayhem driving in the demented carnival show feel. Altogether it's a splatter filled tribute to Gordon for the fans of the Blood trilogy.

Connections:

2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams (2010)

PLOT:

Field of Screams takes the show on the road with the gang of murderous cannibal-confederates leaving the South to outsource ingredients. This brings them to a new buffet of victims, including the crew of a reality TV series a’ la Road Rules crashing into the Simple Life. Also, some new ghosts have joined the ranks, and the whole movie literally takes place in a field.

Breakdown

After getting it mostly right with 2001 Maniacs in 2005, Tim Sullivan and his co-writer Chris Kobin made a sequel in 2010. Unfortunately, it is more than a step down from the earlier outing, and not just because it takes place in tents. The budget was obviously much lower, which would account for the Walmart Halloween costumes and the half-assed sets. However, it fails in several areas not related to the meager backing.
Where 2001 seemed to nail the dark natured, offensive comedy, this one seems to miss the point entirely. Instead of being a movie about killer bigoted ghosts, often, the film itself presents as racist. You could write a full book on the distinction there, but between illogically added racial stereotypes and odd choices, it comes off like someone telling third-hand South Park jokes in middle school. It's hard to believe it is the same people behind the directing and writing. Strings of punchlines fall flat either from conception or the editing that sucks the air out of everything. The killing seems extremely scarce, although to its credit, what does exist brings some practical effects reminiscent of the previous. A lot is missing, but extra nudity is added to try and compensate. 
 Outside the abundance of skin, the cast puts a soulful and energetic attempt into their given lines. Bill Moseley seems to make anything watch-worthy, and there are reminders of how Lin Shaye excels in comedy. For some reason, half the confederates are default cultural cliches like an edgy GI Joe series. These stereotypes are partnered with a handful of southern "Maniacs" that give off a more cannibal-surfer gang vibe than anything else. 
It's hard not to find a labor of love in there, beaten to death by its resources. However, economic issues aside, the whole film trips over itself with a thud where the previous landed with zany accuracy. What is left to enjoy is a few on-screen legends giving it their all and a bunch of titties.

Connections:





Written by 
RevTerry and GrindhouseCellar


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