The Blood Beast Terror (1968) - Movie Review

Official Score = 3 Devils

Peter Cushing (Star Wars - Episode 4: A New Hope), what can I say about this man... I mean as, 'Moff Tarkin' in Star Wars he did an amazing job entertaining audiences all over the world, but the truth is, is that as a master of horror, there is very few people that are his equal... And in a lot of his best films he plays a good guy!

I mean this amazing British master of horror has managed to entertain audiences all over the world playing in horror movies based on Victorian horror novels, or in modern (well for the time when he was alive,) horror movies... His dry wit, and demeanor just compliments the types of movies he was in just perfectly, and you know what? The Blood Beast Terror (1968) is another great example of his mad genius!

The Blood Beat Terror... Something all horror fans or newbies should see at least once!

Written by Peter Bryan (The Brides Of Dracula) & Directed by: Vernon Sewell (The Crimson Cult). Starring: Peter Cushing, Robert Flemyng (Funny Face), Wanda Ventham (Asylum), David Griffin (If), Glynn Edwards (Get Carter), Kevin Stoney (Doctor Who), Russell Napier (A Night To Remember) & Vanessa Howard (Girly).

This awesome tale takes place in Victorian England during the later part of the 19th century, during this time Detective Inspector Quennell (Peter Cushing) is investigating a weird series of murders that are beginning to more and more look like some sort of, 'bird' is attacking them...

Well he decides to head over to the eminent Scientist Dr. Carl Mallinger (Robert Felmyng), and see if the good Doctor can help. Well in the end, the good Doctor ends up sending him on his way with out much help.

Inspector Quennell talking to Dr. Mallinger about the attacks...

Later on though, The Detective Inspector will come back with some flakes that he shows the good Doctor, who ends up up getting concerned... You see Carl Mallinger has ended up using his immense knowledge to give himself a daughter by the name of, 'Clare' (Wanda Ventham)...

The problem is, is Clare has a dark secret that consumes every one in her path, and after a dead body and a bunch of bones are found at Mallinger's estate, the Detective Inspector and his daughter, 'Meg' head off after the Doctor and his deadly daughter.

The only problem is that the Detective Inspector is going to have to close this case quick, before Mallinger and his daughter can swallow up, 'Meg' in to their madness!

Dr. Mallinger is about to use Meg to help feed the husband he is growing for his daughter...

In the end, there is something always fun about mad scientist movies, and the monsters and what not that they create... And this one is certainly no different!

The truth is, is that British Horror, and especially B horror movies, are fantastic with the suspense and keeping one on the edge of their seat, but if you are more of a fan of the more contemporary gore fests that we see in modern horror movies, then this one probably is not for you. Despite that, give it a try, you might really enjoy it, I know I did!

The Crimson Cult (1968) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

Unfortunately it is tragic that the mainstream movie studios generally (not always, but generally) tend to over look the extremely talented men and women who have made their way in the world thanks to the wonderful world of horror movies!

Like I mentioned though, that is not always the case… And is most certainly not the case with actor Christopher Lee (Dracula Has Risen From The Grave)!

Christopher Lee… I mean what can I say about this man that hasn't already been said? Whether he is a fallen Jedi (as is his role as Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequel movies,) or as the fallen wizard in the, ‘Lord Of The Rings’ movies, Christopher Lee has always brought that deep voice, and an old school professionalism that he brought to the craft that hasn't really been seen since the trailblazers of horror, (like Vincent Price (Theatre Of Blood), Bela Lugosi (Dracula), and Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) were around!

And speaking of Boris Karloff…

One of types of movies that I have found out recently that I have really enjoyed is those old school horror movies that have one or more horror movie legends starring in them, (such as is the case with Christopher Lee and Boris Karloff in, The Crimson Cult (1968)).

Written by: Mervyn Haisman (Doctor Who), Henry Lincoln (The Saint) and Directed by: Vernon Sewell (Ghost Ship). Starring Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, Mark Eden (Séance On A Wet Afternoon), Barbara Steele (The Pit And The Pendulum), Michael Gough (Batman) and Virginia Wetherell (Bram Stoker’s Dracula).

The Crimson Cult tells the story of how an antique dealer by the name of Robert Manning (Eden) gets a strange message from his brother (who happens to be on an antique buying venture in a small country village by the name of, Graymarsh.) Now Graymarsh does have some significance to Robert as it turns out that Graymarsh is Robert and his brother’s home town!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="474"] Robert Manning (Mark Eden) and Eve (Virginia Wetherell) in, 'The Crimson Cult' (1968)[/caption]

So Robert heads to his home town, a town where most of the townspeople seem to be partying as they prepare to celebrate the day when the townsfolk centuries before hand, had burned a witch by the name of Lavina Morley (Steele) at the stake!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Lavinia Morley (Barbara Steele) as she is working on one of her demonic spells![/caption]

But one of Lavina’s descendants, by the name of, J.D. Morley (Lee) has another date that he is using to worship his fallen ancestor, and this actually involves Robert!

So as Robert begins his investigation in to his brother’s disappearance in earnest, Robert Manning will find out a secret about his family and the connections to the Morley family that Robert never would have expected!

Now besides that fact that it is pretty awesome that actor, ‘Michael Gough’ would go on to play, ‘Alfred’ in pretty much all of the Batman movies, (from Michael Keaton’s time as Batman, all the way through to the time George Clooney played the role of the caped crusader), I also have to admit that it is pretty awesome to see what I believe to be the inspiration for the movie, ‘The Wicker Man’ (1973) in this movie as well!

As a side note, this was Boris Karloff's last movie...

Anyway folks, if your looking for a fun one to enjoy, you might try this one, it is a good one!

http://youtu.be/r6PI13Tus8U