THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR (1969)
Only serious film buffs know about this Tigon cheapie. I say that because as of a few weeks ago, I had never heard of it. How is that possible??? It stars Peter Cushing, my second favorite actor of all time (behind Vincent Price). This cult curiosity is in my wheelhouse for other reasons. As I mentioned above, it was churned out by Tigon, long considered to be the gooseberry of British horror production houses. It was no Hammer, or even Amicus, but the diminutive studio managed to amass an impressive catalog. Does Witchfinder General ring any bells? This picture could have been called The Mothwoman Prophecies. I'll restrain myself from unloading my bottomless haversack of Richard Gere jokes. You can thank me later.
Cushing appears as a Scotland Yard detective investigating a rash of deaths in the bucolic countryside near London. The culprit? Ignoring the red herrings, we are confronted with the killer head-on. A scientist has spawned a genetic mutation posing as his daughter. She turns into a bipedal moth creature seemingly at will. A were-moth, if you will. As far as drive-in cheese goes, the nuts and bolts of this scenario are lovingly bonkers. The suspense is regrettably low, as we know what's happening well before the characters get a clue. Still, I was entertained throughout. I wish we had seen more of the monster suit, which looks better than you might expect. Cushing reportedly considered The Blood Beast Terror to be one of his worst gigs. I beg to differ.
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