Le baron vampire

"Maneater of Hydra" (1966) was a delirious Spanish-German horror tale that aired 5 times on Pittsburgh's CHILLER THEATER from 1969-1972 (I missed it, too young). The dubbing isn't as bad as it could have been, and Cameron Mitchell does not dub his own voice, but it certainly had a weird atmosphere that 1962's "The Day of the Triffids" couldn't match. Obscure in its day, and even more so now, this is a perfect example of the types of features that we enjoyed in the days of late night movies-till-dawn, replaced by dull-as-dishwater paid programming and network gabfests indulging pseudo-hipsters with rabid young audiences that have never experienced anything else. These titles can be difficult to find, and this one was no exception, with a starring role for Cameron Mitchell, who gets to dominate the screen from start to finish. It doesn't work as a mystery because we already know that Baron v. Weser is up to something with his carnivorous plants, feeding a mouse to one, while a fellow botanist steals a cute bunny rabbit to do the same with an unseen creation outside. The director is veteran Roger Corman actor Mel Welles (working behind the camera primarily in Europe), immortalized for his marvelous turn in 1960's "The Little Shop of Horrors," which also dealt with a bloodthirsty plant (he would later direct 1972's "Lady Frankenstein" for Corman's New World Pictures). Welles had just finished an acting part in 1965's "The She-Beast," shot in Italy and Yugoslavia by 21 year old cult director Michael Reeves, and remained in Europe for the remainder of the decade. Cameron Mitchell was coming off a starring role in "Nightmare in Wax," another CHILLER THEATER regular, no stranger to European cinema, whose best work came in the Swedish "Face of Fire" (1958), in a rare sympathetic turn. This must rank as one of his best horrors, with a remarkably grisly climax for its period. He remained busiest in Italy, and frequently collaborated with genre pioneer Mario Bava, particularly on the 1964 cult classic "Blood and Black Lace," which aired 6 times on CHILLER THEATER (quite a showcase for rabid horror fans like myself). "Maneater of Hydra" may not be a classic, but I never found it dull, definitely worth a look.

In spite of one of the alternate release titles making this obscure little film sound as if it concerns the hungry amblings of a tiger, it's actually a taut little horror entry concerning a blood-drinking tree which preys on the unwary visitors to an isolated island.

I caught this one on late night television in the early 1970s, and bits of it still stick with me, due to a certain nastiness in the effects work. Cameron Mitchell seems to be a researcher who is studying a bizarre tree which literally drains the life from anyone unwise enough to sleep within groping distance of its slim, mobile branches.

Constructed like a willow, the creature is capable of extending whiplike branches and fastening a cuplike sucking "mouth" to a victim. From there on, things are strictly downhill.

Not strictly a carbon copy of other "plants gone bad" films, such as THE WOMAN EATER or NAVY VS. THE NIGHT MONSTERS, ISLA reflects the stronger attempts many European producers were attempting in order to draw in the jaded horror film crowd. Over the years, this desire to punch up the graphic content resulted in such unique entries as the Blind Dead series and the deja-producing BLOOD AND BLACK LACE.

Needless to say, though creepiness was evoked, the inclusion of stronger content or wilder plot tricks didn't necessarily ensure boxoffice success.

Not Mitchell's worse, but miles below the early promise he showed in his film career.

It's always quite a painful and embarrassing establishment having to admit after watching a movie that the opening credits were, in fact, the best part. My mate and I got suckered into watching this Spanish/German co-production because of the appealing title in English – "Man Eater of Hydra" – and because we saw a little preview of the credits, which are animated and really look like a lot of fun. The film itself, unfortunately, never at one point surpasses the level of mediocrity, but it's still very endurable in case you're a tolerant fan of cheap 60's Euro-exploitation and/or an admirer of the charismatic B-movie villain Cameron Mitchell. I was quite intrigued to discover here on the IMDb that director Mel Welles also co-directed the Roger Corman vehicle "Little Shop of Horrors" (albeit unaccredited), as that particular no- budget classic actually has fairly many components in common with this "Man Eater of Hydra". With a slight bit of imagination, this film could even have been titled "Little Shop on Horror Island", because it likewise deals with murderous plants on a rampage. An assembly of stereotypical, and thus very dim-witted, tourists goes on an excursion to Baron Von Weser's island to visit the famous botanical gardens. Immediately upon their arrival, the witness the gruesome death of one of the Baron's servants, but he assures the group that this man was ill since a very long time already. Still, the cadavers start piling up and all the blood has been drained from their bodies. The stupider guests begin to believe in the old legend of a vampire living on the island, but the smarter ones gradually discover that the Baron is secretly experiencing with crossbreeding flesh-eating plants. "Man Eater of Hydra" is slow-paced and cheaply produced, but it could still be entertaining if you watch it with the right mindset. Instead of anticipating suspense and bloody carnage, please yourself with spotting all silly dialogs and obligatory horror clichés, like thunderstorms and grisly looking servants. The film could also be discovered as some sort of homage to those typical "Mad Scientist" horror movies of the 30's and 40's, in which the role of evil genius on his private island was standard played by either Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi. From that point of view, Cameron Mitchell was a terrific choice to play the Baron, as he always drags this sinister aura around with him. And hey, even if you end up hating the film, at least admit that the crazy animated opening credits were fantastic.

"La isla de la muerte" (alternately called "Island of the Doomed" and "Maneater of Hydra" in English) is the sort of movie that only three people could present: Elvira, Joe Bob Briggs, or at least one of the guys on "Mystery Science Theater 3000". I saw it on Elvira's show. It's basically a "Day of the Triffids" ripoff. A bunch of tourists go to an island where a man is breeding carnivorous plants. Naturally, the whole thing is an unintentional laugh riot. To be certain, the character Myrtle reminded me of Kyle's mom on "South Park", while the character David looked how Tony Randall would look if left in the microwave too long.

Anyway, it's the sort of thing that you watch for pure entertainment. When the Mistress of the Dark presented it, she naturally added no shortage of campy commentary (namely that a plant-themed movie has a character whose last name is Moss).

PS: director Mel Welles played the flower shop owner in the original "Little Shop of Horrors".

The heroine in the clutches of a vampire tree, the hero leaping to her aid with an axe - slashing at blood-sucking branches with his weapon - then being attacked by the mad scientist who created the tree, also with an axe!

An axe battle between the two, under the writhing blood-sucking branches, in the middle of a rain-drenched thunderstorm. GREAT staging! What happens next is bloody (incredibly bloody, in fact), outrageous, melodramatic, over-the-top, and (dare I say?) EXCITING!

Now come on - isn't that last ten minutes worth the previous hour and 20 minutes of bad dubbing and odd characterisation?

And what the HELL is that old German woman gibbering on about?

Fans of Man-Eating Plants should check out the Mel Welles site.