House of Blood, Vampire Monsters vs. Convicts

In the age old battle between vampire monsters and convicts, the vampire fiends will win again. No surprise there, but in 2006's "House of Blood" (aka "Chain Reaction") this conflict isn't really what the film is about. Too bad, the real story is hardly as dramatic. Don't fret, this film is still a worthwhile take. Whatever the themes and plot of this work are, the appeal of "House of Blood" is some great gore.  Decapitations, severed limbs, internal organs pulled out, and some amputations will warm your heart. Oh yes, one more point of introduction. Critics pan this film because of the acting. I guess that's fair, but keep in mind, this film was made in Austria with Austrians trying to act like hardened American criminals.

A doctor is in a head on collision with a prison bus. In the ensuing carnage, four prisoners dis-arm the guards, execute them in gory fashion, and take Dr. Madsen (Christopher Kriesa) hostage. The four psychos tell the doctor that they will let him live if he keeps a wounded prisoner, Spence (Luca Maric) alive. Madsen agrees but lets the gang leader, Arthur (Simon Newby) know that Spence's arm needs to be amputated. The four, plus the doctor, head toward the Canadian border and find a weird house in the wilderness.

Now, more fun begins. Yep, the convicts invade the house and find eight really weird people. The doctor enlists the help of Alice (Martina Ittenbach) to amputate Spence's arm. After the residents eat the severed arm, Arthur goes crazy and the convicts execute the residents. The peeps don't stay dead and return to life as vampires and pull off the heads and rip out the internal organs of the convicts, and Alice helps Madsen escape. Guess what! We aren't even half way through the film. What follows is more of the same and a hint that the doctor may have some connection to the house and the monsters inside. More decapitations and people being ripped apart, and oh yes...more amputations await.

What is the doctor's connection to the monsters? Why is vampire-monster Alice so eager to save the doctor? Does this film represent Austria's far right movement's ideas for criminal justice? Gory and interesting, this film has a lot of detractors. As far as the assertion that the acting is horrible in this film...well...the acting here is better than any effort given by Megan Fox or Ben Affleck. For some great gore and mean vampire fiends, check out "House of Blood" (directed by Olaf Ittenbach).