Also see H.G. Lewis Goreography
A true classic. The granddaddy of the slasher genre, and must-have for any self-respecting CineSchlocker. Fuad Ramses (Mal Arnold) is a busy man. He runs an exotic catering business. He’s a mail-order book salesman. And he spends his evenings hacking up nubile young girls for the sacrifice necessary to reanimate his goddess, Ishtar. An eye here. A leg there. A dash of brains. All the while, he skulks around, dragging his leg and bugging his eyes — generally, LOOKING like a homicidal maniac. In the flick’s most famous scene, a blond coed (Astrid Olson) gets her tongue ripped right out of her skull. The primitive effect (by today’s standards) was done by placing a sheep’s tongue, stage blood and red Jell-O into the cavernous mouth of a former Playboy Club waitress — then allowing the whole mess to spill out for the camera. Fuad also dismembers a gal in a bath tub. Knocks another girl’s beau over the head, and then proceeds to brain her as well, literally. Trying to sort out the murders is police Detective Pete Thornton (William Kerwin), who just happens to be dating Suzette Fremont (Connie Mason). Will he wise up before Fuad adds Suzie to the dessert menu? Or will Ishtar rise again and whup some mortal butt? See for yourself.
Thirty years later, Herschell Gordon Lewis and David Friedman reunited for Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat. Don’t miss my on-set coverage of this historic sequel!
Notables: Two breasts. Eight corpses. Hypnotic-stares. Gratuitous python. Egyptology lecture. Swimming pool frolicking. Coed whipping. Death by garbage truck.
Quotables: Hands down, the best line in the flick is from Suzette, "Hey! You wouldn’t sacrifice ME on this altar, would you?!"
Time codes: The famous blood-red splatter titles (2:45). June 1963 Playmate Connie Mason joins the flick (10:50). Ms. Mason reads her dialog from a lampshade (24:30). The thrilling foot-chase finale (1:02:30).