The Beast Must Die

Extremely naff but riotously funny British horror movie from the mid 70s which features a silly gimmick that B-movie hustler William Castle, producer of prop heavy 50s drive-in shockers like The Tingler, would have been proud of...

This strange horror movie asks the audience at the top of the film to try and identify the lupine fiend responsible for a spate of bloody killings and then pauses for a "Werewolf Break" at the end, presumably so the cinema going audience could shout their theories into the silvery darkness of a crowded theatre. Of course any movie that hangs its fate on such trickery is probably going to be lacking in other areas, but the flaws make for good "bad movie" fun.

Tom Newcliffe is a rich business type and an expert hunter who has invited six guests to stay at his vast country estate, a compound that is fitted out with all manner of hi-tech surveillance equipment. Each guest has links to a series of deaths, deaths that could only has been committed by a slathering man-wolf.

Newcliffe means to use the weekend visit to root out the wolf and hunt it down. What follows is a masterclass in ropey acting and erratic storytelling, but the kills are fun and Peter Cushing adds his usual touch of class to what could have been a total stinker.

This is a cheap knock off with a fun twist and, although the identity of the wolf is, in the end, down to pure guess work due to the wooly plotting, it's still a good laugh, especially when viewed with like minded friends.