Death Bed: The Bed That Eats

Last updated
Death Bed: The Bed That Eats
Death Bed- The Bed That Eats FilmPoster.jpeg
Official Cult Epics Blu-ray artwork, 2013
Directed byGeorge Barry
Written byGeorge Barry
Produced by
  • George Barry
  • Maureen Petrucci
Starring
Cinematography Robert Fresco
Edited byRon Medico
Music by
  • Mike McCoy (original cut)
  • Cyclobe (2003 release)
Distributed byCult Epics (home media)
Release date
Running time
77 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30,000 [2]

Death Bed: The Bed That Eats is a 1977 American surrealist folk horror film [3] written, produced, and directed by George Barry in his only feature film, and starring Demene Hall, William Russ, Julie Ritter, and Dave Marsh. The plot centers on a demon-possessed bed that is passed on through generations, bringing tragedy upon those who come across it.

Contents

Filmed in Detroit in the early 1970s on a budget of $30,000, Death Bed underwent approximately four years' worth of post-production by Barry, and did not receive distribution upon completion. Despite this, the film garnered a minor cult following in Europe after it was made available via bootlegged VHS editions, initially through the United Kingdom-based label Portland Films. Barry was unaware of these unofficial releases until 2001 when he came across a review of the film on an online forum.

The film was championed by British film critic, writer, and musician Stephen Thrower, whose musical group, Cyclobe, composed a new musical theme for the film with Barry's approval. Cyclobe's music was integrated into the film before it had its first official theatrical premiere at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival in February 2003. The U.S. home media label Cult Epics released the film on DVD the same year, and a Blu-ray edition followed in 2013.

Plot

In 1897, a demon fell in love with a woman and conjured up a bed on which to make love to her. The woman died during the act, and, in his grief, the demon wept tears of blood which fell on the bed and brought it to life. When the demon is awake, the bed's evil runs rampant as it physically eats human beings; Every ten years, when the demon sleeps, it is left dormant until it wakes once more. Only one man, an artist identified as Aubrey Beardsley, was spared, as the bed condemned him to immortality behind a painting, where he must forever witness the bed taking victims. The bed passed from owner to owner until the present day, and consumes a series of victims in divided vignettes:

Breakfast

A young couple trespass into the abandoned mansion where the bed is housed. They make love on the bed, and the bed devours them. The artist mocks the bed for its stupidity. Enraged, the bed telekinetically destroys most of the house except for the room it is in.

Lunch

Three women—Diane, Sharon, and Suzan—discover the remnants of the now-destroyed house while traveling in the countryside. The bed strangles Suzan with her crucifix necklace before devouring her, but reacts to one of the other women by bleeding in agony. The artist realizes that the bed reacts with pain to the woman because she resembles its "mother" (the woman whose death caused the bed's creation). Elsewhere, Suzan's brother goes out looking for her.

Dinner

One of the two remaining women sleeps on the bed. She wakes as the bed begins eating her, but as she tries to escape, the bed snares her in its sheets and drags her back to be eaten. The last woman unsuccessfully tries to save her. The brother locates the surviving woman, only to have the bed trap them both. The brother attempts to rescue the previously eaten woman, only to have his hands eaten to the bone by the bed.

Just Desserts

The demon that created the bed falls asleep, which renders the bed powerless and allows the artist to communicate with the woman. The artist describes a ritual that will destroy the bed. The woman carries out the ritual, which teleports the bed out of the room and revives the bed's real "mother," but at the cost of killing the surviving woman. The bed's mother completes the ritual by having sex with the brother, causing the bed to burst into flames and die, allowing the artist to finally pass on.

Cast

Production

Development

The film depicts the spirit of artist Aubrey Beardsley, who is spared by the bed and damned to oversee it from behind a painting Aubrey Beardsley by Frederick Hollyer, 1893.jpg
The film depicts the spirit of artist Aubrey Beardsley, who is spared by the bed and damned to oversee it from behind a painting

Writer-director George Barry, a native of Royal Oak, Michigan, based the idea for the film on a nightmare he had about a bed consuming human beings. [4] Recounting the dream, Barry said: "I don't even remember if I was the subject of the dream or if I was an observer, but it was just this bed that was engulfing. There was nothing that I remember that was specific, but it was the engulfing bed. There wasn't any digestion; it was just the bed coming in, over. I wrote from there." [5] Barry has said he was inspired by exploitation filmmakers such as Roger Corman and Jack Smith, as well as European arthouse films shown at local drive-in theaters. [6]

