Review of Blood Mania (1970) by Antonio N — 27 Aug 2011

"Blood Mania" is included in the third volume of the "Drive-In Cult Classics" series from Mill Creek Entertainment. Given what I've seen of it so far, it should be retitled the "Middle-Aged Men Financing Movies Just So They Can Cavort with Nude Women Half Their Age" collection.

The middle-aged man in question in this film is Peter Carpenter, who plays Dr. Craig Cooper, a put upon abortionist-cum-reasonably legitimate physician caring for his seemingly only patient, Ridgely Waterman (Eric Allison) in the last months of his life. Carpenter co-wrote the script and co-produced the film, so he is the obvious near-troglodyte taking the opportunity offered by the picture to schmooze with women whom he should think of as daughters, not sex objects. He outdoes George E. Cary from the "Babysitter" movies -- both of which also reside on "Drive-In Cult Classics Vol. 3" -- by courting not one but two youthful beauties: an unstable vixen (Maria de Aragon) and her slightly more sensible -- if remarkably, awkwardly meek -- younger sister (Vicki Peters).

The story is largely incidental, a blackmail plot kicking off what seems to pass for conflict promptly forgotten before haphazardly reappearing at the end of the film (the very end, as in the penultimate frame). There's also something of a love triangle that develops between Cooper and the Waterman sisters, as well as a hint that the younger of the two might have been sexually assaulted by her father in her youth (which makes the subsequent love scene between Peters and Carpenter exceedingly erotic, of course) but, again, these potentially at least interesting storylines both fall prey to the REAL reason the movie was made: an ersatz cash-in on sexploitation, "The Screaming Skull"-esque horror and soap opera-lite adult drama (each attempt failing spectacularly) so some guy in his 40s could call himself an actor for a couple of weeks and have softcore, on-camera dalliances with a few waitresses hanging around Laurel Canyon with nothing better to do for a few days' pay than this garbage.

"Mania" isn't as irritating and poorly made as "The Babysitter" as spiritual predecessor and fellow inhabitant in Mill Creek's amusing trifle of a box set, but that's not really saying much.