INVASION OF THE BLOOD FARMERS is another slice of grindhouse exploitation, shot in upstate New York and released back in 1972. It has something of a Romero vibe going on, but the story is pure schlock and the awful quality of the acting has to be seen to be believed; when Romero got fine performances from most of the cast in NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, you can't really cut these guys too much slack. The story, about reviving an ancient queen through blood harvesting, is slow and unfocused, and the cheesy gore and exploitation scenes a hoot. The best part is the druidic ritual of the climax, but for the most part this one's a bore.

Invasion of the Blood Farmers sure is a great title; shame that this trashy slice of '70s schlock doesn't live up to it. Written by Ed Adlum and Ed Kelleher, who also scripted the equally impressive sounding Shriek of the Mutilated (1974),IOTBF is nowhere near as much fun as it sounds, the wooden performances, clumsy direction (also by Adlum),dreadful editing, and dire script adding up to a rather painful 84 minutes of amateurish drivel.

The premise for the film is that a group of druids (known as the Sangroids) are abducting and killing people in their search for the blood-type that can revive their queen (Cynthia Fleming). Over the course of the movie, several victims are drained of their blood before the druids finally target pretty blonde Jenny Anderson (Tanna Hunter),daughter of scientist Roy Anderson (Norman Kelley); her blood turns out to be just the ticket, and it is up to fiancé Don Tucker (Bruce Detrick) to rescue his love from the druids before they can complete their ritual.

There is, admittedly, a little fun to be had from the film's sheer ineptitude: laughable scenes include Jim Carrey's tongue waggling death scene (no, not THAT Jim Carrey),the death of Jenny's dog Buster (the animal turns into a flokati rug as druid Agon kills it),and a rocky start for soon-to-be-dead newlyweds Mr. and Mrs. Greenman, hubby Milton opting to take a long shower rather than see to his young wife (Lucy Grant),who waits eagerly on the bed in sexy underwear. But as unintentionally funny as these moments are, they cannot adequately compensate for the lifelessness and shoddiness of everything else.

A deadly cult of redneck druids in upstate New York kill various folks for their blood in order to revive their long dormant queen so they can reclaim their former glory.

Boy, does this uproariously awful micro-budget schlock possess all the right wrong stuff to qualify as a real four-star stinkeroonie: Ham-fisted (mis)direction by Ed Adlum (who also co-wrote the ludicrous script with Ed Kelleher),an utterly ridiculous premise, lousy acting from a hopelessly lame no-name cast (Paul Craig Jennings in particular really hams it up to an obnoxious degree as preening and effeminate cult leader Creton),tacky gore, shoddy cinematography by Roberta Findlay, a meandering narrative that unfolds at a plodding pace, zero tension or creepy atmosphere, a cornball shrieking film library score, dreadful make-up (the various cult members look like they have talcum powder in their hair!),a stuffed animal substituted for a slain dog, and an astonishingly inept fiery climax. An absolute cruddy hoot.