The horror genre makes its way into every holiday, whether the Christmas-themed slasher of Silent Night, Deadly Night, or the terrors brought to the most romantic day of the year in My Bloody Valentine. Thanksgiving has also seen its fair share of macabre treats, whether it be the uproarious Thankskilling franchise or Eli Roth's bloody Thanksgiving. Yet among the turkey-season-themed horror movies, one stands out in how bizarre it is.
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Blood Freak orbits the holiday by presenting a half-man, half-turkey killer who is the product of some questionable experiments. The story behind the film is equally weird, which has given it a small cult following. This Thanksgiving, you need to dive in, take a bite of that sweet experimental turkey meat, and set in for a night with Blood Freak, the strangest holiday movie ever made.
The Plot and Cast of the Non-Senisical 'Blood Freak' (1972) Close
Recently returned from the Vietnam War, hunky Herschell finds himself enamored with a woman named Angel he helps on the road on his return to his hometown. Angel invites him to come over, and the vet is introduced to her sister, Ann. Unlike Angel, Ann likes to have fun and party, including partaking in the deadly marijuana. At first hesitant, Herschell falls into pure pressure and soon finds himself addicted and spiraling out of control. Things become further complicated when his maintenance job at a turkey farm leads to a scientist paying to eat copious amounts of new experimental meat. This process turns him into a killer turkey -- that only comes out when he takes drugs.
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A micro-budgeted passion project released in 1979, Blood Crew's cast is primarily one-timers (made up of acting students from producer/director Brad F. Grinter's class), except lead Steve Hawkes, who played Herschell. Hawkes starred in two Italian productions as Tarzan, a stint that ended in tragedy after he and his co-star were burned on the set of Tarzán y el arco iris (the scars are noticeable in Blood Freak). Hawkes also co-directed and wrote the film with Brad F. Grinter. Ginter made only a few films during his career but had a knack for odd storylines in the exploitation genre, including the feature Never the Twain, which saw Mark Twain possess the body of "Miss Nude World 1974."
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1 ✕ Remove Ads 'Blood Freak' Is the Strangest Thanksgiving Horror Film Close
The opening to Blood Freak is shocking, and not in a horrific way. Framing itself as a warning about drug use, the hypocrisy of the feature is up front and center as a man chain-smoking talks about the perils of drugs while being unable to finish a single line without hacking. From here, we are introduced to our hero and his love interest, Angel. Oddly, while actor Steve Hawkes and director Brad F. Grinter were never noted to be Christian or created any other projects with pro-religious morals, Blood Freakleans heavily into Christian values.
Angel is presented as the perfect Christian who lives a clean and righteous life, which Herschell admires. Yet, her sister Ann, who is into hippy culture, partying, and drugs, presents the antithesis of this ideology. The feature starts as a warning against drugs and a morality play (like Reefer Madness), and the horror elements are pushed aside for moral grandstanding.
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"We live in a world subject to constant change. Every second, of every minute, of every hour, changes take place. These changes are perhaps invisible to us, because our level of awareness is limited." Opening narration of Blood Freak
Blood Freak could have played on the screens in high school throughout the '70s and '80s, yet its deviation into horror confuses who the intended audience would have been. Herschell being paid to eat experimental meat is an utterly bizarre turn of events, and the subsequent monster he turns into is quite the visual anomaly. While we understand he is meant to don a turkey head, the actual execution is a mangled mess and only vaguely captures the bird's likeness. This makes his stalking and killing of his victims always slightly humorous in execution. The killer turkey's drive to kill other "addicts" also adds a fun spin on the anti-drug PSA formula.
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With inane dialogue, shaky cinematography, rough editing, and a poorly made paper-mache monster, Blood Freak certainly falls under 'so-bad-its-good' holiday-themed cinema. Yet to leave it at that sells its charms short, as the themes and concept are clear; it is just the execution that often makes it unintentionally hilarious. Blood Freak is an exercise in absurd excess that it is difficult not to fall for its charms despite its many faults.
Where to Watch Blood Freak Close
Blood Freak won't be to everyone's taste, and the movie only indecently ties itself to the holiday season with its turkey-themed terrors and consumption. Herschell's transformation is likely a play on the insult of 'turkey,' which was used to describe someone inept or foolish, such as someone succumbing to the temptation of drugs. Still, it is difficult not to pair this with the holiday, and if you are willing to extend the definition, it is a wonderfully bizarre cinematic indulgence for the season.
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The minuscule budget may also turn off those looking for a more polished project, and if you want silly seasonal-themed terrors, then Thankskilling and its sequels may be the best route. However, those with a high tolerance for cheese and who can appreciate ineptitude on the screen will find Blood Freak oddly charming in all its misguided anti-drug sentiments and flawed delivery. The best part is that Blood Freak is streaming for free on Plex TV.
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