2
(nothing substantial)
6
(suggestions of violence)
4
(see it if you like old teenscream)
The idea of a hunter whose game of choice is human has shown up quite a few times. There have been at least a couple of action movies along those lines, an "Incredible Hulk" episode, a "Hardy Boys" book, the entire "Predator" concept, and those are just the ones I can think of off hand. "Bloodlust" is the earliest example of this idea I've seen in cinema though it isn't where the concept originated. It takes more of a suspense-horror approach than the likes of the Van Damme or Ice-T movies which are more action based.
A group of young vacationers decides to explore a tropical isle. Turns out a reclusive millionaire (aren't they always?) lives there and enjoys a pastime that will prove dangerous to the visitors. Can the youngsters outwit a trained killer and escape? Or will they end up the latest trophies in the hunter's display?
This is a surprisingly decent flick. Sure it's far-fetched (when are these kinds of movies not?) but it plays out well enough. The characters are mostly believable and the acting is OK. Some of the high-pitched screaming gets annoying and the one guy's constant nay-saying gets old after a while, but I guess that’s just part of those characters.
Most of the movie consists of the 4 youngsters escaping and then running from Dr. Balleau once they discover what he plans to do with them. They have to face off against his bodyguards and stumble across one of his few elusive survivors. However, though still alive this man seems to have lost all but the last vestiges of his humanity.
The one big problem with the movie is that it's not memorable other than the concept. I don't remember any of the characters' names, where they were supposed to be, or anything of that nature. That is what keeps this from actually being a good movie all around. It’s very much focused on the plight of the kids rather than getting to know characters and watching them develop. While this may be entertaining, it’s flat in the grand scheme of things.
Despite all that I did enjoy sitting through it. I stayed entertained throughout, and while I did have an inkling of how things would work out didn't predict every outcome. This is one I would watch again.
Morality
I didn't notice any strong language, nudity, or sex which is typical of old black-and-white horror.
There is some depicted violence and disturbing concepts. Any fan of modern horror will scoff at me calling it “disturbing,” but it may bother more sensitive viewers. We see severed limbs and flayed skin including someone's face (clearly a rubber mask but still). The idea is that the hunter mounts his catches and so skins them first. We don't see the skinning, just the results. The violence is more about people getting shot and such.
Spirituality
Unfortunately, whatever entertainment value this movie may have as a struggle for survival / teenscream flick it doesn't have the depth of any spirituality.
Final Thoughts
This is a fair offering for anyone looking for old teenscream flicks. It doesn’t require much thought but incites the imagining of what would happen if you were being hunted. I enjoyed seeing it but wasn't blown away by any stretch of the imagination.
Buying Guide
"Bloodlust" is a bit harder to find than a lot of old public domain flicks like it. Part of the problem is that with a title like that you'll have to sort through titles like “Bloodlust: Erotic blah blah blah” and all kinds of craziness. Some of the listings even mix up some of the different releases such as naming the actors from the old teenscream flick while giving the details from one of the others.
The only DVD's I found that I am sure are the right movie are an Alpha DVD, an AFA Entertainment release, and a Digiview disc that promises to be digitally remastered. If you're unsure about what you're looking at keep in mind that most of them have the year 1961 in the description. There are a few different multi-movie packs that appear to offer it, as well.
There is also a restored version announced for DVD from Film Chest which is said to be mastered from HD elements. Beyond that details aren't yet available as of this writing.
The Digiview DVD mentions remastering though their releases are typically only marginally better than the unrestored versions so don't get too excited.
Other than that I found nothing that sets one release apart from the others.
Final Recommendation:
The quality of the 50 pack copy is not too good but most of the others don't promise anything more so a good deal on a budget pack is probably going to be worth it. The Digiview DVD might be better, and the Film Chest release sounds promising so keep those in mind as long as they aren't pricey.
I got mine in a pack of 50 “Horror Classics.”
Video
1.33:
This is the TV standard “full-screen” ratio. The image is quite trashy, riddled with vertical lines, grainy, and fuzzy.
Audio
2.0 mono:
The sound jumps at times, is thin with a mix that isn't great but not horrible either, and has a low crackle that is persistent enough to become annoying at times. The dialogue is at least clear all the way through.
Packaging
This particular disc is housed in a cardboard sleeve contained in a Velcro-fastened box. It's been repackaged in plastic more recently.
Extras
There are none.