I Drink Your Blood aka Hydrophobia

DISCLAIMER - My blog is an attempt to show respect to films some small minded, intellectually dishonest hipsters automatically label "bad". There is NO film I discuss here that I believe to be bad at all.  The title of the blog comes from a discussion that took place some years ago when I was trying to explain the appeal of these films. The title is not meant to suggest I think these films are bad in the least.  Remember - ART IS ART!

In August 1969, followers of Charles Manson committed the brutal Tate-LaBianca murders. The sheer violence of the murders shocked people in the United States and around the world. The older generations, having fought in Europe and Asia, or worked in the factories to ensure a successful conclusion to the war, might have thought the world had gone to hell in a handbasket when the Beat Generation was on the rise. But, the hippies caused consternation for many. And it wasn't just the antics of the summer of love, or even the Manson murders that created anxiety.

A year prior to the Manson murders, a young couple was murdered in San Francisco and a similar attack occurred a year later, this time leaving one survivor. However, after the second attack, the killer phoned law enforcement to make them aware of the attack and to claim responsibility for the earlier murders. What followed was an extensive investigation coupled with bizarre phone calls and letters that opened with "this is the Zodiac speaking."

But, the violence of the era wasn't relegated to charismatic cult leaders and serial killers. Campus violence between students and law enforcement accelerated during the years 1968 and 1969 as the Vietnam War raged on and the Civil Rights movement gained traction. And in December 1969, the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, an event where Hell's Angeles provided the "security" saw the death of Meredith Hunter. Hunter was stabbed to death while the Rolling Stones were on stage. This violent act affected both old and young. To the older generation, it seemed proof that the nation's rebellious youth had gone entirely mad. For the young, the violence at Altamont, so different from Woodstock, that it was perceived to be the death of the Woodstock nation.

While Hollywood, still under the sway of the Old Guard, was hardly a reflection of the concerns of both the younger and older generations, new voices were beginning to make their way into the Hollywood creative process. From 1955 until 1995, the more accurate mirror reflecting society was always the genre film. Perhaps, nothing explains the term exploitation better than the understanding that low-budget genre films were exploiting the fears of the nation by reflecting the concerns, trauma and desires of movie goers during this peak time in American low-budget cinema.

Into this turbulent and transitional time in the United States and the film industry enters David Durston, a Pennsylvania native who appeared on stage and radio, and then made the transition to television as a writer and producer. In time, Durston migrated from television to film, and with some pictures under his belt, he was contacted by the head of Cinemation Industries, Jerry Gross. At the time, Durston had written a screenplay he called "Phobia" based on a story he'd heard about a small village in Iraq where rabies had spread due to the attack of rabid wolves at a small school. Serendipitously, Durston was contacted by Jerry Gross, who asked Durston to make a film that "goes for the jugular." There was one caveat - the film could not have any vampires, werewolves, little green men, etc. Essentially, the film needed to be entirely original, not a retread of the same tired subjects that had consumed horror films for generations.

Durston embraced the opportunity to do something that had never been seen before and took Gross' "Go for the jugular" to heart. The Manson murders and the violence so prevalent in some parts of the country in mind, Durston rewrote the film Phobia to include a group of Satanic hippies, with Charismatic leader Horace Bones calling the shots. Phobia would be a four-week shoot in the mostly abandoned town of Sharon Springs, New York. The cast would include: 

Horace Bones - Bhaskar Roy Chodhury (but credited on screen as Bhaskar)

Sue-Lin - Jadin Wong (but credited on screen as Jadine Wong)

Molly - Rhonda Fultz (but credited on screen as Ronda Fultz)

Rollo - George Patterson

Carrie - Lynn Lowry (but uncredited)

Pete Banner - Riley Mills

Syliva Banner - Arlene Farber (but uncredited)

Roger Davis - John Damon

Mildred Nash - Elizabeth Marner-Brooks

Doc Banner - Richard Bowler

Andy - Tyde Kierney

Dr. Oakes - David Durston

Let's look at some of the cast members before getting to the film's plot.