The film depicts the spirit of the visual artist Aubrey Beardsley as a character (credited as "the Artist") damned to bear witness to the bed's devouring of humans from behind a painting. [7] Barry characterized Beardsley's inclusion in the film as not literal, but rather "sort of like Beardsley by way of having a dream about Beardsley. If you dreamt about Beardsley in a dream, and he was riding a bicycle and selling you soft drinks—that's the Aubrey Beardsley that's in the movie." [8]

Casting

Dave Marsh, a journalist and editor of Creem magazine, appears in the film as the Artist. [9] Barry's grandmother appears briefly in the film in a flashback sequence as one of the bed's victims throughout the decades since its genesis. [10] In the primary role of Diane, Barry cast Demene Hall, a film and stage actress who later went on to have a long-running career in theater productions in Seattle. [11]

Filming

The film was shot in and around Detroit, Michigan in 1972 on a budget of $30,000. [2] [12] To avoid paying union fees, many of the cast and crew members were hired from Canada. [13] Among them were Canadian cinematographer and documentary filmmaker Robert Fresco, who later worked as a camera operator on Prom Night (1980). [14] Some filming took place at the historic Gar Wood Mansion on Grayhaven Island, which was leased for the production from a rock music group who was staying in the home. [13] [15] The sequences filmed in the stone chamber room where the bed is contained were shot in a makeshift studio. [16]

Principal photography lasted only two weeks, and Barry spent the subsequent four years editing the film. [13] A mural by the English occultist Austin Osman Spare appears in the film. [17]

Release

Availability

Following the film's completion in 1977, Barry sought a theatrical release for Death Bed but failed to find a willing distributor. [18] Later on, Barry received an offer from a Los Angeles-based distributor to release the film on VHS in the United Kingdom, after they had seen Barry's answer print of the film. The distributor offered to pay Barry $1,000 for a VHS release if he could supply them with a print of the film, complete with credits. Barry, unable to afford the $3,000 that credits would have cost, declined, and the print was sent back to him. Despite this, Portland Films, an obscure British label, released a bootleg VHS of the film in the United Kingdom circa 1983 [19] [20] without Barry's knowledge, with the film eventually receiving further VHS releases in Australia, New Zealand and Spain. [21] The film garnered an underground cult following in Europe due to this release. [13] [22] The Spanish release is dubbed into Spanish and is considered quite rare. [5]

Despite its pirated VHS releases outside of the United States, Barry remained unaware that the film had received any sort of release until 2001, when he discovered a forum post about the film by French film journalist Jean-Claude Michel on the website "Scarlet Street." [23] This led to interviews with Barry by Daniel Craddock, who had written a review of the film, and, in turn, author Stephen Thrower, for his book Nightmare USA (2007). [24]

The film was given its first official theatrical exhibition on February 15, 2003 at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival. [1] [12] For this release, Barry incorporated new theme music to the opening and closing credits, performed by Thrower's band Cyclobe, [25] as he was never satisfied with the original theme composed by Mike McCoy. [26]

Home media

Following Barry's discovery of the film's bootlegged releases, Death Bed received its first official home media release in the United States in 2003, through the independent home media distributor Cult Epics. [18] In 2013, they released the film for the first time on Blu-ray, which included a new HD transfer of the film, as well as both the original mono and new 5.1 soundtracks. Also included was a new introduction by Thrower⁠ (in addition to the original one by Barry from the DVD release⁠), an audio commentary with both Thrower and Barry, a conversation between the two, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and the original musical theme by Mike McCoy. [27]

Critical response

Death Bed has received little attention from mainstream critics due to its lack of distribution. Reactions to the film during its first official release have been mixed to positive, with some characterizing it as "so bad it's good", highlighting its inherent oddness, along with its surreal and absurdist atmosphere; others have criticized these same merits along with its lack of characterizations and pacing. Dennis Harvey from Variety wrote, "Death Bed is a horror flick destined for some small place in the hearts of psychotronic fans who already treasure such extreme oddities as Blood Freak , not to mention Andy Milligan's entire ouevre." [1] Barry Meyer from Film Monthly gave the film a slightly positive review, writing, "Death Bed is such a true original that you have to overlook all its faults and just go with it and enjoy this whimsical drug induced nightmare." [28] Brian J. Dillard from AllMovie called it "a major classic in the what-were-they-thinking school of horror". [29]

Joseph A. Ziemba from Bleeding Skull! gave the film a positive review, stating that the film "goes toe to toe with Doris Wishman's A Night to Dismember as one of the most disconnected and impressive low budget horror films of all time." [30] Ain't It Cool News liked the film, calling it "a nightmarish dream existence", and compared the film's oddness to Quentin Dupieux's Rubber . [31] John Staton of StarNews referred to the film as an utterly enjoyable "Z-grade horror movie"; highlighting its acting, premise, story line, special effects, as comparable to camp classics like Troll 2 , and Plan 9 from Outer Space . [32]

