A pointless but entertaining medical horror outing, "Brain of Blood" is also a rare example of wholeness in the cinematic oeuvre of Al Adamson. This picture was filmed in one go, not chaotically stitched together like "Dracula vs. Frankenstein" or "Blood of Ghastly Horror." (As such, it may be a good introduction to Adamson's work for the uninitiated.) Fun cast, too: a virtual who's who of Adamson regulars (Kent Taylor, Regina Carrol, Vicki Volante, Angelo Rossitto, Zandor Vorkov, John Bloom, Richard Smedley), as well as Grant Williams ("The Incredible Shrinking Man") and former TV star Reed Hadley.
The intent, of course, was to create a sort of unofficial installment in the Filipino "Blood Island" series directed by Eddie Romero, but from the music cues to the agonizing closeups, this is unmistakably an Al Adamson/Sam Sherman production...which is precisely what I like about it. That the acid scars on the face of misshapen giant Gor (John Bloom) are obviously a combination of flesh-colored gauze and a novelty store bald cap is part of the no-budget charm. (It'll drive you crazy if you're measuring this film against "Citizen Kane," but why would you do that?) Occasionally it seems as if the characters are just performing random actions until the scene is over, so be prepared for a few jarring instances of dead air. Near the end, there's a surprisingly touching conversation between earnest hero Grant Williams and dungeon escapee Vicki Volante; it's somewhat corny yet awkwardly believable, humanizing characters who otherwise were merely cartoonish.
"Brain of Blood" isn't scary, but you won't get bored: there's a lot of movement and violent action, including the obligatory Adamson car crash. It's consistently entertaining and will, to some extent, appeal to viewers who aren't fans of Adamson (or of horror movies in general).
The intent, of course, was to create a sort of unofficial installment in the Filipino "Blood Island" series directed by Eddie Romero, but from the music cues to the agonizing closeups, this is unmistakably an Al Adamson/Sam Sherman production...which is precisely what I like about it. That the acid scars on the face of misshapen giant Gor (John Bloom) are obviously a combination of flesh-colored gauze and a novelty store bald cap is part of the no-budget charm. (It'll drive you crazy if you're measuring this film against "Citizen Kane," but why would you do that?) Occasionally it seems as if the characters are just performing random actions until the scene is over, so be prepared for a few jarring instances of dead air. Near the end, there's a surprisingly touching conversation between earnest hero Grant Williams and dungeon escapee Vicki Volante; it's somewhat corny yet awkwardly believable, humanizing characters who otherwise were merely cartoonish.
"Brain of Blood" isn't scary, but you won't get bored: there's a lot of movement and violent action, including the obligatory Adamson car crash. It's consistently entertaining and will, to some extent, appeal to viewers who aren't fans of Adamson (or of horror movies in general).