Blood Song (1982)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Frankie Avalon is a psycho with a weird connection to a teenage girl in a leg brace. Well made psycho on the loose film is a cut above many other films of a similar type in the production and acting departments. Its clear why Avalon took the role since it allowed him to be more that the fun guy that Annette hung out with. He's a mean and ugly guy here. He's so good it might change your opinion of him. If there is a problem with the film its that it plays out like any number of other films that were made before and since. Granted its much more watchable than any of the other films in the genre, but at the same time it has a much too familiar feel to truly stand out as a great film. The best that I can say its one of the best of a rather weak collection of films, which unfortunately sells this film shorter than I should. Actually if you want to see a good psycho on the loose film see this one.

Bloodsong (a.k.a. Dream Slayer) is a rare and almost totally forgotten horror trash flick made during the 1980s' boom of slasher films. Don't get me wrong, though. I say trash in a good way; defining the genre rather than the quality. Because, in quality this movie is quite mediocre and, actually, not at all that bad as some would make it out to be. It's sleazy, but by no means a sleaze flick. It's violent only to and extent. It's bloody, but not too much. And, although it was not a t.v. movie, it sometimes has the feel of one. On top of all this mediocrity, there are some assets to Bloodsong. The acting and storyline are pretty good, there's plenty of cheap 80s style and substance, and it's the only film in which you can see former teen heart throb Frankie Avalon play a hatchet wielding psycho.Yes, you heard right. Frankie stars as Paul Foley, an escaped and homicidal mental patient, who prior to his liberation, supplied blood to a critically injured teenage girl brought to his hospital after a car wreck. The girl, Marion (played by Donna Wilkes), crippled but on her way to recovery at home, starts to have horrible visions of death both in dreams and awake. In other words, Paul's blood seems to have connected his mind to hers, making Marion an unwilling mental witness to his killing spree in which the murders always start off with him hauntingly playing a flute (hence, the title Bloodsong). Needless to say, it is inevitable that their paths will cross and it won't be nice.Although far from a classic, Bloodsong is pretty entertaining and not a complete waste of time. The killings are semi-graphic but, otherwise, fully slasher film certified. Avalon surprisingly creates a creepy and menacing character. Another plus is that the plot is embellished by the fact that poor disabled Marion has a father who is an abusive alcoholic who makes her out to be a slut and gives her hell every chance he gets. That sub-story is worthy of the trashiest Lifetime movie of the week. If I had to make a comparison, I'd say this film is a mix between John Carpenter's Halloween (only much cheaper and not on Halloween) and William Lustig's Maniac (only toned down and a lot less bloody). So, mediocrity aside, Bloodsong is worth at least one view by all 80s slasher aficionados. Frankie would appreciate it.

50's teen idol Frankie Avalon gives a surprisingly solid, credible and even fairly creepy performance as Paul, a crazed, murderous flute-playing mental patient who develops a psychic link with sweet gimpy teenage girl Marion (appealingly played by the adorable Donna Wilkes of "Jaws 2" and "Angel" fame) after his blood is used for an operation she undergoes. Pauls escapes from the asylum, steals a van, and drives cross country so he can meet Marion in person, bumping off a few folks along the way. Monty Turner's gratingly redundant droning synthesizer score tends to be more annoying than effective, but fortunately Alan J. Levi's able direction, Steve Posey's polished cinematography, some witty dialogue ("I've got a hangover that would make King Kong climb a wall"), a decent amount of gore, and the uniformly fine acting from an interesting cast are all up to par. A radically cast against type Avalon in particular has a field day with his juicy homicidal fruitcake part: Frankie plants a hatchet in a guy's face, strangles a hot young lady after making love to her, and, best of all, vigorously engages in a strenuous mano-a-mano no-holds-barred physical confrontation with veteran tough guy actor Richard Jaeckel (who's excellent as usual as Marion's stern, cranky, overbearing dad). Lenny Montana, the hit-man who winds up sleeping with the fishes in "The Godfather," served as a co-producer, co-wrote the script and pops up in a small supporting role as an amiable tugboat skipper. A fun little fright flick.

I had the opportunity to be an extra in this movie while in high school in North Bend, OR, where it was filmed. The staff of the film was unprofessional, to say the least, and the overall acting in the movie was sub-par, if not worse.Nichelle North was a very nice person as was the gentleman who played the part of the Sheriff. Frankie Avalon was not believable as a psychopathic killer on the loose. He should have stuck with his beach movies instead.