Blood Stalkers (1976)

   

Written & Directed by: Robert W. Morgan

Starring:

Jerry Albert .... Mike
Toni Crabtree .... Kim
Ken Miller .... Daniel
Celea Ann Cole .... Jeri

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 Vietnam 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.

 

The beginning of the story takes place on a camera shot of the front window of a driving car along on what looks like a foggy roadway with people travelling along the roadside to their vacation spot. While this is happening we hear the sound of a couple arguing as this didn't sound natural at all. I had a feeling that I was in for a bad movie.
Then the gang heads to a gas station to look for some help to go for their destination with stale comedic moments on some of the friends that tagged along are getting out in their vehicle making out that they were hiding in their backseat but I wasn't laughing the least.
They are met by an arrogant hillbilly owner whom warns the others about the blood stalkers as this is used often in mysterious horror flicks. Most of the times it works to give you the chills but not for this one at all.
Then when the gang is about to leave the area they are almost trapped by some rednecks as this looked midly effective but I do mean mildly. This was supposed to be a startup to the terrors that we wre about to see later on but like the rest of this trashy story it lacked. However during the beginning of this situation, there were some good shots on the rednecks acting threatening.
While they are on their way to their spot they ask someone on the side of the road which was a stupid moment with a mute hillbilly who acts like he's mentally challenged which looks humiliating with how this was all set out. This scene was a bit too long.
They enter their destination as one of the friends Kim says she hears some sounds as this was supposed to give you the chills but it fails. Plus there's some shots on some figures behind bushes watching as this was another failing moment to keep you in suspense.
Both Mike and Kim decide to go skinny dipping which is a typical moment in a slasher flick and it's night in which the lakeside looked too dark to see anytjhing as it made me wonder if it's my tape that's old and not clear or was it due to the lack of the filmmakers budget. My best guess is the bad budgeting.
After they've done their swimming something chilling is revealed with an object watching them in the lake but yet it was too dark to see clearly. This needed some improvement.
While another couple Daniel and Jeri are in the cabin we spot a good emotional discussion between the two of them which is one of the only best scene's throughout this whole plot.
Daniel gets witty and charming towards Jeri by trying to act spooky and creepy as this drew my attention and having a feeling that something terrifying is about to happen and often does in a horror flick. However it was supposed to be a jumping moment which once again fails. But there waa a great close up shot on Daniel with his shocked reactions.
THe terror happens as the four of them are in the cabin with a shotgun and hears banging sounds on the roof which was amateurishly done. Yup. Another failed moment to make things scary.
Mike goes running for help after their vehicle is wrecked as this was lame brained to leave the three of them there in which they all should run for help together. Another stupid choice.
Mike goes running for help to locals whom ignore him as well as at a local church with black people singing as you don't hear on what he asks the minister on what to do. This scene takes forever and got quite annoying. Yet with the singing we spot the other three ending up in danger as this was supposed to offer horror timing when we hear the choir singing. Yet it doesn't do the trick. A total time waster.
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.
The best moments is when Mike goes omn a vengeful spree by hunting down these killers. One of these moments is a nice slow motion shot on him about to kill with an axe and a good wide eyed shocked reaction on this maniac.
However, these moments doesn't save this heap of trash from bombing.
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. Yet this was out a year before that flick so it's a ripoff in itself. Some elements however borrowed from Last House on the Left and Texas Chainsaw Massacre but in very amateurish ways. 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.

The acting is quite bad in this film as barely any of them seemed at all convincing in which 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 Yet he says his lines and doesn't get into character. Way too wooden. 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.
Toni Crabtree
(Kim) seemed to do fairly okay herself with her actions in the film. She seemed fair with her cautious moments on what she spots as well as sometomes getting aggressive but is a bit over the top. She was no award winning material but tries her best.
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. Also adds a decent charm when trying to think light on stuff. He knew on how to come across like that onto the camera. So he shows some fair characteristics.
Celea Ann Cole (Jeri) seemed rather annoying as the girlfriend. Had a whiney type of voice whwnever she spoke. I wasn't sure if that was inentional or not for what she played here. Her energy was a bit low it seemed for what she did in her performance.
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. When the mystery and suspense piles up we hear some nice jungle tapping sounds. What really stood out well is intense high screeching violin music during one of the final revenge killings. This sounded great. 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