Director – James Aviles Martin (Artwatch, Diega!)
Starring – Robert Lee Oliver (Caesar and Otto Meet Dracula’s Laywer), Donatella Hecht, and Neal Rosen
Release Date – 1988
Rating – 3.5/5
Blu Release – 4/5
Tagline – “They bit off more than they could chew”
After watching the Spookies release from Vinegar Syndrome I decided to keep the Vin Syn train rolling and toss in another release. I wanted something sleazy but another release caught my eye. When I was in college I bought a Region B release of the horror comedy Flesh-Eating Mothers before realizing it was region locked. I never got around to checking it out but sometime later I traded it to someone for movies I could. I’ve kicked myself several times since then for trading that release away but I don’t feel as stupid now.
Sometime back Vin Syn released the film on blu and was kind enough to send a review copy my way. Thanks guys!
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows a small suburban community that turns deadly when the mothers turn bloodthirsty. The mothers in the town turn on their families and start eating them forcing a few of the teenagers to band together to stop them without actually killing them. The local coroner starts investigating the cause and discovers that the women are infected with a virus after sleeping with one of the men there. **Spoiler Alert**
I went into this one not expecting much but I absolutely loved it. Sure, it’s cheap and rough around the edges but it still delivers. However, what it lacks in quality it more than makes up for in humor and absurdity.
The acting in this one is very rough. I really liked some of the characters but the acting still left plenty of room for improvement. Most of the cast struggles with volume control and unnatural conversations. It brings an unintentional laugh to the film but it also kills most of the scenes that require a sense of brevity.
The story for this one is goofy as hell but it’s fun in the same manner that most of the S.O.V. horror films of the late 80s and early 90s are. It’s stupid, has goofy characters, and a story with holes swiss cheesed in it but it works. We get one dialogue fueled scene after another but the cringy dialogue, the awkward character interactions, and the STD virus that turns housewives into cannibals makes for an unforgettable movie experience.
Finally, if you want some blood you will find plenty of it here. We get some fun make-up effects and some solid practical effects. Nothing spectacular or amazing but they work for the film and makes the kills just as enjoyable. Overall, Flesh-Eating Mothers is far from perfect but the bad mixing with the cheesy just enough to entertain. I hate using the phrase it’s so bad it’s good but that seems to fit this perfectly. I can see myself tossing this one in again sometime down the road with a few beers. The blu looks solid especially when compared to previous releases of the film. You can get it now on blu from Vinegar Syndrome. Check it out.
Special Features:
Region Free Blu-ray/DVD combo
Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 16mm archival elements
Brand new commentary track with director James Martin, moderated by film historian and author Michael Gingold
“Blood and Laughs” – an interview with director James Martin
“Hungry to Make Movies” – an interview with producer Peter Ilich
Reversible cover artwork
English SDH subtitles
