Is Invasion of the Blood Farmers Treasure or Trash?
Blu-ray Distributed By Severin / February 26, 2019
In 1972, a team of New York City exploitation outlaws that included Ed Adlum (SHRIEK OF THE MUTILATED), Ed Kelleher (PRIME EVIL) and Michael & Roberta Findlay (THE TOUCH OF HER FLESH, SNUFF) – along with first-time assistant cameraman and future award-winning cinematographer Frederick Elmes (ERASERHEAD, BLUE VELVET) – descended on bucolic Westchester County with 8½ bottles of stage blood to make a movie about a Druid cult seeking to resurrect their dead queen. The budget was $24,000. The cast was paid in beer. And the result remains one of the greatest achievements in schlock/shock cinema history. Severin Films is proud to present this “accidental masterpiece” (Horror News) like you’ve never seen it before, now scanned from the original negative for the first time ever and spurting with all-new Special Features.
Jamie’s Take 
(2.5 / 5)
I’m having a hard time wrapping my thoughts on Invasion of the Blood Farmers. It is easy to disregard this film as cheap, exploitation trash. It is easy to compare the film to Plan 9 From Outer Space or any Herschel Gordon Lewis film. However, there was a certain type of charm while watching Invasion of the Blood Farmers that I rather enjoyed. Sure the film can be inept and poorly acted but these regional film makers were trying to make drive-in entertainment and damn it, they succeeded.
Right from the get go, the film starts off showing a bloody man stumble upon a rural road until he walks into a bar passing out and eventually dying. The towns folk are unsure what happened to their friend / citizen but it appears that a couple of strange oddball farmers know what is going on as this man (the character’s name is Jim Carrey which made me laugh) may have escaped from their clutches.
The insane plot soon unfolds (and at times quite unclear) as we find out these farmers are actually evil Druids out to steal the blood of the townspeople so they can resurrect an ancient queen. Meanwhile we have our inept hero police chief Frank Spano trying to track down the perps who killed Jim Carrey. Frank was easily my favorite character as his delivery and odd voice just killed me every time he spoke. It takes awhile for Frank to get on screen as his character is “away” when the shit hits the fan but when he finally makes his appearance, I wanted the movie to switch focus and just center on some damn Frank.
Frank isn’t the only nutball in this cheap (made for around $40,000) horror flick as we have a wacky doctor who thinks he knows the secrets of what makes the blood cause resurrection, a young hippie couple whose dog was murdered by one of the farmers, and plenty of local extras as bar patrons that more than likely never had been on camera before (or ever again). Oh and these actors (haha, actors, sure) are so goddamn 70’s! The hair styles and clothing fucking rule. I could feel my sideburns grow while watching this movie. I almost recommend it just for watching this as an amazing time capsule of early 70’s beauty. Alas, this was rated PG so if you are looking to see that amazing mounds of female mump, look elsewhere. For a PG movie this is pretty bloody but that was before the MPAA turned into a bunch of pussies and we stopped letting our kids watch anything aside from Pixar films and other cartoons. Fuck me, I feel a rant about to start. Ok…deep breath…
For a low budget film that was made by amateurs, the film does jump around from various location and does actually feature some kills and death scenes (even if one chase results in a Benny Hill-style run). I’ve seen plenty of cheap shitty horror films where the viewer never gets to see the monster or the blood, with the movie taking place in only one or two rooms. Fuck that noise. It’s easy to laugh and mock Invasion of the Blood Farmers but I’d rather see this film (yes, they shot it on 35 mm) than some direct to streaming crap that is populating Netflix and Hulu as of late. Call me an old man, I don’t care. Film rules over video. Blood / gore effects are better than CGI. That’s how I like my trash.
Severin once again does a great job in not just with its transfer but with the ample amount of special features. The print is a mess and the damage is present with specs, cracks, you name it. However they did a great job with the colors and actual transfer. Contrast and clarity look great in terms of colors. I thought it looked really good and I am sure compared to older VHS copies, this looks amazing. This was the first time I had ever seen Invasion of the Blood Farmers so I have no way of comparing this transfer to anything else but I thought it looked pretty damn good.
I really recommend taking a look at the special feature on director Eddie Adlum as he discusses the making of the film. It is both funny, fascinating and tear-jerking as the film maker discusses his friend, editor Michael Findlay who died tragically in a helicopter crash in 1977 that still brings tears to his eyes. Maybe due to my own recent events dealing with loss, this truly was gut-wrenching and found myself wiping away those salty streams of sadness from my pathetic face.
Invasion of the Blood Farmers is not for everyone. It’s for sure a great “party and pizza” movie that should be seen with a few drinks and some pizza on a Friday night. I liked it but I know damn well I cannot recommend it to many people without getting some sort of flack. Just look at the trailer and you should know right then and there if Invasion of the Blood Farmers is for you.
Hidden Treasure/Dumpster Fire?
Jamie says: One’s Trash is Another’s Treasure.
| Jamie's Take: |  (2.5 / 5) |
| Blu-ray Extras: |  (4.0 / 5) |
| Average: |  (3.3 / 5) |
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary with Director Ed Adlum and Actress Ortrum Tippel, Moderated by Kier-La Janisse, Author of House of Psychotic Women
- Nothing You’d Show Your Mom: Eddie Adlum’s Journey through Exploitation, Coin-Op & Rock n’ Roll
- Harvesting the Dead: Interview with Actor Jack Neubeck
- Painful Memories: An Interview with Cinematographer Frederick Elmes
- Trailer
