Five Bloody Graves(1970)/Nurse Sherri (1978) Double Feature
Review by the Film Fiend
Retro grindhouse/drive-in theater knock-offs seem to be all the rage these days, thanks in part, I think, to this year’s aptly-titled Rodriguez/Tarantino exploitation collaboration Grindhouse. It’s a strange thing to see, for sure, especially since you normally don’t find suburban housewives spouting phrases such as “I think I like grindhouse movies” to their underage children while renting stupid Ben Stiller videos on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Don’t get me wrong — I’m not some indie film snob who believes that mainstream acceptance will murder a thriving underground scene. I’m merely saying it’s weird, nothing more.
Not one to be outdone by their big league competitors, Retro-Shock-O-Rama has taken the liberty of dressing up their double feature DVD release of cult director Al Adamson’s Five Bloody Graves and Nurse Sherri in a cheap suit made of colorful drive-in theater promos. Both discs in this nifty set open with a nostalgic clip from this increasingly rare form of theatrical exhibition, which help to set the tone for the films that follow. On their own, I doubt these productions would hold much appeal outside of their established legion of devoted followers. However, released together as a kind of at-home drive-in experience, they work perfectly as a full-blown cross-over product, infiltrating the homes of newcomers who have crossed over into a seedy little neighborhood. Smart marketing goes a very long way.
Since neither entry in this enjoyable collection is really worth discussing for more than few brief moments, I’ve decided to combine the two into one cohesive review, something I’ve never attempted before. I generally don’t enjoy this sort of thing, especially since I’m a stickler for giving each film I encounter the proper individual attention it rightfully deserves. In this case, I’m willing to make an exception. And keeping in spirit with the double-feature theme of the DVD presentation, I’d hate to spoil the mood. I’m such an accommodating fellow, aren’t I?
First up is 1970’s Five Bloody Graves, a tender slice of western exploitation for those who crave such a hearty, stomach-churning breakfast. The setup is pretty basic — Indians attack white guys protecting busty chicks — and the execution is what you’d expect from a flick that portrays Native Americans as soulless bloody-thirsty killing machines with an almost demonic sense of humanity. While I did enjoy the film as a shallow 90-minute excuse for random debauchery, it’s definitely not one of my favorites. To be fair, I did decide to watch Five Bloody Graves less than 24 hours after consuming Sam Pekinpah’s revisionist western The Wild Bunch for the very first time. If adore dirty old westerns filled with curvy women and wanton violence, you’ll love every sleazy minute of it.
Next we have Nurse Sherri, also known as Hospital of Terror, Black Voodoo, and the Possession of Nurse Sherri. When a cult leader dies on the operating room table, meek and mild nurse Sherri Martin (Jill Jacobson) is promptly possessed by his spirit and forced to murder those responsible for his death. Though the premise is teeth-snappingly stale and its moral compass seems almost non-existent in this impossibly PC day and age, the film is still entertaining enough to warrant a strong recommendation. It’s a horrible example of what people working within the medium are capable of producing, of course, but the flick’s bargain basement production values and its piss poor acting will surely keep bad movie fans enthralled for the duration.
It’s also worth noting that Nurse Sherri comes in two tasty varieties. The theatrical version is essentially a cheap 70’s horror picture filled with busty girls and vengeful ghosts, the kind you’ve seen countless times before on late night TV. The so-called “lost” version, meanwhile, is more of a lame sexploitation comedy than an outright spookfest. If you don’t know which version you’re currently watching, ask yourself this question: Did I just see a handsome college lecturer get a softcore blowjob while addressing his students? Presto! The answer is revealed.
If you need to cleanse your palette of the aftertaste most summer blockbusters will leave in your infected mouth, The Al Adamson Double Feature is there to help guide you through your difficult time of popcorn-sucking despair. In keeping with the current trend, both films are presented within a superbly-realized retro landscape stuffed with drive-in theater ads, old trailers and Shock-O-Rama’s obvious respect for the material. They’ve always taken special care to give their fans what they want, not what some mindless company bozo thinks they want. Despite your initial impression of Al Adamson’s work, you have to give PopCinema credit for marketing these films in a way that stays true to their cinematic nature.
Just don’t let me catch you making out in the back seat.
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