Bloodsucking Freaks
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Blood Sucking Freaks'' (originally released as ''The Incredible Torture Show'') is a 1976 American exploitation
splatter film A splatter film is a subgenre of horror films that deliberately focuses on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence. These films, usually through the use of special effects, display a fascination with the vulnerability of the human body a ...
directed by Joel M. Reed and starring Seamus O'Brien, Luis De Jesus, Viju Krem, Niles McMaster, Dan Fauci, Alan Dellay, and Ernie Pysher. Set in New York City, the film follows a
human trafficking Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harboring, or receiving individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of exploitation. This exploitation may include forced labor, sexual slavery, or oth ...
ring masquerading as an
experimental theater Experimental theatre (also known as avant-garde theatre), inspired largely by Wagner's concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, began in Western theatre in the late 19th century with Alfred Jarry and his Ubu plays as a rejection of both the age in particular ...
group, which stages
Grand Guignol The Théâtre du Grand-Guignol () was a theater in the Pigalle district of Paris (7, cité Chaptal). From its opening in 1897 until its closing in 1962, it specialized in horror shows. Its name is often used as a general term for graphic, amor ...
-style performances for audiences, who are unaware that actual murders and torture are being enacted onstage. Filmed under the working title ''Sardu: Master of the Screaming Virgins'', it was originally released as ''The Incredible Torture Show'' in November 1976. Film distributor
Troma Entertainment Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production company, production and film distributor, distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz (producer), Michael Herz in 1974. They are the longest running independent film ...
retitled the film ''Blood Sucking Freaks'' upon their acquisition of it in 1981. Troma initially made cuts in hopes of getting an R-rating from the
Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the Major film studios, five major film studios of the Cinema of the United States, United States, the Major film studios#Mini-majors, mini-major Amazon MGM Stud ...
, but eventually released the version that had all of the most graphic scenes included and was labeled as an R-rated film despite having no such designation from the MPAA. The ratings group subsequently sued Troma for
copyright infringement Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of Copyright#Scope, works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the c ...
in applying the R-rating without permission; Troma withdrew the rating label, and to date the MPAA has refused to give ''Blood Sucking Freaks'' a review at all. ''Blood Sucking Freaks'' went on to develop a
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
, and has been noted as a dark-comic
parody A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...
of the New York City theater world.
Filmsite.org Filmsite is a film-review website established in 1996 by senior editor and film critic-historian Tim Dirks, and continues to be managed and edited by him for over two decades. Overview The site contains over 300 detailed reviews of English langu ...
named it one of the most controversial films of all time.


