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Chris K.
Guest
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« on: August 12, 2003, 12:16:09 AM » |
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The plot: A scientist (Kent Taylor), his wife (Beverly Hills), and a Peace Corps officer (John Ashley) go to Blood Island to assist the natives. Yet they discover that the island is infected with radiation: trees are mutating, butterflies are growing into large monsters, and a blob-like monster is killing semi-nude women who are sacrificed to appease the creatures rampage!
A big hit in the drive-in market, BRIDES OF BLOOD would end up unleasing two "sequels" MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND (1968) and BEAST OF BLOODF (1970). BRIDES OF BLOOD later turned up on syndicated television as ISLAND OF THE LIVING HORROR and the reason for the title change is quite simple: most television stations would not release a film with the word "Blood" in the title. Even more unusual is, despite being shown on late night television, the film's blood and semi-nudity were never removed from the television versions! Later on in the 70's, BRIDES OF BLOOD was re-issued by Motion Picture Marketing under the misleading title GRAVE DESIRES. Then during the early 80's, BRIDES OF BLOOD turned up on the Regal Home Video label under the new title BRIDES OF THE BEAST. Not only that, but the Regal Video release removed the original short title sequence and a few sequences. Image Entertainment and Samuel M. Sherman present BRIDES OF BLOOD uncut for the first time and I must say it is a revelation. The colors are vibrant, the sound is clear, and the print quality is pretty good whereas Regal's release had faded color and the worst sound ever heard on early video.
As a sucker for drive-in cult flicks, I'll come right out and say it: I liked BRIDES OF BLOOD. It has it's fun comic book charm and is worth watching for the drive-in experience. It has everything: a scientists cheating wife, mutated trees, strange rituals, and a blob-like monster that tears women to pieces! It's Philippine horror from Eddie Romero and Gerlado de Leon and it's pretty damn good stuff. While Romero was new in the horror field, de Leon had made THE BLOOD DRINKERS (1966; Philippine Title: KULAY DUGO ANG GABI) before BRIDES OF BLOOD was concieved. The cast is also good. John Ashley get's to battle it out with the monster, Kent Taylor is the ernest scientist, and Beverly Hills is also pretty good in her part as the b***hy wife of Talor.
One extra that is the best of the bunch is a commentary track by Samuel M. Sherman. Sherman, who worked with BRIDES OF BLOOD distribution company Hemisphere Pictures, tells some interesting stories about the film's distribution and such. It's only 50 minutes, but it's worth it as the man is a fountain of information. Other extras include the theatrical trailer for BRIDES OF BLOOD and it's original "wedding ring" promotional gimick. Trailers for MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND, BEAST OF BLOOD, CURSE OF THE VAMPIRES, BRAIN OF BLOOD, and THE BLOOD DRINKERS show up as well. A small photo gallery of the Blood Island films and a Beverly Hills pin-up gallery are on hand as well. Linear notes on BRIDES OF BLOOD are supplied by Jim Arena while a on-screen text essay by yours truely Chris K. sum up the suppliments.
Fun, crazy, and freaky is what BRIDES OF BLOOD is. I urge you all to give it a shot, and throw in MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND and BEAST OF BLOOD while you are at it. It will make a great drive-in experience.
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