New York City, 1976. Newspaper ads across Manhattan dare the denizens of Times Square to see a morbid little movie called The Incredible Torture Show. 'You'll shriek You'll laugh You'll groan ' scream the ads. 'But don't eat before you see it ' The film is yanked from theaters before it finds its intended audience. Years later, Troma Entertainment acquires the rights and retitles the film Blood Sucking Freaks. This time it hits pay dirt, playing to shocked and sickened audiences across the nation, ultimately becoming a perverse cult classic. The writer and director of the film is Joel M. Reed. Like his films - which include Career Bed, Night of the Zombies, and The GI Executioner -- the life and times of Joel M. Reed is a crazy cocktail of New York satire and sleaze. It is a story that commences with swanky supper clubs and cocktail lounges in the 1950s, but soon hits the decrepit grindhouses of the 1970s. Twenty years in the making, this book is a dirty snapshot of the last gasp of Times Square as AIDS, crack cocaine, and anti-pornography laws strike their final blow. Strap yourself in for what promises to be an unforgettable journey through its darkest streets and those of old New York, with tour guides Joel M. Reed and a cavalcade of screaming virgins. Blood Sucking Freak You'll shriek You'll laugh You'll groan But don't eat before you read it