acidburn-10 The set up was good and the opening double murder with the hammer, did really set things in motion and made me think that I was gonna be in for something exciting, but sadly I wasn't. For starters I was actually bored most of the way through and while there were some decent performances (mainly the villains), it just failed to ignite a spark, for starters it seems to drag in places to get to the good stuff, and when it do finally happens, it's just not enough bloodshed and when it gets to the end, everything just seems rushed and unsatisfying.When the main character gets sent to the children's home, it does glimmer interest from time to time, especially when the owner is totally wacko who she and her right hand man murders any children who try to escape. Also the mysterious melted man who stalks the young girl was quite an interesting aspect, but the outcome was rather poorly done. The performances of the cast are rather a mixed bag, namely the lead Melody Paterson just seemed uneven and bored, especially in the scenes where she was supposed to be scared and terrified, she just came across unconvincing. But Gloria Grahme totally steals the show, with her wonderfully unhinged performance and chews the scenes perfectly as well as Len Lesser whose equally sadistic and totally over the top fun.All in all, well after hearing good things about this, I was sadly disappointed, it just didn't do it for me, despite some interesting trappings, on the whole it was just a mess and unconinving.

Michael_Elliott Blood and Lace (1971) ** 1/2 (out of 4) This AIP thriller is one of the nastiest films you're ever going to see that got a GP rating. It really makes you wonder what the MPAA members were smoking at the time of watching this. After her prostitute mother and a client are brutally beaten to death with a hammer, teenager Ellie (Melody Patterson) goes to live at a boarding house ran by the rather sadistic Mrs. Deere (Gloria Grahame). Soon Ellie begins to fear that the man who killed her mother is now after her. BLOOD AND LACE is a pretty nasty little film that plays out more like a Hitchcock thriller than just a straight horror film. The film features some pretty memorable violence, some great performances and an all around good atmosphere, which helps overcome the flaws and make it worth viewing. What surprised me the most was how brutal some of the violence was starting off with the hammer deaths. Now, we're not talking SAW material but for 1971 it's pretty strong. There's also another scene where a boy gets his hand cut off, which looked very realistic and it's certainly something one won't forget. The performances are also great with former Oscar-winner Grahame really doing a great job in the role of one of the villains. I thought she played evil with a certain charm that really made it a fun performance to watch. Patterson is completely sympathetic in her role and she has no problem making you care about her. Len Lesser is fun as another one of the bad guys and there's even a young performance from Dennis Christopher. The film also features some beautiful cinematography, a nice music score and the atmosphere is quite dark and you can feel the coldness of the freezer that plays an important role in the film. I won't give away the ending but the final ten-minutes contain some nice suspense and great fun. BLOOD AND LACE has pretty much been forgotten over the years but it's a good little thriller that has a lot of strong stuff going for it.

gavin6942 After her prostitute mother and her john are beaten to death while they are asleep in bed, teen-aged Ellie Masters (Melody Patterson) is sent to an isolated orphanage run by Mrs. Deere (Gloria Grahame) and her handyman (Len Lesser).While Melody Patterson is known for being Wrangler Jane in "F Troop", she will now forever be branded in my mind as Ellie Masters. I found this film to be far better than the ratings people assign to it, and Patterson was an excellent choice as the film's star (why she no longer acts is a mystery to me).Perhaps most interesting, from a historical standpoint, is this film's impact on the slasher subgenre. I generally like to think of "Black Christmas" as the first true slasher film, but there were elements here that had "slasher" written all over them. The film in general is not a slasher film, but the opening scene with the "hammer cam"? Heck, it was very much like the beginning of "Halloween". Coincidence or inspiration?

Cujo108 After her whore of a mother is murdered by a hammer-wielding nutjob, teen Ellie Masters is sent to live at the rural Deere Orphanage. She immediately begins plotting her getaway, as she wishes to track down the father she never knew. What she doesn't realize is that Mrs. Deere and her handyman, Tom Kredge, won't let anyone leave under any circumstances. If it comes down to murder, so be it. As she deals with this sadistic twosome, Ellie also realizes that she's being stalked by a masked creep with a claw hammer.Often referred to as the sickest PG film ever, I had wanted to see this for years. After finally happening upon a VHS copy, I was disappointed when I quickly came to the realization that it was a cut print. The opening hammer murder wasn't as explicit as I'd heard, and the scene where Bunch seduces Walter in the barn was really chopped up. Thankfully, not only does the print on Netflix look incredible, but it's also fully intact. This is such a great, truly warped little nasty. The twists just keep on coming, getting sicker and more twisted as the film progresses. The ending is a real kick in the balls.Gloria Grahame and Len Lesser own the film as the pair of crazies who will get those welfare checks at any cost. Melody Patterson is an arrogant bitch as Ellie, so I never felt much sympathy for her. Vic Tayback is the perverted detective who takes more than a passing interest in Ellie's predicament. His character made my skin crawl."Blood and Lace" is pure, untarnished nihilism on film. There's nary a sympathetic character in sight as the sleaze and melodrama run rampant. One also has to wonder if Wes Craven was inspired by this film's masked freak when he came up with the look of Freddy Krueger. The only thing I don't care for here is the music. It's overwrought in several places where something more subdued would have added to the overall effect. This is a gem that deserves a stronger reputation.