Adolf Hitler. Do you like him? Maggots. How about those, they do anything for you? Brad Grinter. Never heard of him, you say? Okay Veronica Lake. Think , think, don't hurt yourself, 1940s, petite, blond, cute haircut, Peek-A-Boo Bangs, dammit, the government had to ask her to wear her hair up so the frickin' female factory workers would stop getting their coifs caught in the machinery trying to copy her style…SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS?! THIS GUN FOR HIRE?! Oh never mind, FLESH FEAST, thought to be Lake's last film after an almost 20 year hiatus from Hollyweird (but actually in 1966 she ran to Canada to make the lost oddity Footsteps in the Snow) was directed by Brad Grinter, the man responsible for BOF Hall of Famer, BLOOD FREAK, features maggots as some sort of anti-aging process (more on that in a moment) and a cameo from Der Furher! Sound like something you want to hear about…okay college boy.

Let's see if we can sort this out, Brad Grinter had a story written by his pal, Tom Casey, (his wacked faggot, psycho comedy SOMETIMES AUNT MARTHA DOES DREADFUL THINGS, is on the "gotta have" list) both had aspirations to get into the lucrative Florida filmmaker club. With the likes of H.G. Lewis and Larry Buchanan making bank on their less than stellar efforts, these two figured what the Hell, we live in Florida, we got an idea, let's start us a production company. And they did.

Veronica Lake was celebrating a modicum of success on the book circuit after the 1969 release of VERONICA (her tell-all autobiography) hit the stands. Veronica was calling England home but doing stage work in GOODBYE CHARLIE and A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE in the states. It is unclear how Lake hooked up with these two newbies in the film game but somehow Grinter convinced Lake to co-produce FLESH FEAST. We do know soon after, Veronica returned to the bottle, and New York, and eventually died, coincidence? Hardly, I'm sure.

FLESH FEAST is part Science Fiction Flick (there's fictitious science going on), part political yawn, er yarn, and part Veronica Lake comeback vehicle (jalopy). The rather absurd plot lays out like this.

Dr. Elaine Fredrickson, in her laboratory in the basement of a beautiful south Florida mansion, has created her own little Ponce De Leon tribute, only this time it is maggots of youth, instead of the Florida fountain that the ol' Doc has discovered. That's right, the rejuvenational powers of the lowly maggot have helped to start the cottage industry of returning clients to their once youthful selves for a price.

MAGGOT FACTOID:
In the 1930's maggot therapy was used by thousands of surgeons, at hundreds of hospitals, across North America and Europe.

Dr. F's main squeeze, the chain smoking, hunk of gunrunning butchiosity that he is, Karl Shuman, has some clients lined up for FredLabs (my name not theirs) wrapped up in some rather sinister political motives, which involves some convoluted discussion of Castro, Central America, Germany, Nazis, Communists and (gasp) the most dangerous of all these groups, Floridians. Along with these new clients, it seems a nosy newspaper guy was very close to cracking the story of the Maggot ResearchTM going on FredLabs, as he was phoning in a report to his editor, Ed, brought into being by Brad Grinter himself, he is knifed. Dumb luck, right? Well for us anyway, because FLESH FEAST continues.

MAGGOT FACTOID:
All maggots are not the same. Some maggots invade healthy tissue; others can digest only dead tissue. The maggots which have been used therapeutically, and described in the medical literature as being very safe and effective, include: Phaenicia sericata, Phormia regina, and Lucilia illustris.

There are quite a few characters introduced to us who hang out in the house portion of FredLabs. There's Kristine, who seems to work for Karl, as well as, the news editor, Ed in a double agent capacity. Spying on the goings on at the lab, giving the info to Ed, but also just for fun and to help out with the much heralded Maggot ResearchTM, she is kyping cadavers from the local hospital where she is putting in hours (how does she find the time) as a nurse. Kristine, you might recognize from her part in Grinter's BLOOD FREAK, as well. The very lovely Sharon is also on hand as one of Dr. F's nurses but she is not quite sure what the good Dr. is up to, well until half an hour after we find out, she also becomes the love interest for the very "beat" Jose, the terrorist with a heart of gold, who explains all of this total horseshit to Sharon about Nazis, Cubans, traveling all while trying to make sure he doesn't touch the black mascara on his upper lip and chin, there to convince us of the fact that he is from Central America.

MAGGOT FACTOID:
Maggot therapy has three major actions:
1. Debridement, or cleaning, of the wound, by removing dead (necrotic) tissue;
2. Disinfection of the wound, by killing bacteria;
3. Promotion of wound healing.

Eventually we get a gander at Dr. F's Maggot ResearchTM in action when Max Bauer shows up. Max is either very, very old or he is very young, has stage grey in his hair and oatmeal and tissue paper stuck to his face. Either way after the maggots get a hold of him, it is all good and he is rejuvenated quicker than Joan Rivers can say, "Why is Bjork in a Swan Dress?" So now we know, it works, Maggot ResearchTM fucking works. The group of hipster, bebop, terrorists must make way for the grand, bebop "Boss." And so it is on, Dr. F must use her treatment to restore the leader of this modern movement to his once powerful self to help take over the world. (WooHaHaHa!) That is right one of WWII's own, Veronica Lake, must turn on this great land of hers and use her incredible scientific skills to help the enemy! What will happen, what will Ed do to stop it, will Ed ever leave the office? And Karl, what is he hiding, and Sharon, is she that stupid and Jose', what of Jose?

MAGGOT FACTOID:
You can get your own disinfected ("sterile") larvae (species: Phaenicia sericata). Order today. Each vial contains 500-1000 larvae. Medicinal Maggots are shipped Monday - Thursday via Overnight FedEx Delivery. Only $70 per vial!

Well the boss eventually shows up, the boss is none other than the body of old "Wipe the Jews off the Face of The Earth" himself, that's right Goddamned Hitler. He's there for Maggot ResearchTM rejuvenation. He is going to revive the troops and well you know, side up with a bunch of minority-type Neo-Nazis. I don't want to give the dynamic conclusion away, but I will say prepare yourself to not give a shit.

I cannot say I particularly liked FLESH FEAST, but given I knew what to expect going in; I was satisfied by the film. I have to recommend it because the subject matter probably will not be revisited any time soon, when you gonna see Hitler, maggots, and Florida together again until the next election? Veronica Lake, looked the 30 years older, and she looked like the eons of 3 packs of Luckys a day and the Gin Rickey lunches had not been the kindest to her, but nonetheless there is something about an icon of her stature reduced to shrieking maniacally and placing maggots on Hitler's face which is well…just as hard-on inducing as any cheesecake pinups she may have posed for. FLESH FEAST is available on DVD from what looks like a Goddamned 5th gen. dupe, but on the flip side it is $4.99 at K-Mart and worth every cent of it. Maggot.

MAGGOT FACTOID:
Don't date a person who has maggots living in any bodily orifice. My guess is their crotch will probably smell like pickled garbage soup. Yuck.

Wonder Maggot Powers Activate!

Dr. F gives old Hitler puss what for!

Maggot Therapy sure is sexy.