(1972/UK)
REVIEW BY-STEVE GENIER DIRECTED BY-PETE WALKER CAST-JENNY HANLEY, RAY BROOKS, LUAN PETERS, TRISTAN ROGERS, JUDY MATHESON, CANDACE GLENDENNING and ROBIN ASKWITH. SOURCE-MEDIA BLASTERS DVD (NTSC REGION 1 / 93MINS / 2006)
A group of actors are gathered to rehearse an upcoming play, rehearsing in a old abandoned theater along an ocean pier. During their time in the old rep house, there is a stranger stalking them, to the point where actors are mysteriously disappearing or leaving under odd circumstances. Reaching out for help, the actors are turned away from the police as been pegged as a bunch of pranksters. At it alone they piece together who and why the stalker is killing them off one by one, but is it too late to solve it before they all parish.
Pete Walker has always been in my opinion the British answer or equal to the American style of grindhouse film style. Though for the most part professionally shot with good acting and direction, Walker is able to give us this totally raw vision that at times becomes almost surreal. Not afraid to flaunt the flesh, erotic, but not sleazy. A trademark that Walker often always falls back on for added attention. Still, there is always a solid story to follow and THE FLESH AND BLOOD SHOW is a fine example of this. Though seemingly dated, there is still several interesting aspect that draw you in. Often the actors he employs in his films. In FLESH, many viewers might automatically recognize Tristan Rogers, from one of those American daytime soaps, General Hospital in the character of Robert Scorpio. Walker is always able to bring interesting characters to the table, actors with a familiar face and seemingly full of life. I guess, in other worlds very colorful actors.
Along the flaunting flesh, comes the blood, and again never really over doing it to the point of sheer goriness. Though there are scenes where at that time might have been shocking to some, might be laughable in today’s standards. You just have to get by this and enjoy the flow of the film overall, let your nit picking subside and focus on the fun of the film. Colorful characters, upbeat music and tamed gored corpses, is this really a horror film, yes it is in the sense brought to us via Tigon. Sort of like a "Ten Little Indians" scenario, a thriller more then a straight out horror.
Media Blasters is distributing a few Pete Walker film here in North America and the few of you that know me, I’m not their biggest fan, so I would have preferred another company’s involvement with this films. Well, for now shut up and put-up, bit not entirely. Pete Walker is certainly a director that rides the rails of the love/hate scenario. He is certainly not every viewers taste. Myself, I’ve been sold on his films for a long time now. Though, these latest Media Blaster’s DVD releases aren’t the first exposure I’ve had of Walker’s films on DVD. That would come way of the release of the Anchor Bay UK special coffin shaped boxset released last year.
Sadly, one of my favorite outings was missing, that being THE FLESH AND BLOOD SHOW. Now, finally this British grindhouse like offering has it’s rightful place in the digital realm, or does it? Along with the excitement of this occasion comes the great expectation of a half deceit DVD presentation, mainly the main feature. Once again, what a letdown indeed as I sat in front of the big screen television to watch this film in all it’s supposive digital glory, I instead sat and stewed as to the lack of effort put into the prints restoration. Sure there is signs of a upgrade, but only faintly from the old VHS prints of long ago, often very dark as well. Present still in some areas are nicks and scratches that I’m sure could have been removed or at least cleaned up to a greater extent.
The main feature is in an anamorphic wide-screen presentation (16x9) where the print like mentioned above is ok at best. Sure, it’s been cleaned up to a point but from what I can see, not to it’s full potential. They probably viewed this is not worthy of a full treatment due to not having a huge following. The audio is pretty much the same, presented in a 2.0 digital mono English along with the option to listen to an extensive commentary from Pete Walker. One of the few highlights to this disc, along with the interview with him on the extras of the disc. There is also the original trailer as well. I don’t know, maybe I was expecting much more from a long in waiting release such as this, but with the spotty track record Media Blasters has had in the past, either or I was disappointed, but delighted to see Walker apart of the disc at least. This surely better to check out in one of those old grindhouse theaters for sure, if you can find the venue!
STORY/FILM-3/5 BITCH SLAPS PICTURE-3/5 BITCH SLAPS AUDIO-2.5/5 BITCH SLAPS EXTRAS-3/5 BITCH SLAPS OVERALL DVD-3/5 BITCH SLAPS Purchase This DVD At X-Ploited Cinema
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