‘They thought they were just killing some weeds’
Bloodeaters – also known as Forest of Fear and Toxic Zombies – is a 1979 American horror film, released in October 1980. It was written, produced and directed by Charles McCrann, who also acted in the film, with assistance from John Amplas (also in George A. Romero’s Martin) and Beverly Shapiro. It was classified as a ‘video nasty‘ in the UK during the 1980s after its release on the obscure Monte label.
Plot:
Illegal drug plantations are sprayed with the chemical Dromax by passing aeroplanes in an anti-drug initiative organised by corrupt government officials. Instead of killing the plants, the hippie growers of the crop are turned into flesh eating zombie-like creatures…
This was the only film directed by McCrann, who became a businessman, and who died at his workplace, the offices of Marsh and McLennan, in the World Trade Center during the September 11th Jihadi terrorist attack.
It still lacks an official British DVD release although there has been a VHS sourced release on the Televista label.
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Reviews:
“While it remains a pretty enjoyable and obscure zombie movie, it never lives up to its full potential or the hype I created for it. It never crosses into bad enough to be fun, or fun enough to be good. It just teeters in the middle and is watchable, but no classic.” VHShit
“As dumb as you please, Forest of Fear is an okay woodland zombie romp, no more no less.” Stephen Thrower, Nightmare USA
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“The film is full of cheesy gore effects and although the action isn’t tense or enveloping, the demented zombies are on display for a good portion of the film. This keeps the pace moving well, even though a lot of the victims are just randomly inserted into the film when McCrann feels the need to give the audience what they paid to see.” Oh, the Horror!
