The Blood Beast Terror (1968)

The Blood Beast Terror is a 1968 horror film from Tigon Bristish Film Productions.  If you look in the left hand corner of the above movie poster you will see Peter Cushing. (One of my favorite actors)  Cushing considered this the worst film he ever made. I concur. And by that I mean the worst film HE ever made. But it looks like Citizen Kane compared to Blackenstein.

There is a basic horror movie theme here.  Victims are discovered with their blood drained and a detective (Cushing) is on the hunt to discover the killer.  Cushing as always is fun to watch and I give a tip of my hat to the filmmakers for trying to bring a different type of monster to the big screen.  Despite being a slow movie, I was intrigued as to who or what the killer really was.  I hung around just to find out.  Spoiler coming:  It's a woman that turns into a moth.   That sets up an ending that makes you groan.  The moth dies because she sees the light from a fire and flies into it, thus burning to death.

Like a moth to the flame....

 Despite terrible reviews from all around, the film is not that bad. It does have some misdirection that keeps you interested.  It also has some comic elements with Glynn Edwards (as Sergeant Allen) and Roy Hudd, as the morgue attendant who eats his frigging meals off the slabs in the morgue, complete with dead bodies.

It's obvious that this movie was shot on a shoestring budget. The movie has it's flaws such as hardly ever seeing monster and the poor ending.  The film didn't change the face of horror but it wasn't a complete disaster either.

Kevin Booker

 

You don't have to point shit out to Peter Cushing.  He sees all bumbling policeman.

Trivia:
Robert Flemyng replaced Basil Rathbone.

First film of Roy Hudd

Robert Flemyng reportedly hated working on the film. .