Blood Sucking Freaks

Blood Sucking Freaks (originally released as The Incredible Torture Show) is a 1976 American exploitation splatter film directed by Joel M. Reed and starring Seamus O'Brien, Luis De Jesus, Viju Krem, Niles McMaster, Dan Fauci, Alan Dellay, and Ernie Pysher. Set in New York City, the film follows a human trafficking ring masquerading as an experimental theater group, which stages Grand Guignol-style performances for audiences, who are unaware that actual murders and torture are being enacted onstage.

Filmed under the working title Sardu: Master of the Screaming Virgins, it was originally released as The Incredible Torture Show in November 1976. Film distributor Troma Entertainment retitled the film Blood Sucking Freaks upon their acquisition of it in 1981. Troma initially made cuts in hopes of getting an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, but eventually released the version that had all of the most graphic scenes included and was labeled as an R-rated film despite having no such designation from the MPAA. The ratings group subsequently sued Troma for copyright infringement in applying the R-rating without permission; Troma withdrew the rating label, and to date the MPAA has refused to give Blood Sucking Freaks a review at all.

Blood Sucking Freaks went on to develop a cult following, and has been noted as a dark-comic parody of the New York City theater world. Filmsite.org named it one of the most controversial films of all time.