Blood Sabbath, a film that was released in 1972, is a strangely engaging piece of work that should not be as compelling as it is and yet, one never wants to turn it off. There are a variety of reasons for this and while some of them should want to make the audience turn away, it keeps them watching simply to find out what happens when all is said and done.

Making it as captivating as it is might be the fact that it is so unintentionally comedic, the makers of this film probably not going for that tone and yet, it ends up being so. The main character named David is a Vietnam vet who falls asleep one day in the woods. When he wakes up, he finds himself surrounded by naked women and instead of doing what might come naturally, he runs away as if his very life depended on it. One could chalk it up to PTSD or simply a fear of women but he runs into another woman, this time fully clothed and one who seems to make the water her home or at the very least spends an inordinate amount of time within it. He soon meets a man who lives in the woods and one whom he learns sacrifices children to some old god that the aforementioned naked women and the head of their coven worship. The high priestess or whatever she might be called as played by Dyanne Thorne also tends to be topless for a good amount of the movie wants David as much as he wants the woman in the water and to be with her he needs to get rid of his soul. This leads to him running around and asking the local padre how to do so, trying to stop the sacrificing of kids, evading the witch and trying to get with his lady.

Those who were involved in the making of this film were not obviously looking to make the next great piece of cinema which is perfectly fine considering just how ridiculous and humorous this all turned out to be. Anthony Geary would take the lead as the hapless Joe, his character David falling into a situation he was never prepared for while Dyanne Thorne would play the villain. While they would probably make the most of what they were given, if it were not for the implausible scenario David would get himself into, not to mention the copious amounts of nudity throughout, this movie would have probably been forgotten to time. As it is, it is quite silly, cheesy and even fun, something that was not expected when going into this feature. That being said, some might call this little picture slightly sleazy or what have one, but all the women do is essentially dance around, looking to worship their god in the way they have grown accustomed to.

From top to bottom, there is nothing that could not have been improved on every level and yet, as it was, Blood Sabbath is worth a watch just as it is. There is nothing that will drag the audience back for a second viewing but if in a need for something peculiar and slightly intriguing, this film might just fit the bill.

2.5 out of 5