This film has a certain crass appeal to it but a classic, it isn’t.
Ed Wood, the infamous personality known as the worst filmmaker of all time and director of such stinkers as "Plan 9 From Outer Space" and the just-unearthed triple-X film "Necromania" (also his last film), made the phrase, "so bad, it´s brilliant" his own calling card from beyond the grave. That same phrase can sometimes also be applied (using a very narrow definition) to a whole genre of low-budget, violent and exploitative horror films made in the 60s and 70s. With subjects that range from flesh-eating cannibals to rotting zombies, it doesn´t take much imagination to picture the bad acting, the cheap horror effects and the horrible dialogue and storyline that usually accompany such films. These films feed on controversy and there is usually plenty to go around. It therefore becomes a major conundrum for me when I find that some of these films have actually been called classics; which got me thinking, what are the characteristics that make a horror film, well, an actual classic?
A classic film is almost always defined as one that is recognized as definitive in the field of a particular motion picture genre. Obviously, no horror movie defines the term classic as much as the early black and white films that feature the famous blood-sucking creature of the night, Bram Stoker´s Count Dracula. One fine example is F.W. Murnau´s 1922 feature-length film titled, "Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror", which paved the way for hundreds of other vampire-related movies. Then there are also those films that are solely recognized for single-handedly bringing a whole genre to the forefront, as exemplified by George A. Romero´s immense contribution to zombie films with his 1968 cult classic, "Night of the Living Dead". Later, Italian gore master Lucio Fulci also contributed greatly to this genre with another undead classic, the aptly titled "Zombie". Like it or not, these are the kinds of films that should be considered genre-defining and as a result, horror classics.
However, after reading articles that refer to the 1970 graphic horror film "I Drink Your Blood" as a classic, I just think that in this case, that definition is just a little off base, even for my eclectic taste in movies. That said, "I Drink Your Blood" is however, in the realm of drive-in horror B-movies, an instantly recognizable pioneer; not so much for the quality of the show´s content but rather for the X rating (the predecessor to the current NC-17 rating) that was given to it based solely not on sexual content but for its graphic violent images, which is a first in cinema history. As you can imagine, once the movie was slapped with the X rating, theaters around the country scrambled to cancel their bookings. To appease them, the movie´s semi-legendary exploitation film producer, Jerry Gross had a flash of inspiration that, for better or worse, kept the film in theaters. Gross gave theater owners carte blanche in editing the film in any way that they see fit. As a result, no two versions of the movie were identical throughout the country, which gives this DVD release some pull as it presents the film in its original X-rated theatrical version and also in a Director´s Cut version.
One might ask, what is so special about this Director´s Cut if there is already an X-rated theatrical version? Written and directed by David E. Durston, on the behest of the late Jerry Gross, "I Drink Your Blood" was, in Durston´s own vision, not predicated only in its violent mayhem but also originally supposed to contain certain comedic elements that were designed to offset the gore and blood. Gross, however, had his own idea for the film and wanted it to be strictly horror and had all the comedic scenes edited out, much to Durston´s dismay. The Director's Cut restores Durston's original vision for the film. Not only that, Durston originally titled the film "Phobia" but again was denied any say in the post-production process. You see, Gross had an awful black and white zombie flick called "Voodoo" that he couldn´t sell on its own. So in order to get rid of it, Gross had its title changed to "I Eat Your Skin" and then re-titled "Phobia" as "I Drink Your Blood" and booked both shows as a double bill. Although the story in "I Drink Your Blood" had nothing to do with drinking blood, the name stuck because it just sounded so great next to "I Eat Your Skin"!
Last year, Grindhouse Releasing, headed by Bob Murawski (film editor for Sam Raimi´s "Army of Darkness" and both "Spider Man" films) did a special limited edition DVD run of "I Drink Your Blood" (about 500 copies) that was not available in stores or at any retailer. Now, in association with MTI Video and Fangoria, Grindhouse is releasing "I Drink Your Blood" on a bigger and more commercial scale. For a 30-year old X-rated exploitation horror film, this DVD version contains a healthy amount of bonus features that should please its fans.
"I Drink Your Blood" is different from your usual run-of-the-mill horror flick in that it does not involve ghosts, zombies, werewolves, vampires or even supernatural elements. The basis for its plot is actually more entrenched in medical reality than the paranormal. Combining the disease rabies (or hydrophobia) with the shadow of Charles Manson´s murderous cult, Durston came up with an idea of an LSD-addicted devil-worshipping hippie group who gets infected with rabies and goes on a killing rampage through an entire town. For the most part, the story is easy to follow but the film is essentially a mindless affair that is saddled by a low budget and horrendous acting.
A group of devil-worshipping hippies, led by Horace Bones (played to the hilt by Indian actor Bhaskar) rolls into an almost-deserted town with a population of 40 and starts to cause trouble for the few folks that are still left in town. After assaulting a local girl, Sylvia (Iris Brooks), the group moves into a now-abandoned hotel and starts trashing the place. Sylvia´s grandfather Doc Banner (Richard Bowler), the local veterinarian, decides to confront the group but is instead given LSD and he goes into a drug-induced haze. To exact revenge, the good doctor´s grandson, Pete (Riley Mills) happens to kill a rabies-infected dog that night and in a moment of psychotic serial killer-like brilliance, injects the dog´s infected blood into meat pies that are later sold to the group for breakfast. After devouring the meal, one by one, each member of the group starts falling sick, as characterized by the fake-looking foam at their mouths and their animal-like behavior.
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