HorrorNews.net gave the film a negative review, calling it "curious but nothing more than the kind of film that you'd see lumped together on a budget 50-title film set". [33] Adam Tyner from DVD Talk criticized the film's erratic pacing, and minimal characterization. Tyner also wrote, "On the other hand, Death Bed wields a strange and unique charm that kept entrancing me even when I was bored stiff. I'll always take an interesting failure over some uninspired, by-the-numbers horror flick." [34]

Legacy

Death Bed has gained a minor cult following over the years and is now considered a cult classic. [33] [22] Death Bed has been included in multiple lists at various media outlets. In 2014, Paste Magazine ranked the film at #92 in its The 100 Best "B Movies" of All Time, summarizing, "This is one of those great, lost films that finally found its way onto DVD a few years ago and was embraced by bad movie lovers around the world." [35] PopMatters placed the film at #2 in their list of The 10 Weirdest Horror Movies of All Time, calling it "too insane for words". [36]

In October 2014, a stage adaptation by playwright Gwenyfar Rohler was held at the Halloween Horror Theatre Festival in Wilmington, North Carolina. [23]

Comedian Patton Oswalt included a routine about the film on his 2007 album Werewolves and Lollipops , in which he erroneously refers to the film as Death Bed: The Bed That Eats People. [32] [35]

Related Research Articles

<i>Evil Dead II</i> 1987 film by Sam Raimi

Evil Dead II is a 1987 American comedy horror film directed by Sam Raimi, who co-wrote it with Scott Spiegel. The second installment in the Evil Dead film series, it is considered both a remake and sequel to The Evil Dead (1981). It stars Bruce Campbell as Ash Williams, who vacations with his girlfriend to a remote cabin in the woods. He discovers an audio tape of recitations from a book of ancient texts, and when the recording is played, it unleashes a number of demons which possess and torment him.

<i>Faces of Death</i> 1978 film by John Alan Schwartz

Faces of Death is a 1978 American mondo horror film written and directed by John Alan Schwartz, credited under the pseudonyms "Conan Le Cilaire" and "Alan Black" respectively.

<i>Pumpkinhead</i> (film) 1988 film by Stan Winston

Pumpkinhead is a 1988 American supernatural horror film. It was the directorial debut of special effects artist Stan Winston. The film has built up a cult following since its release. The first in the Pumpkinhead franchise, it was followed by a direct-to-video sequel, two TV film sequels, and a comic book series. The film was originally called Vengeance: The Demon and it was inspired by a poem written by poet Ed Justin. The film inspired a video game called Bloodwings: Pumpkinhead's Revenge.

<i>The Gate</i> (1987 film) 1987 Canadian film by Tibor Takács

The Gate is a 1987 supernatural horror film directed by Tibor Takács and starring Stephen Dorff in his film debut. The film follows two young boys who accidentally release a horde of demons from their backyard through a large hole in the ground.

<i>Puppet Master</i> (film) 1989 American horror film by David Schmoeller

Puppet Master is a 1989 American horror film written by Charles Band and Kenneth J. Hall, and directed by David Schmoeller. The film stars Paul Le Mat, Irene Miracle, Matt Roe and Kathryn O'Reilly as psychics who are plotted against by a former colleague, using puppets animated by an Egyptian spell.

<i>When a Stranger Calls</i> (1979 film) 1979 American psychological thriller film by Fred Walton

When a Stranger Calls is a 1979 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Fred Walton, co-written by Steve Feke, and starring Charles Durning, Carol Kane, Colleen Dewhurst and Tony Beckley. Its plot follows Jill Johnson, a young woman being terrorized by a psychopathic killer while babysitting, the killer's stalking of another woman, his returning to torment Jill years later, and a detective's trying to find him. Rachel Roberts, Ron O'Neal, Carmen Argenziano, and Rutanya Alda appear in supporting roles. The film derives its story from the folk legend of "the babysitter and the man upstairs".

<i>Night of the Demon</i> 1957 British horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur

Night of the Demon is a 1957 British horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacGinnis. It was produced by Hal E. Chester and Frank Bevis, and was adapted from the M. R. James story "Casting the Runes". The film's storyline concerns an American psychologist (Andrews) who travels to England to investigate a satanic cult suspected in more than one death.

