| BLOODSPIT Directed by Duke Hendrix |
| It shouldn�t come as any kind of surprise to regular visitors to Fulci Metal Jacket that I love low-budget movies. Call it a sadistic streak, but the thought of some small time exploitation filmmaker risking it all and going through an ulcer inducing level of stress to see their dream come to fruition interests me infinitely more than Jerry Bruckheimer risking some chump change on his next summer event movie. Now that we�re in the digital age, the next logical step from low-budget filmmaking has to be no budget filmmaking. Which brings us to Duke Hendrix and Leon Fish; the latter day Lewis and Friedman of Sydney�s underground filmmaking scene. Their first outing was �The Killbillies�. A schizophrenic smorgasbord of mountain men, unnatural lovin�, mutant babies, surf guitar, and a whole bunch of other low brow exploitable elements. Compared with �The Killbillies�, their latest offering �Bloodspit� looks leaps and bounds ahead in terms of budget (though thankfully not to such an extent that I�m seeing Dr. Ludvic or Mr. Handsome's face on the side of a Pepsi can in the soft drink aisle of my local supermarket), and production values in general. The basic guts of the story concerns Count Otto Von Bloodspit, his c**t of a sister (their words, not mine), and their menagerie of freaks including a feacalphiliac wolfman, a clich� Scot by the name of Angus, and a bevy of undead beauties. Which brings me to a tip for aspiring no budget filmmakers. If you are unable to convince girlfriends, relatives, and acquaintances to bear all for your dream project for no money whatsoever as Hendrix and Fish were somehow able to do on �Bloodspit�, there is an alternative. Crackwhores. Crackwhores work cheaply, and are flexible. Physically flexible that is�but I digress� The Count and his goons are being hunted by the wheelchair bound Dr. Ludvic, and his dimwitted David Carradine lookalike assistant Mr. Handsome. The pair steal the show as Bloodspit�s fearless vampire killers; though this one has a pretty memorable ensemble cast of freaks and geeks. This one has it all. A lot of great one liners and sight gags, gore, violence, memorable characters, freaks (both bloodsucking and otherwise),nudity, and bizarre love scenes. What�s not to like about this movie? Best enjoyed with a cynical group and copious amounts alcohol, this one�s exploitation by people who get exploitation. Hendrix and Fish have thrown in all those exploitable elements that we all know and love in a blend of gothic and contemporary vampire buffoonery that somehow works. This is by no means a perfect movie, but in a world where Eli Roth movies pass for exploitation, Bloodspit is a fun breathe of fresh air. Or is that stale mildew air from the Count�s coffin? Entertainment : 3 out of 4 Watchability : 3.5 out of 4 Overall : 3.25 out of 4 Reviewed by Blake |