(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s Letterbxd.com page citation:
“Four-part anthology horror film, with segments featuring witchcraft, ghosts, Frankenstein and his monster, and ancient Christians battling Celtic vampires.”
As I’ve often said, I have a fondness for anthologies, both theatrical and small screen.
What I think such a format uniquely offers is the chance for storytellers to basically present what I call ‘short stories’ – as opposed to a motion picture’s comparison to a full novel – and, thus, these vignettes can provide a great bit of adrenaline to whatever yarn the producers are trying to spin. Because they’re shorter, we get to the good stuff quicker, and this usually forces the on-screen talent to both find their respective marks and hit them earlier as opposed to later, strengthening the concoction for all involved. While I’d agree that sometimes the brevity makes for a curious finale, I’ve more often found these experiences to be more interesting for investing in the tight economy of dispersing all of the who’s, what’s, where’s, when’s, and why’s at a feverish pace. When they’re done right, they’re generally something special … and even when they’re done poorly the upside is that – if you’ve provided two or three or four stories – there’s often a ‘keeper’ in the bunch.
Now, that isn’t always the case. When anthologies are crafted for theatrical or a longer-form release, I give props to those studios that go to greater lengths to ensure that there’s some common linkage between the separate chapters. This modest bridging gives the whole piece the added flavor of being one complete tale even though the characters and settings may only align superficially with each other. If the pieces, instead, go off in wildly different diversions, then the project truly risks disenfranchising the most ardent fans because there’s little pay-off to presenting them in one, simultaneously package.
That said, 1971’s Cake Of Blood is a bit of a mixed bag, one that holds together reasonably around the simple fact that spilled blood – vividly dripping into small, glowing pools here and there – gets showcased distinctly in each of its four chapters.
The anthology opens with “Tarot,” a period Horror set in the year 1,000 A.D. In it, a nomadic knight wanders the countryside in search of … well, that doesn’t so much matter here as it’s never quite clear. Let’s just say that like a warrior in search of a mission he roams from place-to-place but only finds empty, lifeless places. Eventually, he stumbles across the ruins of a castle or a church (again, it’s unclear) wherein the body of what appears to be a dead woman has been laid out on a small altar. Nearby, he meets a quirky young boy, and they while away the time in curious exchanges although the man cannot take his mind off the woman. It isn’t long before she rises from the dead (perhaps a vampire and some demonic inspiration), only to pluck the man’s heart from his chest. The last scene pulls in for a close-up on said heart and a trail of blood.
From the film’s Letterbxd.com page citation:
“Four-part anthology horror film, with segments featuring witchcraft, ghosts, Frankenstein and his monster, and ancient Christians battling Celtic vampires.”
As I’ve often said, I have a fondness for anthologies, both theatrical and small screen.
What I think such a format uniquely offers is the chance for storytellers to basically present what I call ‘short stories’ – as opposed to a motion picture’s comparison to a full novel – and, thus, these vignettes can provide a great bit of adrenaline to whatever yarn the producers are trying to spin. Because they’re shorter, we get to the good stuff quicker, and this usually forces the on-screen talent to both find their respective marks and hit them earlier as opposed to later, strengthening the concoction for all involved. While I’d agree that sometimes the brevity makes for a curious finale, I’ve more often found these experiences to be more interesting for investing in the tight economy of dispersing all of the who’s, what’s, where’s, when’s, and why’s at a feverish pace. When they’re done right, they’re generally something special … and even when they’re done poorly the upside is that – if you’ve provided two or three or four stories – there’s often a ‘keeper’ in the bunch.
Now, that isn’t always the case. When anthologies are crafted for theatrical or a longer-form release, I give props to those studios that go to greater lengths to ensure that there’s some common linkage between the separate chapters. This modest bridging gives the whole piece the added flavor of being one complete tale even though the characters and settings may only align superficially with each other. If the pieces, instead, go off in wildly different diversions, then the project truly risks disenfranchising the most ardent fans because there’s little pay-off to presenting them in one, simultaneously package.
That said, 1971’s Cake Of Blood is a bit of a mixed bag, one that holds together reasonably around the simple fact that spilled blood – vividly dripping into small, glowing pools here and there – gets showcased distinctly in each of its four chapters.
