Plot: What’s it about?
In a rural section of upstate New York, some locals have noticed a string of disappearances, assumed to be unrelated. But in truth, the area is under attack from a band of ancient druids, who seek to revive their dead Queen. It isn’t an easy process and in order to complete the task, they’ll need a lot of blood and of course, that means they need some sources. Obviously they can’t use their own blood, so they begin to take local residents, hook them up to swimming pool pumps, and drain the blood from their bodies. So far their plan has worked out well enough, but sooner or later, some obstacles were bound to appear. And when a man stumbles into a local dive, covered in blood and delirious, then collapses on the floor and dies, the obstacles begin to mount. Now the town’s residents know something is amiss and while they’re unsure what it is, they’ll soon wander into the druids’ plans, one way or another. But when this happens, a lot of blood will be shed and when the dust settles, who will survive?
This movie is pretty bad, no doubt about it. It has poor performances, below average writing, and of course, bad special effects. But these kind of movies can be fun to watch, if there’s enough blood and unintentional humor, of course. Invasion of the Blood Farmers has both and while it isn’t my favorite B horror flick, it is well worth a look. You can tell some of the actors are reading off cuecards (or some other prompting devices), as their eyes and rambling line delivery attest, which adds some humor to their turns. In truth, this picture has some of the worst acting I have ever seen and since I’ve seen a ton of bad movies, that’s a real compliment. I doubt most of the folks in this movie had any experience, or ever tried to be in a film again, with good reason. But this adds to the entertainment value and in the end, that means the movie is more fun to watch. I recommend this movie to fans of bad horror pictures and while the disc is no technical marvel, it’s just passable enough to warrant giving this release a chance.
Video: How does it look?
Invasion of the Blood Farmers is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. I was pleased to see a widescreen edition here, but the image leaves a lot to be desired. This looks a little better than VHS, but that’s not up to the usual standards, to be sure. The image looks soft and shows a lot of grain, as well as sometimes being a little too fuzzy, which is bad news. The colors look muted and faded, while contrast is stable, but not as deep & rich as I’d like. This transfer is still better than the videotape however, so fans should be pleased to upgrade, though they might be let down somewhat.
Audio: How does it sound?
There’s not much to discuss here, as the audio is basic, but seems up to the task. The low budget origins here are obvious, as range and dynamics are very limited, but such is to be expected in cases like this one. The dialogue is a little muffled and the overall experience is less than impressive, but again, with this kind of material, you can’t expect miracles. So no, this is not a superb audio effort, but I don’t think fans will be too let down, under the circumstances.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes the film’s trailer, a selection of still photos, and a new episode of Fred Olen Ray’s Nite Owl Theater.
