Customer Reviews

Beast From Haunted Cave

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Beast from Haunted Cave is one of the few Roger Corman-protege pictures that actually comes off better than some of Corman's own films (try watching Creature from the Haunted Sea some time). The plot, though derivative, holds your interest, and the performances are for the most part competent and believable. A few of the dialogue scenes are surprisingly fresh and natural compared to typical low-budget efforts of the time. But what really gives this movie its reputation are the creepy atmosphere and gruesome shocks effected by director Monte Hellman in several `set-piece' sequences (the tree in the forest bit and all the monster's-cave scenes). No explanation is given for the bizarre, surreal `beast' and none is needed; it's just there to give you nightmares. Watch this with the lights off for old-fashioned drive-in horror show effect.
Synapse's DVD, if not `loaded' is still a fine showcase for the film. The movie is presented in both anamorphic widescreen and full frame versions and features the "extended" version with additional scenes (shot by Hellman) that were added for TV airings. The print is in very nice shape with very good to excellent tonal values, sharpness, and shadow/highlight detail; and little evident wear or speckling. Extremely watchable and light-years from most of the other butchered versions available on tape and DVD. Extras are comprised of trailer, chapter stops, and liner notes only (a commentary by Hellman would've made this a five-star disc), but the set is well worth the money for fans of 50s/60s horror cheapies.

I know this is a low budget quickie, and, as such, would probably be regarded by 'experts' as not having much cinematic merit. But I have to say that, speaking merely as an average cinemagoer, I liked it a lot. I found the storyline to be good, the acting and direction to be more than adequate, and Chris Robinson's spider monster to be genuinely scary. The film moves along at a good pace, and the climactic final ten minutes - in the cave - are very effective. All in all, a cut above the usual horror 'B' movie output of the period.

I highly recommend this new release over the previous "Killer Creature" double feature version. The quality of the DVD is very good, they give you the option of watching in either widescreen or the old box format and the audio is very clean. This version also has some missing scenes that I have not seen before.I wish this company well and look forward to thier next release.

Tom Phillips

This movie scared me good as a kid. I never knew the name of it until a few years ago, but I ALWAYS remembered that creepy monster in the cave! What's it about? Well, some crooks decide to rob a bank near a ski resort. They pull it off flawlessly, planting explosives in a nearby mine in order to draw authorities there instead of the crime-site. All is well, until a bizarre creature from that same mine begins tracking, stalking, and killing the crooks. This thing is UGLY! It's like a giant spidery, tentacled, faceless horror. It webs it's victims, using them as snacks for later. The terror in the eyes of the webbed-ones seems like a direct influence for those poor souls ensnared years later in all those mega-budget ALIEN flicks. Unlike most of the rubber-monster movies of the 50s / 60s, BFHC is actually well written, acted, and directed. Another example of doing a lot with next to no money. Check it out...

This 'beast' from the haunted cave must be seen to be believed. What a hoaky monster. But it works perfectly with the plot and actors.

A gang goes up to the Dakotas for a robbery. The plan is to blow up a mine, then when attention is diverted, steal some gold bricks from the suppository. Only thing is, they plan to escape on skis with only a tourist instructor to guide them.

Well everything would have been fine, but the demolition man took a bar girl to the cave with him. She gets attacked and now the monster has singled out the gang to go after.

The Beast has long tentacles that he likes to grab people with and then he puts them in webs so he can devour them later. The monster himself is a shaggy looking ghost type man that screams like a chicken with its liver being ripped out.

Overall a pretty good flick to make out to on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

Nasty copy of the original. Somewhat pathetic. I kept it because I couldn't find a good source for another copy. Oh well, at least I got to see this classic again.

I'm not sure how the earlier reviews of this "Alpha brand DVD" seem to be describing a better quality DVD manufactured by someone else. This is a pathetic public domain copy with 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Don't be fooled by the misleading reviews that belong to a different product. You can find better junk at the wal-mart or dollar store and much cheaper.

The brainchild Of Gene Corman (Roger's brother), this black and white monster movie is occasionally amusing, but often painful to watch. The premise is that some robbers formulate an extremely elaborate (some would say pointless) plan to rob six measly gold bars from a bank located near a ski resort. The plan involves setting off a diversionary explosion in an old mine nearby to fool the police as to their true objective. In the process, romantic entanglements occur and a long-slumbering monster is awakened.

Since all the characters are snowbound in the lodge, they become the prime food source for the monster, which is a ghostly apparition with tentacles that spins webs around its victims, preserving them so they can satisfy its hunger pangs at a later date. There is a lot of stumbling around in the cave, lots of shots fired, lots of torch waving, and a spectacular amount of overacting, all accompanied by a classic soundtrack that features a wheezing organ.

"Beast From Haunted Cave" is by no means the worst movie I have ever seen, but it has no real distinguishing features, either. The monster is completely preposterous, the storyline is predictable and needlessly complicated, and the acting is what you would expect from the genre. While it has a few amusing moments, it certainly holds no real scares, and is tedious and padded despite its diminutive 73 minute running length.

For fans of the Cormans and 1950's monster movies this is worth watching. Once.

The way you can get some decent enjoyment from this movie is a la The Mystery Science Theater 3000. Invite some friends over and have fun interjecting dialogue while you watch the movie. Even then, you better make sure you've got something else on hand in case the guests get restless.

It's a shame that good directors were getting blacklisted as suspected communists, while bad directors were allowed to continue making bad movies. Director Monte Hellman was destined to go on to direct the likes of "Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out!" This film was produced by Gene Corman, Roger Corman's far less accomplished younger brother.

The movie does go somewhat against stereotype. Here, even the guys fall down and get outrun by the lumbering monster. I believe the monster is a spid-o-pus (somewhere between a spider and an octopus). Interestingly, Natalie the barmaid (Linné Ahlstrand), one of the early victims, was Playmate of the Month for July 1958, a year before this movie came out.

Like an Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space, you probably won't be scared, but you still might get in a few good laughs.

The way you can get some decent enjoyment from this movie is a la The Mystery Science Theater 3000. Invite some friends over and have fun interjecting dialogue while you watch the movie. Even then, you better make sure you've got something else on hand to pop in the DVD player in case the guests get restless.

It's a shame that good directors were getting blacklisted as suspected communists, while bad directors were allowed to continue making bad movies. Director Monte Hellman was destined to go on to direct the likes of "Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out!" This film was produced by Gene Corman, Roger Corman's far less accomplished younger brother.

The movie does go somewhat against stereotype. Here, even the guys fall down and get outrun by the lumbering monster. I believe the monster is a spid-o-pus (somewhere between a spider and an octopus). Interestingly, Natalie the barmaid (Linné Ahlstrand), one of the early victims, was Playmate of the Month for July 1958, a year before this movie came out.

Like an Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space, you probably won't be scared, but you still might get in a few good laughs.