Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat – 2002, US, 92m. Director: Herschell Gordon Lewis.
City of Blood – 1987, South Africa, 93m. Director: Darrell Roodt.
Spontaneous Combustion – 1990, US, 97m, 127m (rough cut). Director: Tobe Hooper.
BLOOD FEAST 2: ALL U CAN EAT (2002) Nearly forty years after he “revolutionized” the modern splatter movie with Blood Feast, Herschell Gordon Lewis returned with this absurd sequel about the grandson (J.P. Delahoussaye) of Fuad Ramses—the psycho killer from the 1963 film—aptly named Fuad Ramses III. How’s that for continuity? Young Fuad resurrects his grandfather’s catering company and, naturally, becomes possessed by the diabolical spirit of Ishtar, the Egyptian god to whom Fuad the First was sacrificing most of Miami’s nubile young women. Lewis manages to capture the overzealous spirit of the original and offers up several gore-drenched laughs throughout. Unlike the first Blood Feast (which was unintentionally campy), this sequel packs on the gaudy splatstick with such vigor audiences can’t help but view it as nothing more than enjoyable garbage. Despite its poverty row production values, Blood Feast 2 would make a fun double feature with the equally ridiculous Blood Diner, which itself is a send-up of Lewis’s work. B– (Currently not streaming.)
CITY OF BLOOD (1987) After a brief and confusing prologue—a man is pursued by the malevolent spirit of some sort of masked tribesman in a scene that was obviously inspired by The Evil Dead—we’re introduced to rundown medical examiner Henderson (Joe Stewardson), who gets involved in the investigation of a series of prostitute murders in Johannesburg, South Africa. Those victims were also stalked and slaughtered by ghostly tribal persons in masks and wielding spears. Meanwhile, a prominent Black activist is accidentally murdered by the police. To keep protestors from rioting, the government uses Henderson’s death certificate to suggest the man died of a heart attack—but Henderson would rather be bedding a hooker he’s been pursuing as part of his investigation. What all of this has to do with anything is something you’ll have to endure 93 minutes to find out. The question is do you really want to? If I have any say in the matter, I would highly recommend not wasting a minute on this interminable snoozer. D+ (Currently streaming on Tubi.)
SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION (1990) All-American couple Brian and Peggy Jones participate in a government atomic weapons test project circa 1956—”Only You” by The Platters is playing on a background radio. But there’s a hitch: Peggy (Stacy Edwards) was pregnant during the last test and, come nine months later, produces a baby boy who can send nearby persons up in flames when he feels threatened. Thirty-something years later, the child is now a college teacher (Brad Dourif) who somehow doesn’t see a connection between his temper, constant migraines, and the fact people around him are burning to death under mysterious circumstances. Dourif eventually realizes he’s a ticking human time bomb when his rage culminates in his arm erupting in a geyser of blood and flames. Aside from a good performance by Dourif, there’s nothing particularly special about this Firestarter clone—the characters aren’t interesting, the story goes nowhere, and the pyrotechnical FX aren’t anything you haven’t seen a million times before. Another in a long line of disappointing post-Poltergeist films by Tobe Hooper. C (Currently not streaming.)