The extraordinary actor and dancer Bhaskar Roy Chowdhury died in 2003, and suffered a tragic fall on stage on October 25th, 1977 which resulted in his being wheelchair bound for the remainder of his life. I can't imagine making dance your life's work only to suffer that fate. There is a video you can find, which I believe is from the original DVD release of I Drink Your Blood, of Durston in Bhaskar's New York apartment watching the film. And while I feel Durston talks over him a bit, his voice sounded unchanged and he seemed to be happy.

Actress Jadin Wong died in New York city in 2010 but was working as late as 2006 when she appeared in Steve Martin's version of The Pink Panther. In addition to acting, she was a casting associate on Memoirs of a Geisha, The Pink Panther and Little Fockers. An impressive career that started as a dancer in 1939's Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation.

The actress Ronda Fultz plays Molly and she has this angelic face that seems so contradictory in the film. In the picture she is pregnant with Horace's child, although Horace seems to have little interest. Ms. Fultz also appeared in the film In Cold Blood, but made only one other film after I Drink Your Blood. I have found an article and a video, both from 2019 of interviews with her and I'm glad she is getting the attention she deserves Interview with Ronda Fultz On a side note, in the special edition Blu-ray, Durston notes that he got the actress to cry for a scene by making fun of her weight. I was dismayed to hear him say that, and say it with such little concern. I know some film fans idolize Kubrick, but I think the Kubrick treatment of degrading actors is not something that should be admired or appreciated, even if you believe the result on the screen is worth it. Ok - rant over.

Riley Mills who played Pete was born...and died in Los Angeles at the age of 42 in 2001. IMDB indicates this film and a single episode of Family Affair are his only acting credits. 

Elizabeth Marner-Brooks would go on to appear in another cult classic genre film in 1983 when she appeared in The Deadly Spawn and is credited as Elissa Neil

And Alex Mann who portrayed Shelly and passed away in 2010 also maintained a profile in genre films appearing in pictures such as  Microwave Massacre and Malibu High.

You may notice the writer/director of this picture also appears in the film as Dr. Oakes. According to Durston, the actor he hired arrived on set drunk and heart broken as his wife had left him. Sadly, Durston felt he needed to send him back as he was certain the actor would be unable to perform, and with no other options, Durston himself stepped in and gets the privilege of uttering a line that usually makes people chuckle, although Durston has noted he doesn't understand where the humor is in the line.

And, one young actress was not in the cast initially. Lynn Lowery arrived at Durston's office after casting had been completed. But Durston was so smitten by the beautiful young Lowery, he created the part of a deaf mute so that he could include her in the film without making changes to the screenplay.

To Durston's surprise, he was left alone by Gross and Cinemation management during the bulk of the shoot. However, after four weeks of shooting, Durston was called back to Los Angeles to meet with Gross and the rest of management. This suddenly put the film behind schedule. This meant two weeks of pick up shots at a farm in New Jersey instead of the original filming location.

The plot of the film is fascinating and shooting in a virtually abandoned town allowed Durston to create an oppressive isolation. The film opens with Horace Bones conducting a Satanic ceremony. Durston explained in interviews that he knew a lady who practiced Satanism and she told him about the ceremonies which allowed him to emulate the dark practice fairly accurately. During the ceremony, it is discovered that a young lady from town, Sylvia,  is observing from the trees. We find out that she was invited by one of the group members named Andy. Horace is infuriated that Andy would invite an outsider to observe and members of the group attack her.

The next morning she is discovered brutalized (rape is only implied but never said) and barely able to walk by her little brother Pete and Mrs. Mildred Nash who runs the bakery in the dying town, mostly to provide goods to the construction crew working on the dam that will flood the town. She is taken home where her veterinarian grandfather looks after her. Mildred is convinced some of the construction workers building the nearby dam are responsible and asks her boyfriend Roger to help.

We find later that the cult members have taken up residence in the towns deserted and dilapidated hotel, and Sylvia's grandfather takes his shotgun to visit them and take revenge for what they've done to his granddaughter. However, Doc Banner lets the group get the better of him. He is beaten and is dosed with LSD. Pete comes to get his grandfather and by the time Pete gets him home, his grandfather is fully under the effects of the drug.

