Blood Rites
Encyclopedia
Blood Rites is a 1968 horror film
directed by Andy Milligan
.
informing them of their father's wish that they spend three nights in his house on an isolated island before his will can be read. They and their husbands William, Richard and Donald are met there by the two maids, Martha and Ruth, and a hunchback
named Colin whom the audience has already seen murdering two people at the beginning of the film. While helping with the luggage Colin becomes angry and catches and eats a live rabbit. The remains of the rabbit are later found in Veronica and William's bed, along with a note reading "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit."
Victoria and Robert find that someone has painted a large 'X' in blood on their bedroom door. Robert and Donald go downstairs to investigate, but Donald collapses after being drugged. Robert investigates the cellar and sees someone he recognises. Shortly afterward, Victoria finds his body hanging by the ankles on the stairs. The next morning, while discussing what happened, Ruth asks Martha if she had tied up Colin that night.
Colin attempts to tell Victoria something but is interrupted by Martha and sent to chop firewood in the cellar with Donald (who is given a leather strap to use on Colin). Donald finds a plank of wood with a bloody 'X' on it, but is attacked from behind, gagged and bound to a workbench before being disemboweled
and cut in two by a hooded figure.
At dinner, the guests ask about Donald and Elizabeth's whereabouts. When dinner is served, Elizabeth's severed head is in the serving dish.
William goes into the cellar to investigate and finds a box and a photograph. Colin steals the photo from him, however, and William is then attacked and killed with a pitchfork
by the hooded figure. Later, Martha finds Colin with the photo and realises what it means, but is killed with a hatchet. Colin tries to escape from the killer, but is set alight.
It is revealed that Ruth is in fact the fourth and eldest sister, and she had planned to kill the others and blame Colin so that she could claim the inheritance. Colin is still alive, however, and pushes her down the stairs, causing her hatchet to bury itself in her head. The two remaining sisters, Veronica and Victoria, are left staring in disbelief.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
directed by Andy Milligan
Andy Milligan
Andy Milligan was an American playwright, screenwriter, cinematographer, actor, film editor, producer, and director, whose work includes 27 films made between 1965 and 1988.-Biography:...
.
Plot
Three sisters, Veronica, Victoria and Elizabeth, receive letters from their late father's lawyerLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
informing them of their father's wish that they spend three nights in his house on an isolated island before his will can be read. They and their husbands William, Richard and Donald are met there by the two maids, Martha and Ruth, and a hunchback
Kyphosis
Kyphosis , also called roundback or Kelso's hunchback, is a condition of over-curvature of the thoracic vertebrae...
named Colin whom the audience has already seen murdering two people at the beginning of the film. While helping with the luggage Colin becomes angry and catches and eats a live rabbit. The remains of the rabbit are later found in Veronica and William's bed, along with a note reading "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit."
Victoria and Robert find that someone has painted a large 'X' in blood on their bedroom door. Robert and Donald go downstairs to investigate, but Donald collapses after being drugged. Robert investigates the cellar and sees someone he recognises. Shortly afterward, Victoria finds his body hanging by the ankles on the stairs. The next morning, while discussing what happened, Ruth asks Martha if she had tied up Colin that night.
Colin attempts to tell Victoria something but is interrupted by Martha and sent to chop firewood in the cellar with Donald (who is given a leather strap to use on Colin). Donald finds a plank of wood with a bloody 'X' on it, but is attacked from behind, gagged and bound to a workbench before being disemboweled
Disembowelment
Disembowelment is the removal of some or all of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract , usually through a horizontal incision made across the abdominal area. Disembowelment may result from an accident, but has also been used as a method of torture and execution...
and cut in two by a hooded figure.
At dinner, the guests ask about Donald and Elizabeth's whereabouts. When dinner is served, Elizabeth's severed head is in the serving dish.
William goes into the cellar to investigate and finds a box and a photograph. Colin steals the photo from him, however, and William is then attacked and killed with a pitchfork
Pitchfork
A pitchfork is an agricultural tool with a long handle and long, thin, widely separated pointed tines used to lift and pitch loose material, such as hay, leaves, grapes, dung or other agricultural materials. Pitchforks typically have two or three tines...
by the hooded figure. Later, Martha finds Colin with the photo and realises what it means, but is killed with a hatchet. Colin tries to escape from the killer, but is set alight.
It is revealed that Ruth is in fact the fourth and eldest sister, and she had planned to kill the others and blame Colin so that she could claim the inheritance. Colin is still alive, however, and pushes her down the stairs, causing her hatchet to bury itself in her head. The two remaining sisters, Veronica and Victoria, are left staring in disbelief.
Critical reception
Blood Rites appeared on the infamous Video Nasties list in the 1980s.Cast
- Veronica Radburn as Martha
- Maggie Rogers as Hattie
- Hal Borske as Colin Trask
- Anne Linden as Vicky
- Fib LaBlaque as Rich
- Carol Vogel as Liz
- Richard RomanusRichard RomanusRichard Romanus is an American actor of Lebanese descent. Among other roles, he has appeared in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets, and provided voices for Ralph Bakshi's animated films Wizards and Hey Good Lookin'. He played Lorraine Bracco's ex-husband, later husband again, in three episodes of The...
as Don - Eileen Hayes as Veronica
- Don WilliamsDon WilliamsDon Williams , is an American country singer, songwriter and a 2010 inductee to the Country Music Hall of Fame. He grew up in Portland, Texas, and graduated in 1958 from Gregory-Portland High School. After seven years with the folk-pop group Pozo-Seco Singers, he began his solo career in 1971,...
as Bill - Hal Sherwood as Walter
- Neil Flanagan as Lawyer Dobbs
- Ada McAllister as Ada
- Robert Adsit as Robert
External links
- Note* Blood Rites is also the name of the sixth Dresden Files novel by Jim ButcherJim ButcherJim Butcher is a New York Times Best Selling author most known for his contemporary fantasy book series The Dresden Files. He also wrote the Codex Alera series. Butcher grew up as the only son of his parents, and has two older sisters. He currently lives in Independence with his wife, Shannon K...
. - Note* Blood Rites is also the name of the first Dark Brothers of the Light novel by Janrae FrankJanrae FrankJanrae Frank is an American journalist, writer and editor known primarily for her work in science fiction and fantasy. She writes extensively on the subject of women and feminism in speculative fiction....
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