Wednesday, June 20, 2012

THE FLESH AND BLOOD SHOW - Cyril Ornadel - "Come And Join The Show" (1972)

Director Peter Walker is known in some circles as one of the finest exponents of UK horror, and his film "The Flesh And Blood Show" is everything the title implies, but not all that much else! After making a few smut flicks like "School For Sex," and a thriller called "Die Screaming, Marianne," this was Peter's first real venture into horror! Other titles under his belt are things like "House Of Whipcord," "Schizo," and "The Comeback!"

A Group of mostly out of work young actors converge on an abandoned theatre at the end of a pier in the middle of nowhere to rehearse for some weird project that not really any of them know anything about! One of the taglines makes for the prefect description: "An Appalling Amalgam of Carnage and Carnality!" I couldn't agree more!

Jenny (Scars of Dracula) Hanley has the role of Julia Dawson! Take note how Director Walker is already playing with your mind! Julia is smoking in a posted non smoking area, but it's okay because the sign is reversed even though it's not a reflection in a mirror!

There's plenty of the "Flesh" part of the title, and the boob count is pretty high!

Obviously some very creepy shit has happened around this place before, but if you really wanted to keep people out, wouldn't you have boarded it up?

In this, his first filmed role, David Howey's character has a bizarre sense of humour!

I think Joan Jett would have been very good in the role of the librarian!

Olde newspapers give clues as to what potential problems may be incurred at the theatre if the kids continue to stick around!

I think it's a standard policy that if you're a woman in some weird environment and you're undressing, and you hear some strange noises, the most common reaction is to just keep on disrobing!

Turns out it wasn't a killer at all, just some old distinguished pervert! Oh, excuse me young lady, I'll just turn away, so you can get dressed!

Everybody needs one of these things!!

Time for the 7th inning stretch!! C'Mon everybody, get your butts up off the floor!

So what the Hell was this show all about, "The Flintstones?" That's Robin (Computer Killers) Askwith in the middle as Simon! Robin is still quite active in film today!

Not everybody's dead yet, there's still time left for some girl/girl action between Judy (Twins Of Evil) Matheson and Luan (Lust For A Vampire) Peters!

I like this shot of the seats in the theatre, gum under the seats, and all!

This warning came at the beginning of the movie, so now it's time to pry those cheap crumpled up cardboard 3D glasses out of your sweaty mitts!

Patrick (Black 13) Barr is the thespian gone mad!(If you want to fill in the blanks, go to Netflix, but don't expect it to be in 3D!)

The very interesting Guzanos-like music in "The Flesh And Blood Show" was created by the very talented Cyril Ornadel! Cyril's first soundtrack recording was in 1953, when he wrote a song called "Hey Presto" for a film called "The Limping Man," but not this one, "Hey Presto!" He also wrote the classic song "If I Ruled The World" that has been used in more than one film! Cyril passed away almost exactly one year ago at the age of 86!

2 comments:

  1. I like this review immensely.

    Luan Peters was also in "Twins of Evil". A very under-rated actress, possibly overlooked by casting directors because of a complicated situation between Luan and Tina Charles over the top ten single "I'm on Fire".

    Also, Luan never painted her toenails. Moronic media photographers in the 1970s/1980s didn't like that. They still don't.

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  2. Thanx for the info Amanda, I love it when somebody digs through the archives!

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