I Drink Your Blood (1970)

   

Written & Directed by: David Durston

Starring:

Arlene Farber .... Sylvia Banner
Riley Mills .... Pete Banner
Tyde Kierney .... Andy
.... Horace Bones
George Patterson .... Rollo
James Britten .... Roger Davis
Elizabeth Marner-Brooks .... Mildred Nash
Richard Bowler .... Doc Banner

Rhonda Fultz .... Molly
Jadin Wong .... Sue-Lin
Iris Brooks .... Sylvia
Lynn Lowry .... Carrie
Alex Mann .... Shelley

Release Dates: Theatrical: December, 1970; Dublin Horrorthon Film Festival: October 29, 2005; Night Visions Film Festival: October 26, 2008 (Finland); Iik!! Horror Film Festival: October 30, 2008

 

Rating:

 

A Manson type of family wannabes do a satanic ritual lead by Horace Bones (Bhaskar Roy Chowdhury) but an innocent girl Sylvia Banner (Arlene Farber) spies on them as she became friends with one of the members named Andy (Tyde Kierney) but ends up being caught as two members start to torture her as well as apparently raping her.
The next day she is found by her neighbor Mildred Nash (Elizabeth Marner-Brooks) who runs a local bakery and is taken home to her grandfather Doc (Richard Bowler) as he confronts the gang only to being beaten and drugged.
Sylvia's younger brother Pete (Riley Mills) kills a dog with rabies and decides to seek revenge on this cult by taking this animals blood and puts it in some pies that were given to this gang.
The gang turns vicious infecting the whole town as they all go on a killing rampage.

 

An impressive beginning for a grindhouse flick in which we have a group of people doing a satanic ritual as it's hosted by Horace Bones in which this looked too campy to be taken seriously and not a dark horrifying moment either. Plus we have a nice shot on Sylvia Banner watching from behind a tree. There's a shocking and graphic moment with an incident on a chicken as this bothered me as I hate animal cruelty. Not a pretty moment to watch for anyone who's a vegetarian either.
Nice intense moment with one of the people from the cult chasing after Sylvia Banner and brutalising her as this doesn't look too pleasant.
Good moment with Mildred Nash spotting her later on looking hurt and helping her out as this seemed to be well drawn in as to what will unravel later on making the horror story come to life with this gang of people and their evil doings.
Nicely drawn in moment when the gang goes to an abandoned wrecked house as well as them chasing after rats inside it as this was mildly funny to watch but at the same time unpleasant on them killing these rats and planning a feast on them which was truly gross to think of.
Perfect intense and disturbing moment with Doc Banner bringing his shotgun towards Horace but this backfires when he just doesn't have it in him to do something about it and then gets beat up and drugged as this looked strongly done and psychological too. A real look on a nasty gang preying on the weak.
Nice intense moment with young Pete Banner getting aggressive towards Horace as well as a good eye catcher with this boy swinging a stick towards him and trying to get away from this maniac.
Another shocking incident with Pete shooting a dog with rabies as this didn't seem creepy to watch with this animal being vicious. Oh well not a terrible scene at the same time.
Gross moment with him putting the dog's blood in some meat pies as well as being eager to help Mildred out by giving the pies to Horace which looked energetically done.
A nice discussion sequence between Andy telling Sylvia Banner explaining towards her as to why he joined the cult which was well dramatised and offering a good charming moment with him trying to be nice about it all.
Plus we have nice close up shots on the gang stuffing their faces with the pies as well as a memorable liner on one of them explaining that the pies taste funny. It's totally gross watching them eat this stuff.
Good moments with this gang feeling sick later on as well as Rollo suddenly getting vicious by holding a knife up in the air towards someone else tied up as you wonder if he will actually plunge it down on him which looked strongly done.
Nice shot on one of the gang members whom name is also Sylvia running away in the woods with Rollo chasing after her.
Hilarious moment on her trying to flag some rednecks down as well as getting kinky with them and they give in as this offered another good chuckle as well as her asking them to take her.
Another shocking moment with both Molly and Carrie trying to get help from a resident as well as a nice camera shot looking up on Carrie turning on an electric knife and staring at it which gives you an eerie feeling on what she's going to do with it and boy does it look shocking later on as to what she does. This should please fans who love horror violence.
We have a moment with people suddenly having rabies coming out with machette's and about to attack innocent people as this looked way too funny even if this was supposed to have been somwhat horrifying. Plus we see lots of spit and drool when this is happening.
There's a hilarious situation between Horace and Rollo battling it out as two people with rabies against one another which I laughed my ass off by how it was all put together.
More cheesiness as well as campiness with some of the main surviviors trying to struggle away from the people with rabies as wellas them running away and trying to start up their car but it won't work which seems common in a horror flick. Plus good settings with these people with rabies trying to grab a hold of the car and turn it over as this keeps you in suspense big time.
Bottom line is that this movie was way more funny than frightening and campy too. Yet there's lots of shocking moments as I wasn't surprised that this flick was given an X back in the days. We see worst stuff nowadays in films that is given an R rating. A fun type of grindhouse drive in type of flick but not meant to be taken seriously as well as the plot wasn't too strongly written in. Oh well. Entertaining for what it was. This film I'm convinced inspired Wes Craven to do Last House on the Left.

