Brides of Blood

A scientist named Paul Henderson (Kent Taylor), his hot-to-trot young wife Carla (Beverly Powers), and a young representative of the Peace Corps, Jim Farrell (John Ashley), travel to an exotic Asian locale. Among the items on the mission are to investigate possible effects of atomic fallout. Well, there's an effect, all right: a pulpy humanoid monster dubbed "The Evil One" by a peaceable tribe is on the loose, and the tribe tries to appease it by regularly sacrificing young beauties. Preceded by previous Filipino horror-exploitation pictures "Terror is a Man" and "The Blood Drinkers", "Brides of Blood" was the first in a trilogy of genre pictures to use this "Blood Island" setting. It was also the first film in a string of B movies Ashley would headline from this part of the world. Directed by Gerardo de Leon and Eddie Romero, familiar names to any lover of Filipino exploitation, this is pretty crude, overall, and it's also quite slowly paced most of the time, but it still holds a certain fascination. It's undeniable how much brooding atmosphere de Leon & Romero are able to milk from their native land. It does feature the requisite blood and nudity of the genre, and is on occasion creepy. (The monster announces its presence with some overwhelming vocalizations.) Of course, it's impossible not to bust a gut laughing when the monster shows up. It's an awfully clunky looking thing, in the best man-in-a-costume tradition. At first, this viewer thought that the film could have used a little more monster action, but upon reflection, realized that the monster gets JUST enough screen time. There is a "twist" in the story, but it's not difficult to predict it. The acting is sincere from the cast; it's not particularly lively acting, but it gets the job done. The Filipino supporting players include Eva Darren as lovely native gal Alma, Andres Centenera as her dad, Mario Montenegro as solicitous local character Esteban Powers, and Bruno Punzalan as his thuggish associate Goro. Complete with reasonably amusing makeup effects and some very hungry killer trees, this provides a solid dose of fun for prospective viewers. Followed by "Mad Doctor of Blood Island" and "Beast of Blood". Seven out of 10.

This is as bad as it gets, folks. Three Americans go to an island where they encounter trees with limbs that grab people, ripping them to shreds, not to mention a mutated man monster who the islanders sacrifice virgins to. The butterfly scene is proof that BRIDES OF BLOOD belongs in the annals of wretched creature features, this time shot in the Phillipines with two of the worst white heroes(in the form of scientists Kent Taylor and John Ashley)you ever to come across. Beverly Powers(as Taylor's horny wife)spends most of her screen time lusting after one man or another(and not exactly hiding it from her impotent, non-caring husband who seems immune to her delicious voluptuous breasts). Eva Darren is a luscious island girl Ashley saves from being torn apart by the mutant beast terrorizing the island people. The mutant monster costume is side-splittingly hilarious. There's a celebratory jungle dance at the end which brings the film to a crashing halt(it has no reason for being other than to seal the deal on Ashley and Darren's blossoming romance)and is unnecessary. Handsome Filipino actor Mario Montenegro(whose bones Beverly wants to jump)is Esteban Powers, owner of a palatial estate on the island who provides refuge to the Americans. Esteban's security is a brute named Goro(Bruno Punzalan)who beats on his servant staff of little people! Andres Centenera is Arcadio, leader of the island villagers who fear the beast and feed it from their own people, choosing names on paper as to determine who will be tied to poles to await being eaten. I watched this under the title, DANGERS ON TIKI ISLAND.

Well about 2 years or so ago, I decided to use the world-wide web to try and trace an obscure film I only vaguely recall from the late night creature feature circuit around 1974 or '75. A blessed soul I found online recommended that the description sounded to him like "Mad Doctor of Blood Island", and the rest just fell into place. I was amused and quite frankly surprised that these rare low-budget films actually have at least a small following, and I thoroughly enjoy reading the comments! Ah...I can remember the local drive-in around 1968 or so, but I can almost imagine myself with that little family hiding in the backseat. Quite honestly, when I caught (Brides of Blood??) on late night it quite literally made my skin crawl, especially with those eerie reverberation like sounds emanating from deep within the jungle. Since I can remember, I have always loved jungle adventure/jungle horror films, so if anyone would like to respond and chat, I'm always open to new friends, especially if we could get up a drive-in chat! All hail the Mental Hygiene League!! If you are one of these from the Richmond/Danville area, PLEASE respond! We have mutual friends up here in the Shenandoah Valley! Any recommendations for lost/and or obscure jungle horror please respond...

