A Taste Of Blood (Special Edition)

Rating:
Summary: H. G. Lewis's homage to Count Dracula
Review: In 1963 Herschell Gordon Lewis, an independent filmmaker known for making cutie pictures, changed forever the face of American cinema when he released "Blood Feast." This film, about as low budget as you could possibly get even in the 1960s, kicked off the era of the gore film. While it would be quite some time before Hollywood caught on to the fact that certain elements of the movie audience hungered for films containing nauseating scenes of explicit violence, H.G. Lewis took one look at the receipts for "Blood Feast" and decided he better make another movie similar to this one. A series of gruesome zero budget shockers followed, films like "The Gruesome Twosome," "The Gore-Gore Girls," "2000 Maniacs," "The Wizard of Gore," and his nearly two hour epic take on the Dracula legend, "A Taste of Blood." Lewis retired after 1972 in order to concentrate on a career in advertising, an endeavor he found much more profitable than his work in the film business. It wasn't until 2002 that the director returned to form with "Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat," a movie which proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Godfather of Gore still has what it takes to shock an audience.

"A Taste of Blood" is the story of John and Helene Stone (the patrician Bill Rogers and the amazingly pretty Elizabeth Wilkinson respectively), two happily married lovebirds caught in a nightmare when two bottles of suspicious looking plum brandy arrive in the mail. Addressed to John, the liquor is a gift to the last surviving descendent of the Alucard dynasty. Stone is mystified until he remembers that his mother did have some mysterious relatives in Europe of whom he knew little about. A letter accompanying the bottles states that John must drink a toast to his deceased relatives, but otherwise gives little indication of what should follow. Stone, despite some misgivings from his mouthy secretary and his wife, quaffs down a healthy draught of the brandy and promptly forgets about the mystery behind the package. Forgets, that is, until he becomes aware he has a nagging craving for the liquor. Unbeknownst to John, the brandy is actually the blood of his esteemed but tragically murdered relation Count Dracula. The purpose of the brandy is to transmogrify Stone into a bloodthirsty vampire. Things will never be the same at the Stone mansion, which, by the way, sports some of the chintziest '60's décor you will ever see in a film.

Helene Stone soon notices her husband stays up all night "working" in his den, ignores her needs, and no longer goes to his office in the city. Moreover, she notices John's ice cold touch and involuntarily recoils whenever she sees him. Worried about her husband, Helene turns to her former boyfriend and now loyal family friend Doctor Hank Tyson (Lewis regular Bill Kerwin) in an effort to discover what ails her significant other. Doc Tyson shrugs the concerns off at first, citing a list of rather mundane reasons why John Stone might suddenly change his routine. As Helene and Tyson commiserate, Stone journeys to Europe to carry out a grim mission against the descendants of the people responsible for his ancestor's death. It isn't long after this interlude that Doctor Howard Helsing pops into the Stone house, ranting about the dangers facing John and Helene. It turns out that Helsing learned all about Stone's European adventures and fears for his own life at the hands of the vicious vampire. He convinces Tyson that Helene is in serious danger, which of course she is, and the movie concludes with Stone facing down his foes.

"A Taste of Blood" is not your typical Herschell Gordon Lewis film. First, the gore scenes are nearly nonexistent. Oh sure, a few scenes contain a splash of sauce, specifically when Stone works over an entertainer named "Vivacious" Vivian, but this movie is relatively bloodless overall. That's disappointing for Lewis fans, but several other elements of the film make up for the prudish violence. For one thing, the acting in this Lewis movie is vastly superior to any of his other films. Comparing the chops on display in "A Taste of Blood" with a movie like "The Wizard of Gore" is like comparing a Royal Shakespearean with a chap working in Summer Stock. Don't get me wrong: no one here will win any awards for their performances, and a viewer can easily find several examples of overacting in different parts of the film, but it is definitely a surprise to see decent acting in a Lewis production. Additionally, the plot makes sense and moves in a linear fashion. A few breaks in logic occasionally occur, like the police suddenly arriving on the scene and naming John Stone as a suspect in a murder, but the movie ultimately flows well.

Still, this is an H.G. Lewis film. Many of the sets look amazingly cheap. Check out the British "Lord" who lives in a house with cheesy wallpaper and a single flintlock pistol hanging on the wall, the gaudy décor in the Stone house, and the laughable attempt to make it look as though Stone actually went to England if you want to guffaw. The DVD from Something Weird Video is a mixed bag. You do get a black and white cutie short called "Nightmare at Elm Manor," poster art, a commentary, and a trailer as extras. The film, however, looks like technicians pieced it together from different prints with decidedly mixed results in terms of picture quality. Still, Lewis fans should watch this one in due course. "A Taste of Blood" is a far from Lewis's best efforts, but it is just as far from his worst as well.

Rating:
Summary: H. G. Lewis's homage to Count Dracula
Review: In 1963 Herschell Gordon Lewis, an independent filmmaker known for making cutie pictures, changed forever the face of American cinema when he released "Blood Feast." This film, about as low budget as you could possibly get even in the 1960s, kicked off the era of the gore film. While it would be quite some time before Hollywood caught on to the fact that certain elements of the movie audience hungered for films containing nauseating scenes of explicit violence, H.G. Lewis took one look at the receipts for "Blood Feast" and decided he better make another movie similar to this one. A series of gruesome zero budget shockers followed, films like "The Gruesome Twosome," "The Gore-Gore Girls," "2000 Maniacs," "The Wizard of Gore," and his nearly two hour epic take on the Dracula legend, "A Taste of Blood." Lewis retired after 1972 in order to concentrate on a career in advertising, an endeavor he found much more profitable than his work in the film business. It wasn't until 2002 that the director returned to form with "Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat," a movie which proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Godfather of Gore still has what it takes to shock an audience.

