Blood, Guts and Sunshine Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Blood, Guts and Sunshine Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 16, 2023

Horror doesn’t have a home, but it has a vacation destination in Florida, with the state providing a setting for genre moviemakers to raise some hell. It’s been going on for over 60 years, and perhaps nobody has noticed, but director Sean Donohue is eager to identify such a legacy with his documentary, “Blood, Guts, and Sunshine,” which explores the history of the Florida horror scene and identifies many of its participants, looking to boost awareness of filmmakers and films that aren’t known beyond cult appreciation, and even that’s a stretch for some of these titles. Donohue is serious about his details, asking viewers to spend 127 minutes on the topic, winding through the years as he highlights certain creative achievements and the behind-the-scenes characters that bring them to life. It’s a wild ride for about an hour, with fatigue eventually overtaking the viewing experience as self-promotion starts to seep into the feature. Donohue still has plenty of highlights to share about the state and its participation in genre events, offering just enough interesting information to pass.

“Blood, Guts, and Sunshine” tries to provide a timeline for Floridian production events, identifying 1954’s “Creature from the Black Lagoon” as the first major picture to use swampland surroundings for fright purposes. However, little time is spent on the title, with Donohue more interested in the gore-tastic ways of director Herschell Gordon Lewis, who brought darkness to the Sunshine State with 1963’s “Blood Feast,” breaking new ground in horror with graphic violence and unabashed salesmanship of such vicious imagery. Lewis’s oeuvre is explored in the documentary, but most attention is placed on 2009’s “The Uh-Oh Show,” with the helmer returning to his grisly “style,” once again generating mayhem in Florida.

Time is also spent on the career of director William Grefe, who worked to include Florida culture into his productions, including 1972’s “Stanley” and 1974’s “Impulse,” which took advantage of an unemployed William Shatner to add some star power to a B-movie endeavor. While Bob Clark is best known as the man behind “A Christmas Story” and “Porky’s,” he’s also a Floridian fiend, with 1972’s “Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things” kickstarting his career, adding local flavor before the helmer elected to take his act to Canada for a fresh start. “Blood, Guts, and Sunshine” makes a leap to the 1980s and ‘90s, with Donohue celebrating movies from director Tim Ritter, who combined the acting services of a self-proclaimed nymphomaniac (Kathy Willets) with a serial killer story for 1995’s “Creep.” And there’s a spotlight reserved for Joel D. Wynkoop, a Florida man who’s been chipping away at an acting career for decades, also trying his luck behind the camera, bringing tropical thunder to actioners like “Lost Faith.” Wynkoop is a character and he loves the camera, also sitting down for an interview, adding his perspective on the ways of Florida filmmaking.

“Blood, Guts, and Sunshine” doesn’t simply stay with the film industry, getting into television as well, with the work of Dr. Paul Bearer hailed as a profound influence for horror in Florida. A T.V. host of late-night genre offerings, Dr. Paul Bearer managed to transform himself into a minor celebrity in the area, with his cartoonishly evil ways generating humor while bringing attention to lesser-known endeavors. Internet happenings are also explored, including the work of Nolan B. Canova, with his crazedfanboy.com site helping to popularize YouTube-like video movie review channels. It’s here where “Blood, Guts, and Sunshine” begins to run out of steam, with Donohue jumping through the years to settle on the post-2000 generation, where the last hour of the effort remains, trading clarity of personality and releases for a more chaotic hog-pile of DIY offerings from SOV helmers looking to deliver their takes on bodily harm, going to vicious extremes to help stand out from the competition. The psychology of this quest remains unchallenged by Donohue.

Blood, Guts and Sunshine Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Blood, Guts, and Sunshine" is collected from a variety of film and video sources, and a lot of these clips are low-res or in rough shape. Interview footage is captured on commercial grade cameras, and detail is acceptable with the limited visual reach of the production. Subjects are passably textured, and living spaces retain a look at decorative additions. Colors are basic, with fashion choices bringing out some power in primaries. Floridian greenery is also distinct at times. Skin tones are natural. Compression largely holds together, with some mild banding at times.

Blood, Guts and Sunshine Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA supplies a basic understanding of interviewees, who aren't captured with the greatest attention to ideal sound. Thoughts on the subject matter remain intelligible, with nothing lost to echo-y rooms and mumbled conversations. Scoring offers light support, but crisp instrumentation is present.

Blood, Guts and Sunshine Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "'Satan's Children' Reunion" (21:11, HD) is a 2019 Tampa Bay Screams convention appearance. Interviewees include sound mixer Bill Dudley and actors Rosemary Orlando, John Edwards, and David Mendoza. Joel D. Wynkoop takes care of hosting duties. Anecdotes are shared about the making of "Satan's Children," with the production's use of single takes providing a major creative challenge for the cast and crew. Catch-up time is also included, with the panel sharing what they're up to these days, working past their years in Floridian filmmaking, going on to different professional challenges.

• "Grindhouse Video Tour" (9:54, HD) visits a special video/comic book/toy store owned by Mike Sandlin, which was once located in Florida, but now resides in Knoxville, Tennessee. This is a visual tour, with a camera winding through the aisles, taking in the sheer amount of titles and ornamentation that's present in the shop, which seems like a wonderland for genre fans.

• "Home Video Store" (10:06, HD) pays a visit to Scott Tepperman's living space, where he's amassed a major collection of physical media, with emphasis on horror titles. Posters line the walls and shelves are stocked with titles from various formats, which can be played on some old home video equipment also present in the room. Tepperman's a dedicated man, and he has a lot of pride in his collecting achievements, making for an entertaining sit.

• A Trailer (1:46, HD) is included.

Blood, Guts and Sunshine Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Blood, Guts, and Sunshine" offers interesting asides with the growing convention scene in Florida, and Tampa is identified as a hub for horror filmmaking, with many production companies and directors setting up shop in the area. A discussion of physical media vs. streaming is intriguing, with most of the participants selling discs to raise money for future endeavors. And there's some trash talk to pepper the viewing experience, as competition is fierce when it comes to making gory movies for a small audience. There's good stuff in "Blood, Guts, and Sunshine," but Donohue loses his vision for a crisp understanding of timelines and personalities, eventually dumping all kinds of faces and names on the viewer, turning the picture into a commercial for those still in the game, keeping the Florida atmosphere going with efforts that never seem to use exteriors. Again, 127 minutes of all this is too much, with a more concise edit and focus on the essentials of these creators necessary to best savor all the madness these men conjured in the wilds of Florida.