Review: Nightmare in Blood (1977)
By William Pattison
This time I’m review the first of three independent films
that were produced in both San Mateo and San Francisco Counties. For the first
I have a homage tand love note to tacky, cheesy horror films with this film
which was directed, produced, and written by my horror host mentor, John
Stanley…
Attendees at a horror-film convention in San Francisco keep
disappearing. It turns out that the guest of honor is a real vampire, and his
henchmen are kidnapping the convention guests. A horror writer, a Sherlock
Holmes fan and an Israeli Nazi-hunter set out to stop him.
If you are a full on horror host show, cheesy classic and
iconic classic horror fan this is your film. It was created with pure love by,
journalist, horror host, author, movie reviewer, and all out horror and science
fiction geek, John Stanley.
John, was the guy at KTVU in San Francisco and in Sacramento
who was always sent on assignment to do stories on attraction and movie
premieres. Because of this John was well known by theatre and attraction
management, so when he decided to make his movie he had a lot of resources to
work with in order to give his movie the feel he wanted on a shoestring budget.
Maney of the set pieces of this movies feature places like The Fox theatre in
Oakland, Pier 39, Madam Truisough’s Wax Musium, and even the studios of KTVU,
most notably The Creature Features set.
A lot of The acting and characterizations in this filmare
purposely pure tougue in cheek. This film is by a horror geek for horror geeks,
so what do you expect.
This film is most definitely a Bay Area film with that very
Bay Area feel.
Amusingly, the opening of this film is a firm example
ofguarilla filmmaking, literally. John actual had the good luck of being able
to film footage frown the Bay Area premiere of the original Conquest of the
Planet of the Apes and caught shots of fans running around wearing ape costumes.
It was an incredible bit of luck and helped establish that the film took place
at a fan convention.
This film is not at all scary, but it is one that you can
sit with a bunch of friends and drink a Coke Zero with popcorn with diet butter,
because you have to watch the fat and sugar because you are getting old…lol…and
just have a good time watching something made for you, you geek!
