Blood Harvest (1987) Review

By TheHorrorFreak for Creepy

As if Tiny Tims creepy music wasnt frightening enough, why not dress him up as a clown and have him star in a cheesy 80s slasher. I wont even try to comprehend how the idea came about; however, Im glad that it did.

Blood Harvest is a 1987 slashed directed by Bill Rebane and starring Tiny Tim and Peter Krause. It follows young Jill (portrayed by Itonia Salchek) as she returns home from University only to discover her parents are missing.

As strange as this may sound Tiny Tims performance as Mervo the clown is perhaps the only good thing about the film. Its captivating enough to keep you entertained and, although its borderline ridiculous, it sort of works.

Theres something weirdly enticing about Tims presence, which translates very well on screen. He is creepy yet vulnerable and real at the same time, which cant be said about any of the other characters.

The lead, for example, fails to impress with her performance, which feels underwhelming and all over the place at times. Its clear she wasnt experienced in the field so its no surprise this was her only ever role.

Plot-wise, theres nothing innovative that Blood Harvest brings to the table. Its just another slasher destined to be forever lost in the sea of much superior films.

Sure, the film attempts a plot-twist; however, any sane person with a little film knowledge can work out who the killer is long before the big reveal.

The one thing that drags the film down the most is the use of nudity throughout. Theres absolutely nothing wrong with a little nudity, as long as it drives the plot forward, unfortunately this is not the case here. Perhaps if more focus was placed on creating a captivating story rather than trying to throw as many nude shots into each scene as possible, the movie would have turned out differently.

At times Blood Harvest feels a little slow with unnecessary dialogue slowing the plot down. This doesnt help the fact that the films isnt original enough to stand out on its own.

What could have made Blood Harvest a true classic and a hidden-gem is a little humour. The film takes itself way too seriously and a little comedy would give it a little more character and substance.

If you're a fan of Tiny Tim give Blood Harvest a watch, otherwise only watch it when you have a few hours to kill and nothing better to do. Tims performance will keep you interested; however, thats about the only thing that stands out about the film. 

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