Movie review by Andy Lalino
Keeping the British horror legacy going while Hammer's output was waning, Amicus studios picked up the torch (for a short while) and produced some of the most memorable early '70s horror films of the period. "The Beast Must Die" is an interesting approach to werewolf lore, and is as much a mystery as it is a horror film (I remember "Columbo" being popular at the time), at times resembling the classics "Most Dangerous Game" and "Ten Little Indians".
A group of Europeans are invited to a large, secluded estate in South Africa(?) owned by the charismatic Tom Newcliffe (played by Bahamian Calvin Lockhart, who's a dead-ringer for William Marshall) and are told one of them is a werewolf. That being revealed, Newcliffe plans on killing the werewolf during a 3-day full moon cycle, so one of them must die. The estate is 12 miles from civilization, and the surrounding land is monitored by hi-tech audio/video devices, which amount to corny shots of cameras on tree branches(!) and microphones sticking out of the ground(!!). The "control center", manned by Anton Diffring, is a pretty cool visual.
Among the worried guests is the legend himself, Peter Cushing, who I'm sure was very much at home at Amicus. He plays a German who's an expert on werewolves - but still a suspect. Also present is the venerable British actor Charles Gray, veteran of "Rocky Horror" and "The Devil Rides Out".
Most of the story is a "whodunit", chronicaling Tom Newcliffe racking his brain trying to figure out which guest is the beast. The film takes a while (half an hour, at least) to get to a gory scene where we catch a glimpse of the werewolf, which is disappointingly a big, black dog. Most of the deaths don't involve the guests themselves, but rather, in the grand tradition of the "Star Trek" security guards, the beast munches on Tom's estate servants.
The greatest moment in the film takes pace 15 minutes before the end, when audiences are treated to a "Werewolf Break"! The action stops suddenly, and a V.O. comes on, accompanied by a "60 Minutes"-looking stopwatch. The voice compels the viewer to guess who's the werewolf within the allotted 30 seconds. The grand finale has somewhat of a twist, so be sure to stick it out to the end.
"The Beast Must Die" was made during the sunset years of both Amicus and Hammer (Hammer's last feature being "To the Devil a Daughter" with Nastassia Kinski). Based on a story by "Star Trek" novel writer James Blish. Produced by legendary writer/producer Milton Subotsky with Max J. Rosenberg, who founded Amicus Studios in 1962. Rosenberg is the cousin of Doris Wishman!
Thank you, AMC, for showcasing yet another great Amicus film. I taped this from the 2004 AMC Monsterfest. I believe AMC has rights to broadcast AIP's library, which I believe includes Amicus' productions. They also regularly show Hammer films. Now, if we could only go back to the old days before AMC showed those lousy commercials...
Amicus
Executive Producer: Robert H. Greenberg
Producers: Max Rosenberg, Milton Subotsky, and John Dark
Screenplay By: Michael Winder
Story By: James Blish
Directed By: Paul Annett
Starring:
Tom Newcliffe.......................CALVIN LOCKHART
Dr. Christopher Lundgren......PETER CUSHING
Caroline Newcliffe.................MARLENE CLARK
Pavel.....................................ANTON DIFFRING
Arthur Bennington.................CHARLES GRAY
With
Ciaran Madden
Tom Chadbon
Michael Gambon
Sam Mansary
Andrew Lodge
Eric Carte
Carl Bohen
Run Time: 93 minutes
Color
The movie synopsis and review of "The Beast Must Die" is ©2005 by Andy Lalino. "Schlockarama™" is a part of Crazed Fanboy™ dotcom and all contents are ©2005 by Nolan B. Canova