Well, you've got your cold, unemotional scientist explorer, you've got your typical hot, sexy, unfulfilled wife, you've got your intrepid, smoothly handsome hero; you've got native girls on a tropical island, sinister henchmen, a mysterious monster (or two) lurking around and assaulting the tropical girls; you've even got the Men's Adventure magazine analog to anime tentacle rape in the living tree vines that wrap around their victims and try to crush them, or eat them, or something. In short, it's as if someone took a cover story for Argosy magazine in the late 60's and brought it to life in movie form! Adjust your expectations accordingly.All the movie was missing was Nazis, or a dungeon scene. Production values, acting, dialog, sound design,etc. are all over the place varying wildly from decent to jaw-droppingly cheap and silly. Some scenes have a fair amount of energy (for all their goofiness), while some scenes just drag endlessly with exposition or walking or flatly delivered dialog that doesn't do a thing to advance the plot or develop character or dynamics within the cast. But I kind of liked it anyway, for whatever reasons. I actually did not think through the bit with the plot point when the plantation owner revealed his "exposure" to radiation in previous years, and while it wasn't a huge surprise to find out who the monster was, it did add a nice jolt of energy to the film. My only real quibble with the movie was that the islanders seemed to be sacrificing their virgin daughters to the monster at the rate of one or two every night (at least in movie time)and apparently had been for quite some time...you'd think they'd be running low on young women after a while.

Brides of Blood (1968) ** (out of 4) Crazy cult film from the Philippines centers on three researchers (John Ashley, Kent Taylor, Beverly Hills) who arrive on Blood Island to see if radiation has caused any problems. Soon they realize that certain trees are alive and attacking people but even worse is a deformed monster who the locals are giving "brides" to, which it then eats. BRIDES OF BLOOD isn't a well-made movie so if you're looking for class then it's best to go watch the Val Lewton horror movies. If you're looking for cheap exploitation then this here should be right up your alley. I will start off by saying the 92-minute running time is way too long for a movie like this because with an exploitation film you want the goods and nothing else. There are a few too many dialogue scenes that really stretch the running time out and I think the film could have been more entertaining without all of these. With that said, there are some really memorable moments to be found here and they're good enough to make this a cult film. The highlight is without question the monster, which is hard to describe because it's just something you have to see to fully believe. If I had to describe it I'd say it's a mutated pile of spinach with a mouth and pointy teeth. The look of this thing is so silly but at the same time you can't help but be entertained by it. Another good thing are the really bad special effects of the trees attacking people. There's a reason killer tree movies are kept limited and it's because the effects look so silly. It's obvious that in many scenes it's the actors "moving" the trees to make it appear that they're the ones moving and attacking them. The Philipeans setting is another major plus because it just gives the film a cheap look but it also contains some nice atmosphere that really jumps off the screen. Both Ashley and Taylor sleepwalk through their roles but they're still fun to see. BRIDES OF BLOOD certainly isn't a classic but if you enjoy exploitation then there's enough here to make it worth sitting through.

Brides of Blood starts as Dr. Paul Henderson (Kent Taylor) & his wife Carla (Beverly Powers as Beverly Hills) along with good natured Samaritan Jim Farrell (John Ashley) arrive on the ominously named 'Blood Island'. The Hendersons are there to study the after effects of radiation from atomic bomb testing in the nearby ocean while Jim's there to assist the locals build a village & generally pass his Western knowledge on to make the islanders lives better. Once there they are greeted by Arcadio (Andres Centenera) & his Granddaughter Alma (Eva Darren) the only two English speaking natives. The Henderson's & Jim quickly discover that all is not well on Blood Island, from mutated wildlife to nightly sacrificial rituals in which a nice young female is left out for some horrible creature to fondle & tear to pieces. As you would expect the natives are a little on edge but all American hero Jim is determined to save them & rid Blood Isalnd of the evil that contaminates it! This Philippino American co-production was directed by Gerardo De Leon & Eddie Romero & isn't anything special although parts of it are sort of watchable. The script, which is uncredited, is slow going at times & Blood Brides becomes very tedious to watch while at other times it's quite good low budget 'they don't make them like this anymore' type horror, unfortunately those moments are few & far between. There's a generous helping of exploitative moments including some gore, a bit of nudity & it has a sleazy feel at times but I just didn't think it was much fun to watch. I mean I just think that it's one of those films which is more fun to talk about & imagine rather than watch, overall I thought it was OK but when I had finished watching it I felt slightly disappointed. The character's are OK & I don't know about you but I wouldn't travel to somewhere called Blood Island, I just wouldn't. Haven't these people ever watched any horror films before? Directors De Leon & Romero don't do anything special & the film is a bit of a chore to watch although one or two of the effects are quite, well, effective. There are also a couple of scenes in here which have potential. Originally called Brides of Blood it was renamed Island of Living Horror for American TV although the VHS tape that I watched last night here in the UK also had that title & I would expect that it was cut & this cut version is the only one currently available so gore wise there are a couple of severed limbs & that's it although there are some very awkward looking cuts in both the film & soundtrack whenever it appears something gory should be happening. The budget on Brides of Blood must have been pretty low, it's reasonably well made, the living tress look OK while the moth sequence looks absolutely awful. The main radioactive monster himself looks a bit stiff although I thought it looked quite gross at times, does that make me weird? Did you know that it was shot entirely in the Philippines? Well, now you do. The acting wasn't great & Ashey really is an awfully wooden actor, a special mention goes to Beverly Hills, what a name. Brides of Blood is an OK exploitation film for fans of the genre, other's should probably avoid it. The first in director Eddie Romero's 'Blood Trilogy' & was followed by Mad Doctor of Blood Island (1968) & the best of the three films Beast of Blood (1971), don't you think that the title of any cheap film just sounds so much cooler when it has the word 'blood' in the title?

