Review by Jeff Hudson
Directed by: Philip S. Gilbert
Starring:
Melody Patterson/Ellie
Vic Tayback/Calvin
Gloria Grahame/Mrs. Deere
Len Lesser/Tom
Plot:
After her prostitute mother and her john are beaten to death while they are asleep in bed, teen-aged Ellie Masters is sent to an isolated orphanage run by Mrs. Deere and her handyman. Taking an avid interest in her welfare is detective Calvin Carruthers. Taking almost no interest at all, is social worker Harold Mullins who is completely under Mrs. Deere's thumb. Lots of unpleasant surprises are in store for Ellie, not the least of which is the fact that Mrs. Deere and her handyman are both brutal sadists, who run the orphanage like a concentration camp and the strong possibility that her mother's hammer-wielding killer is now stalking her.
Acting:
The acting here was ok but cheesy at times, Gloria Grahame(Mrs. Deere) played a evil woman very well and it wasn’t to hard to take a disliking to her, Melody Patterson(Elle) was ok in the lead she did what she had to and I thought made the best of it, Vic Tayback(Calvin) was a good detective but something seemed a little odd about the guy which you will find out in the movie.
Gore:
We get some pretty cool gore scenes that are done well for the time that the movie was released, we get some hammer action, a cut off hand, and a meat cleaver to the back.
T & A:
None of that stuff here since the girls in this flick are supposed to be under age but they look about 30.
Directing:
At the start of the movie we get some real nifty shots and some good point of view stuff, but later of it tones down and looks like a made for TV movie.
Soundtrack:
The score was solid not a lot of suspense or anything but it was ok.
Final thoughts:
Blood And Lace had it’s up’s and down’s some of the gore was good, and the movie kept me wanting to know what was going to happen at the end which was a good thing, but the ending was messed up and just when you think you heard it all and the movie is over there is another surprise that about made me laugh my ass off, I was like wow they really had to do that. I would say this is a flick to check out, I wouldn’t buy it but it’s worth a watch just to see the ending. I give it a 4/10.