Friedman-Lewis Productions, 1963
starring: William Kerwin, Mal Arnold, Connie Mason and Lyn Bolton

directed by: Herschel Gordon Lewis

the plot: In sunny suburban Miami, a crazed maniac is on the loose, murdering young girls and horribly mutilating their bodies. Detective Pete Thornton (Kerwin) is on the case, but he and his bumbling captain can’t seem to pin down any leads. Meanwhile, Dorothy Fremont (Bolton) is planning a gala birthday party for her daughter Suzette (Mason). Dorothy wants the party to have an unusual theme, and so she enlists the aid of Faud Ramses (Arnold), the owner of a local exotic catering business. Ramses suggests the party be themed after a traditional Egyptian feast. Little does Dorothy or her daughter know that Ramses is the demented killer, and he plans to turn the Egyptian feast into a blood feast, in honor of the goddess Ishtar.

Friedman-Lewis Productions, 1963
starring: William Kerwin, Mal Arnold, Connie Mason and Lyn Bolton

directed by: Herschel Gordon Lewis

the plot: In sunny suburban Miami, a crazed maniac is on the loose, murdering young girls and horribly mutilating their bodies. Detective Pete Thornton (Kerwin) is on the case, but he and his bumbling captain can’t seem to pin down any leads. Meanwhile, Dorothy Fremont (Bolton) is planning a gala birthday party for her daughter Suzette (Mason). Dorothy wants the party to have an unusual theme, and so she enlists the aid of Faud Ramses (Arnold), the owner of a local exotic catering business. Ramses suggests the party be themed after a traditional Egyptian feast. Little does Dorothy or her daughter know that Ramses is the demented killer, and he plans to turn the Egyptian feast into a blood feast, in honor of the goddess Ishtar.

why it’s good: “Blood Feast” is a terrible, terrible movie, but it’s not without its charms. It’s unabashedly exploitative and notable primarily for scenes of explicit gore. The brightly-colored bloodbaths in “Blood Feast” are pretty tame now, but were shocking in the 1960s. In light of splatter-fests like “Saw” and “Hostel,” it’s easy to see that H.G. Lewis was ahead of his time. Before “Blood Feast,” Lewis directed early skin flicks like “The Adventures of Lucky Pierre” and “Nature’s Playmates.” The acting in “Feast” is on a par with what you’d expect, with Kerwin, Arnold and Mason (the June 1963 Playmate of the Month) all turning in unintentionally hilarious performances. The gore is the star of “Feast,” with plot, story and everything else taking a back seat. So what if Ishtar isn’t actually an Egyptian goddess? And how is it that the delightfully incompetent Det. Thornton doesn’t figure out early on that the Egyptian caterer might be responsible for the murders patterned after Egyptian religious rites? Luckily, “Feast” is only 67 minutes long, so you won’t have to ask those questions too many times.

why you should own it: If you’re interested in the evolution of horror and exploitation flicks, you’ve got to watch at least one H.G. Lewis flick. Something Weird Video’s DVD features outtakes set to music composed by Lewis and a short called “Carving Magic,” in which Kerwin and Harvey Korman (of “Blazing Saddles”) demonstrate how to cut meat.