Brides of Blood

A US/Philippines co-production directed by the De Leon/Romero duo (Eddie, not George A.), “Brides of Blood” enjoys a certain popularity among genre fans (the film’s basic ingredients are 2/3 horror and 1/3 sci-fi, considering the erotic component can’t seem to get off the launching pad) and has achieved the reputation of minor cult film over the past few years. The film honestly doesn’t deserve that much credit, given there’s very little redeeming value in this dreadful mish-mash of exotic adventure steeped in coarse sexism – which becomes explicit misogyny with Carla’s character. The whole thing is further weighed down by a total lack of pacing (the monotonous soundtrack certainly doesn’t help).

The film rips off classics left and right, and does it all poorly, from the Jekyll/Hyde dichotomy to the cheap knock-off of H.G. Wells’ Dr. Moreau. And yet, somewhere in that muddled mess, you can still make out the kernel of an idea that’s not too bad, in that the resurgence of local superstitions (including abominable tribal rites) is a consequence of the fear provoked by the horrendous side-effects of American atomic experiments in the remote Pacific (the Marshall Islands, Bikini Atoll in particular, is implied). Unfortunately, instead of knocking the audience upside the head with a strong environmental message, the film barely packs enough punch to even muss their hair, and its scientific component quickly degenerates into a jumbled mess of banalities (along the lines of: “Theoretically, anything is possible“) and extremely naive dialogue (the explanation citing the crab as the only species capable of demonstrating possible signs of radioactivity borders on crazy).

As far as the monster in the awful rubbery make-up, we’ve got a serial killer who butchers women (“It is his way of satisfying himself“) with incredibly clumsy movements. The whole thing ends on an ugly note with an interminable picture-perfect dance sequence.

Not satisfied with the ineptitude of this one film, Eddie Romero comes back to recount further adventures of Blood Island with a plethora of sequels starting later that same year with “Mad Doctor of Blood Island” (1968). He did a lot better working on “Women in Prison” with the legendary Pam Grier.