Night of the Blood Beast

Considering that the crew appear to have constructed the prop space capsule out of a septic tank, this is a decent little el cheapo scifi flick.

A film buff with the slightest knowledge of the major auteurs goes into a B/W 1958 Roger Corman scifi film with a certain set of expectations. Within such parameters, this is a surprisingly well-made film, tense, moody, interesting, and moving along a pace that corresponds well with the plausibility factor. While none of the acting is spectacular, it is all competent and sometimes impressive. The script is surprisingly intelligent, especially considering the title. The title, however corny it may be, works well in this film due the portions of the plot dealing with the death and resurrection of an astronaut.

There is a small bit of FX and monster make up in this film; you will be thankful to find out that it does not clash with the septic tank space capsule.

Overall, this is an honest, well-constructed little drive-in type scifi/horror film that does the job it was designed for and more. It makes more sense, and is more satisfying than watching all the episodes of the new version of 'V.'

A space flight goes horribly awry! The ship crashes to the Earth! The lone astronaut is killed!

Or, is he?

Pulled from the wreckage and taken back to the base, Major John Corcoran (Michael Emmett- ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES) shows strange signs of life.

Plus, he may not have returned... alone!

Things get even weirder when an unseen entity makes its presence known, and the deaths begin. Annnnd, something is found in Corcoran's body that changes everything!

NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST is another hunk of low-low-budget, 1950's sci-fi cheeeze, made a classic through the influence of Roger Corman and his team. The monster costume, while obviously bargain basement, is endearing in a parrot / bear hybrid sort of way. Co-starring Ed Nelson (A BUCKET OF BLOOD), NOTBB is perfect for late-late night viewing...

An entertaining piece of low budget schlock. Despite the cheesy production values, it's quite well done. A zombified, hairy chested scientist, denied the opportunity to wear a shirt after his pseudodemise, is impregnated with alien sea monkeys, clearly an homage to the ads inside comic books of the era. Why is it that, when Roger Corman is involved, there's a always a shirtless, hairy chested scientist, e.g. Giant Leeches, Crab Monsters? I don't get it, but thanks a million, Roger. The plot and characters are no worse than in any other sci-fi from the fifties and all the actors are veterans of genre TV and movies. The lighting is sometimes good, the score is theremin heavy with an occasional moment of Felliniesque jauntiness. The monster is post-nuclear Sesame Street, but after all the money spent on the sea monkey x-ray scene, you can't have everything. If you pay attention to the opening title sequence, you'll note that the rocket ship separates from its booster rocket and looks amazingly like the space shuttle. Sometimes they get it right.

Most of the commenters for this film seem to be reviewing its budget rather than the film itself (hence the typical overuse of the empty headed all-purpose cliché "cheesy") but in fact this is one of the most intelligent and thoughtful science fiction films of any era. Anyone with sophistication enough to look past the obvious budget limitations will see a fairly solid study of human reactions to an unknown menace. BLOOD BEAST really has more in common with British science fiction of the time, especially the Quatermass films. Those who lump it in with other Roger Corman movies have, of course, the wrong Corman --- this was produced by brother Gene, who later went on to a successful career producing major studio films (TOBRUK, etc...). Gene Corman tended to inject a little more substance into his drive-in genre films that his more illustrious sibling. ATTACK OF THE GIANT LEECHES, in addition to the expected cheap scares, also delves into Tennessee Williams territory with its low rent Big Daddy trying to deal with his unfaithful Baby Doll wife. BLOOD BEAST likewise devotes much attention to character development, presents several intriguing plot points, and ends on an enigmatic note almost unique in this type of movie. It's ironic that a cheap 50s drive-in movie like NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST should ultimately appeal only to more sophisticated viewers. MST3K fans should look elsewhere for their cheap yucks.

This interesting little abomination is easily the evil twin of BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE, another Corman low-budgeter from this memorable late 5O's drive-in golden era. There were many major and minor film gems, but not all were so bad, they're great. Some were interesting failures (like this Putrid Preciousness) and some simply sucked (like everyones' personal favorite, "The Cape Canaveral Monsters", whose prints need to be honorably enshrined - in embalming fluid).

NIGHT OF THE BLOOD BEAST (As a kid, I just loooooved titles like that, fearfully imagining what that monster from the dark really looked like), due to its early scenes of eerie paranoia mood and subtle moments of terror, managed to humbly and very economically achieve this kid-scare trick, thus being reprieved from the embalming fluid fate. That impressivly irritating cheesey-weird organ (also used in SISTER BEAST'S HAUNTED CAVE) evoked the proper creepy atmosphere, which Corman was an efficient wiz at.

Those scary shots in the isolated woods in the Bronson Cave hilled area (interesting location with strange, silent mood as if there is some other lurking ominous presense nearby, watching) were nightmarish. That moment when something moved up right before the camera, blocking everything out was a surprising frightful moment - and those dark chilling shots of the woods, as something moves through the bushes - and that shadow of something very unworldly moving across the ground (actually the first monster 'Shadow Shot' filmed from that particular angle) - that shot of a giant shape moving outside along the window and that quick glimpse of IT! creeping down that dark claustrophobic hallway - BRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

At 2:OO AM, in pitch black, that can cause those under-the -cover shivers (all I need is the proper female companion to hold dearly to). Then when poor old kindly Dr. Wymann loses his head - LITERALLY - when the two male leads find his body slumped over the bunk, with a fresh supply of high volume blood spilling down with major drip-drips. UGH! That was an early decapitation scene that really freaked me out. Maybe a life of crime would be safer than being an adventuresome scientist.

Then the "ALIEN" scene, with the mysteriously revived "deceased" astronaut standing behind one of those 5O's Whateverscopes, revealing utterly revolting animated parasites being bred in his body. (Are there any other kinds?) The alien blood beast is sure having its night: It impregnated the trespassing, intrepid astronaut - and made him bear its delightfully disgusting offsprings. Planned Parenthood miserably backfired with the worst grim forms of total dysfunction. What do you think of that? Any "hmmmmmmmm's" out there - or just prowling alien blood beast rapists. (AHHHH!!! NOOOOOW I GET THE TITLE! - DUH!!!). This is true science-fiction horror on its own gruesome little B-minus terms.

Well, I won't go on. You'll just have to see for yourself as to the mysterious fate of our scientific ground crew - and that enormously rude and overbearing blood beast. It's an old cheap B&W minus-B, but interesting if you happen to be in that certain 2:OO AM monster mood. LONG SHOCK THE BEAST BROTHERS!

P.S. That college age lady scientist was quite personally appealing to me at that formative late show age. The blood beast attacks her in the woods - maybe IT got infected by all that human contact - OR maybe it really does possess superior intelligence! Perhaps that's why this was her one and only film appearance. That's BEAST BIZ BABY! It's back to that bloody haunted night cave. GIVE BEAST A CHANCE!