Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Blood Beast Terror Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 26, 2025

Vernon Sewell's "The Blood Beast Terror" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with editor Howard Lanning; new audio commentary by author John Hamilton and Howard Lanning; new program on the making of the film with exclusive interviews; vintage trailers; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "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 88 Films.

In America, The Blood Beast Terror made its high-definition debut with this release, produced by the Redemption label in 2012. Unfortunately, I do not have it in my library and cannot comment on the quality of its presentation of the film.

On this release, The Blood Beast Terror looks very healthy and often rather impressive. In fact, there are only three areas where I noticed slight color instability (or pulsations) that lasted a few seconds, which could have been addressed. Elsewhere, delineation, clarity, and depth were always very pleasing. Color balance and saturation levels were very good, too. Darker areas, both during indoor and nighttime footage, have a few spots that perhaps could have been slightly more convincing, but I did not see any distracting flattening or crushing to report. Grain exposure is very good, so on a larger screen, all visuals look lovely. I did not encounter any traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is very good. All in all, The Blood Beast Terror has a very attractive, very convincing organic appearance on this recent release. My score is 4.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B 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 LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

All exchanges are clear and easy to follow. However, the lossless track has quite a few areas where the audio becomes noticeably flat and anemic. It is very difficult to tell if all fluctuations are age-related or inherited. My guess is that age is a bit of a factor, but the soundtrack was finalized with all of the obvious fluctuations. Why? Clearly, the soundtrack incorporates some type of overdubbing, and it is just as clear that some transitions did not turn out as smooth as they could have been. Again, none of this is distracting, but you will always be aware that you are viewing a small genre film from the late 1960s that could have been polished better by its producers.

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

• Commentary - this new audio commentary was recorded by author John Hamilton and editor Howard Lanning, who worked with Vernon Sewell on The Blood Beast Terror. The commentators discuss why and how different sections of the film were shot after it was determined that more material was needed for it to qualify as a proper feature film, the old house seen in the film (which may have been haunted), the film's budget and final version, etc.

• To Cut or Not to Cut - in this new program, editor Howard Lanning explains how he entered the British film industry and discusses his work on The Blood Beast Terror and Witchfinder General. Lanning also discusses the extra Amazin footage that was shot for the former. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Terror at Grim's Dyke House - this new program takes a closer look at the production of The Blood Beast Terror. Included in it are clips from interviews with actor Glynn Edwards, make-up artist Rosemarie McDonald-Peattie, production secretary Vivien Duret, and standby carpenter Jeff Woodbridge, and focus puller Jim Alloway, amongst others. There are some particularly interesting comments about Peter Cushing's dissatisfaction with the shooting process. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).

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

• Trailer Two - presented here is a vintage U.S. trailer for The Vampire-Beast Craves Blood. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Stills Gallery - presented here is a collection of vintage promotional material for The Blood Beast Terror. With music. (2 min).

• Booklet - a 42-page illustrated booklet with new essays on The Blood Beast Terror and techncial credits.

• 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. If you are a Cushing completist, this release should find a spot in your library. It has a very fine organic presentation of The Blood Beast Terror with a nice selection of exclusive new bonus features. RECOMMENDED only to Cushing completists.