Plot

In New York City's SoHo district, Master Sardu runs a
Grand Guignol The Théâtre du Grand-Guignol () was a theater in the Pigalle district of Paris (7, cité Chaptal). From its opening in 1897 until its closing in 1962, it specialized in horror shows. Its name is often used as a general term for graphic, amor ...
-style theater with his assistant, the little person Ralphus. The troupe put on grotesque,
sadomasochistic Sadism () and masochism (), known collectively as sadomasochism ( ) or S&M, is the derivation of pleasure from acts of respectively inflicting or receiving pain or humiliation. The term is named after the Marquis de Sade, a French author known ...
shows featuring human-trafficked women whom Sardu and his performers brutalize onstage to audiences who are unaware that the spectacle they are witnessing is in fact real. Professional ballerina Natasha Di Natalie attends one of the performances with her boyfriend, Tom, during which a woman is tortured with an iron tourniquet that crushes her skull, and another woman is dismembered before Ralphus removes and eats her eyeball. Theater critic Creasy Silo is also in attendance, and has an unfavorable response to the show, which he deems pretentious and exploitative. After the show, Ralphus feeds scraps of human flesh to a group of caged women kept in the theater basement as slaves. Sardu retaliates against Silo by ordering his disciples to kidnap him. The group chain Silo in the theater basement, and force him to view their methods of
mind control Mind control may refer to: Psychology and neurology * Brainwashing, the concept that the human mind can be altered or controlled by certain psychological techniques * Brain–computer interface * Hypnosis * Neuroprosthetics, the technology of cont ...
via physical torture of their victims, turning the women into submissive sex slaves, while Sardu espouses his philosophy behind his shows. The troupe kidnap Natasha next, hoping to utilize her to lend artistic legitimacy to their shows and catapult them to
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
and eventually
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...
. Tom discovers that Natasha is
missing Missing or The Missing may refer to: Film * ''Missing'' (1918 film), an American silent drama directed by James Young * ''Missing'' (1982 film), an American historical drama directed by Costa-Gavras about the 1973 coup in Chile *, a Belgian film ...
, and teams with corrupt police officer John Tucci to find her. Meanwhile, the troupe force Natasha to spectate an array of torturous acts against their slaves, including tooth removals,
lobotomies A lobotomy () or leucotomy is a discredited form of neurosurgical treatment for psychiatric disorder or neurological disorder (e.g. epilepsy, depression) that involves severing connections in the brain's prefrontal cortex. The surgery causes ...
, and dismemberment, rendering Natasha into a fearful psychological state of submission. Tucci and Tom infiltrate the theater and attend one of Sardu's performances, where Natasha is set to perform. Natasha performs an elegant ballet routine for the audience that devolves into a
striptease A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper", "exotic d ...
, culminating in her torturing and killing of Silo onstage. Tucci reveals to Tom that he has uncovered a trove of valuable silver and precious metals in the theater basement, and intends to steal them. After the show ends and the crowd disperses, Tucci and Tom witness a woman crawling from behind the stage with her legs dismembered. Tucci arrests Sardu's female assistant while Tom attempts to free Natasha. Tucci finds Sardu erotically kissing Silo's corpse in the basement, and holds him at gunpoint before tying him to a post and pistol-whipping him. Sardu responds by asking Tucci to "hit him harder". In the basement, Tucci frees Sardu's caged women who proceed to cannibalize him. As Tom attempts to flee with Natasha, Sardu relishes the sounds of his slaves killing Tucci. In a tunnel under the theater, Natasha, still brainwashed, bludgeons Tom to death with a sledgehammer before joining the other slaves, who have proceeded to brutally kill and dismember Sardu and Ralphus.


Cast


Themes

''Blood Sucking Freaks'' would go on to achieve minor
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
due to its ability to slip between being a serious horror film with sexual overtones and a campy send-up of gore films. The violent deaths of lead actors Seamus O'Brien (stabbed to death in his apartment by a burglar) and Viju Krem (shot by her husband on a hunting trip) after the film's release also contributed to the film's notoriety. Filmmaker
Eli Roth Eli Raphael Roth (born April 18, 1972) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. As a director and producer, he is most closely associated with the horror genre, namely splatter films, having directed the films ''Cabin Fev ...
, who was inspired by the film, commented in a 2014 interview that it functions as a dark
parody A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...
of the New York City theater world.


