"Yes my goddess, I am yours. A feast, yes! A feast... for you!"
-Fuad Ramses III

The cult film gods must have surely been asleep when this belated sequel quietly made its way through the festival circuit a couple of years ago. How else does one explain the frustrating lack of enthusiasm for this long-awaited follow-up to the first full-fledged splatter movie ever made? A sequel shot (nearly forty years later) by the same directing/producing team responsible for the original. Isn't that some sort of precedent Ð not simply in the exploitation field Ð but universally speaking? Though the film itself might have been too unconventional for a general, middle-America theatrical release; where were the limited art house engagements or midnight shows? The curiosity factor from hardcore cultists alone would have ensured some kind of business.

Granted, all of this would have proven inconsequential if the film itself were not, ahem, "up to snuff." But "praise Ishtar!" Blood Feat 2: All U Can Eat is, believe it or not, astonishingly good. Good in every imaginable way that it needs to be - and bad, really bad in ways only H.G. Lewis can provide. It also accomplishes what few films have ever done Ð succeed at intentional camp. Herschell Gordon Lewis, the godfather of gore, has done the near-impossible and made an aesthetically pure sequel that lives and breathes in the very same drive-in universe as the original film. Its decidedly retro look and feel almost seems as if Lewis and long-time producing partner David F. Friedman made the film in 1972 and decided to wait forty years to release it. It is nothing short of astonishing that such an endeavor was attempted at all, making it all the more disappointing that it never found life outside the festival circuit. Thankfully, the good people at Shriek Show (were the Something Weird group asleep as well?) snapped up the DVD rights and have given the film a much-deserved release.

Blood Feast 2 picks up several years after the events of the original where "exotic caterer" Fuad Ramses cut, chopped and pulled apart a plethora of "nubile young girls." Though nothing much has happened since that 1963 massacre, BF2 certainly makes up for lost time. It begins with an appropriately bloody pre-credit sequence with violence so casual and good-natured, it could only have been directed by Lewis. Two drunk, homeless men make the mistake of wandering the back alley of Fuad's old catering business. Hypnotically induced by an eerie red light emanating from underneath a door, the derelicts engage in a surreal fight-to-the-death. Complete with intestine pulling and fountains of blood, it immediately recalls the goofy, dreamlike violence of Wizard of Gore. Make no mistake about it, the bloody signpost up ahead clearly reads: Lewis Country...

Coincidence or not, the very next day the late maniac's grandson, cleverly named Fuad Ramses III (J. P. Delahoussaye), enters the boarded up catering shop. It seems that he has inherited the place and, being a devotee of the culinary arts, intends to reopen the old business. This news is not received well by brash Detective Myers (Mark McLachlan) who is immediately suspicious of the new owner. Before Ramses (who, inexplicably, has no knowledge of his grandfather's crimes) gets the chance to stock or even clean the building, he's got his first client. Uptight society matron Mrs. Lampley (Melissa Morgan) reluctantly retains his services for her daughter Tiffani's upcoming wedding. It isn't long before Ramses unlocks the back room to his grandfather's old shop and stumbles upon the statue of Ishtar. Hypnotized by her glowing red eyes (and that wonderful, kitschy Blood Feast organ music), the caterer becomes obsessed with honoring the goddess. An honor that is wholly limited to, yes, another blood feast. Plot machinations (and lack of any other characters) conveniently lead our anti-hero to hunt down all of Tiffani's sexpot girlfriends. Though the actual recipe specifications for Ishtar's feast remain sketchy, as usual they include specific female body parts. Evidently said parts must also be served up to unsuspecting friends of the deceased. The usually scantily clad women (each with porn monikers like Bambi Deere and Misti Morning) are systematically killed in various gruesome ways. Even the explicit heights of Lewis' last film The Gore Gore Girls are put to shame by certain scenes of mutilation here. One sequence, quite literally over-the-top, is the skinning of an entire head from the back neck. And just to prove that old H.G. still has the power to shock, the very-much-alive woman continues to scream...without the benefit of lips. BF2 culminates, much like the original, at the catered affair in question Ð but this time much more emphasis is placed upon the feast itself. Though the running time is a tad long and several misguided attempts at humor (both lewd and slapstick) fall flat, it's a very respectful follow-up to the infamous original.