The anthology opens with “Tarot,” a period Horror set in the year 1,000 A.D. In it, a nomadic knight wanders the countryside in search of … well, that doesn’t so much matter here as it’s never quite clear. Let’s just say that like a warrior in search of a mission he roams from place-to-place but only finds empty, lifeless places. Eventually, he stumbles across the ruins of a castle or a church (again, it’s unclear) wherein the body of what appears to be a dead woman has been laid out on a small altar. Nearby, he meets a quirky young boy, and they while away the time in curious exchanges although the man cannot take his mind off the woman. It isn’t long before she rises from the dead (perhaps a vampire and some demonic inspiration), only to pluck the man’s heart from his chest. The last scene pulls in for a close-up on said heart and a trail of blood.
Up next, writer/director Emilio Martínez Lázaro delivers his interpretation of “Victor Frankenstein,” a chronicle that really only picks up the basic framework of the Mary Shelley novel – that of a doctor creating a monster – and then spins it into a wildly different tale. In it, the dear doctor seemingly hates his family and has secluded himself with his monster – a rather good-looking though mute young male – only to be drawn back home over the impending death of his mother. The dying woman makes Victor promise to wed the beautiful Elizabeth, and he does, only to leave shortly thereafter while promising to send a man to ‘serve’ in his stead. Well, Victor sends in his creation, and – in true monster fashion – the beast basically loves and kills everyone. The last scene shows the doctor committing suicide in despair, and Frankie – mimicking his creator – follows suit.
Chapter Three is titled “Terror Among The Christians.” In it, a Roman gladiator and one of the disgraced nobles have fled persecution from the empire; and, together, they made their way into a forest with a reputation of being haunted by the dead of a recent slaughter. As you can imagine, it isn’t long before things get a bit supernatural, and the nameless soldier is the first victim of what appears to be blood-sucking creatures. As fate would have it, these vampires (of a sort) bite the nobleman, who succumbs to the virus and wages his own havoc before eventually reaches his own dark ending.
Lastly, Cake Of Blood closes with a bit called “The Dance, Or Emotional Survivals.” It’s a bizarre, at times surreal piece about a vagrant who gets talked into breaking and entering a nearby house wherein the beautiful occupant Ana (played by Romy) lives by herself. Once inside, the vagrant has his way with her while his co-conspirator makes his way about the home with his heavy footsteps punctuating the soundtrack for some time. As sometimes happens in home invasions, the vagrant kills the woman, only to then learn that his partner and the woman are now ghosts and the whole campaign was little more than an attempt to have them reunited in the afterlife.
As each of these stories was written, directed, and produced by their own respective teams, there isn’t a great deal of overlap in terms of the quality of the work. “Tarot” is, frankly, a confusing tale that goes nowhere while – in contrast – “Terror Among The Christians” benefits greatly from a great location and excellently spooky atmosphere (though it’s still a bit undercooked in the plot department). While “Victor Frankenstein” had the most involved storyline as well as the biggest cast, there’s still not a great amount of justification around what it was all intended to say about its relatively small world and the people who occupy it. “The Dance” also offers some wonderful visuals – the home’s interiors strongly suggest that none of this is real, hinting that it’s all a flight of fancy in the imagination of a homeless fellow – and it also reminds me a bit of the kind of storytelling that populated so much of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone or his later attempts with Night Gallery.
My issues with them aren’t really all that important because – again, being perfectly honest – there really isn’t a home run in the bunch. Each of them is a bit long if not a bit muddling, and none of them has what I’d point to and confirm was a great performance. So while they’re all united in some bloodletting here and there, they’re also unified in being largely forgettable for plenty of reasons. While a scene or two or a setting or even a costume might be impressive, Cake Of Blood is still mired in endless mediocrity … and that might just be a fate far worse than death itself.
Chapter Three is titled “Terror Among The Christians.” In it, a Roman gladiator and one of the disgraced nobles have fled persecution from the empire; and, together, they made their way into a forest with a reputation of being haunted by the dead of a recent slaughter. As you can imagine, it isn’t long before things get a bit supernatural, and the nameless soldier is the first victim of what appears to be blood-sucking creatures. As fate would have it, these vampires (of a sort) bite the nobleman, who succumbs to the virus and wages his own havoc before eventually reaches his own dark ending.
