There are plenty of horror critics who get outraged when a horror film gets remade. But Horror is all about the remakes since the beginning of cinema. Did James Whale shut down production of Frankenstein since Thomas Edison’s company did it originally? Tod Browning made Dracula without a care that F. W. Murnau had made Nosferatu (although Bram Stoker’s heirs did get a court to demand all the prints of the unauthorized Nosferatu be destroyed). There’s no need to protest a horror remake because it’s the nature of the genre. When Blood Feast crept into drive ins during the summer of 1963, it proved a sensation. What director Herschell Gordon Lewis lacked in filmmaking finesse, he made up in sensational gore. The film about an Egyptian caterer who cooks up people became a bloody full color grotesque classic. Over half a century later, Marcel Walz went back into the kitchen to whip up his variation of Blood Feast.
The movie isn’t a direct remake of the original. Instead of a Miami, Florida, the action takes place in Paris, France. Instead of being a loner, our creepy protagonist is a hardworking family man. They are both of Egyptian descent and chefs with commercial kitchens so there is common ground on different soil.
Faud Ramses (A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge‘s Robert Rusler) had moved his family to a suburb of Paris to run a restaurant the specializes in American diner food. While it seems like it was successful a decade before, the place is struggling to attract ex-patriates wanting a real hamburger and fries. His wife (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2‘s Caroline Williams) and daughter (The Hills Run Red‘s Sophie Monk) have faith in him. Things are tight. He can’t afford to buy fresh meat each day. The only way he keeps the doors open is to work as an overnight security guard in the Egyptian exhibit at the Louvre Museum. Instead of getting Gordon Ramsey to help him flip his business on Kitchen Nightmares, Faud encounters a bit of a dreamy nightmare. Late one night on his rounds at the museum, the Goddess Ishtar (Wrong Turn 6: Last Resort‘s Sadie Katz) appears to him. She wants a feast in her honor and Faud is more than willing to cook up her desires. He has to figure out what she wants so he goes to the library and eventually watches a Youtube video where Professor Lou Hershell (Herschell Gordon Lewis) explains the frightful menu. Instead of being disgusted, Faud creates a special mask and goes shopping for the meal. Will Ishtar be happy with his feast or will she want to be served Family Style?
There’s no need to get picky on how this Blood Feast compares to the original. The new version doesn’t try to be a shoot-by-shoot remake of the original. The Paris location does elevate the meal. The remake taps into the core of the original Blood Feast with torture, blood and cannibalism. What I really appreciate is that Herschell Gordon Lewis gets to lay out the “recipe” for the grotesque feast and the guest list for an Ishtar party. The Godfather of Gore passed away in 2016 while the film was being shown at festivals. It’s a fitting goodbye as he launches a final meal.
The 4K UHD has the 99-minute uncut version of Blood Feast. The R Rated version was only 90 minutes long. Along with adding in the snippets of gore that upset the prudes at the MPAA, director Marcel Walz appears to have also added in a few non-violent scenes to round out the plot. Walz doesn’t go wall to wall gruesome. When the cannibalism hits the screen, your stomach might get queasy. Robert Rusler keeps things cooking as the tormented chef. He plays it chill as Ishtar gets deep inside him. He makes the meal palatable as he tracks down and slices up the proteins. Williams and Monk add to the intensity of the finale. Blood Feast adds to the legacy of the original.
There is also a Blu-ray only release of the movie.
The video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. The high resolution will bring out the gross nature of what’s getting sliced up at the diner. The Audio is DTS-HD MA 5.1. You’ll hear the electric knife. The movie is subtitled in English.
Original Indiegogo Promotional Teaser (1:08) plays off the original version’s trailer.
Original Theatrical Trailer (1:29) is full of meat being cut.
The Making of Blood Feast (28:52) show all the gore effects that ended up on the set. This is more of a fly on the wall view of the filming. They do mix the behind-the-scenes shots with the finished scene. The cast seems to enjoy making the film and the bloody feasting.
Chilli Con Curtis “Tonight” Music Video (3:38) has the song playing on the diner’s jukebox.
Red Carpet Premiere (28:51) has the movie playing at the Fine Arts theater in Beverly Hills on April 6 2018. Cast and crew pose for photos. Does appear that Josh Brolin pops up to support the film and give Robert Rusler a smooch.
Scare Cam (5:44) is the cast getting snuck upon by one of the actors for cell phone footage.
Synapse Films present Blood Feast. Directed by Marcel Walz. Screenplay by Philip Lilienschwarz. Starring Robert Rusler, Caroline Williams, Sophie Monk, Sadie Katz, Roland Freitag, Wilfried Capet, Max Evan, Annika Strauss, Liliana Nova, Metisha Schaefer, Gioele Viola & Herschell Gordon Lewis. Running Time: 99 minutes. Rating: Not Rated. Release Date: January 16, 2024.
