The Ecstasy of Terror

The Flesh and Blood Show Review

Discussions of the slasher sub-genre always include all of the major players. Halloween, Friday the 13th, and so on are all rightfully mentioned, but it is the films which came before these prototypes that hardly ever get any recognition. These ‘proto-slashers’ are what paved the way for films like the ones I’ve just mentioned and without them, perhaps the landscape of the slasher genre would be totally different today.

English filmmaker, Pete Walker, has been making films for four decades. His contributions to British cinema seem to be influential in their own ways, including his forays into the slasher genre of horror. His 1972 film, The Flesh and Blood Show, has everything that makes a good slasher these days — a mysterious killer who isn’t exposed until the final act, a cast of young and attractive victims, and nudity sprinkled throughout the entire production.

A group of young actors are hired to perform a show in an old, rundown stage theater. As the days of their practice run by, some disappear without a trace and some are even attacked, only to survive to tell the tale to the others. When the theater was running shows originally, specifically Othello, a well-known actor, his wife, and another cast mate disappeared, never to be heard from again. Is there a connection between the old disappearances and the mysterious figure that seems to be stalking the young crew now?

With the use of some old stage props, Pete Walker is able to introduce some variety into his kills, but unfortunately, it isn’t enough to give the film any type of excitement. The entire movie plays out in a rather linear way, never straying into any real daring territory. I can imagine, however, that in 1972, this film was rather original. It is only by today’s standards that the lack of excitement may be an issue for new audiences watching The Flesh and Blood Show for the first time.

If you want to revisit the roots of the slasher sub-genre, Pete Walker’s The Flesh and Blood Show is a good start. Be sure to pick up the official Kino Lorber and Redemption Films blu-ray release, available one week from today.

I give the film 2.5 guillotines out of 5.

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