DVD Review: Blood Car

By Brad Henderson

Well, I just watched Blood Car. I freaking loved Blood Car.

Blood Car was apparently made in 2007 and is just now getting a physical media release in 2015. Criminal. Going into it I wasn’t expecting much because it seemed from the plot and cover art it was going to be an overly gory schlock fest. Well, it was an overly gory schlock fest but a damn fine one that had me tearing up I was laughing so hard. That’s something to be said because I’m not really a “LOL-er” or whatever the hell you call it. I laugh, but it’s mostly inside. Soulless is another name for it, so I’ve been told.

The plot is somewhat ridiculous (which initially turned me off), but it works well and it’s genuinely funny. Basically gas prices are at an all time high (30 bucks a gallon) and no one drives anymore. Our star is a preschool teacher who is trying to get a car engine to run on WHEAT GRASS. Yes, wheat grass. While he is trying to get the formula correct he accidentally finds out that an engine can run off blood. Hence the name, Blood Car.

I’m not a fan of Troma-like bullshit, but Blood Car has that feel and style. Yet it’s actually well-written with some hilarious skits and one-liners. Also Anna Chlumsky is in it! You know, Vada, from My Girl. She grew up to be a complete doll, by the way, which made this flick even better. Any fan of schlock or grimy/gross films from the ‘80s will thoroughly enjoy it which leads me to question the eight-year disappearance of the film.

I’ve read that it had a VOD appearance for a short time but other than that the film has just been gone? Doesn’t make any sense to me because I watch so much bullshit and I’ve never come across it. This is something I enjoyed very much and it will probably be one of my favorite “new discoveries” at the end of the year.

The other thing that is mind numbing is that Kino Lorber is releasing it! WTF? I know these guys have been around for a while and they have released nitty and gritty Jess Franco films, but this is a different caliber for them. However, I dig it and mad respect is given to them for noticing such a film and giving it some life.

Not sure what’s up with the transfer on the disc but I imagine it could easily be the camera that they used throughout production. Everything is a little lower quality than normal, but watchable, so you become immune to it soon enough. There are two shorts on the disc that are also pretty good.

I have hopes that Blood Car will make it onto VOD again so people will stumble upon it. Or perhaps they will read this review and give this micro-budget gore fest a shot because it is guaranteed to give you a couple of belly jiggles.

Blood Car was released by Kino Lorber on March 3.