This is the third (but not at all final) installment in the H.G. Lewis “Blood Trilogy”. Color Me Blood Red has a tamer story than most of his other films but with a much more interesting idea. A frustrated artist is obsessed with finding the right shade of red. He tries many mediums but none of them quite have the perfect red that he’s been seeking as the one element that will make his artwork into true masterpieces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One day he accidentally cuts himself and notices how beautifully red his blood is. He smears the blood on a canvas and finally finds what he’s been looking for. He starts cutting himself repeatedly to obtain more of that beautiful blood red. After a short time, he notices that he can no longer use his blood, as there isn’t enough of it and you can only cut yourself so many times before it becomes an issue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
By now his paintings are actually starting to sell, but unfortunately, he no longer has a healthy blood supply to satisfy the ever-growing demand for his new and wonderful artwork. So he starts luring vapid and unassuming models to his home for some bloodletting …oops sorry, I meant modeling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His artwork, with its brilliant use of the color red, is now greatly sought after (which confuses me because blood turns brown when it dries, doesn’t it?) Strangely, the whole movie is framed in a comical “Annette Funicello beach party type” setting, with young people dancing in the sand and enjoying various water sports, which is an odd yet interesting contrast to the goriness of the plot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
An interesting note is that when these movies were finally released on DVD, the producers enhanced the color of all the blood seen in the films, so it’s REALLY REALLY red and has a striking contrast to the rest of the movie’s color. My television can barely handle the enhanced red blood, but it’s a great idea to go with since all H.G. Lewis’ movies are filled with lots and lots of blood. Great fun!<\/p>\n\n\n\n