<i>Night of the Demon</i> (1980 film) American horror film by James C. Wasson

Night of the Demon is a 1980 American horror film directed by James C. Wasson, written by Jim L. Ball and Mike Williams, and starring Michael Cutt, Joy Allen, Robert Collings, Jodi Lazarus, Richard Fields, Michael Lang, and Melanie Graham. The film centers on an anthropologist who, along with a group of his pupils, embarks on an expedition to prove the existence of Bigfoot in a rural region of Northern California, only to be stalked and systematically slaughtered by the creature.

<i>Jack Frost</i> (1997 film) American film by Michael Cooney

Jack Frost is a 1997 American direct-to-video black comedy slasher film written and directed by Michael Cooney. It stars Scott MacDonald and Christopher Allport.

<i>The Blood on Satans Claw</i> 1971 British film by Piers Haggard

The Blood on Satan's Claw is a 1971 British supernatural period folk horror film directed by Piers Haggard and starring Patrick Wymark, Linda Hayden, and Barry Andrews. Set in early 18th-century England, it follows the residents of a rural village whose youth fall under the influence of a demonic presence after a local farmer unearths a mysterious deformed skull buried in a field. It is widely regarded as one of three films that introduced the folk horror aesthetic to British cinema, an "unholy trinity" whose other entries are Witchfinder General (1968) and The Wicker Man (1973).

<i>Cellar Dweller</i> 1988 film by John Carl Buechler

Cellar Dweller is a 1988 American monster horror film about a comic book artist who unleashes a demon after drawing it. It was directed by John Carl Buechler, written by Don Mancini, and stars Debrah Farentino and Brian Robbins. As of 2024, this is the only film not in the Child's Play series that was written by Mancini.

<i>The Toolbox Murders</i> 1978 American slasher film by Dennis Donnelly

The Toolbox Murders is a 1978 American slasher film directed by Dennis Donnelly, from a screenplay by Neva Friedenn, Robert Easter, and Anne Kindberg. Starring Cameron Mitchell, Pamelyn Ferdin, and Wesley Eure. It follows a series of violent murders centered around a Los Angeles apartment complex, followed by the kidnapping and disappearance of a teenage girl who resides there. The film was marketed as being a dramatization of true events, though no source can confirm this. It was briefly banned in the early 1980s in the United Kingdom during the "video nasty" panic.

<i>Snow White: A Tale of Terror</i> 1997 reimagining of the German fairytale about Snow White

Snow White: A Tale of Terror is a 1997 American dark fantasy gothic horror film based on the fairy tale of the same name. It was directed by Michael Cohn and stars Sigourney Weaver, Sam Neill and Monica Keena. It premiered on Showtime on August 24, 1997.

<i>Spookies</i> 1986 film

Spookies is a 1986 American independent horror film directed by Brendan Faulkner and Thomas Doran, with additional footage directed by Eugenie Joseph. It stars Felix Ward, Dan Scott, Alec Nemser, and Maria Pechukas, and follows a group of partying adults who find an abandoned mansion and become trapped inside as a warlock tries to sacrifice the group with the intention of using their vitality to keep his wife alive.

<i>The Witch Who Came from the Sea</i> 1976 film by Matt Cimber

The Witch Who Came from the Sea is a 1976 American psychological horror film produced and directed by Matt Cimber and starring Millie Perkins, Lonny Chapman, Vanessa Brown, Peggy Feury, Rick Jason, George Buck Flower, and Roberta Collins. The film centers on an emotionally scarred woman who goes on a killing spree after taking a job as a waitress in a seaside bar. Its title refers to The Birth of Venus, which figures in the film. Dean Cundey served as associate photographer on the film.

<i>La Morte Vivante</i> 1982 French horror-drama film directed by Jean Rollin

La morte vivante is a 1982 French horror-drama film directed by Jean Rollin and starring Marina Pierro, Françoise Blanchard, Mike Marshall, Carina Barone, Fanny Magier, Patricia Besnard-Rousseau, and Sam Selsky. The story centers a young woman who has returned from the dead and needs human blood in order to survive.

<i>V/H/S/2</i> 2013 horror anthology film

V/H/S/2 is a 2013 found footage horror anthology film produced by Bloody Disgusting and Roxanne Benjamin. The sequel to V/H/S (2012) and the second installment in the V/H/S franchise, it comprises four found footage segments linked together by a fifth frame narrative. The film features a largely different group of directors: Jason Eisener, Gareth Wuw Evans, Timo Tjahjanto, Eduardo Sánchez, and Gregg Hale, and franchise returnees Simon Barrett and Adam Wingard.