"A Taste of Blood" is the story of John and Helene Stone (the patrician Bill Rogers and the amazingly pretty Elizabeth Wilkinson respectively), two happily married lovebirds caught in a nightmare when two bottles of suspicious looking plum brandy arrive in the mail. Addressed to John, the liquor is a gift to the last surviving descendent of the Alucard dynasty. Stone is mystified until he remembers that his mother did have some mysterious relatives in Europe of whom he knew little about. A letter accompanying the bottles states that John must drink a toast to his deceased relatives, but otherwise gives little indication of what should follow. Stone, despite some misgivings from his mouthy secretary and his wife, quaffs down a healthy draught of the brandy and promptly forgets about the mystery behind the package. Forgets, that is, until he becomes aware he has a nagging craving for the liquor. Unbeknownst to John, the brandy is actually the blood of his esteemed but tragically murdered relation Count Dracula. The purpose of the brandy is to transmogrify Stone into a bloodthirsty vampire. Things will never be the same at the Stone mansion, which, by the way, sports some of the chintziest '60's décor you will ever see in a film.

Helene Stone soon notices her husband stays up all night "working" in his den, ignores her needs, and no longer goes to his office in the city. Moreover, she notices John's ice cold touch and involuntarily recoils whenever she sees him. Worried about her husband, Helene turns to her former boyfriend and now loyal family friend Doctor Hank Tyson (Lewis regular Bill Kerwin) in an effort to discover what ails her significant other. Doc Tyson shrugs the concerns off at first, citing a list of rather mundane reasons why John Stone might suddenly change his routine. As Helene and Tyson commiserate, Stone journeys to Europe to carry out a grim mission against the descendants of the people responsible for his ancestor's death. It isn't long after this interlude that Doctor Howard Helsing pops into the Stone house, ranting about the dangers facing John and Helene. It turns out that Helsing learned all about Stone's European adventures and fears for his own life at the hands of the vicious vampire. He convinces Tyson that Helene is in serious danger, which of course she is, and the movie concludes with Stone facing down his foes.

"A Taste of Blood" is not your typical Herschell Gordon Lewis film. First, the gore scenes are nearly nonexistent. Oh sure, a few scenes contain a splash of sauce, specifically when Stone works over an entertainer named "Vivacious" Vivian, but this movie is relatively bloodless overall. That's disappointing for Lewis fans, but several other elements of the film make up for the prudish violence. For one thing, the acting in this Lewis movie is vastly superior to any of his other films. Comparing the chops on display in "A Taste of Blood" with a movie like "The Wizard of Gore" is like comparing a Royal Shakespearean with a chap working in Summer Stock. Don't get me wrong: no one here will win any awards for their performances, and a viewer can easily find several examples of overacting in different parts of the film, but it is definitely a surprise to see decent acting in a Lewis production. Additionally, the plot makes sense and moves in a linear fashion. A few breaks in logic occasionally occur, like the police suddenly arriving on the scene and naming John Stone as a suspect in a murder, but the movie ultimately flows well.

Still, this is an H.G. Lewis film. Many of the sets look amazingly cheap. Check out the British "Lord" who lives in a house with cheesy wallpaper and a single flintlock pistol hanging on the wall, the gaudy décor in the Stone house, and the laughable attempt to make it look as though Stone actually went to England if you want to guffaw. The DVD from Something Weird Video is a mixed bag. You do get a black and white cutie short called "Nightmare at Elm Manor," poster art, a commentary, and a trailer as extras. The film, however, looks like technicians pieced it together from different prints with decidedly mixed results in terms of picture quality. Still, Lewis fans should watch this one in due course. "A Taste of Blood" is a far from Lewis's best efforts, but it is just as far from his worst as well.

Rating:
Summary: BLOOD SHOCK
Review: It is a rarity to find a good quality vampire movie and this is one movie that is. Although a very simple tale it is very dark and ominous and keeps the feel going through out the flick. If one is looking for a good creepy ... vampire flick then check this.

Rating:
Summary: BLOOD SHOCK
Review: It is a rarity to find a good quality vampire movie and this is one movie that is. Although a very simple tale it is very dark and ominous and keeps the feel going through out the flick. If one is looking for a good creepy ... vampire flick then check this.

Rating:
Summary: THE BEST LEWIS FILM
Review: This is by far the best Lewis film. This one has good acting, especially by Bill Rogers (and features a cameo role by Lewis himself). The script is good, and the gore is actually helpful to the plot (unlike Blood Feast where the plot revolves around the gore), and it has atmospheric photography. This is one of the few H.G. Lewis films that is tastefully handled. The picture quality is beautiful, until the end of the film, where there are 2 badly damaged reels. The extras are decent: the trailer is okay, the... short film is alright, the usual gallery is pretty good, and the commentary is great. A must for all H.G. Lewis fans, and anyone who wants to see one of his less excessive outings.

Rating:
Summary: Greatness
Review: This is one of H.G Lewis' finest movies. This DVD is a must own for fans!