Apart from a few minor differences, most of the action in BF2 sticks slavishly close to the structure of the original. In fact, the basic plot overview reads like a poorly conceived remake/sequel along the same lines of The Rage: Carrie 2. However, the people who put this film together did so with an obvious affection for the work of Mr. Lewis. Writer W. Boyd Ford certainly did his homework and came up with a script that cleverly pays homage to the ridiculous excesses of the original Ð and to the entire Lewis canon. Many people forget that the director made far more "nudie" adult comedies than horror films. The scenes in BF2 that seem more suited to a Linnea Quigley jiggle fest have much more resonance (and humor) when viewed with this in mind. Ford's dialogue is appropriately insane and rather antiquated (which perfectly fits in with the retro feel of the production.) Also true to the Lewis tradition is the schizoid cinematography by Chris Johnson. While at times almost lush (especially compared to the original), the simple framing and lack of close-ups all feel like the genuine article.

Surrounded by this all is the godfather himself whose directorial style hasn't changed a bit from his heyday. While the original is notorious for its violence, it is also beloved by bad movie fans because of the...rather peculiar acting style. This time the performances are intentionally over the top and one of the strongest attributes of the film. While nobody reaches the excruciating heights of incomparable Blood Feast engenue Connie Mason, the cast is more than game. McLachlan as Detective Myers is a standout and makes the histrionics of William Kerwin (the detective from Part 1) seem tame. It's got to be difficult to give an intentionally bad performance devoid of irony and McLachlan succeeds in spades. Melissa Morgan as the bitchy Mrs. Lampley also hits the right (camp) notes and her late 60's ensemble and extreme stage makeup crystallize the entire broad aesthetic of the original film. And J.P. Delahoussaye is goofy fun as Ramses III, playing down the pun-heavy dialogue with casual charm. At times he also seems to be channeling Mal Arnold (Fuad from Part I) which is great fun to watch. John Waters (a Lewis aficionado from the early days) has a funny cameo as a priest. He's an inspired addition as his earlier films were filled with the same broad acting style that this production wears on its sleeve.

Shriek Show has done a great job with this title, releasing three versions of the film: a cut "R" and two unrated with "extra gore." The decision to use the amazing illustrated graphic (from the one-sheet art?) for the DVD cover was an inspired choice. It's rendered in a style very similar to the original Blood Feast poster art and is quite striking. With all of the pedestrian "glamour photos" used to sell most horror product today, it's refreshing to see this bold image used to market this unusual film. The disc submitted for review is the bare bones "uncut" widescreen release that includes a trailer and photo gallery. The disc itself contains a beautiful print presented in its proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Since the film is relatively new, it should come as no surprise that the image is crystal clear. Flesh tones and coloring Ð much of it the red variety Ð seem accurate. The Dolby Digital sound was indeed exceptional, especially during the original music cues and various rock cuts (provided by Southern Culture on the Skids) peppered throughout. There was some minor distortion during a few dialogue sections but these were from flaws in the original source print. This is, after all, an H.G. Lewis production so there has to be something a bit off technically. The menu is nothing special, essentially the DVD artwork in stark black, white and red. The chapter menu offers 12 stops with corresponding still photos, again nothing special but at least the images are sharp and colorful. The photo gallery has some nice behind-the-scenes photos of Lewis and the cast - which would have benefited greatly with some captions. The original trailer, a solid piece of advertising, is included in a nice 1.85:1 transfer. Ultimately, it's an adequate DVD release of a superior exploitation film.

Lets pray to Ishtar that this is just the beginning of many more filmed entertainments from the godfather of gore: the amazing Herschell Gordon Lewis!