Bloodstalkers (1978)

   

Written & Directed by: Robert W. Morgan

Starring:

Ken Miller .... Daniel
Celea Ann Cole .... Jeri
Toni Crabtree .... Kim
Jerry Albert .... Mike
Herb Goldstein .... The Old Man
Robert W. Morgan .... Jarvis
John R. Meyer .... Lester
David Farris Legge .... Pip

Release Date: Limited Theatrical: November, 1976

 

Rating:

 

Four people go to travel out in the Florida Everglades for a restful vacation for two weeks out in the woods in a cabin but however, they encounter some strange local small town rednecks trying to ward them off and warning them about some creatures called the Blood Stalkers. No one believes their warning and still carry on to their trip but are almost lost in finding it.
Later on they have fun by skinny dipping in the lake there and have a bit of a romance too.
One of them who is a vietname veteran named Mike (Jerry Albert) discovers that their car has been wrecked and hears strange sounds too.
They are also terrorised by what seems like some sort of a creature but is really the family of rednecks they encountered earlier and were badly slaughtered while Mike tries to find help but none of them offer so he is on his own to seek revenge against these maniacs.

 

Oh god! What was the reason for making this heap of trash!? Nothing!!!! You can't understand the story too well and there was no reason to why the killings happened only by some rednecks but you never understand what made them want to kill only cause the lead characters didn't believe in Blood Stalkers. There were some good shots on the rednecks acting threatening.
Plus a stupid moment with a mute hillbilly who acts like he's mentally challenged which looks humiliating with how this was all set out.
Good emotional discussion between Daniel and Jeri which is one of the only best scene's throughout this whole plot.
A nice dark shot on both Kim and Mike skinnydipping in the night with a dark figure watching over them as well as swimming in the water.
There's a shot on Jeri with an arm grabbing her crashing through a window as her reaction is very phony but a great close up shot on Daniel with his shocked reactions.
Good night shots on Mike running for help as well as later on him tripping over and falling into some water.
Nice fighting sequences involving certain of the character's that we spot here which has a nice pointer in the plot. There's great shots on someone dressed in a monster suit with all three of these people freaking out.
A nice slow motion shot on Mike about to kill with an axe and a good wide eyed shocked reaction on Pip.
Bottom line is that this is sad and it really bites the big one as I sometimes felt it tried to rip off Hills Have Eyes in some ways.

The acting is quite bad in this film as barely any of them seemed at all convincing but however, horror film actor Ken Miller (Daniel) as the witty one in the film can bring a character to his part fairly well. He shows great reactions when certain terrifying moments happen.
Toni Crabtree
(Kim) seemed to do fairly okay herself with her actions in the film.
Lead actor Jerry Albert (Mike) as a Vietnam veteran tried his best with his part in the film trying to survive the madness and can pull some of his actions well. There's a great freaked out reaction on him after he hears a screeching sound. Seemed to do well limping away depressed by what all has happened.
Supporting actor Herb Goldstein (The Old Man) as an old redneck needs lessons for sure as he tries his best but can't pull it off at all. He tried to sound convincing about a group of killers called Blood Stalkers trying to ward them off but doesn't do the trick but tries to show nasty expressions. Does fairly okay looked shocked and frightened in another scene of the film but he is still low with his energy.

There's a brief breast and butt shot on Toni Crabtree after skinny dipping in a lake and a butt shot on Jerry Albert as well.

There's a corpse of a dog.
Some bodies are stabbed by an axe and impaled by sharp objects in a cabin
Some deadly stabbings in the neck and other parts.
A sherriff's arm is cut off

The music has some good orchestra and some groove tunes. There's also a good humming by a woman towards the end of the film which makes the story sad all composed by Stan Webb