BLOOD RAGE is a fun '80s American slasher shot in Florida. The whole thing plays out as a special effects showcase in much the same way as a Friday the 13th sequel; there's zero time for plotting or characterisation, just one brutal kill following another. The movie was made in 1983 but not released for four years, although it's hard to see why it took so long; the effects are good enough to make this stand alongside the genre classics of the decade.
The story begins with a HALLOWEEN-style opening in which a kid bumps off a fornicating couple in a car in an extremely grisly fashion. It then cuts forward ten years when the killer escapes from an asylum to go on a rampage, but there's a twist: he has a twin brother. Cue lots of mistaken identity and at least one decent plot twist. Otherwise the characters are all dumb, token stereotypes, and random shower scenes are included for the nudity.
In the end, though, this is all about the gore and the blood really does flow freely here. Human bodies are impaled in various nasty ways and it all plays out in a realistic, occasionally rubbery fashion. The half body and hanging head are the stand-out effects, but really all of it is decent and it makes you eager to see what the FX technicians are going to deliver up for the next kill. BLOOD RAGE will win no awards for cinematic quality but slasher fans will find it a hoot, and at least it's never dull.
The story begins with a HALLOWEEN-style opening in which a kid bumps off a fornicating couple in a car in an extremely grisly fashion. It then cuts forward ten years when the killer escapes from an asylum to go on a rampage, but there's a twist: he has a twin brother. Cue lots of mistaken identity and at least one decent plot twist. Otherwise the characters are all dumb, token stereotypes, and random shower scenes are included for the nudity.
In the end, though, this is all about the gore and the blood really does flow freely here. Human bodies are impaled in various nasty ways and it all plays out in a realistic, occasionally rubbery fashion. The half body and hanging head are the stand-out effects, but really all of it is decent and it makes you eager to see what the FX technicians are going to deliver up for the next kill. BLOOD RAGE will win no awards for cinematic quality but slasher fans will find it a hoot, and at least it's never dull.