Barry Wurst: ‘Blood Diner’ an infamous cult classic from Maui Comic Con guest Jackie Kong
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It's not every day that I write about films like "Blood Diner" (1987) for The Maui News, but it's also the rare and cherished occasion that Jackie Kong, the film's director, is making a return visit to Maui.
Kong will be a guest and interview panelist for Maui Comic Con on Oct. 24-25 at the University of Hawaii Maui College.
Kong is noted as one of the first Asian American women to direct horror films. Her 1984 hit comedy "Night Patrol" starring Linda Blair and Pat Morita caught on with mainstream audiences, but "Blood Diner" has a fanbase far beyond the midnight movie crowd. Cinephiles worldwide recognize how ahead of its time the film was and how funny it still plays today.
The opening sequence perfectly sets the tone. In a flashback to the 1960s, two children are left home alone while a serial killer is at large. When the mad slasher appears, the scene transpires in a way that couldn't be predicted. Drew Godderis plays the killer with an alarming intensity. The scene has a real edge but is still hilarious.
In the present day, two deranged, handsome killers (played by Rick Burks and Carl Crew) open a diner that provides them a method for disposing of the evidence of their crimes. Giving them killing orders is a brain in a jar, telepathically communicating with a distinctly East Coast accent.
How outrageous does this get? There's an early scene where a murder spree occurs during a workout at The Nude Aerobics Studio. There are big laughs in scenes involving a severed head that moves from one scene to the next and a stalk 'n' slash that suddenly becomes an entirely different kind of action sequence.
Is it in bad taste? "Blood Diner" is beyond bad taste. It's also frequently uproarious, with some of the funniest lines you can't repeat in public.
Kong and her cast take risks in every scene, whether it's a balance of tone, goofy costume choices or sight gags that demand a rewind or pause -- like a serial killer's checklist that flashes by too quickly.
Of the cast, Burks has a charisma and easy way with a one-liner that should have led to bigger things. The real star is Kong, whose playful approach suggests a fearlessness in juggling horror and comedy without diluting either genre.
Kong's recent comic book series, "Spend the Night," suggests that she remains unafraid of creative risks and shaping narratives that refuse to go as expected.
Who is this movie for? Anyone who recently attended "Toxic Avenger-The Musical" at Pro Arts Theater might enjoy it. Likewise, fans of "South Park," the library of Troma films, Roger Corman at his craziest (namely "The Little Shop of Horrors") and the beloved "Too Many Cooks" short film will savor this.
Kong's film was unquestionably influential, displaying moments that were borrowed later. For example, the killer wears a President Reagan mask and sprays bullets in the same way Patrick Swayze did in "Point Break" (1991). It also recognized how the dramatics of televised wrestling would catch on with pop culture.
This is the kind of film that has so much projectile vomit, bloody severed limbs, nudity, diet-inducing close-ups of "food" and dreadful 80s haircuts that calling it gratuitous is just redundant.
Sometimes you know when the film is winking at its audience, but there are bits that are so gross and dark, you almost forget to laugh. It has more subplots than necessary and the name "Sheetar" is uttered at least 100 times too many.
Still, "Blood Diner" is the real deal, both genuinely shocking and a sly, fiendishly clever send-up of genre expectations. It's consistently wacky, delivering jolting reveals while still managing to find jokes in the least likely places.
The faint of heart should avoid this, while more adventurous filmgoers will savor what an unforgettable experience it offers. If you're looking for a fresh title at your next Halloween party, look no further. Just make sure the kids and grandma are in bed, then hit play and crank up the volume.
(3 out of 4 stars)
Barry Wurst II is the founder of the Hawaii Film Critics Society and teaches film classes at University of Hawaii Maui College.