Blood Shack ("Wolfgang Schmidt" [Ray Dennis Steckler], 1971)

A young woman named Connie is planning to spend a night in an old house, to see if the legends of a  being called "the Chooper" who kills those who enter it is true. When her husband Charlie and a friend of theirs chicken out, she decides to go it alone, despite the vehement protests of foreman Daniel. Sure enough, Connie falls victim to the Chooper. Daniel disposes of the body and steals Connie's money. Soon after, Carol Brown (Carolyn Brandt, then Mrs. Steckler) arrives at the house. Her uncle, Mr. Craig, owned the land on which the house sits. He has been dead for a year, and Carol is unwilling to sell the land, although Tim Foster (Ron Haydock) is insistent on buying it. The land originally belonged to the Fosters, but Tim's great-grandfather lost it in a poker game, and challenged Carol's great-grandfather to a duel, one he lost. Carol befriends her neighbor's young daughters, Margie and Barbra Potts (Steckler and Brandt's daughters Linda and Laura), taking them to the rodeo. When Charlie comes to the house looking for his absent wife, he falls victim to the Chooper as well. Tim's obsession with possessing the land finally brings matters to a head.

If I used a phrase to describe Ray Dennis Steckler, that phrase would be "trash cinema auteur." He clearly had art house aspirations and a reach that did not always exceed his means. His The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!, besides possessing the greatest film title of all time, is a bizarre and grimy film that nevertheless has impressive cinematography and some real drama. The Thrill Killers is a surprisingly gripping story of diner patrons falling victim to escaped mental patients. It also boasts a cameo by Arch Hall, Sr. of Eegah! fame playing himself. Rat Pfink a Boo Boo is probably my favorite of Steckler's films that I've seen, combining superhero parody and rock 'n' roll to often hilarious effect. Blood Shack is definitely prime Steckler. The oddly-named Chooper only kills three people in the course of the film, but the scenes are memorable when they do happen. Ol' Choop is never really explained, and the ending leaves a lot of unanswered questions about the murders we've seen. Carolyn Brandt, as she was in The Incredibly Strange Creatures and Rat Pfink, is a charming and talented star. Carolyn also provides echoey narration, filling us in on many details of the story. Rat Pfink himself, Ron Haydock, plays Tim with a certain amount of intensity. Jason Wayne as Daniel is kind of a shit, given the way he covers up the Chooper's killings and takes his victims' money. It doesn't help that throughout the film he is either shirtless or wears a shirt that's a size too small for him, exposing his midriff. The younger Stecklers aren't great, but frankly I've seen lots of child actors worse at their craft. The girls' pet pony Peanuts is listed in the credits, but sadly their cute puppy is not. There's also a cool rockabilly song playing over the closing credits about the Chooper. Ray Dennis was a director with real potential that was not always realized, and this film shows how cool he could be.

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