Blood Freak, Turkeyman vs. Marijuana

As the 1960s became history, the fight against illegal drug use shifted into high gear.  Even before President Nixon created the DEA, a half human, half turkey being was already on the fight.  Alcohol, pot, LSD, and even regular cigarettes...all of them...poison (according to our film today)!  Perhaps the quirkiest anti-drug effort in U.S. history, 1972 "Blood Freak" seems to be a hippie response to a seedy side of hippy culture. Filled with pre-marital sex, nudity and gore, this low-budget goody earned an X rating from a very judgmental MPAA.

Poor Herschell (Steve Hawkes).  He is a semi-clean cut schmuck trying to walk a noble path.  When the sultry Angel (Heather Hughes) breaks down on the side of the road, our good motorcyclist comes to her aid.  Angel is all Christian and quite the evangelist. She invites Herschell home and finds him a job at a turkey farm.  Uh oh, Angel's addict sister, Ann (Dana Cullivan) has a case of sister rivalry and goes after Herschell.  When Herschell rejects her, Ann gets him addicted to pot.  Now Herschell is hooked on marijuana, Ann, and Ann's supplier.  The next day, the poor schmuck shows up for work at a turkey farm.  The scientists at the farm ask Herschell to eat the turkeys they injected with a chemical to make them bigger and tastier.  A hungry Herschell chows down.  After convulsing, he wakes up with a turkey head and thirsting for the blood of nubile babes.

Now a monster turkey-man, our schmuck grabs some great looking babes, hangs them upside down, slits their throats, and drinks their blood.  He attempts to see Ann, who at first is horrified, then she has pre-marital sex with him.  Not wanting to hurt Ann, Herschell runs off to feed on more babes.  As Ann enlists the help of mind numbed users to stop her mutant boyfriend, Herscell gets more violent and sadistic.

Where will the carnage end?  Is our turkey-man a hero or a monster?  Can a half man, half turkey find love in a world of free sex?  Has our turkey-man evolved into a crass metaphor for the Nixon Administration and the DEA?  The actresses are beautiful, the gore is spurting, and f/x are quite hokey in this B movie which can be found on YouTube.  If you have been thirsting for a Thanksgiving horror film, "Blood Freak" is it!