A Bucket of Blood/Dementia 13 (Blu-Ray Review)
**The Blu-Ray/DVD from Film Masters of “A Bucket of Blood”/”Dementia 13″ will be available on October 27, 2026. This is a review of not just the feature, but the Blu-Ray edition. The grade for this will be for the main movie itself; the set grades will be featured in the body.
“A Bucket of Blood” (1959)
We return to the Roger Corman well with this dual-movie pack from Film Masters. The main film of the set is a dark horror comedy Corman made in 1959 called “A Bucket of Blood.” It stars Dick Miller as a busboy at a beatnik club who finds himself an unwitting celebrity among the crowd there when a brutal accident leads to inspiration.
Miller is 31 in this film, and it’s wild to see he looked very similar in this as he his later collaborations with filmmakers like Joe Dante decades later. His age works for his character in “A Bucket of Blood,” Walter Paisley. He’s too old to be part of the crowd he’s helping at the club, but still young enough to be inspired by them, to want to have their admiration. As he watches them come into the club night after night, he finds himself drawn to them. In his spare time, he finds himself experimenting with clay, and one day, he has an accident, and it takes his work to a whole new level. From the title, you can probably guess the sort of accident.
This is familiar schlock if you’re a fan of the genre at this era, and Corman in general, but because of Miller’s performance, it’s captivating during its 65-minute run time. We know where it’s inevitably hearing, and yet, we cannot look away. That is, in large part, due to Miller himself, but also Corman knowing how to push the audience’s buttons.
“Dementia 13” (1963)
The second half of this set is a psychological horror thriller called “Dementia 13.” What makes it noteworthy, besides being a Corman production, is that it was an early directorial effort from Francis Ford Coppola. Whereas “A Bucket of Blood” is fairly straightforward in its narrative, “Dementia 13” is a bit twistier, with about 10 minutes more of running time, as well. This one isn’t nearly as polished as some the other early Corman’s, but it’s still compelling given the mood that is established.
“Dementia 13” begins with a married couple (Peter Read and Luana Anders), on a lake in a boat, and the husband dies. After his body is sent to the bottom of the lake, the widow looks to try and make her way to get his inheritance. But as she is within the family compound, and a wedding is about to take place, there’s something malicious at play that might keep her from getting what she wants.
This is a film that ended up being shaped by a fellow Corman filmmaker, Jack Hill, and it definitely feels a bit patchwork. “Dementia 13” wants to combine the psychological and the gory, but the film might have been better suited had it stuck to one or the other. Trying for both makes the narrative feel muddled, and the impact of both concepts hit not quite as hard. As an early effort from a legendary filmmaker, “Dementia 13” is worth watching, but take it as a B-side of a filmmaker still ramping up.
Blu-Ray Presentation
This being a double disc, this section will be split up between the two movies. For “A Bucket of Blood”- the main title- we get two different presentations of this film- the main one, which is an HD restoration of the film’s 1.85 aspect ratio release, as well as an archived print of it as 1.33. The 1.85 being the main one, its black-and-white photography and sound is solid, but certainly nothing extraordinary; you won’t regret buying this disc for presentation. As for extras, we get a booklet with new essays on both films by Tom Weaver. For “Bucket of Blood,” in particular, we have a commentary by Weaver; a brief “Trailers from Hell” episode on the film; a recording of the film’s song by Bill Anson, as well as a new trailer for the film using the restored footage.
For “Dementia 13,” we get roughly the same type of extras, but not completely. There’s only one aspect ratio for this film, and the restoration of the film is very good, given its budget. We also get a commentary by Heath Holland; a “Trailers from Hell” episode (hosted by Mick Garris); a reimagined trailer using restored footage, as well as a featurette called “Jack Hill on FilmGroup,” which is an interview with the director. All the type of extras you should expect from Film Masters, at this point, even if the film is not that great.
Film Grade: B+ & B-
Audio & Video: A-
Bonus Features: A
