I Drink Your Blood (1970)

I Drink Your Blood (1970)

“You’re mad, you son of a bitch!”

Synopsis:
When a group of hippie satanists led by an Indian (Bhaskar Roy Chowdhury) enter into a small town and assault a young woman (Iris Brooks), her grandfather (Richard Bowler) goes to check on the visitors and is drugged with LSD. Seeking revenge, Bowler’s grandson (Riley Bills) injects them with rabies and they all go murderously insane.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Horror Films
  • Revenge
  • Satanists

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “wild film was one of the first to cash in on hip young horror fans’ appetite for blood and gore, first whetted by Night of the Living Dead,” but adds that “this picture didn’t have the subtlety and sophistication of Romero’s breakthrough film” (no kidding!). While “there are some scares… neither the acting nor the direction by David Durston is impressive and the film itself is pretty offensive”. He concedes that the film “does have color, energy, and a preposterous plot” — but this is far from enough to redeem a tale this unpleasant from start to finish. From the opening scene of a brutal satanic ritual in the woods (culminating in a local girl being assaulted), to the rabid hippie-sadists’ goring of one another while foaming at the mouth, this movie simply makes one lament for the state of humanity. Thank goodness for the wherewithal of the plucky young male protagonist (Bills) — though his trick of preparing “a pie he’s shot up with rabies” is pure fiction and doesn’t correlate with actal transmission of the disease.

Note: Check out Brandon’s Cult Movie Review for a fun 20 minute condensation of this flick.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • A plucky young protagonist in the midst of chaos (yay for kids!)

Must See?
Nope — unless, of course, this is your cup of… tea.

Links:

2 thoughts on “I Drink Your Blood (1970)

  1. One of the key Grindhouse / Drive-in / 42nd Street films and a classic title, but beyond that not must see.

    That said, I do like it finding it creepy and amusing by turns and so I do recommend it despite it not being must see for film buffs.

  2. First (and last) viewing. In my view, skip it.

    Distasteful, sometimes actually gross, sometimes tiresome. It could have been worse than it actually is but it’s still rather awful on every level (even with its few decent-natured characters).

    Clearly a riff on Romero but it does take someone like Romero to elevate this kind of material to something more substantial.

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