The Blood Beast Terror (UK, 1968) 91 min color DIR: Vernon Sewell. PROD: Arnold L. Miller. SCR: Peter Bryan. MUSIC: Paul Ferris. DOP: Stanley A. Long. CAST: Peter Cushing, Robert Flemyng, Wanda Ventham, Vanessa Howard. (Kino Lorber – Redemption)
Reportedly, Peter Cushing had considered The Blood Beast Terror his worst film, and it’s hard not to agree. It’s poorly directed, leaden-paced, and seemingly interminable at 91 minutes: the first hour feels twice as long. That is to say, it feels very much like a typical Tigon Productions release. Other than the terrific films by Michael Reeves, this studio produced many subpar horror films in the late 1960s and early 70s, including Horror House and The Beast in the Cellar, which were equally stifling and lacking in the production values of the Hammer and Amicus pictures that they sought to imitate.
But still, this is such an odd duck of a movie that horror fans will probably want to see it anyway. Its unusual premise marries H.G. Wells with entomology, as bizarre murders around the countryside are discovered to be the result of a moth-like creature from an insect-loving scientist’s attempt to create a new species that of course has gone awry.
Cushing plays a variation on his tireless Van Helsing character from the Hammer Dracula films, who investigates the strange goings-on. The movie has an old-fashioned approach, in that it waits until the end to give us a good look at the monster, but that tactic is more out necessity than to create suspense, as this moth-like creature is rather shabby. Still, it could have used one or two more attack sequences much earlier, to at least liven things up somewhat. It isn’t a good sign for a monster movie where the most energetic scene is a stage play that Cushing views midway. Indeed, director Vernon Sewell frames this much more creatively than the rest of the movie!
The Blood Beast Terror is available as a DVD or Blu-ray release from the Redemption label that is resurrecting Euro horrors from the 1960s and 70s. After being seen mostly in full-frame transfers on cheap VHS labels, it is admirable that someone thought to remaster this in its original aspect ratio and a clean transfer. The only thing is, its proper widescreen presentation calls more attention to the fact that there isn’t a whole lot going on in the frame. It’s that kind of movie.
Originally published in Vol. #1, Issue #25.
Greg Woods
Greg Woods has been a film enthusiast since his teens, and began his writing "career" at the same time- prolific in capsule reviews of everything he had watched, first on index cards, then those hardcover dollar store black journals, then an old Mac IIsi. He founded The Eclectic Screening Room in 2001, as a portal to share his film love with the world, and find some like-minded enthusiasts along the way. In addition to having worked in the film industry for over two decades, he has been a co-programmer of films at Trash Palace, and a programmer/co-founder of the Toronto Film Noir Syndicate. He has also written for Broken Pencil, CU-Confidential, Micro-Film, and is currently working on his first novel. His secret desire is for someone to interview him for a podcast or a DVD extra.