Vietnam War veteran Herschell (Steve Hawkes) is riding his motorbike along a Florida highway when he notices a woman stalled by the roadside thanks to a flat tire. He steps in to assist and she invites him back to her place, introducing herself as Angel (Heather Hughes). They have something in common in that they are both devout Christians, so when they get to her home and find her sister Ann (Dana Cullivan) holding a pot party there, they are both less than impressed, refusing to partake of the drugs or the free love on offer. But Herschell might not be able to resist temptation for long...
Beginning to all intents and purposes as a finger-wagging awful warning about what could happen should your morals slip, with a name like Blood Freak you could be wondering where that element was introduced. In truth, you'd have a lengthy wait in a movie that held that unusual position between the incredibly boring and the absolutely ludicrous, the latter the reason it was held in such bemused esteem by cult movie fans. A labour of love for directors Steve Hawkes and Brad F. Grinter, it was frankly cheap, nasty and shoddy, but its grottiness contributed to an atmosphere that belied its noble intentions as a lesson in Christian values.
If it's recalled for anything, this is recalled for the plot development that sees its leading man turned into a monstrous, constantly gobbling turkey, which was eccentric enough to prompt a fair few to seek it out. Whether they would be satisfied or not - this does play out pretty much exactly as you've heard - was up to their threshhold for amateurish tedium, although the variation and apparent conflict in the need to produce a religious message and their other need to offer up an exploitation-style horror flick did create an interesting tension. Hawkes had previously enjoyed a starring role in a couple of cheap, unofficial Tarzan movies, but Blood Freak appeared to be speaking to him more personally.
What other explanation could there be for its reverence for the word of God and the highly individual manner in which Herschell's personal nightmare develops? You can only imagine this was the work Hawkes and Grinter wanted to make, although they seemingly had a thing about turkeys which was difficult to fathom: were they on the birds' side or did they enthusiastically tuck into a dinner of the animal whenever they could? There were scenes shot at an actual turkey farm, complete with lots of gobbling noises on the soundtrack, where Herschell takes a job as a guinea pig, eating an experimental turkey without even anything to wash it down (though it's not clear what results the farm scientists wanted) which combined with the drugs Ann has instantly addicted him to give him a terrible case of indigestion.
I like the basic idea of a drug trip gone wrong, elading to someone becoming a man killing beast that mildly resembles a turkey. This movie, well, it's kinda ghastly, but with some work it could be great. I have a personal redesign for Hershal I'm working on, maybe leading to an indy remake.
Also, you forgot the sex-scene. Urg gobble gobble.
Posted by:
Andrew Pragasam
Date:
1 Feb 2013
I'd go along with that. A concept this outlandish (dare one say: inspired?) deserves a remake!
Posted by:
Graeme Clark
Date:
1 Feb 2013
Yeah, the drug trip gone seriously wrong idea has been used in better movies like Street Trash, Blue Sunshine and Brain Damage, but Blood Freak got in there early, so there's that. A remake - would you ditch the religious angle that gives it that distinctively wrongheaded message making, though?
Yup, forgot to mention the sex scene. Possibly because I was blocking it out from my memory!
Posted by:
Stephanie Anderson
Date:
1 Feb 2013
I would probably cull most of the religous nonsense, just to save my mind. There could be a possibility of a bit of stuff to remain, like Angel thinking Hershal is possessed (i'm thinking he'll think he's a turkey monster, and thus be running around killing people to drink thier blood, but is actually still a human) but I can't imagine much of the original staying.
The sex scene will not happen though. I can't bear the thought of it.
Posted by:
Graeme Clark
Date:
2 Feb 2013
You could always make your Herschell a religious fanatic whose bad trip sends him on a blood-drenched rampage of moralising mania. Though probably best to leave out the sex scene, very wise!
Posted by:
Stephanie Anderson
Date:
3 Feb 2013
That's a pretty brilliant idea. One thing I know i've been considering for it is the ages of the characters being different. Angel would be about 17, due to all girls over 7 dressing like hookers in my neck of the woods. Hershal could be maybe 30, and the drugs coming from Angels brothers who are trying to keep him away from thier sister.
Maybe Hershal goes to church to keep a good image. I'll probably put some stuff from this on my tumblr...
Posted by:
Graeme Clark
Date:
4 Feb 2013
So Herschell would be a dirty old(ish) man to go along with his other issues?! Not looking good for Hersch!
Posted by:
Stephanie Anderson
Date:
5 Feb 2013
Well, I think it it would be a pretty interesting idea for him. It's reminicent of another screenplay I'm working on for an improved Freddy's Revenge where Jesse actually kidnaps and rapes/kills his little sister (because that movie really doesn't scream Nightmare on Elm Street to me).
I imagine my ideas make me seem a bit crazy.
Posted by:
Graeme Clark
Date:
5 Feb 2013
Well, as long as you're getting your crazy ideas out of your system by putting them in your stories and not, say, acting them out in real life then it shouldn't be a problem. Nothing wrong in exercising the ol' imagination.
Posted by:
Stephanie Anderson
Date:
6 Feb 2013
I wish my English teacher wuold understand that. For Halloween I wrote a story about a kid lost in the woods and she sent me to the councillor because I included the detail of a dead deer.
Posted by:
Graeme Clark
Date:
7 Feb 2013
Sorry to hear that - Stephen King writes The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon and sells millions, you write your story and get sent to the councillor! There's no justice, huh?
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