The Beast Must Die (DVD)

The Beast Must Die is camp 1974 British horror film from Amicus Productions directed by Paul Annett and based on James Blish's story There Shall Be No Darkness. In the film wealthy playboy, philanthropist and big game hunter Tom Newcliffe (Calvin Lockhart) invites, as you do, an eclectic group of people to his gigantic country mansion convinced that one of them is a werewolf. The mansion is fitted with a high-tech closed-circuit television surveillance system with numerous security cameras controlled by employee Pavel (Anton Diffring). Once the werewolf duly reveals his or her self Newcliffe plans to shoot the biggest game of all with his hunting rifle and add it to his ...  Read the complete review

In the 60s the British more or less ruled the world of horror films. With Hammer churning out Draculas and Frankensteins like no one's business, and Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee lending their classy presence to many a lurid gothic melodrama, things were pretty good. Unfortunately, by the time the 70s came round, British horror was running out of steam. There was a new trend in American horror, bleak and nihilistic, which came from films like Night of the Living Dead or Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Next to that kind of thing the stuffy, patriarchal world of Hammer, with its quaint Victoriana and ageing stars and producers, started to look less and less relevant. Add ...  Read the complete review

One of a very select bunch of blaxploitation horror movies (a list that also includes the mighty 'Blacula' and it's funky sequel 'Scream Blacula Scream'), 'The Beast Must Die' sees Calvin Lockhart chewing the furniture as a great black game hunter with his sights set on more unusual prey - a werewolf. Having convinced himself that among his acquaintances is a werewolf, he assembles them at his mansion for one final hunt. Obviously the assembled guests end up as wolf-meat one by one, as Lockhart's detective work isn't as flash as his flares, but nevertheless, the hunt continues. Encouraging us to join in, the film opens with an ...  Read the complete review

I first watched this film when I was about 10 years old. My friend had secretly recorded it one night and invited me round to watch. Films like these are not considered to be scary, but when you are ten things are very different and maybe thats why I have always liked it. It's a shame this film has not been remade because the actual idea was a very good one. Maybe it has and I have never heard of it. All about a hunter who has hunted all over the world and killed just about every animal you can think of. Obviously he is now bored and so he invites a load of unsuspecting people round to visit his stately manor(had to be). The snag is one of the visitors is a ...  Read the complete review