Plot: What’s it about?
Just when you think you have a good thing going, it seems that inbreeding wasn’t such a good idea after all. Such is the case for a band of vampires, led by Algernon Ford (Gavin Reed) and destined to fade out unless some form of action is taken. It seems their vampiric reproduction habits are doing more harm than good, so they need to bring in some fresh bodies to serve their needs. Since Algernon can’t tap into his vampiric relatives, he opts to go after his human relatives for new blood. And what better place to look up some long lost relatives than a family reunion, which is just what Algernon decides to organize. So he and his minions rent out an estate, invite some nubile relatives, and then pick the ones they think will best serve their needs. At this family reunion, it isn’t the bloodsucking lawyer cousin or leech of a brother in law you need to worry about, because some of the family members want to suck more than cash out of you!
I know the storyline sounds insane, but trust me, the film itself is so much more insane it might blow your mind. This is one of the more offbeat vampire movies you’ll see and in that respect, it is well worth a look and deserves a place in the collections of genre fanatics. The film isn’t traditional by any means however, so if you want a slow paced & gentlemanly vampire flick, you’ll want to look elsewhere. What this film does have is a unique brand of visual energy, which makes it seem like the film blazes by, I can’t imagine this one ever being dull. That brisk pace teams with some outrageous blood and flesh to conjure up one memorable vampire film and isn’t that what we vampire lovers want? The violence level is high and nudity abounds, so the easily offended should steer clear, but all others should give this flick a spin, as it is one of the more original vampire films I’ve seen.
This might not be the right film if you want traditional style acting, but that stuffy style simply wouldn’t work in a movie that is so much fun. The actors turn in over the top and memorable performances, which seem to be just the correct type for this hilarious and unique motion picture. Gavin Reed (Tootsie, Carry On Loving) is the lead overall and he is excellent, bringing his character to life with such a twisted edge. The character needs to be played just right to have the correct balance and in the end, Reed is able to do that well. I also really liked the performances of Susan Heard, Colin Gordon (The Devil’s Agent, Casino Royale), and Susan Clark (Tv’s Webster), all of whom seem to be right at home in this bizarre flick. This type of film asks for some unusual stuff to be done, but the cast always seems natural in their roles, no matter how strange that might be. The director of The Body Beneath is Andy Milligan, who is well known for his unusual flicks such as The Naked Witch, The Ghastly Ones, Bloodthirsty Butchers, Fleshpot on 42nd Street, and Gutter Trash.
Video: How does it look?
The Body Beneath is presented in a full frame transfer, which preserves the film’s intended aspect ratio. This image looks good for a low budget picture from the ’70s, but it falls short of what we’ve come to expect from DVD. The colors seem dead on and bright, but the contrast is heavy on the darks, which tends to obscure detail at times. There isn’t much as far as print debris, but there is a lot of grain evident, which doesn’t help matters much. In the end, this is as good as the film can look without serious work done, but I think it could have been improved somewhat for this disc.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc utilizes the original mono track and while it won’t leave you breathless, it is a very nice track given the mono format’s limitations. I heard minimal hiss and distortion, both of which are common problems with tracks from older, low budget pictures. The musical pieces come across well and show few problems, while the sound effects come through in fine form as well. But since this film doesn’t put the speakers through a work out, the main element is dialogue and it also sounds good in this mix. Aside from the lack of captions and subtitles, no real complaints with this audio track.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This isn’t a loaded special edition, but it does have a few worthwhile extras and I am pleased to see them included. You can view theatrical trailers for The Body Beneath and several other films by Andy Milligan, which I think is cool. Also included are some “rare” radio spots, which are fun to listen to and a selection of artwork from various exploitation pictures. But the real treat is Andy Milligan’s rare featurette, Vapors and I am so pleased it has been packed onto this disc. This is a very interesting piece to say the least and it serves as the disc’s finest bonus feature.
