Invasion of the Blood Farmers (1972)

**_Dull micro-budget indie shot 41 miles north of Manhattan_** A sect of Druids, dressed like farmers, are loose in an upstate New York village and need the blood of locals to resurrect their queen. “Invasion of the Blood Farmers” (1972) cost somewhere between $24,000-$40,000, which would be equal to about $185,000-$200,000 today. That’s more than enough to make a competent and watchable indie, such as the quite good “Another Kind” (2013), which cost $169,000 (factoring inflation of the last dozen years). Whilst there are some highlights, like the locations and Lucy Grant as Mrs. Greenman (with a nod to Tanna Hunter as Jenny), the story just isn’t compelling enough, which isn’t helped by the dubious acting of friends of the writer/director, who were reportedly paid with a 6-pack of beer. With a bigger budget, an improved script and more highlights, this could’ve been a cult indie along the lines of “Night of the Living Dead,” but it’s not. It pales by comparison. A few years after the success of “Jaws,” the writer-director had an opportunity to meet Steven Spielberg at Universal Studios. Shaking his hand, he informed Spielberg that he used to be a director, so Steven naturally asked which films he had done. When he told him “Invasion of the Blood Farmers,” Spielberg turned around and walked away without saying a word. It runs 1 hour, 17 minutes, and was shot in northern Westchester County, New York, including Yorktown Heights in the north-central part of the county. GRADE: C-/D+