Womaneater

..not THE WOMAN EATER as Columbia's poster art at the time proclaimed. That's a very important distinction as the film is about much more than just a woman eating tree. The movie is actually a misogynistic fable about the male attitude toward women in general and George Coulouris' attitude in particular. The story involves a mad doctor's attempt to use an Amazonian flesh eating jungle tree to produce a serum that will bring the dead back to life. Since this is 1957 and sex can't yet be depicted, we do get to see George and his native assistant have over-the-top reactions while watching the women victims get devoured (not shown).

An added subplot shows the doctor's devoted housekeeper's reaction (she's his former lover) to attractive Vera Day's arrival to serve in the household. This leads to a remarkable scene where the doctor states quite bluntly that older less attractive women should make way for younger more attractive ones. This is clearly a Grade B monster/mad doctor movie with something more on its mind than the standard fare. Ultimately though WOMANEATER (which could just as easily be titled WOMANHATER) is a grade B movie in the best low budget British tradition. It manages to squeeze more out of itself thanks to good photography, excellent use of sets and locations, and an eerie music score.

Then there are the performers. George Coulouris as the doctor, Jimmy Vaughan as the native assistant and Joyce Gregg as the housekeeper/lover all give vivid performances enhanced by the above average script. Marpessa Dawn (BLACK ORPHEUS), Sara Leighton and especially Joy Webster as the victims provide 1950s style eye candy with their tight dresses and pointed bras. Vera Day is no slouch herself and a couple of shots of her sitting in a car while her mechanic boyfriend gapes at her attributes are simply amazing in their brazenness.

Like most of the British films from this era, WOMANEATER's approach mixes the cerebral and the carnal with more emphasis on the former than the latter which will put off most of today's viewers but for those of you willing to go the distance, this is more than just another B movie...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

Yes, it is a cheap Hammer Film done on a budget of nothing, but the story is quite clever and the film has a sassy style. There's one outrageous scene where a blonde secretary in a tight sweater is having her car worked on. The camera is looking over her shoulder at the mechanic under the dashboard. The cast, headed by George Couloris ("Citizen Kane") as a mad scientist, is outstanding, especially Vera Day as his wife. Note that the first victim is played by Marpessa Dawn, who was the star of the oscar-winning foreign film Black Orpheus.

You really have to be a 50s B movie sci-fi/horror aficionado to fully appreciate this movie. The plot is poor, and the scenes a bit choppy. The horror in this movie is nothing in comparison to the movies of today. You won't see any blood or gore here. The monster is an odd looking plant that shakes it's limbs a lot. You don't actually see it devouring it's prey. This absurd looking creature is great. It's one of the funniest looking things that ever attempted to scare a movie audience. The terror of the 50s has mellowed a bit over the years. Its not so scary anymore but still holds it's own when pitted against other similar movies. It probably did it's job of scaring people well in it's own day. There are also a couple scenes that were supposed to be sexually suggestive and a bit racy back then but by today's standards it's pretty tame stuff. I was really surprised with "Womaneater". Although somewhat dated, it's still an entertaining movie. You have to remember that this is the 50s. This film is a classic example of that genre in the British style, which in this case, is almost undistinguishable from the American films. Some of the scenes will bring an unintentional smile to your face. Intended shock may produce a laugh. This is fun stuff. Lighten up, relax and enjoy the film. I think "Womaneater is very under rated and should be right up there with some of the other better known B monster movies of the 1950s. If 50s B monster movies are your thing, take a look at "Womaneater". You won't regret it.

I'd not even heard of this little horror flick before, however, my interest was piqued at the story's outline. An explorer and professor come across an ancient tribe who have the power to resurrect the dead. All they have to do is give a living female sacrifice to their juju; an alien looking tree. Once devoured the tree produces a serum to reanimate lifeless corpses. Doctor Moran (Coulouris) sees the wealth a drug of this nature could bring him. He takes the tree and the shaman back to his house in a rural English village where he begins to sacrifice women to the plant...

There are a few things that I really liked about this story. Dr Moran's character for starters. This man is driven and used to getting his way. He even lets his ex-wife stay with him so she can clean and look after his house. She loves him, but to him, she's served her purpose in that area so he moves her into another productive role. This is cold, calculating, and logical - maybe he's a Vulcan. The other is the idea of the plant. There are lots of plants out in the world being used in medicines and we are still learning about their uses. So why not a resurrection plant(?)

The acting is top notch and makes this film an enjoyable view. Coulouris is perfect as the driven "Mad Scientist". Though his missus, Mrs Santor (portrayed by Joyce Gregg), can give him a run for his money in the coldness race. I think she'd be right at home running a sweatshop. This coupled with the lovers, Jack (Wayn) and Sally (Day) give a good representation of light and shade, good and evil, normal and abnormal.

Though the story isn't too original in its scares, there's one thing about it I really did love. Sally, while working for Dr Moran, begins to feel as though there's something wrong going on in the house... so she tells Jack about it and they both decide it would be better if she leaves... "What!" you say, "she doesn't decide to search the house?" Well, no she doesn't... but she doesn't quite get away either. There's no "Let's Go Die" march in this film.

If you like your macabre this is the film for you. Though there's nothing too scary the concept is good and the acting and story will keep you entertained. For all horror fans out there.

For those of you wondering whether Pittsburgh-born beauty Marpessa Dawn ever made another film besides 1959's classic "Black Orpheus," here is your answer. She appeared two years earlier, as an Amazonian native at the opening of "Womaneater," being sacrificed to a carnivorous tree. That tree is stolen by English scientist George Coulouris, who finds it necessary to keep this houseplant well fed with curvaceous lassies in order to harvest the tree's life-giving sap. Things get a bit complicated, however, when he falls in love with his new housekeeper, Vera Day... This picture is certainly pretty bad, objectively speaking, but I've gotta tell you, I've seen a lot worse. The film looks like it cost around 200 pounds to make (although it probably cost twice as much!), and has a tawdry, sleazy aura hanging over it, but the acting isn't all that atrocious, the script doesn't waste our time with unnecessaries (the whole thing is a scant 70 minutes long), and Vera Day, almost looking here like a poor man's Anne Francis, is pretty good as the bird in distress. The killer plant itself is certainly nowhere near as scary as those apple trees in "The Wizard of Oz," however. IMDb viewers looking for a better killer-plant flick should investigate "Day of the Triffids" (1963); even the hilarious 1960 "Little Shop of Horrors" offers more shocks and entertainment value. "Womaneater" (you've gotta love that title!) is decidedly a bargain basement affair; I suppose the producer's name, Guido Coen (!), should have tipped me off. And speaking of tips, potential viewers should know that this picture DOES offer two salient high points: Vera Day looks absolutely smashing in her 1950s-style bullet bra!