Comparison between the cut British VHS released by TARTAN (BBFC 18) and the uncut German DVD released by CMV

"Blood Feast" from the director Hershell Gordon Lewis is usually considered as the first film that brought intense splatter-scenes to the big screen (even though a certain Jose Mojica Marins was filming his bizarre "nightmares" at more or less the same time) but it is definitely a precursor to the countless exploitation flicks that were to follow.

With a low budget of around 24.500 US Dollars the movie has gained about 6.5 million Dollars by now. Being very controversial and breaking taboos at the time it is more unwillingly funny today. This is not just because of the poor plot and the easy to explain special effects but it is especially the awful actors that can be spotted reading their lines several times and usually do a lot overacting. Also some of the shots are extremely static and the camera does not move for several minutes (so it is not for the MTV generation).

However, as mentioned before you have to give the movie credit for showing so drastic images at the time and risking something completely new. And who knows. The film world of today might look completely different without the work of H.G. Lewis.

In the Britain of the 80ies the tape got on the list of the so called Video Nasties. It lasted until the new millennium that the label Tartan handed the film in to the BBFC that gave it an 18-Rating. However, a few cuts had to be made for that. But nowadays the movie has been released uncut.
In 2002 the movie was banned in Germany, as well.


Cut version = 66:35 min.
Uncut version = 66:56 min.

The end credits, or the song at the end are approximately 1 sec. longer in the video version

48:21 Shot of Fuad Ramses whipping the bound lady (gory wales on her back). The British version added a shot of the Goddess Ishtar. No time difference, lasting 2,7 sec. each.

CMV DVD	UK VHS

48:34 More scenes of Fuad whipping the woman and an insert of Ishtar.
14,4 sec.

48:36 Same here.
8,6 sec.