Bloodlust, 1992

Bloodlust is one of the few Australian vampire films we have watched, so we'd like to be able to recommend it. But we can't, because it is dreadful. So bad that it almost makes it into the Sandpaper Your Eyeballs, or ... category.

It contains some of the worst acting we have seen and the worst fake-American accents we have heard; and the appalling acting is made even worse by an awful script. Then there is the obviously very low-budget production values. If it wasn’t for Thirst (1979) this film would be enough to turn us off Australian vampire films forever.

We have endured already, and to some extent enjoyed, quite low-budget films like Mrs. Amworth (2006) and Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (2001). But these films are engaging while Blood Lust just falls flat on its fangs.

Part of what makes the film so unenjoyable to watch is the systematic misogyny of the men in the film: the cops, the gangsters, the rapist petrol-bowser boy! The good news is that they do all meet very bad ends: divine justice is served, but the justice is neither adequately detailed or gruesome for us—or in true rape/revenge form—to be truly satisfied.

The general plot is that three vampire buddies, two chicks and a guy, are bored with living in Melbourne, so they decide to leave. Before going they plan an all-guns-blazing heist of the local illegal casino. Having got away with the money they are relentlessly pursed by the gangsters, two cops (who single-handily make this film the dross it is!) and a mad priest and his minions wielding stakes and crosses.

The film does have some interesting features. The curvaceous blonde vamp ("Frank," played by Kelly Chapman), for one, whose acting is almost as good as her latex costume, despite the awful script. And the rampaging mad priest ("Brother Bem," played by Phil Motherwell) is also quite disturbing, and convincing in his frenzied way.

The treatment of vampire conventions in this otherwise worthless film is mildly interesting. Vamps have no thrall or super strength and, it seems, no wealth. They fight with guns, and they steal money when they need it. More commonly vamps either don’t have to fight, because they have minions do it for them, or they have such wonderful magical/supernatural abilities that they simply crush/destroy their human opponents. Also, vamps are either very rich or seemingly unconcerned about such mundane matters as money. Here, they steal guns, money etc., just like poor, petty criminals.

Fangs are also absent from this vamps, although this not so uncommon for the genre. And crosses and sunlight don't seem to be a problem either for these inner-city dwelling fang-masters.

A review of this film, and screen caps, appears on Taleisin's Vamp Movie Reviews. Taleisin rated it 2.5 out of 10. Seems generous to us.