DVD Review: The Flesh and Blood Show (1972)
Hammer might have been in terminal decline in the 1970s, but the British horror movie was still going strong - and Pete Walker was behind a few notable entries. Criminally ignored in the BBC's recent B-movie retrospective, Walker produced horrors more in keeping with European flicks of the day rather than Hammer's period pieces, with The Flesh and Blood Show (very much an apt title) not being a million miles from the Italian gialli.
Eight young actors/actresses are invited to rehearse for a play on a deserted seaside pier (Cromer pier fact fans), with the show eventually heading to the West End. The cast is headed up by Mike (Ray Brooks) and featuring other 70s notables including Robin Askwith and Jenny Hanley. Except there's something not right - the pier really is deserted and the backers of the play seem conspicuously absent.
And that's not all - as this is the Flesh and Blood Show, we get plenty of female flesh being flashed (in a very restrained 70s style of course), but we also get blood, as members of the cast are attacked or bumped off. Is the killer one of the cast? Or perhaps one of the locals from the semi-deserted town? You'll have to watch it to find out, although you might well guess long before the credits roll.

The Flesh and Blood Show isn't Walker's best, but it's certainly got a number of plus points. The Alfred Shaughnessy script is one of them. Yes, you might second guess the ending, but there's a good amount of tension along the way. And despite being a low budget flick, there aren't many low budget performances on display. There's even a 3D flashback sequence - although that doesn't transfer too well on DVD (and without the cardboard and plastic specs).
But there are a couple of downsides. Filming in an old pier is great for authenticity and atmosphere, but it's just a bit too dark at times - l've got pretty solid eyesight, but I found myself squinting at the screen on numerous occasions. And the ending is just a little too contrived and convenient and a bit too soon if I'm honest - two murders too soon at least.
Yet this is still a decent little movie. Not a classic and not Pete Walker's finest hour, but 90 minutes of solid 70s-style exploitation cinema that will certainly brighten up a quiet night in, especially when you bear in mind the budget price tag.
Comments