Brides of Blood

Brides of Blood
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Eddie Romero Gerardo de Leon
Produced by	Eddie Romero
Written by	Cesar Amigo
Starring	John Ashley Kent Taylor Beverly Powers Eva Darren Mario Montenegro
Distributed by	Hemisphere Pictures
Release date	1968 (1968)
Running time	97 minutes
Country	Philippines
Language	English

Brides of Blood is a 1968 Filipino horror film, directed by Eddie Romero. It was the first movie actor John Ashley made in the Philippines, beginning a long association between Ashley and that country.

A freighter approaches a tropical island; on board, the captain of the boat has breakfast with his three passengers. Dr. Paul Henderson is a scientist who has come to the island to investigate the possibility of radiation due to the testing of atomic bombs in the area. Accompanying him is his beautiful wife, Carla, who seems to suffer from an extreme case of sexual frustration; she makes provocative statements intended to get a rise out of her stoic and seemingly emotionless husband. The third American on board is Jim Farrell, a Peace Corps representative who is traveling to the island to help the natives build facilities to better their lives. The captain tells his passengers that the island is rumored to be cursed, and is referred to by those in the vicinity as "Blood Island". The boat itself is the only one that makes a stop there, with the purpose of delivering supplies. There are only two stops per year, once every six months.

Upon disembarking, the trio immediately comes upon a funeral procession being conducted by the natives. They realize in horror that the two bodies being carried for burial at sea are completely dismembered; a dismembered arm falls out, causing Carla to scream in terror. After the ceremony, the Americans are greeted by Arcadio, the tribe's elder, and his granddaughter Alma. Carla immediately senses an attraction between the lovely Alma and the handsome Jim, and she very aggressively attempts to embarrass everyone by remarking on it. Arcadio welcomes them to the island, but both he and Alma seem terrified of something, and he openly admits that he wishes he would have warned them to stay away before the boat left. When questioned about the deaths of the two women that were being buried, he claims the cause was an accident, but he makes the vague statement that his people are "ashamed" of returning to the "old ways".

Paul goes for a walk around the island looking for specimens and is joined by Carla. Both of them notice a bizarre manifestation when the sun appears to set hours before it should do so. The darkening island becomes ominous, a feeling furthered when Paul discovers the carcass of an oversized crab. Alma acts as Jim's interpreter for the natives since she speaks English, but she remains secretive about what has everybody so noticeably on edge. Her anxiety worsens when Jim notices a strange plant near the village.

The villagers participate in another odd ritual: a stylized lottery that selects two of the village maidens for some uncertain fate; whatever it is, it causes them to become very upset when they "win". The Americans are intercepted by a strange-looking man named Goro; he announces that his master, Esteban Powers, has a table set for them at his home. Jim, Paul and Carla follow Goro through the jungle until they reach a stately hacienda staffed by a race of pygmies. On the way there, they encounter a banana tree with a strange arm-like growth protruding from it; the growth moves as if it wants to seize those who pass by it. Esteban Powers is a handsome young man who invites them all to stay with him instead of in the village. Jim declines due to the nature of his visit, but Carla insists that she and Paul stay in the mansion. Esteban seems to suffer from migraines, and he reveals that the natives were transplants to the island after the atomic bomb was tested; while they are unaffected by any radiation, the flora and fauna of the island seem to have been changed. Paul mentions the land crab he found, and the banana tree. Powers seems to not be aware of these anomalies, although the group is startled to discover that he is actually 50 years old; his youth seems to have been somehow preserved.