Pete has now seen this group attack both his sister and his grandfather and he determines he is the one who will settle the score. He takes the shotgun and begins to trek through the woods where he encounters a rabid dog. The dog charges to attack and Pete destroys the animal with a shotgun blast. Pete returns home and is asked by his sister what he has done and tells her he fired at a rabid dog. Later, Pete gathers supplies from his grandfathers office - rubber gloves and a large syringe. With these items in tow, Pete returns to the mad dog and draws a full syringe of blood from it. 

The next morning Pete arrives at the bakery and tells Mildred that Sylvia won't be in today (she was raped and beaten maybe 30 hours earlier, was she really supposed to be in the next day?) but he can help with chores. Pete tells Mildred she may need to bake some more meat pies as the hippies will be in soon and will be hungry. Mildred agrees and when she returns to the back, Pete injects the goods on the counter with the blood of the rabid dog.

Just as Pete finishes, three of the group arrive and he sells them the tainted goods.

To see what happens next, you should check out the film.

Director Durston and star Tyde Kierney arrived at a theater to see the premiere of the film, but to their dismay they do not see the film Phobia showing, only a picture called I Drink Your Blood. As it turns out, possibly the most Hollywood thing that could happen, had happened. Gross had purchased film shot in Florida in 1964 titled Caribbean Adventure, a title used to hide from possible investors in the film that it was actually a zombie picture. The film was in the can by 1965 and was shopped around by different names such as Zombies, Zombie Bloodbath and Voodoo Bloodbath. All of the titles are funny if you've seen the film because, given its mid-60s production, it is likely one of the tamest zombie pictures ever produced. 

So, in 1971 Jerry Gross purchased the film and retitled the film to I Eat Your Skin and also retiled Phobia to I Drink Your Blood so he could distribute the pictures as a double-feature (still prevalent at drive-ins and even many cinemas). Durston says he was livid, and, of course, who could blame him. But, the name change would almost be the least of Durston's worries.

I Drink Your Blood received an X rating from the Motion Picture Association of America. The first film to be given that rating based on violence alone. By the time the rating was given, Gross and Cinemation had shipped the film to hundreds of theaters and drive-ins. But, many cities and towns had civil codes that forbade the showing of X-rated materials at local establishments, so the theater owners were calling Cinemation and telling them they would not be screening the picture. In a legendary move, Gross and other members of the Cinemation board began to call and wire the exhibitors and told them to have their projectionist cut the film down as they saw fit to what they believed an R rating would be in their area. This resulted in two distinct outcomes. First - the film was screened and disaster averted. But secondly, it means at the time, there was essentially 500 different versions of the film. You could see the film in different cities, and also see a drastically different film. It wasn't until the film was restored in total for home video that people fully understood how much of the film had been removed to meet requirements.

As I wrap this article up, I'd like to make a couple historical points about this film.

First, as upset as Durston was at the title change, I suspect he may have been appreciative of later in life. Why? Well, the film is good. The acting is solid as is the story. The ability to shoot in a near abandoned town provides a sense of loneliness and dread. But, I don't think the film would be remembered the way it is now, at least not be genre fans. I've purchased the double-feature on different mediums several times, I have a favorite t-shirt with the double-feature one sheet on it and I even have a refrigerator magnet to remind me of this film every time I grab a beer. In fact, from the name change to the X rating to projectionist cutting the picture - all of this is a glorious reminder of a film industry long gone. When small companies would gamble on lesser known directors and stars and still, one way or another, manage to get those films in to drive-ins and cinemas. Eventually film makers were at least happy to get their films into the video stores, but with the demise of small studios and the Mom and Pop video store - that version of Hollywood is gone. And it is never coming back.

Finally, although I do feel like the name change and the initial X-rating give the film some genre cred, I feel like I'd be remiss if I don't revisit how the film reflected a kind of madness that many in middle America thought was becoming the norm rather than the exception. Keep in mind that the cult members getting rabies is not what made them evil, it only made them MORE evil. And - spoiler here - even the construction workers who fall pray to hydrophobia are not good hearted blue collar Americans; they were drunken perverts. Hydrophobia didn't make them sexually aggressive and violent, it made them MORE of what they already were. Sylvia, Pete and Doc Banner had to fight back in violence, but only because they were confronted by violence. Some will see young Pete as a hero, some a villain. But, I see a young man who did something dreadful not because he was dreadful, but because he loved his family. 

Even the quiet fight back when cornered. 

Photos used under Fair Use