Lastly, Cake Of Blood closes with a bit called “The Dance, Or Emotional Survivals.” It’s a bizarre, at times surreal piece about a vagrant who gets talked into breaking and entering a nearby house wherein the beautiful occupant Ana (played by Romy) lives by herself. Once inside, the vagrant has his way with her while his co-conspirator makes his way about the home with his heavy footsteps punctuating the soundtrack for some time. As sometimes happens in home invasions, the vagrant kills the woman, only to then learn that his partner and the woman are now ghosts and the whole campaign was little more than an attempt to have them reunited in the afterlife.
As each of these stories was written, directed, and produced by their own respective teams, there isn’t a great deal of overlap in terms of the quality of the work. “Tarot” is, frankly, a confusing tale that goes nowhere while – in contrast – “Terror Among The Christians” benefits greatly from a great location and excellently spooky atmosphere (though it’s still a bit undercooked in the plot department). While “Victor Frankenstein” had the most involved storyline as well as the biggest cast, there’s still not a great amount of justification around what it was all intended to say about its relatively small world and the people who occupy it. “The Dance” also offers some wonderful visuals – the home’s interiors strongly suggest that none of this is real, hinting that it’s all a flight of fancy in the imagination of a homeless fellow – and it also reminds me a bit of the kind of storytelling that populated so much of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone or his later attempts with Night Gallery.
My issues with them aren’t really all that important because – again, being perfectly honest – there really isn’t a home run in the bunch. Each of them is a bit long if not a bit muddling, and none of them has what I’d point to and confirm was a great performance. So while they’re all united in some bloodletting here and there, they’re also unified in being largely forgettable for plenty of reasons. While a scene or two or a setting or even a costume might be impressive, Cake Of Blood is still mired in endless mediocrity … and that might just be a fate far worse than death itself.
Cake Of Blood (1971) was produced by Teide P.C. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Severin Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I thought that the provided sights-and-sounds were quite good: honestly, “Tarot” looked a bit better to me than did some of the others, but that could be because it was mostly shot outdoors with plenty of sunlight, making the colors pop whenever possible. Aesthetically, “Terror Among The Christians” created the best atmosphere for Horror purists as the nighttime cinematography was quite striking in a few spots. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Wow. The disc is actually loaded up nicely, and – for posterity’s sake – I’m doing the copy-and-paste from Blu-ray.com from Severin Film’s original press release:
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
My chief complaint here is that there’s no singular achievement in Cake Of Blood (1971). As I said, I like anthologies, but I do prefer that there be some unifying thread that ties individual chapters together. While there are some visual similarities, they just aren’t enough to warrant an explanation as to why anyone believed plunking these separate chills from entirely different eras into the same central project. That and a whole lot of ambiguity surrounding character motivations and spiritual connections made this one a bit of a slog as a whole, though I like tidbits in each one.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Severin Films provided me a complimentary Blu-ray of Cake Of Blood (1971) – as part of the Danza Macabra: Volume Three – The Spanish Gothic Collection – by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
- NEW 4K RESTORATION
- Audio Commentary With Rod Barnett Of NaschyCast And The Bloody Pit, And Dr. Adrian Smith, Co-Author Of Norman J. Warren: Gentleman of Terror
- My Generation – Interview With Actress Marisa Paredes
- I Just Wanted To Have Fun – Interview With Co-Director Jaime Chávarri
- To Whoever Wants To Watch – Interview With Actor José Lifante
- An Arthouse UFO – Appreciation By Ángel Sala, Head Of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival
- Audio: Spanish Mono / English Subtitles
- REGION-FREE
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
My chief complaint here is that there’s no singular achievement in Cake Of Blood (1971). As I said, I like anthologies, but I do prefer that there be some unifying thread that ties individual chapters together. While there are some visual similarities, they just aren’t enough to warrant an explanation as to why anyone believed plunking these separate chills from entirely different eras into the same central project. That and a whole lot of ambiguity surrounding character motivations and spiritual connections made this one a bit of a slog as a whole, though I like tidbits in each one.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Severin Films provided me a complimentary Blu-ray of Cake Of Blood (1971) – as part of the Danza Macabra: Volume Three – The Spanish Gothic Collection – by request for the expressed purposes of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
RSS Feed