The acting is not too shabby but sometimes cheesy. Arlene Farber (Sylvia Banner) seemed to do well as the innocent girl in which she reacts well after being in pain and suffering. Also shows a good strong attitude later on when stressing situations or talking to someone and not being impressed by what's going on. Shows alot of good energy into all that she does here.
Riley Mills (Pete Banner) really brought alot into what he did here as well by having a powerful little boy attitude as well as getting dmenading or angry on what happened. Shows a good brave and courageous personality. Plus added some nice spunk when he seems eager to help out giving some pies to people with his deadly plan. He for sure studied his role greatly. Was believeable by all that he did here and stood out greatly. Shows off great energy and enthusiasm too.
Tyde Kierney (Andy) definetely had the perfect looks and guy next door appeal to his part on joining the cult but not taking it seriously. He drew in well with his discussions when trying to act reasonable. Also does a good job with his energy when trying to help out on escaping with others after the town is filled with rabies. Was a passable character actor.
(Horace Bones) at first seemed a little too silly in his role to be taken seriously as someone leading his satanic cult. Later on however got into his nasty deeds in which he came off as being obnoxious and cruel. Offered a good demented attitude as well as creepy. Springs into action nicely when he has full rabies.
George Patterson (Rollo) brought his part to a full thrust especially when he's the first one to get rabies in which he was powerful in his blocking when plunging a knife down towards somebody else or chasing after someone as his energy was at an intense pace. However he came across as more funny than intimidating but that's okay. He did a passable job regardless.
Elizabeth Marner-Brooks (Mildred Nash) certainly drew in a great wholesome and motherly behavior. Was perfectly mellow and kind as she brought all of this to life. She seemed to drive her character pretty good. Offered some good spunk into it all. She was believeably caring and likeable.
Richard Bowler (Doc Banner) definetely had a good elderly appeal to his role as well as having a good gruffness within his speaking plus does well not being able to handle a rough situation. Does well by acting weak hearted in everything that we see him do here. Plus does well reacting to being inx=toxicated as well.
Rhonda Fultz (Molly) showed some interesting pizzaz as a pregnant one of the satanic cult in which she seemed to speak well within her lines and reacts well to situations. Also shows a good and fearful attitude when the terror starts to strike as well as getting scared when she finds out on what is happening to her in which she's passable by being intense.
Iris Brooks (Sylvia) pulled off a perfectly cruel and sleazy type of attitude with her high pitched speaking as someone whom is not to be trusted. She for sure brings some chuckles by what she does and has a good loose type of behavior. She shows it off quite slick as she makes you want to hit her at times. A nice wild and wicked type she was in this one.
Scream queen Lynn Lowry (Carrie) makes her film debut as a mute one of the satanic cult in which she shows some nice timid expressions or acting cringing with uncomfortable situations. She really got into her part pretty well. Plus does well while staring at an electric cutting knife as well as coming across as creepy too. This for sure was a nice start off to her acting career.

A group of people are nude with their butts revealed during the beginning of a film doing a satanic ceremony. Also one of the women has their breasts revealed for this too.

Chickens neck is slot open with blood splurting out.
Rats are mangled.
Someone is bloodily stabbed while tied up.

Hand is cut off.
Pitch fork is bloodily stabbed in a person's neck inside of a barn.
Piece of leg is revealed.
Pregnant woman stabs herself in the stomach and it looked bloody.
Someone is holding a decapitated head.

Very different composing than the usual for a horror flick as we have alot of high pitched synthesizer effects as well as the shaking of it or icy sounds too. Sometimes it goes very high pitched and screechy that it can get on your nerves. It's suitable though for a grindhouse flick such as this one. Also we hear the odd adventureous guitar playing for the action moments as well as low heavy drumbeats and drum rolls. All of this was put together by Clay Pitts.

Pete: Can't you do something for her, Grandpa?
Doc Banner: I'm only a veterinarian, Pete. Your sister's not an animal.
Mildred Nash: Somebody's sure treated her like one!

Sylvia: Mmm... you're pretty yummy for a dirty old man!
[grandfather moans in disgust]
Sylvia: Have a breath freshener, handsome!
Sylvia: [drops strange pill into his mouth]
Sylvia: It'll make you stay sweet for HOURS!

Sylvia: He's not drunk, stupid. He's been doped!
Pete: Huh?
Sylvia: With that stuff that they call LSD. The whole bunch take it.
Pete: What does it do, that L-whatever you call it?
Sylvia: Boy, you really don't know anything. Well, it makes a person crazy.
Pete: Wow! Is that what *they've* done to Grampaw?