Ezmae Chang
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Rosie Searle
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Curt
Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.
Mr_Ectoplasma
"Blood Bath" follows (or at least seems to follow) a deranged artist who believes he is (or may in fact actually be) the reincarnation of a legendary vampire. For inspiration, he kidnaps women and boils them in wax before painting the subjects. Dorian, an experimental ballerina, crosses paths with him, and gets dangerously close while trying to uncover the truth.Maybe one of the biggest oddball horror films in the annals of history, "Blood Bath" is not adequately described by the synopsis I provided, and anyone trying to tie the loose threads up will find it extremely difficult (if not impossible). This is because, as many have noted, the film is actually a composite of several different films. Producer Roger Corman purchased the footage from "Operation: Titian," a European espionage film that he had co-produced but deemed too terrible to release, and brought the film to the United States, where Jack Hill (and later, Stephanie Rothman) constructed an entirely different narrative based on the footage they had to work with. To fill in the blanks, they shot additional scenes in an attempt to piece together a "whole" movie.The result is not quite so "whole," but it certainly is fascinating, and one of the few instances—and perhaps only instance in the horror genre—where a film came to fruition in such a way. At times, "Blood Bath" feels like a campy beatnik take on vampires, and at others it edges into complete surrealism rivaling "Carnival of Souls" or Roman Polanski's early short films. Gorgeous footage of European castles and cityscapes populate the film (Hill shot his portions in Venice, Los Angeles in order to carry on the European aesthetic of the "Operation: Titian" footage), as well as several stunning, surreal scenes shot on an empty California beach. A haunting musical score and a strange, lush atmosphere elevate the film profoundly—it almost (inadvertently?) becomes an art film. The narrative itself is so convoluted (and understandably so) that it's difficult to see where it's going or why, but taking the film for what it is is the best bet for any audience. Running at just over an hour flat, I think the film can be easily digested if taken on its own terms.Several other versions of the film aside from the "Blood Bath" or "Operation: Titian" incarnation exist (all of which have been lovingly restored and released by Arrow Video this year), which further adds to the complex history; and while that history is the undoubtedly the main allure of the film, this is a weirdly beautiful, well-shot, and haunting piece of celluloid to be devoured. Overall, I found "Blood Bath" absolutely transfixing. Ultimately, the jagged narrative is secondary here to the lush and haunting cinematography, and it somehow manages to play out as a sort of patchwork art-house movie. Its production history is certainly a central draw for the simple reason that so many hands were on it at different times. The disaster that was this film's production is impossible to keep out of the back of one's mind while watching it, but I also think it's worth paying attention to the unique and weirdly eerie (and yes, incoherent) film that that tattered production ended up producing. If nothing else, the film is a beautiful anomaly. Side note: watch out for a supporting role from a very young Sid Haig. 8/10.
bugsmoran29
I must admit I enjoyed this movie when I recently saw it on Comet. The cobblestone roads, the medieval pillars and the clock tower all gave the film a creepy atmosphere.The Beatnik painters gave a touch of comic relief to the grim topic of a vampire artist. William Campbell did a great job as the prowling murderer. The attack on the female victims were very believable and exciting. Seeing the beautiful Sanders romp on the beach in a revealing bikini was also a bonus. I was surprised there were no police on the scene to question the painters or the artist. Not one cop in sight! I was also rather baffled that the vampire only went for the neck of one victim while the others were drowned, strangled or attacked with sharp instrument.
ofumalow
No wonder this lacks the cult following of Hill and Rothmann's other films--its myriad clashing elements suggest this movie's conception and shooting might have occurred at widely spaced times, whenever money or locations were available. Apparent female leads come and go. Sometimes the focus seems on satirizing pretentious "beatnik" art a la "Bucket of Blood." Then the film will stop dead for lengthy minutes of laughable "modern dance" by alleged dancers of highly varied ability. (Even the best seem in desperate need of an actual choreographer.) Beautiful young women are being killed by an alleged "vampire" painter allegedly descended from a line of vampires/artists stretching back to the 11th century. It's anyone's guess why most of the characters seem to be early 60s hipster-parody Los Angeleans, complete with wanderings on beach and in balmy surf. Meanwhile, we're told a particular castle and bell tower date back to (again) an ancestral 11th century? It's all supposed to be one city. Apparently "Vampire" aka "Blood Bath" was shot in both Venice, CA and Belgrade, Serbia-- ah, the mysteries of international funding! Trust me, the locations do not become seamless in the editing. This movie is bizarre and erratically well-crafted enough to hold interest, but it's still a disconnected mess that falls far short of the drive-in classics by Hill (Spider Baby, Switchblade Sisters) or Rothman (The Student Nurses, Terminal Island). It's a curiosity.
The_Void
This film really is a complete mess so it came as no surprise to me that it's actually made up of about three different films that were spliced together over a period of a few years. It's a shame really because there's several interesting plot elements on show and they could definitely have resulted in a decent movie – as evidenced by Roger Corman's A Bucket of Blood which is an excellent movie based on similar ideas. The central plot line revolves around an artist who happens to be the descendant of a man who was put to death for witchcraft centuries earlier. Both men were painters – the modern day one very successful. He paints pictures of beautiful women; before tossing them in a vat of acid when he's finished. He's apparently also a vampire. The film is shot in black and white and features some very interesting visuals, although it does look very cheap throughout. There are a few memorable faces; including those belonging to William Campbell and Sid Haig and the director's credit goes to Jack Hill, although Roger Corman had something to with it too apparently. It's a shame that the film couldn't have come together better because there are some good ideas here, but unfortunately it didn't and Blood Bath will be best be remembered as a bit of a mess. It's an interesting cult film...but I really wouldn't recommend going out of your way to find a copy!
