Flesh Feast (1970)

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

How sad is this?

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Like Joan Crawford and TROG, FLESH FEAST was the swansong for former Hollywood starlet Veronica Lake, here aged beyond recognition and reduced to playing a mad scientist role in the tale of an anti-ageing treatment - administered via maggots, no less - which is hijacked by a group of Neo Nazis. The twist, of course, is that the film's reveal involves the body of Adolf Hitler, brought back to unceremonious life for the big twist climax. Unfortunately, this film is so cheaply made that the only reaction the viewer has to it is to laugh at it. It's inept throughout, badly scripted and acted, with the effects limited to cruddy make-up and rice standing in from the maggots. Even bad movie lovers will be hard-pressed to enjoy this one.

Brad Grinter's other claim to fame was BLOOD FREAK, about a bloodthirsty turkey-monster. Chris Martell previously appeared in THE GRUESOME TWOSOME, then co-starred with Phil Philbin in SCREAM BABY SCREAM. Apparently those films weren't bad enough so these guys collaborated on this Grade-Z stinker, co-produced by none other than Veronica Lake. Veronica plays a crazed plastic surgeon who uses hungry maggots for dermabrasion. She's also seeking revenge on a "mystery patient" whose identity is revealed at the end. (HINT: This mystery patient ruled Germany during World War II.) This grungy premise, which should have grossed out drive-in audiences everywhere, is undermined by insane dialog, risible acting and hysterical production gaffes. A lab assistant cuts through a corpse's tendon and a noise like wood being sawed is heard on the soundtrack. Another character blunders into a room festooned with pale body parts hanging from the ceiling; she actually has to bump into a hacked-up torso before noticing anything wrong. I've read about a scene where Lake spouts a patriotic wartime speech directly into the camera; thankfully, it's been cut from every video version I've seen. Veronica was a diner waitress prior to doing this picture. After waiting on the public, she probably considered working with maggots a pleasant chore by comparison.

I'm always game for low budget films of any genre because every now and again you run across a gem. "Detour" has popped up as a noir masterpiece and "Night of the Living Dead" has become a cult classic. So maybe "Flesh Feast" would be worth a look. That was my first mistake.It appears that there is not much story line and what there is makes no sense...maggots that chomp on your face and reverse the aging process....huh?? And then Adolph Hitler pops up. But besides this weak premise, there is absolutely nothing to recommend about this film. It appears to be shot in somebody's basement with an old Bell and Howell home movie camera. The acting of all involved is atrocious which leads me to Veronica Lake.I realize that Miss Lake was down on her luck and had alcohol and mental problems but was it so bad that she had to end her career with this horror? I don't have to review her career from the 1940s and her wonderful films with Alan Ladd. She was the pin-up girl with the hair to die for. Her descent into oblivion really started when she cut her peekaboo hair and it was suddenly revealed that she really wasn't quite as beautiful as she appeared. Since her stardom depended upon her looks rather than her talent, it was all down hill. Luckily, many of her fans don't even know that this film exists and it is just as well. To see her fall to these depths is so very sad. She was such a treasure of her time.Avoid this film at all costs. It has no redeeming qualities and will only depress you to see Miss Lake hitting bottom.

Without a doubt one of the most attractive and seductive ladies of the silver screen was Veronica Lake. She had a distinctive look and a distinctive quality that few actresses were ever able to duplicate. With such landmark films as Sullivan's Travels, The Glass Key, The Blue Dahlia, and This Gun for Hire under her belt, Veronica was a a star of epic proportions, and then things fell apart. She made a string of poorly conceived and received films, spiraled into the dark world of alcoholism and faded into obscurity. She died in the early 70's at the age of 53 from hepatitis. The 4'11 blonde bombshell reduced to an obscure reminder of a faded glory. Before her unfortunately uneventful death, Veronica made one last film in 1970 called Flesh Feast. The premise for Flesh Feast is as follows: a female doctor once connected with the Third Reich has developed a way to make men look younger through a treatment of using maggots, that have fed on human flesh, applied to their face. Intrigue abounds as former Nazis(strangely most of them having fake Italian accents)congregate in this home where science is buzzing with new scientific progress. The doctor and her espionage friends are waiting for Mr. Big to come. Well, to tell you any more would ruin the inane ending. It certainly is a very poorly crafted story. The film is poorly made on so many levels. You know you are in trouble when the name of the actor with top billing AFTER Ms. Lake is named Phil Philbin. I laughed for minutes seeing just his name and knew where this film was going: no where. There is almost no blood in this film. There are no scary moments. There is no suspense. The film seems to be nothing more than a few guys getting together in Florida with a personal movie camera and shooting the film. Of course it is the presence of Veronica Lake that is being sold. She had not made a movie at this time in five years and only one in the last ten years. It seems that alcohol had become such a part of her life that she was once found as a barmaid in a hotel. Ms. Lake gives a stilted performance at best, but clearly has more talent than anyone involved in front or behind the camera. The director shows her in those old woman pant suits so fashionable then...and now...and never tries to copy the common sense of Ms. Lake's previous directors. When your leading lady is 4'11, you just don't shoot wide shots that make her look like an aged midget against the backdrop of everything and everyone. Veronica has put some weight on and her face is a bit pudgy, but you can tell it is her. She still has that sparkle in her eyes. Although the movie is God awful in almost every way, it certainly should be seen for its value as a cinematic oddity. It is one of the rare chances of seeing a star that burned out... to soon. Fortunately for me, I shall always remember Ms. Lake for her films with Alan Ladd. They were Veronica Lake at her best. But I will remember Flesh Feast as well. It is not good nor horrifying, but a sad reminder what happened to such a wonderful actress.