Reflections on ... The Grim Reaper (1976)

The Grim Reaper (1976). Tagline: “The explosive motion picture about Satan’s demonic army!” I’m using this period of enforced social isolation to explore the weirder corners of YouTube for long forgotten and obscure movies. (My boyfriend Pal is accompanying me only semi-willingly).

I must admit, this is a new one on me: Grindhouse Gospel, also known as Christploitation or Godsploitation. (Definition: “a sub-genre of exploitation film that uses shock, gore or horror-elements to promote Christianity”). Deranged Baptist propaganda flick The Grim Reaper is by the undisputed maestro of Christploitation, director Ron Ormond (1910 - 1981). Originally, hack-for-hire Ormond made straightforwardly lewd and titillating exploitation cheapies with titles like Mesa of Lost Women (1953), Untamed Mistress (1956), Please Don’t Touch Me (1963) and Monster and The Stripper (1968). Once Ormond and his family became “born again” and embraced evangelical Christianity in the early seventies, he exclusively focused on fear-mongering religious movies (beginning with If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do? (1972)), but still employing the same low budgets and sensational schlocky approach of his earlier work. 

In cautionary tale The Grim Reaper, parents Verne and Ruby fret because their son Frankie is insufficiently pious (in fact, he says things like “This religion thing is your scene, not mine!” and “Religion? Not for this dude. No way!”). Inevitably, when Frankie is killed in a car accident – he goes straight to hell! Tormented by nightmarish visions of their son, the grieving parents embark on a quest to save his soul from beyond the grave, unwisely dabbling in seances, occultism and spirituality before being steered back onto the right course. (Note: the film’s casual trashing of other religions is in shockingly bad taste). 

This scenario barely hints at The Grim Reaper’s lunatic tangents (it’s been correctly described as “naive surrealism”). Ormond was surely the Ed Wood Jr of his genre. Like Wood, he’s inept but also never allowed his considerable budgetary restrictions (in this case, the equivalent of a Sunday school play production) limit his ambitiously twisted vision. There are flashbacks to ancient Biblical reenactments and – best of all – mind-boggling glimpses of fiery hell, where the demons wear dime store Halloween monster masks. Impossible to describe, these latter segments are like delirious, hallucinatory fever dreams and make The Grim Reaper essential viewing for aficionados of Bad Movies We Love. (Warning: this film features a superstar guest appearance by televangelist Reverend Jerry Falwell). 

/ This is what low-budget hell looks like! Via /

I first read about The Grim Reaper in the book High Camp: A Gay Guide to Camp and Cult Films, Vol 2 by Paul Roen (1997) – a sacred religious text in this household. After approvingly citing the outrageous bouffant wig leading lady Viola Walden (who plays Ruby) sports throughout, Rouen concludes, “approximately twenty years too old for her middle-aged role, she exhibits an amateurish enthusiasm which reminded me of the late, great Edith Massey. Ah, what histrionic wonders Walden might have wrought, if only John Waters had discovered her before Ron Ormond did!” (Sadly, Viola Walden is such an obscure figure there are seemingly no decent photos of her on the internet - but here is a screen grab).

Get on your knees, repent and watch The Grim Reaper here ... before it's too late!