Depictions of violence

Some of the torture methods depicted fictionally in the film include the use of thumb screws, a
skull The skull, or cranium, is typically a bony enclosure around the brain of a vertebrate. In some fish, and amphibians, the skull is of cartilage. The skull is at the head end of the vertebrate. In the human, the skull comprises two prominent ...
crushed by a
vise A vise or vice (British English) is a mechanical apparatus used to secure an object to allow work to be performed on it. Vises have two parallel jaws, one fixed and the other movable, threaded in and out by a screw and lever. The jaws are ofte ...
,
amputation Amputation is the removal of a Limb (anatomy), limb or other body part by Physical trauma, trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as cancer, malign ...
at the wrist by a
bone saw A bone cutter is a surgical instrument used to cut or remove bones. In addition to surgery, they are also used in forensics and dismemberment. Types of medical bone cutters include: * unpowered saw, Unpowered – Unpowered bone cutting imple ...
, the
amputation Amputation is the removal of a Limb (anatomy), limb or other body part by Physical trauma, trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as cancer, malign ...
of fingers by a
meat cleaver A cleaver is a large knife that varies in its shape but usually resembles a rectangular-bladed tomahawk. It is largely used as a kitchen knife, kitchen or butcher knife and is mostly intended for splitting up large pieces of soft bones and slas ...
, electro-shock, suspension, the extraction of teeth, the portrayal of an electric drill through a skull with the brains sucked through a straw, the
amputation Amputation is the removal of a Limb (anatomy), limb or other body part by Physical trauma, trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as cancer, malign ...
of feet by a
chainsaw A chainsaw (or chain saw) is a portable handheld power saw, power saw that cuts with a set of teeth attached to a rotating chain driven along a guide bar. Modern chainsaws are typically gasoline or electric and are used in activities such as t ...
,
stretching Stretching is a form of physical exercise in which a specific muscle or tendon (or muscle group) is deliberately expanded and flexed in order to improve the muscle's felt elasticity and achieve comfortable muscle tone. The result is a feelin ...
on St. Andrew's Cross,
caning Caning is a form of corporal punishment consisting of a number of hits (known as "strokes" or "cuts") with a single Stick-fighting, cane usually made of rattan, generally applied to the offender's bare or clothed buttocks (see spanking) or han ...
and subsequent
decapitation Decapitation is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and all vertebrate animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood by way of severing through the jugular vein and common c ...
by
guillotine A guillotine ( ) is an apparatus designed for effectively carrying out executions by Decapitation, beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secur ...
, as well as
brainwashing Brainwashing is the controversial idea that the human mind can be altered or controlled against a person's will by manipulative psychological techniques. Brainwashing is said to reduce its subject's ability to think critically or independently ...
,
whipping Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, flogging has been imposed on ...
,
darts Darts is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small projectile point, sharp-pointed projectile, projectiles known as dart (missile), darts at a round shooting target, target known as a #Dartboard, dartboard. Point ...
, and quartering.


Release

The film premiered under the title ''The Incredible Torture Show'' in November 1976, and was later acquired by
Troma Entertainment Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production company, production and film distributor, distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz (producer), Michael Herz in 1974. They are the longest running independent film ...
, who re-released it under the title ''Blood Sucking Freaks'' in 1981. The film was screened out of competition at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival.


Censorship

Troma executive
Lloyd Kaufman Stanley Lloyd Kaufman Jr. (born December 30, 1945) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. Alongside producer Michael Herz, he is the co-founder of Troma Entertainment film studio, and the director of many of their featu ...
submitted the film to the MPAA for American release in 1981, but the organization refused to grant the film an R-rating in its full-length cut. According to Kaufman, the association approved only 54 minutes of the film. Troma proceeded to release the film in its full cut with the R-rating label, which led the MPAA to sue Troma for copyright infringement on the grounds of utilizing the unapproved ratings label. The suit was ultimately settled after Troma was mandated to issue a public apology which was published by ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
''.


Critical response

''Blood Sucking Freaks'' received largely negative reviews from critics, and as of 2023, holds a 29% approval rating on the
review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, based on 7 reviews. It is considered to be one of the most controversial films of all time by
Filmsite.org Filmsite is a film-review website established in 1996 by senior editor and film critic-historian Tim Dirks, and continues to be managed and edited by him for over two decades. Overview The site contains over 300 detailed reviews of English langu ...
. ''
TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media In mass communication, digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital content can be created, vi ...
'' panned the film, awarding it 0/4 stars calling the plot "flimsy" and " nexercise in total gross-out". Rob Wrigley from ''Classic Horror.com'' stated in his review on the film, "If anything makes it tolerable, it is that it is presented as comedy rather than tragedy. Unfortunately, it falls flat far more than it amuses. One could complain about the misogyny of it all. Or its willingness to offend everyone possible. Or even the vibrant, sardonic performances of the principals. But that is giving the film more credit than it deserves". Wrigley also criticized the film's acting. Scott Weinberg from ''eFilmCritic.com'' panned the film stating in his review, "When people use the term 'bottom of the barrel', they often forget about the UNDERSIDE of the barrel, which is where poorly-made dreck like this belongs. It offers absolutely NOTHING in the way of entertainment, and I think you're a cruel little nutcase if you talk someone else into seeing it," also calling it "The nastiest, filthiest and just about WORST thing you will EVER SEE". The ''Encyclopedia of Horror'' says "the film is deliberately tacky and tongue-in-cheek (but distasteful enough nonetheless), in the spirit of
Herschell Gordon Lewis Herschell Gordon Lewis (June 15, 1926 – September 26, 2016) was an American filmmaker, best known for creating the " splatter" subgenre of horror films. He is often called the "Godfather of Gore" (a title also given to Lucio Fulci), though h ...
." The book reports the film was the subject of a campaign by Women Against Pornography.


