Jill goes to college and drives back home to a small town to visit her parents. When she arrives at her parents' farmhouse, they have disappeared. She only meets her neighbor and ex-boyfriend Gary and his mentally handicapped brother Mervo, who likes to dress up as a clown. She learns that due to a financial crisis many farmers in the surrounding area had to close and mortgage their farm. Jill's father had to carry out the foreclosures as a banker and has been extremely unpopular in the area ever since. But Jill doesn't think much about it at first. She meets up with her friend Sarah and her new boyfriend Scott also comes along with his car. There is a mysterious series of murders where people disappear and are killed in a barn. Who is behind it?

In the course of the slasher wave of the 80s, Bill Rebane, who already brought us The Giant Spider Invasion or Rana: The Legend of Shadow Lake, shot his somewhat idiosyncratic genre contribution with Blood Harvest. In terms of content, we have the usual mix of T&A and a killer who kills his way through the actors one after the other. The genius of the movie, however, is that the musician Tiny Tim, who is rather unknown outside the US, is stretched into a clown outfit. His successful and at times creepy acting takes the movie to a whole new level. Fans of slasher movies that are a bit wacky at times should definitely check this one out.

The first DVD release of the film was released in the US by Retromedia. If the cover read "Blood Harvest", the opening credits show the alternative title "Nightmare" and the remark that this is a Director's Cut. To what extent Bill Rebane was actually involved in the editing of this version remains unclear, because unfortunately it has to be said that it has been defused a bit in some places. Scenes in which the killer cuts the throats of his victims were shortened. Furthermore, several nude scenes were toned down. It's missing how Jill gets out of the shower, including a view of her private parts, and also later on when Gary is assaulted, some shots are missing. Several scene transitions were shortened, probably for runtime reasons.

On the US Blu-ray/DVD from Vinegar Syndrome you can find the uncut version of the movie for the first time. Two things stand out, though. When Sarah comes to visit Jill, the Retromedia DVD inserts a crossfade, but then shows Jill putting cream on her legs. The Vinegar Syndrome version shows Jill and Sarah standing at the door for a longer time, but then there are about 2 seconds missing when Jill applies the cream. There is a striking difference at the end of the film. On the Retromedia DVD, the killer looks to the side once more, while the image freezes in the Vinegar Syndrome version, meaning that the killer looks further up. Whether the look to the side was inserted as part of the Director's Cut or was already present in the original version remains a mystery.
However, one can clearly recommend to get the Vinegar Syndrome version, especially since the old US DVD by Retromedia is out of print and only sold at excessive prices. Qualitatively, the decision is also easy. The Retromedia is based on a VHS master (open matte after all), while the Vinegar Syndrome version has been restored and comes with the correct image format.

Image comparison:

Retromedia:

Vinegar Syndrome:

Runtimes: US DVD (Retromedia): 86:31 min. / US DVD (Vinegar Syndrome): 87:56 min.

The US DVD by Retromedia was compared to the US Blu-ray/DVD by Vinegar Syndrome.

[00:00:00][00:00:00]

The RM begins with the newly designed opening credits.

Instead, the VS shows only a short title insertion.

RM: 2:13 min.
VS: 9 sec.


[00:03:46][00:01:42]

The VS shows the killer slitting the man's throat. Then the original title is faded in.

VS: 17 sec.


[00:03:49][00:02:02]

The RM shows a short shot of the man, which could be seen in the VS before.

RM: 1 sec.


[00:03:53][00:02:06]

Jill can be seen walking down the street earlier. The credits can be seen in the VS.

VS: 21 sec.


[00:04:57][00:03:32]

The RM fades over to the next scene.

In the VS, we see the cashier for a little longer. She turns to her colleague.

RM: 1 sec.
VS: 9 sec.


[00:09:55][00:08:37]

After Gary has left, there is a fade from Jill to the suitcase.

In the VS you see Jill a little longer.

RM: 1 sec.
VS: 4 sec.


[00:15:12][00:13:58]

Fade-out from sheriff to Mervo.

In the VS, the sheriff stands up. He says he loves it, then we see Mervo.

RM: 2 sec.
VS: 15 sec.


[00:20:19][00:19:18]

There is a cut from the priest to the tree house.

In the VS, the pastor can be seen longer, then the tree house.

RM: 1 sec.
VS: 5 sec.


[00:25:44][00:24:46]

As Jill gets out of the shower, the RM briefly shows the hand on the regulator, then Jill running through the kitchen.

In the VS, Jill grabs a towel and walks through the kitchen.

RM: 3 sec.
VS: 8 sec.


[00:32:04][00:31:11]

There' s a fade-out from the house to Jill in bed.

The VS shows the house longer, then Jill.

RM: 2 sec.
VS: 5 sec.


[00:33:54][00:33:04]

There is a cut from the killer, who attaches the last part of the photo to the wall, to the house.

The VS shows the killer for a longer time (Jill is wearing a bra on the photo for unexplainable reasons), then the house.

RM: 3 sec.
VS: 7 sec.


[00:39:56][00:39:11]

Scott can be seen earlier after he got out of the car.

VS: 2 sec.


[00:44:08][00:43:24]

The US RM fades from the two girls to the legs.

In the VS, we see Jill closing the door longer. However, it is missing how the cream is applied.

RM: 2 sec.
VS: 2 sec.


[00:48:30][00:47:47]

The killer slits Sarah's throat. Blood drips into the hay.

VS: 9 sec.


[00:49:01][00:48:28]

There is a fade from Mervo to Jill.

In the VS, we see Mervo sitting at the table for a longer time, then there is a cut to Sarah.

RM: 3 sec.
VS: 9 sec.


[00:52:02][00:51:35]

The RM fades over to Mervo.

The VS shows the house longer and then Mervo.

RM: 1 sec.
VS: 3 sec.


[00:53:17][00:52:52]

The slow camera movement over Jill already begins with her legs. The RM only sets in when the camera pans away from her.

VS: 25 sec.


[00:57:51][00:57:51]

The killer slits Scott's throat. The blood runs down.

VS: 13 sec.


[00:58:11][00:58:23]

There' s a fade from the photo with the pig to Jill.

The VS shows the pig longer, then we see Jill.

RM: 2 sec.
VS: 5 sec.


[01:00:09][01:00:24]

The RM shows Gary and Jill in the bathtub and then the scene where Jill is carried into the living room by Gary.

In the VS, we see the two of them much longer in the bathtub. Gary strokes Jill.

Then we see him carry her into the living room.

RM: 3 sec.
VS: 27 sec.


[01:01:06][01:01:45]

There is missing a long shot in which Gary caresses Jill's breasts.

VS: 23 sec.


[01:24:19][01:25:20]

In the RM, Gary turns his head to the side, then the credits roll.

In the VS, the image freezes instead. We see Gary looking up, then the credits follow.

RM: 2:12 min.
dc: 2:20 min.