Director Joel M. Reed made a handful of genre movies over the course of his career – the 1975 anthology BLOOD BATH, the 1981 Nazisploitation/zombie movie combo NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIES, the 1971 action movie THE G.I. EXECUTIONER – but the one he's best known for is the 1976 cult classic BLOODSUCKING FREAKS.
Despite what the title may lead you to believe, BLOODSUCKING FREAKS is not a vampire movie. The alternative title THE INCREDIBLE TORTURE SHOW is more fitting, as the film tells the story of
Sardu, master of the Theatre of the Macabre, and his assistant Ralphus, who run a show in which, under the guise of 'magic', they torture and murder people in front of their audience.
It's a film that features an unforgettable line about someone's mouth making an "interesting urinal," and Eli Roth is such a big fan of it that he even recorded an audio commentary for the Troma DVD/Blu-ray release.
Sadly, Reed's family has confirmed on Facebook that the filmmaker has passed away at the age of 86 after contracting COVID-19. We've lost another legend of the grindhouse era.
Our sincere condolences go out to Reed's family, friends, and fans.
If you'd like to learn more about Reed, he was the subject of a book written by John Szpuna, Bloodsucking Freak! The Life and Films of the Incredible Joel M. Reed. The documentary REED UNBOUND: THE JOEL M. REED STORY is expected to be released sometime this year. The NSFW trailer can be seen below.
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