Originally reviewed for dvdsnapshot, this is some old-fashioned fun for the Halloween holiday!
While
not a Hammer or Amicus production, The Blood Beast Terror
is a close-enough replica. With a vaguely 1890s setting, character
types, and Peter Cushing as the star, this is a fun double-bill
B-movie night monster mystery. Its just missing the touch those
studios had for making successful pictures.
Cushing's
detective, a vaguely annoyed man more concerned with his tea than his
suspects is investigating a series of unusual murders which lead him
to Robert Flemyng's stuffy, suspicious mad scientist. There
are a few nice touches. The story makes for a nice detective
procedural for Cushing and the victims are, for a change, a string of
hapless men. Some comic relief and a cheesy grand
guignol theater break
also add life. They can't overcome the supposedly-dashing adventurer
who's every expression is a sneer, nor the pair of ingénue
daughters, including one who devours every man she encounters with
her eyes during fits of overacting.
It's
not a surprise that our resident mad scientist is quickly exposed as
the source of trouble here, going to ridiculous lengths to preserve
the mystery of a monster you won't see until halfway through the
movie. Once seen it's not terribly scary, but there is something
undeniably creepy about it.
I
give The Blood Beast Terror,
also known as The Vampire-Beast Craves Blood,
kudos for being the earliest film I can remember featuring one of the
entertainment's laziest tropes: a scene of a “coroner” eating his
dinner around dead bodies. Beyond that, it's a bizarre curio. Far
from great, it still has a few strong qualities to attract fans of
the genre.
Official Synopsis:
A classically told
monster movie directed by Vernon Sewell (Burke & Hare),
The Blood Beast Terror is set in motion when mutilated bodies
begin appearing in the English countryside, drained of blood. Horror
icon Peter Cushing (House of Dracula) stars as Detective
Inspector Quennell, brought in to investigate the deaths. He consults
entomology professor Mallinger (Robert Flemyng), but the doctor seems
to be hiding a dark secret about his fetching young daughter, Clare
(Wanda Ventham). The deeper Quennell digs into their story, the
bloodier the violence, until he discovers a terrifying truth about
Mallinger's experiments that is only revealed in the gruesome final
reel.
Harkening back to
the classics of Universal Pictures, The Blood Beast Terror
offers terrific performances and special effects, and slowly builds
to its skin-crawling climax.
Audio & Video:
The
16x9 widescreen image is restored in HD from the 35mm negative. A
low-budget sixties film, it does suffer from some murky blacks, but
the visuals are crisp overall. This HD remaster brings out details in
dark scenes that couldn't possibly have been visible in any previous
home video version. The reds of the opening titles and thick-as-paint
stage blood practically glow. The mono soundtrack is clean, bright,
and always front and center. The only downside of the audio is the
quality makes “looped” dialogue and sound effects stand out.
While clear listening, the disc offers no subtitles or other audio
options.
Special Features:
- Production Stills Gallery
- A set of trailers
Conclusion:
The Blood Beast Terror
is G-Rated, low budget horror thriller. A showcase for Peter Cushing,
but even he can't save this bizarre little curio.
Overall Picture :
Movie:
C+
Video:
B
Audio:
B
Extra
Features: D
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