The optimist in me likes to believe that every cheap and low-rated horror movie must at least have one good reason to give it a chance! In case of "Bloody Movie" (or "Terror Night", if you prefer), there are several reasons, but the most obvious one is the massive time lapse between the wrap of production (in 1987) and the inconspicuous release (in 2004). The simple fact that the film remained shelved for nearly 20 years, allegedly due to issues regarding the legal rights of the used stock footage, already makes it intriguing enough for avid horror geeks to seek it out. It also means that, since "Bloody Movie" features a lot of ageing cult/horror actors in small cameo roles, practically half of the entire cast was already dead by the time the film finally saw the light of day officially; - including the uncredited co-director André de Toth!
That's interesting, to say the least, but even if you don't have a bizarre fetish for weird trivia, "Bloody Movie" is a fun, gory and surprisingly original slice of typical 80s horror. The basic premise of an actual (horror) film star going berserk and embarking on an actual killing spree has perhaps been done before ("Theater of Blood", "Frightmare", "Fade to Black", ...) but "Bloody Movie" definitely adds something unique. The killer - Lance Hayworth - is supposedly a 90-year-old idol from the silent film era, who mysteriously vanished 20 years ago already, but returned now that real estate sharks are planning to knock down his old but prestigious Hollywood mansion. Unfortunately for them, six youngsters and a horny biker couple also decided to perpetrate into Hayworth's old house the same night.
The murders are, apart from delightfully gruesome, very creative because each of them is meant to be a homage to one of Hayworth's silent film classics. He thus uses a variety of awesome weapons (spears, spikes, bow & arrow, picket fences, ...) and the murders are interspersed with stock footage and clips from old swashbuckler films, which I personally thought was a nice touch. The names of the B-movie legends in the cast are attractive, but don't be misled. Cameron Mitchell, for instance, is in the film for exactly three minutes (between minute 1h09 - 1h12) and also the appearances of Aldo Ray, Dan "Grizzly Addams" Haggerty, and Alan Hale Jr. are extremely brief. Even John Ireland, as the culprit, only steps in during the third act of the film and he's barely recognizable. One cast member who does show herself prominently, on the other hand, is the gorgeous Michelle Bauer with a long and joyfully gratuitous full-frontal nudity scene! Her ravishing body, the catchy opening song and the fair amount of good 80s gore make "Bloody Movie" a worthwhile and recommendable slasher!
