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| By Kate Davis |
The Flesh and Blood Show (1972)Kino Classics / Released 3/18/14A maniac is on the loose and the only thing that can sate his appetite is sweet, sweet murder! Or at least, he thinks so anyway. A group of young actors, hired by an unknown producer, come to a seaside theater only to be killed off one at a time. After the murderer is revealed, we are treated to a 3-D flashback as to what caused him to lose his precious marbles.
Honestly, that’s pretty much the entirety of the plot.
Unless, of course, you count innumerable scenes of nudity as plot points.
This film served as director Pete Walker’s transition from sexpolitation comedies to thrillers. It’s so clear that he wanted for
The Flesh and Blood Show to be so many things at once, but by doing so was unable to achieve any one clear direction for the film.
Although titled
The Flesh and Blood Show, there’s surprisingly very minimal blood or onscreen violence. It probably would have been more beneficial to call it what it really was, which was
The Flesh and Bazongas Show. Due to restrictions, he was unable to really show outright gore, but apparently had the go ahead on the full frontal nudity.
Go figure. Walker himself said that, “
The Flesh and Blood Show holds back simply because of censorship at that time.” Which leads the question of, “Why not then shelve it temporarily?”
Made in the heyday of Hammer Films, Walker very nearly crosses the line of pseudo Hammer-esque filmmaking. On the new Blu-Ray release by Redemption Films, Walker states in an interview that he, “didn’t want to be the guy who was making independent versions of Hammer movies.” When initially watching this, I had a serious Hammer vibe, but it’s evident Walker was indeed trying to attempt something different. Albeit sometimes hokey, it’s a more contemporary attempt for its era.
It may have been an obvious transition piece for Walker, but there are some golden moments. My personal favorite is when the killer walks on stage and declares, “They’re all the same, young actors. Filthy and degraded lechers. All of them! And the females? Flaunting their bodies! Offering their thighs and breasts. Scum! EXCREEEMENT!!”
I had a serious belly laugh at this proclamation because the movie seemed to be aware of itself and its ludicrous nudity. I won’t say anything more about the maniac because I believe that spoilers are to Satan as elves are to Santa. Now, I must say the only part of the film I audibly groaned at was the last minute and a half. The remaining, living actors literally sit in a circle and explain what the hell just happened in the previous 96 minutes. I’ve always found it insulting when a movie chooses to spoon-feed you a conclusion rather than show you.
Redemption’s Blu-Ray release of
The Flesh and Blood Show is a lovely transfer from the original 35mm print. The audio and visual are both spectacular. Although there aren’t many bells and whistles (or 3-D glasses), the interview with Pete Walker about this 1972 flick is eye opening, if not anything else.
Overall, this film is a must own for any fan of Walker’s. However, if you’re coming in cold, perhaps it’s not the best place to start.
The Flesh and Blood Show acts more as a stepping stone to his later works, rather than being a solid standalone movie to begin with. It’s all context, baby.
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