The Blood Beast Terror (1968)

User Rating:

4.5/10   

Director:

Vernon Sewell

Writer:

Peter Bryan (writer)

Release Date:

16 May 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Horror | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A scientist, working with genetics, creates a creature that is capable of transforming back and forth...

Plot Keywords:

Moth | Constable | Hypnotism | Investigator | Mad Scientist

Cast

Peter Cushing	...	Detective Inspector Quennell
Robert Flemyng	...	Dr. Carl Mallinger
Wanda Ventham	...	Clare Mallinger
Vanessa Howard	...	Meg Quennell
David Griffin	...	William Warrender
Glynn Edwards	...	Sergeant Allan
William Wilde	...	Frederick Britewell
Kevin Stoney	...	Granger
John Paul	...	Mr. Warrender
Russell Napier	...	Landlord
Roy Hudd	...	Smiler
Leslie Anderson	...	Joe Trigger
Simon Cain	...	Clem Withers
Robert Cawdron	...	Chief Constable
Kenneth Colley	...	James

Also Known As:

Blood Beast from Hell
The Deathshead Vampire
The Vampire-Beast Craves Blood (USA)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:16 | Italy:VM14 (DVD) | Italy:VM18 | Sweden:15 | UK:X | USA:G | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Goldhawk Studios, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK

Company:

Tigon British Film Productions

Trivia:

Peter Cushing considered this to be the worst of his many films.

Far BELOW the British horror standard from that time...

You'll have to agree about one aspect of this movie…these British scriptwriters sure knew how to think up appealing titles! Look at this: blood + beast + terror … Separately, these three words already make every horror lover slaver. Together, they form the title to a seemly indispensable horror film. Sadly, this is a very wrong perception. The Blood Beast Terror is not a vital British horror picture. Especially not compared to so many other titles from that era. Although the plot of this film features a few promising and creative aspects (the still unknown universe of insects!), it develops itself very slow and tediously. The twists near the end don't really offer any surprises or innovative elements. Certainly not if you're familiar with the more famous Hammer monster movies like `The Reptile'. Peter Cushing stars as a cop investigating murders that are seemly committed by a giant death's head moth. Dr. Mallinger (Robert Flamyng) and the stunningly beautiful female resident in his mansion are behaving suspiciously, so Cushing goes undercover in rural Britain. His cute daughter and a bug-worshiping nerd accompany him. There's absolutely no tension to detect in this film. Maybe that's partially due to the far-fetched plot, but I rather blame the tame directing-skills of Vernon Sewell and the truly limited depth of this film. The characters in `Blood Beast Terror' are weak and uninteresting, while the make-up effects are downright ludicrous. The transformation-sequences that turn wench into moth are really, really cheap! And yes, I do keep in mind that the film is over 35 years old now. Even then, the special effects look stupid, mind you! In the same year of 1968, the production company (Tigon Productions) released `The Witchfinder General' starring Vincent Price. That film is at least a dozen times better and one of the most atmospheric movies I ever saw. A proof that the Hammer studios weren't the only ones who were able to create timeless, compelling horror. My advice: skip this one and continue your search for the more essential golden Brit-horrorfilms.