I saw "Brides of Blood" recently on its new pristine DVD release, and I was struck by several facts. First, the film has a ridiculous plot about a nuclear-fall-out-created monster (called "The Evil One") killing screaming native girls on the vaguely tropical Blood Island. Kent Taylor, a regular in Al Adamson films, is the so-called star, playing a scientist who is trying to solve the series of murders alongside John Ashley (dependable for bad acting). The monster is ludicrous, obviously some poor Filipino actor under a bunch of brown foam rubber. Maybe the other viewers commenting here thought the film was scary because of the heavy sinister breathing sounds that the monster makes before a kill. Okay, it's a little creepy, but it sure ain't all-out scary. At least I wasn't scared. In fact, through most of it I couldn't stop laughing. Not that it was supposed to be funny, but the film is so dated, poorly acted, and low budget that it has a certain naive charm. The native girls have their tops ripped off before being raped and torn apart by "The Evil One." Why the monster attacks the sacrificial native girls is never explained. The nudity in "Brides of Blood" is tame by today's standards. It is surprising, however, to see nudity in a film from 1968. Granted, the DVD is the unrated version (with a little goofy gore) but directors Eddie Romero and Gerardo DeLeon were certainly on to something with this film. Nudity and gore, while not new to films in 1968, were just being widely incorporated into movies at that time. This exploitation film, perhaps a classic in bad drive-in movie history, helped set the trend for the next decade of horror films. While "Brides of Blood" is hilarious in its attempts at horror (wait 'til you see Beverly Hills' freak-out scenes), the film is also an interesting piece of exploitation movie history. Other highlights include the weird native dancing, the virtually incoherent assemblage of scenes of "character development" and the red tint of the film that is used every time the monster attacks. Also, Beverly Hills has her clothes ripped off by the monster but we only see her bare back. Beverly Hills (Powers) is now an ordained minister in Hawaii. Go figure.

Island atmosphere with tropical music and friendly natives. An idyllic setting for a group of adventurers to find some peace. A doctor (Kent Taylor) and his horny wife (Beverly Powers) and a peace Corps volunteer (John Ashley) journey to this Philippine island to help and do research. Unfortunately, things have changed and danger lurks. Has radiation from atomic tests in the 40s drifted to the island causing mutations? The fact that trees can attack like Harry Potter's whomping willow is some indication that things are not normal. The natives have returned to previous customs by sacrificing naked virgins to be satisfied by someone or something; it certainly was some hideous creature! They stay with a strange man (Mario Montenegro), who has a staff of little people in his home. He also appears some 20 years younger than he actually is. When it is time for the chief's granddaughter (Eva Darren) to be sacrificed, Jim (Ashley) swings into action to save her. Later, Carla (Powers) is really desperately looking to get laid and follows Estaban (Montenegro). She meets the Tiki-headed monster instead. He will certainly ravish her, but not in the way she wants. Of course, the finally defeat the monster by finding the cajones that had put aside.

When I was little (the 70's), I used to love watching old horror films. Those were the days. They were on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons (in Chicago anyway). I remembered the "Blood Island" movies vaguely. I ordered this DVD and I am a satisfied customer. Three Americans travel to Blood Island. Upon arrival, they see that things aren't right. The villagers don't seem happy and there is a reason why. The movie arouses suspicion and sets an eerie atmosphere. I like John Ashley and he and Mario Montenegro give good performances. The DVD has a lot of fun trailers and extras. This is a unique and well done horror film. Check it out.

Brides of Blood is a cheap and cheerful production but also one with a lot of problems. The plot synopsis actually makes it sound like you might be in for something rather enjoyable; but while the film definitely does have it's moments, they are few and far between and usually in the middle of a load of torrid and boring scenes. The film focuses on a primitive island where years earlier there were experiments with radioactive bombs. We follow a team who goes to the island in order to research the after-effects of the bomb as well as help the locals to build a village. However, there have been some unexpected side effects. The main problem with the film is that it really lacks a point; there's plenty of horror shown and it's actually quite inventive but it's not got any perspective. The special effects look extremely cheap and are unlikely to impress anyone; but they're fun to watch and directors Gerardo de Leon and Eddie Romero (no relation to George) have not let the budget hold them back as the effects are plentiful. Ironically though, it's the main monster that looks the most awful of all - it's unlikely to frighten anyone that is for sure! As mentioned, the plotting is all over the place and as such the film can be a bit boring at times, which is a shame and to be honest; I never really cared how it would all end. Overall, this does have some good moments; but it's not a good film and I wouldn't recommend anyone goes out their way to check it out!