Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.0

The Blood Beast Terror Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 13, 2025

Vernon Sewell's "The Blood Beast Terror" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include an excusive new audio commentary by critics Kim Newman and Stephen Jones and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Peter Cushing made a career of appearing in films exactly like Vernon Sewell’s The Blood Beast Terror. They are small horror films, most shot by second-rate directors as quickly as possible. Some turned out alright, but many were instantly forgettable. However, like all smart actors, Cushing did not care. They kept him busy, and he got paid, so over several decades, the iconic actor was always available for the next one.

Sewell worked with an original screenplay handed to him by Peter Bryan, who several years earlier had adapted Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel The Hound of the Baskervilles for Terence Fisher’s film of the same name. In The Blood Beast Terror, Cushing plays Inspector Quennell, a less intelligent and dynamic replica of Sherlock Holmes, and begins working on a complex murder case somewhere in the countryside. But there is not much for Inspector Quennell to examine, so for a while, after checking into a local hotel pretending to be a banker on vacation with his beautiful daughter, he spends his time guessing the killer’s possible motives and identity. Following a lucky break, Inspector Quennell finally begins suspecting that Dr. Mallinger (Robert Flemyng), a prominent entomologist, could have an important role in the murder case. He is proven right, but shortly after Dr. Mallinger’s daughter, Clare (Wanda Ventham), forces him to reevaluate his take on the case and rush to save his daughter from a bloodthirsty creature.

While reflecting on his career, Cushing frequently stated that The Blood Beast Terror was the most disappointing film he had worked on. It is not difficult to understand why Cushing was not pleased with The Blood Beast Terror, but it is even easier to declare that this film is not the worst in his massive filmography.

So, what is wrong with The Blood Beast Terror? And, is there anything in it that works as intended?

Bryan’s screenplay is weak. It feels like it was a collection of leftovers or bits of underdeveloped material, which everyone could instantly tell would not produce a proper film. This would explain why in large areas of it Cushing simply does not have enough to work with, and why he wanders trying his best to appear engaged in the murder case. Also, The Blood Beast Terror is supposed to be effective as a Gothic horror film, but the atmosphere such a film needs never materializes. Only during its final act, where the killer is revealed, and Cushing goes hunting it, it feels like there is some of the dark flavor that should have shaped the identity of The Blood Beast Terror.

No other actor matches Cushing’s efforts, and this becomes clear as soon as all characters of importance are introduced. On top of this, somewhere in the middle, an utterly pointless stage play exacerbates this unfortunate contrast, too. This is likely the biggest reason Cushing was unhappy with how The Blood Beast Terror turned out.

The Blood Beast Terror promotes a certain cheekiness that is right for it. However, it is always around Cushing, so it never becomes a major factor, which is unfortunate because had it been managed with plenty of good humor, the end product unquestionably would have been a lot more satisfying. Also, Ventham looks good, but Sewell misses several opportunities to at least spice up Cushing’s investigation a bit. This becomes an even bigger flaw considering that Sewell’s director of photography was Stanley Long, who was already shooting that kind of material and would soon after go on to direct the Adventures films.

The Blood Beast Terror Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Blood Beast Terror arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

We recently reviewed this Region-B release of The Blood Beast Terror from British label 88 Films. Even though there are a few minor issues that could have been addressed, I think that the film looks very good on it.

This release is sourced from the same master that was used to prepare the Region-B release. Unsurprisingly, its presentation of the film is virtually identical. For example, I immediately went to the few sequences where previously I had noticed slight color instability (or pulsations) and there everything looked the same. (The opening sequence with the canoe has one of these instances of slight color instability). Delineation, clarity, and depth are always pleasing. Again, a few darker areas could have marginally better exposed nuances, but there are no troubling loss of detail. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. While a few small fluctuations in terms of grain exposure can be observed here and there, I think that for a 1080p presentation everything looks quite nice. Image stability is very good. So, like the Region-B release, this release offers a very attractive organic presentation of The Blood Beast Terror. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Blood Beast Terror Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I was very curious to see if the overall quality of the lossless track is identical to that of the Region-B release we had recently reviewed. It is. On this release, in the exact same areas, the audio becomes noticeably flat and anemic. At this point, I am convinced that age is a factor and the soundtrack simply has some native weaknesses, which the lossless track replicates. The dialog is still very easy to follow, but when the inherited limitations appear, you will be able to tell.

The Blood Beast Terror Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Kim Newman and Stephen Jones. The commentators share interesting information about the 'struggle' to give The Blood Beast Terror a catchy title, its unconvincing narrative structure (and the fact that additional material was shot to fill in gaps), Stanley Long's lensing, Peter Cushing's performance and dissatisfaction with the complete film, etc.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for The Blood Beast Terror. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art for The Blood Beast Terror.

The Blood Beast Terror Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Peter Cushing was not impressed with how The Blood Beast Terror was shot and its final version, so some years later he claimed that it was the worst film he had worked on. While certainly not a genre masterpiece, The Blood Beast Terror is not the biggest disaster in Cushing's body of work. The most significant problem with this film is that it does not have a good story to tell, and Cushing is expected to save it while surrounded by actors unable to match the quality of his efforts. I also think that Vernon Sewell was not the right director for it. In Italy, at the same time, an Italian director working with the same material and budget would have produced a vastly superior genre film. It would have been spicier, but it would have been a lot more entertaining. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from the same master British label 88 Films worked with to produce this Region-B release. If you are a Cushing completist and want The Blood Beast Terror in your library, you should probably consider the Region-B release because it has a better selection of bonus features.