<i>All Hallows Eve</i> (2013 film) 2013 film by Damien Leone

All Hallows' Eve is a 2013 American horror anthology film written, edited, and directed by Damien Leone. The film is presented as a series of shorts that two children and their babysitter discover on an unmarked videotape on Halloween night, all of which feature a homicidal clown named Art the Clown. The film stars Katie Maguire, Catherine Callahan, Marie Maser, and Kayla Lian, with Mike Giannelli as Art the Clown. It incorporates footage from the 2008 short film The 9th Circle, as well as the 2011 short film Terrifier, both of which were also directed by Leone and featured Art the Clown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enzo Sciotti</span> Italian artist and illustrator (1944–2021)

Enzo Sciotti was an Italian artist and illustrator. Sciotti was known for his illustrations of more than 3000 movie posters, typically for horror films, including The Beyond, Demons, The Blood of Heroes and several other Lucio Fulci, Dario Argento, and Lamberto Bava films. He also painted covers for comics and home video releases.

Demene Hall was an American actress. She is known for her performance in the 1977 horror film Death Bed: The Bed That Eats. In addition to her screen work, Hall was a prolific stage actress in the Seattle area for over several decades.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Harvey, Dennis (February 25, 2003). "Death Bed: The Bed That Eats". Variety . Archived from the original on February 17, 2023.
  2. 1 2 The A.V. Club 2009, p. 174.
  3. Yanick, Joe (December 13, 2015). "Death Bed: The Bed That Eats US Blu-ray Review". Diabolique Magazine. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023.
  4. Albright 2012, pp. 224–225.
  5. 1 2 Callwood, Brett (January 5, 2011). "The sleeper". Detroit Metro Times . Archived from the original on February 17, 2023.
  6. Barry & Thrower 2013, 23:24.
  7. Barry & Thrower 2013, 29:57.
  8. Barry & Thrower 2013, 30:17–30:34.
  9. Barry & Thrower 2013, 2:04.
  10. Barry & Thrower 2013, 34:02.
  11. Barry & Thrower 2013, 50:21.
  12. 1 2 Albright 2012, p. 225.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Snow, Hilary (September 17, 2014). "Best of the 'worst': Local writer gives new life to cult classic 'Death Bed'". Port City Daily. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023.
  14. "Robert Fresco". British Film Institute . Archived from the original on October 19, 2021.(Press "show more" from dropdown menu for full credits)
  15. Barry & Thrower 2013, 1:10.
  16. Barry & Thrower 2013, 5:01.
  17. "Death Bed: The Bed That Eats". TV Guide . Archived from the original on February 19, 2023.
  18. 1 2 Thrower 2007, p. 382.
  19. Barry & Thrower 2013, 28:22.
  20. "Christmas Video Offer". Sunday Mirror . December 4, 1983. p. 34 via Newspapers.com.
  21. Thrower 2007, pp. 373, 376.
  22. 1 2 Olivier 2020, p. 193.
  23. 1 2 "Cult Classic 'Death Bed: The Bed That Eats' Moves To The Stage". WBUR-FM . October 22, 2014. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021.
  24. Thrower 2007, pp. 373–377.
  25. Thrower 2007, p. 384.
  26. Thrower 2007, p. 380.
  27. "DEATH BED: THE BED THAT EATS". Cult Epics. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023.
  28. Meyer, Barry (June 24, 2004). "Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1997)". Film Monthly. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023.
  29. Dillard, Brian. "Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977) - George Barry". AllMovie . Archived from the original on February 17, 2023.
  30. Ziemba, Joseph. "Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977)". Bleeding Skull. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023.
  31. "1st wk of June 2014's PICKS & PEEKS: DEATH BED, NAZISPLOITATION, CANNIBALISM & JERRY LEWIS!!!". Ain't It Cool . June 3, 2014. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023.
  32. 1 2 Stanton, John (October 29, 2014). "Review - 'Death Bed' is real bad, in a good way". StarNews . Archived from the original on February 17, 2023.
  33. 1 2 Halen, Adrian (October 13, 2014). "Film Review: Death Bed -The Bed That Eats (1977)". HorrorNews. Archived from the original on February 17, 2023.
  34. Tyner, Adam (June 3, 2014). "Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (Blu-ray)". DVD Talk . Archived from the original on February 17, 2023.
  35. 1 2 Vorel, Jim (May 9, 2014). "The 100 Best "B Movies" of All Time". Paste . Archived from the original on February 19, 2023.
  36. Gibron, Bill (October 28, 2019). "The 10 Weirdest Horror Movies of All Time". PopMatters . Archived from the original on February 17, 2023.

Sources