Home media

Troma Entertainment released the film on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...
in 1998, and in a special edition
Blu-ray Blu-ray (Blu-ray Disc or BD) is a digital optical disc data storage format designed to supersede the DVD format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released worldwide on June 20, 2006, capable of storing several hours of high-defin ...
on August 21, 2014.


In popular culture

In the intro to
De La Soul De La Soul ( ) is an American hip hop music, hip hop group formed in the village of Amityville on Long Island, New York (state), New York in 1988. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, eccentric lyrics, and contributions to the evoluti ...
's debut album, ''
3 Feet High and Rising ''3 Feet High and Rising'' is the debut studio album by the American hip hop group De La Soul, released on February 6, 1989, by Tommy Boy Records. It was the first of three collaborations with the producer Prince Paul, and was the critical and ...
'', Plug One cites ''Blood Sucking Freaks'' as his "favorite Troma movie". Producer Prince Paul sampled Ralphus's line "open your mouth, I’m going to put something nice into it" for the track Open Your Mouth (Hypothalamus) from his debut album Psychoanalysis: What Is It?. Professional wrestler
Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, rock musician, and actor. As a wrestler, he has been signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) , where he ...
borrowed the assistant's name for his own use, naming his bodyguard Ralphus during his time in
World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling (WCW) was an American professional wrestling promotion founded by Ted Turner in 1988, after Turner Broadcasting System, through a subsidiary named Universal Wrestling Corporation, purchased the assets of National W ...
(WCW).


Legacy

Joe Bob Briggs John Irving Bloom (born January 27, 1953), known by the stage name Joe Bob Briggs, is an American syndicated film critic, writer, actor, comic performer, and horror host. He is known for having hosted ''Joe Bob's Drive-in Theater'' on The Movi ...
opened his second season of '' The Last Drive-In'' on Shudder with ''
Chopping Mall ''Chopping Mall'' is a 1986 American independent techno-horror film co-written and directed by Jim Wynorski, produced by Julie Corman, and starring Kelli Maroney, Tony O'Dell, John Terlesky, Russell Todd, Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov, and Barb ...
'' and ''Blood Sucking Freaks''.


Notes


References


Sources

* * *


External links

*
''Blood Sucking Freaks''
at the ''
Troma Entertainment Troma Entertainment is an American independent film production company, production and film distributor, distribution company founded by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz (producer), Michael Herz in 1974. They are the longest running independent film ...
'' movie database {{Authority control 1976 films 1970s American films 1976 comedy horror films 1970s English-language films 1970s exploitation films 1970s slasher films 1976 LGBTQ-related films 1970s parody films American comedy horror films American exploitation films American slasher films American splatter films Films about ballet Films about cannibalism Films about dwarfs Films about human trafficking in the United States Films about mind control Films about theatre Films directed by Joel M. Reed Films set in Manhattan LGBTQ-related horror films Films about necrophilia Obscenity controversies in film Troma Entertainment films American LGBTQ-related films 1976 comedy-drama films English-language comedy horror films