Review #350: 'Blood, Boobs & Beast' (2007)

For any budding young film-makers desperately trying to scrape together funding and willing actors to make a low budget horror/sci-fi film, then there is one rule they must follow. The film must contains the three B's - blood, boobs, and a beast. These elements are what audiences think they want, and ultimately go for, especially in the straight-to-video market. It is also what television companies look for when buying late night cheapies to show to the drunken and the stoned. Cult film-maker Don Dohler has followed these rules, and although it hasn't exactly brought him financial success, he has enjoyed a steady output since 1978's The Alien Factor.

Blood, Boobs & Beast is a love-letter to low-budget film-making, and its arguable that as much love and determination goes into these (usually very bad) films as any of the mainstream output. It briefly traces Dohler from his days working on an underground comic called WILD (a sort of MAD homage that had contributors from the likes of Jay Lynch and Art Spiegelman) to his work on the hugely influential Cinemagic Magazine, that gave guidelines on how to make home-made special effects and monster costumes (read by the likes of Tom Savini and J.J. Abrams).

While its a relatively poorly made documentary, it has plenty of heart, much like the work of Dohler. Director John Paul Kinhart clearly has a lot of love for his director, and its hard not to be moved as Dohler describes how the internet made him realise he has a dedicated fan-base. I just wish they hadn't included the two very annoying film geeks who think it's funny to recite lines from The Alien Factor while drinking beer. So, a must-see for B-movie fans, and an eye-opener to just how difficult it is to make a movie (it takes us throughout the development of Dead Hunt (2006)). The ending is extremely moving, as Dohler sadly developed cancer and passed away during the making of the film. I will certainly try and track down some of his films, however bad they look.


Directed by: John Paul Kinhart
Starring: Don Dohler
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie