Someone’s killing people in the isolated Wisconsin woods
A college student returns to her hometown in northern Wisconsin (Itonia Salchek) only to find her parents missing and the townspeople hostile due to her father representing the bank that has been dispossessing farm families through foreclosure. Her ex-beau tries to help (Dean West) while his brother (Tiny Tim) has gone loopy in order to handle what happened to their parents. Peter Krause makes his acting debut as the girl’s fiancé.
"Blood Harvest" (1987) is a micro-budget slasher shot in one day & night by Wisconsin filmmaker Bill Rebane. He met Tiny Tim performing at a beer carnival in Lincoln County and this flick is the result. It’s incredible that it was shot in a 24-hour period because it’s technically well done all things considered.
The only issue is that there’s an air of emptiness to the slow-moving proceedings, which is why some viewers don’t like it. By ‘emptiness’ I mean that the entire story takes place at or nearby the farmhouse & barn, except for a few scenes in town (the diner, the police station and a church). In its defense, “Friday the 13th Part III” (1982) and “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) did the same thing and few people criticize them for it.
What contributes to the hollow air is the fact that there are only 3-4 main characters (all cited above) with the addition of two peripherals, the amusing Sheriff (Frank Benson) and the girl’s friend, Sarah (Lori Minnetti).
The director filled up a good part of the runtime by effectively showcasing winsome Itonia Salchek’s unique beauty. (There’s some tasteful nudity, so stay away if that offends you). This was her sole film.
Tiny Tim’s clown character is interesting because he reminds me of someone I know. These types of hulking guys have a genuine innocent ambiance, but there’s also the slight perception of potential violence. Think Lennie from “Of Mice and Men.” They resort to eccentricity or goofiness to cope with the sad hand that life has given them.
At the end of the day this is a straight-forward slasher artistically done on a miniscule budget. Enjoy it for what it is.
The film runs 1 hour, 28 minutes, and was shot in Gleason, Wisconsin, and nearby Irma and Merrill, all of which are in the north-central part of the state.
GRADE: B-/B
