Le baron vampire

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.

Maneater of Hydra was a regular part of the Creature Double Feature program rotation, which aired in New England during the 70s-80s showing monster/sci-fi movies. I remembered this one vividly, for it features a vampiric tree killing the visitors to a mad baron's island. Z-grade movie regular Cameron Mitchell played the Baron. Memories of the film were better than the actual movie, which I managed to hunt down 20 years after last seeing it, but I still find in enjoyable and there is a great B-monster payoff in the last 15 minutes. The animated opening credits with orchestrated music is worth the price of admission alone.

Maneater is a great bit of nostalgia, bringing back childhood memories of rushing home every Saturday to catch Creature Double Feature, spending 3 hours of the afternoon watching the cheesiest movies ever made, and having a blast doing it. This film isn't as bad as people would have you believe.

"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".

Mysterious and ghastly movie dealing with the suspicious Baron von Wesser : Cameron Mitchell who lives at a island with exotic botanics and he owns strange plants with special penchant for a peculiar specimen . A group of tourists : Jorge Martín, Elisa Montes , Ricardo Valle , Kai Fisher .... arrive in the island , discovering bizarre secrets . Then the unfortunate tourists start dying one by one , as an obscure being is draining the blood the killed people through a small hole in the face cheek . What was the terrifying secret if the vampire tree .? You'll never forget ! .. The clutching horror ! Made to kill or love on command !!!. Death stalking vegetation devours human blood !

This is an offbeat , spine-chilling terror film , including supernatural events , packing tension, suspenseful, exploitation, shocking scenes and lots of blood , gore and guts with primitive but functional FX . This Island of the Doomed takes parts here and there of the classic "The Day of the Triffids" 1963 by Steve Sekely in which some survivors face off walking , carnivorous plants . Resulting to be an eerie and bizarre film with thrills , chills and rousing finale with plenty of blood , gore and shocks. Stars Cameron Mitchell experimenting with bizarre horticulture and crossbreeding dangerous varieties of plants , he plays competently as as a mad doctor whose practises leading to fateful consequences . He is well accompanied by a good Spanish cast, such as : Jorge or George Martín as the hero who takes on the ominous enemy , the beautiful Elisa Montes , the veteran Matilde Muñoz Sampedro, Ricardo Valle as Alfredo , and German actors as gorgeous Kai Fisher , Hermann Nehlsen , among others.

It displays a moving and chilling musical score by compose Anton García Abril . As well as colorful cinematography by Cecilio Paniagua and Juan Marine. Although photography needs a perfect remastering , being it really necessary because of the film copy is washed-out . Shot on location in Arenys de Mar, Sant Feliu de Codines, Barcelona, Catalonia , Spain. The motion picture was regularly directed by Mel Welles and Ernst Ritter von Theuner , though the final part turns out to be really breathtaking and thrilling . This B-actor and director Mel Welles was a second-class craftsman who made some films in all kinds of genres such as : "Joyride to nowhere , Lady Frankenstein, , The Last Mercenary , Hellow Glen Ward House Dick, A quiet Business and Code of Silence" . Rating : 5.5/10 . Acceptable and passable . The flick will appeal to 60s terror fans .

"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.