Blood Shack (also known as The Chooper and Curse of the Evil Spirit)[1] is a 1971 American horror film written and directed by Ray Dennis Steckler (under the pseudonym Wolfgang Schmidt),[2][3] and starring Steckler's then-wife Carolyn Brandt[1] alongside Ron Haydock.

Blood Shack
VHS cover
Directed byRay Dennis Steckler
Written byRay Dennis Steckler
StarringCarolyn Brandt
Ron Haydock
Release date
  • 1971 (1971)
Running time
  • 70 minutes (theatrical)
  • 55 minutes (home video)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Cast

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  • Carolyn Brandt as Carol
  • Ron Haydock as Tim
  • Jason Wayne as Daniel
  • Laurel Spring as Connie
  • John Bates as Charlie
  • Steve Edwards as Constable
  • Linda Steckler as Margie
  • Laura Steckler as Barbra

Production

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The film was produced on a budget of "five hundred dollars tops".[1] Filming took place in Pahrump, Nevada,[1] and according to Steckler, the furnishings of the titular shack were property that had been left behind by a previous tenant.[1] The black suit worn by the "Chooper", which was too small for Haydock,[4] was recycled from a previous Steckler production, Lemon Grove Kids Meet the Monsters.[1] The killer was called the "Chooper" after the repetitive "choop" sounds made by the suit's wearer during the "Green Grasshopper" segment of The Lemon Grove Kids.[4]

Release

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Under the title "The Chooper" The film received a limited theatrical release,[5] playing in one theater in Denver, Colorado and a VHS release.[4] For home video, the film was cut down from 70 minutes to 55 minutes then re-scored and retitled to "Bloodshack".[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Sykes, Brad (2018). Terror in the Desert: Dark Cinema of the American Southwest. McFarland & Company. p. 126. ISBN 978-1476672410.
  2. ^ Lentz III, Harris M. (1994). Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits, Supplement 2: Through 1993. Vol. 4. McFarland & Company. p. 367. ISBN 0-89950-927-4.
  3. ^ Quarles, Mike (2010). Down and Dirty: Hollywood's Exploitation Filmmakers and Their Movies. McFarland & Company. p. 22. ISBN 978-0786411429.
  4. ^ a b c Rausch, Andrew J., ed. (2013). Gods of Grindhouse: Interviews with Exploitation Filmmakers. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1593937348.
  5. ^ a b Ziemba, Joseph A. (July 26, 2020). "Blood Shack (1971)". Bleeding Skull!. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
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