Blood Feast (1963)
Categories: Movies, Slasher, Splatter, Cannibalism, Blood Trilogy, Blood Feast Series
BLANKET SPOILER WARNING: This entry may contain plot spoilers. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!
Blood Feast (1963) | |
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Theatrical Poster
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About | |
| Release: | July 6, 1963 |
| Runtime: | 92 mins
99 mins (director's cut) |
| Genre: | Slasher/Splatter |
| Other Themes: | Cannibalism/Spiritual |
Production | |
| Director: | Herschell Gordon Lewis |
| Distributor: | Box Office Spectaculars |
| Budget: | $24,500 |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Blood Feast is a 1963 American splatter film. Considered the first of its kind, it is generally known for being the first splatter film & kickstarting the genre as a whole.
The film follows exotic caterer Fuad Ramses as he butchers women and girls around Miami, Florida to collect ingredients for his 'blood feast'- an ancient Egyptian feast to resurrect the goddess Ishtar (Inanna). Meanwhile, Suzette Fremont, a student interested in Egyptology, prepares for her birthday party in spite of her friends' concern of recent disappearances around town.
Table of Contents
Warnings
Ableism
Fuad Ramses has a limp. Though he's not belittled for it, it isn't a motivation for his killings and he impressively manages to outrun several cops and a car in the final minutes, he is the only character with a visible disability. [entire film]
Animal Cruelty
Entrails and organs used for special effects are sourced from animals like lamb and chicken. The sourcing of said parts is unknown, but it is implied they were not killed for the movie.1[entire film]
No animals are harmed on-screen.
Child Harm
No children are harmed in this movie.
Domestic Violence
Nobody experiences domestic violence in this movie.
LGBTphobia
Nobody experiences LGBT-related discrimination in this movie.
Racism
A bust of Nefertiti painted to have white skin is prominently displayed during the lecture scene. [26:44]
Despite not having historical evidence for partaking in cannibalistic ritual, Ishtar is represented as having an "evil love that thrived on violence." [26:51]
- Though this could be attributed to knowledge of Sumerian religious practices not being as widespread in 1960's America, some may be uncomfortable with the set dressing of a death cult being based on real religious figures.
Sexual Violence
Nobody is sexually assaulted in this movie.
Other
Cannibalism
The central theme of the movie (and the titular Blood Feast) is cannibalistic.
- Ramses kills women specifically to cook their body parts for his feast. [entire film]
- Ramses is seen in multiple scenes throughout the film stirring a pot of his victims remains.
- Ramses bakes a leg in an oven; it is (by modern standards) an obvious prop body part, and is not eaten. [51:11]
Head & Face Trauma
- The victim in the opening sequence (nameless) has her left eye gouged out; you do not see the act, only the aftermath. [2:22]
- A victim (nameless) has her tongue ripped out; the tongue is not human, and though there is struggling on-screen, you do not see the tongue being pulled out, only the aftermath. Timestamp starts at the struggle and ends when the next scene fades in. [23:12-24:21]
- A dying victim (Janet Blake) relays her encounter with Ramses just before she succumbs to her injuries. Her head is bandaged completely, implying he attacked her face. [36:48]
- Ramses violently harvests some of a victim's brain (Marcy Franklin), and there is a sustained shot of him holding & gazing at it. [14:08]
Nudity
- The victim in the opening sequence strips naked and draws a bath before she is killed. [1:13]
Stalking
- Ramses targets women who have purchased his book Ancient Weird Religious Rites [entire film]. He is also seen watching Suzette and her friends in the pool- unbeknownst to them- and leaves when Suzette is alerted to his presence. [42:49]
Where to Watch
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Sources
Notes
Page Content
- Blood Feast - Wikipedia
- Blood Feast on IMDb
- Blood Feast on Tubi