Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Beast with a Million Eyes Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 10, 2020

1955’s “The Beast with a Million Eyes” presents itself as a monster movie, only without a significant budget to do something more graphic in terms of creature creation, aiming to set a mysterious mood of unknown aggression. The Roger Corman production is actually more of an Animals Attack endeavor, examining alien manipulation on a remote California farm that weaponizes local wildlife. Keeping with Corman traditions, there isn’t much action, but the general vibe of “The Beast with a Million Eyes” is just odd enough to hold attention, as limited resources encourage some enjoyably creative filmmaking.

Birds, a dog, and even cattle revolt against a farm family stuck deep in the middle of nowhere, setting up a strange invasion from another world. However, instead of going hog wild with the premise of a critter uprising, “The Beast with a Million Eyes” deals with domestic issues and suspicious attention coming from the handyman, who’s wallpapered his bedroom with pin-up images, clearly making him more of a threat than any alien antagonist. What’s interesting about “The Beast with a Million Eyes” is its low-budget artfulness, using public domain classical music to add some sonic atmosphere to the effort, which lends the movie a cinematic presence. And cinematography makes a few expressionistic choices, contributing to the intended mood of unease as bad things beginning happening around the farm. It’s not much, but just enough to support the picture when it occasionally runs out of ideas, turning to padding to get the run time to a sellable point.

The Beast with a Million Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.37:1 aspect ratio) presentation brings "The Beast with a Million Eyes" to Blu-ray with a "Brand new 2019 HD master." While working with aged materials, the viewing experience is enjoyable, offering compelling detail on actors, bringing out costuming choices and facial surfaces. Farm life is also open for study, preserving dimensional backgrounds. Delineation is acceptable, and white levels are comfortably managed. Source has some wear and tear, showcasing scratches and speckling, and a few mildly damaged frames are detected.

The Beast with a Million Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix battles with age as well, finding scoring cues slightly warped at times, especially during the main titles. Levels are also a tad inconsistent at times, and hiss is present throughout the listening event. Dialogue exchanges are acceptable, protecting performance choices as panic seeps into the story.

The Beast with a Million Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Tim Lucas.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:08, SD) is included.

The Beast with a Million Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The actual reveal of the alien menace is disappointing, leaving "The Beast with a Million Eyes" better with build-up, generating a mild sense of chaos as the unknown visits a dysfunctional family in the wilds of California. It's minor Corman as best, but it's distinct at times, perhaps unintentionally so.