Blood Mania (1970)

Directed By Robert Vincent O'Neill
Starring Peter Carpenter, Maria De Aragon, and Vicki Peters
Rated R
USA

"Didn't you know? I'm listed in the yellow pages under sex."

Wealthy Mr. Ridgeley Waterman (Eric Allison) is in a dark place. He is sick in bed, maybe dying. And his nymphomaniac daughter Victoria (Maria De Aragon) keeps chasing his nurse off, insisting that she take care of him instead. Oh yeah, the only reason she is even hanging around is because she is after his money, every last cent of it. So when she finally manages to appear with breakfast, he is cranky, and very, very, suspicious.

Meanwhile, Mr. Watermans' physician, Dr. Craig Cooper (Peter Carpenter, who also has a writing credit) has problems of his own. He enjoys a good relationship with his girlfriend Cheryl (Reagan Wilson), but is also being blackmailed for fifty-thousand dollars, (What did he do? Abortions to pay for college.) and could potentially lose his practice. He also has to deal with Victoria eye fucking him whenever he visits her dad. Finally he surrenders to her charms. And when Craig confesses his financial dilemma to Victoria during a post-coital snuggle, she claims to have the solution to his problems, all he has to do is be hers. The solution? Hint: It involves Mr. Waterman being dead.

Cheryl also gets wind of the blackmail scheme, and offers her body to the blackmailer in exchange for clearing the slate for Craig. He agrees, and subjects her to some pretty rough sex, and then promptly reneges on his promise. Meanwhile Craig is out boning Victoria. And when her father dies (murdered), he covers for her. Soon enough, Mr. Waterman's last will and testament is to be read. And Victoria is all geared up to collect. Except there is a catch, the lawyers have to get into touch with Victoria's long absent sister, Gail (Vicki Peters). Of course Gail inherits pretty much everything. Victoria has another target to wipe out. Dr. Craig falls for Gail, and the plot thickens.

Maria De Aragon performs a fantastic job as the mentally unstable Victoria. Her character insatiably lusts for both men and money, but she manages to keep it upper crust all the way. Also keep an eye out for her in Star Wars: A New Hope. She is under all of that Greedo makeup.

Reagan Wilson is also a highlight. She is nothing less than beautiful, and not shy at all about letting us get a good look at her. She only has a few scenes in the movie. And her role is not crucial to the story by any means. However she is a joy to watch. She does a very good job of conveying the vulnerability of her character, and her presence elevates the film.

Despite its exploitation film status, Blood Mania is a tasteful little thriller. It has fleeting nudity, and the violence is nowhere near as intense as the poster suggests. Some of the camera angles are inventive, but they don't get too crazy. In fact, most of the film is comprised of medium angle shots, giving it the vibe of a tv movie. That said, despite its lurid title, Blood Mania keeps it classy, and I recommend you check it out.

Availability: Blood Mania is available on DVD from Amazon.

-BoDuley