Customer Reviews

The Beast [VHS]

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I am sure there is a joke in this movie somewhere, because so much of it is funny. This movie is a less serious version of "It Came from Beneath the Sea." Only this time the giant squid (instead of giant octopus in "It Came from Beneath the Sea") appears interested in picking off citizens of the local town one by one. In a bout of cliché, it appears that most of the citizens the giant squid picked off probably deserved it anyway. Some did not, but that is pretty much like most movies about giant creatures.

The one person who seems to come through this movie unscathed is William Petersen, who was just a few short years away from becoming truly famous as Gil Grissom on CSI. Petersen plays Whip Dalton, a struggling fisherman who really has nothing against the giant squid, particularly if it involves dying. Whip Dalton is probably one of the few characters who was believable in this entire movie.

Actually, one other character was generally believable, and that was the giant squid. The only point in the movie where I thought there was a bit of a stretch was the pool scene, when the dead squid was floating, and then...well, I am unable to say more because that will give away one of the biggest secrets in the movie, and there are so few that you need all you can get.

The bulk of the movie surrounds a bunch of people thinking they can find and kill the giant squid. There are points where some unenlightened people disbelieve that a giant squid even exists, but ultimately they are convinced, even if the giant squid had to make a snack of them in the process. There is a lot of humor involved in hunting the squid. The movie is supposed to be serious, I think, but I was torn between being interested and laughing. Perhaps I find humor in the strangest things, but others have indicated that they find the movie funny as well.

One comment about the VHS tape. The tape shortens the movie. Thus, this movie is in desperate need of re-release on DVD. Some extras would be nice with that, please.

There are few squid movies that make a real attempt at having some measure of seriousness and realism. This movie gives a fair shot at it, though there are a number of laughs along the way. The squids often move in an unsquidly way, but hey, it is only a movie, right? Except that giant squids actually exist. Perhaps one day a hungry giant squid might start picking off people for real. It could happen you know. Really. Watch this movie and see.

You know that Peter Benchley literally jumped the shark when he takes an orignal classic like "Jaws" and remakes it except replaces the big ugly shark with a big ugly squid. If I had a quarter for everytime I have watched this movie on cable tv, I would be rich now. For the over-the-top acting, outdated special effects, and silly writing, I have to admit, I have a soft spot for "The Beast". I always get sucked in watching "The Beast" whenver it is on tv. Before his big breakout role in "CSI", William Peterson was still a relative unknown but thanks to this movie, I always see him as Whip, a struggling fisherman in a New England-type small town. The entire fishing industry where this movie takes place is struggling because they aren't catching any fish and that's because there is a giant squid in the waters. Well needless to say, someone had to go and it wasn't the fishermen. The entire movie is silly and cheesy. It really lacked the suspense and scariness of "Jaws". Secondly, I think the film should have been just a two hour movie instead of a four hour movie. The idea of a mother squid seeking revenge really took this movie over-the-top and beyond jump the shark territory and straight into velveeta land. "The Beast" is one of the most unintentionally funny movies I have ever seen on tv. For all its flaws, I still love watching it as a big guilty pleasure of mine.

I found BEAST the movie to be as good as the novel and here's why. WILLIAM PETERSEN and KAREN SILAS do a great job in the film as does the rest of the cast. Also wait till you see the special effects for THE GIANT SQUID which are amazing how amazing are they? I won't say just watch and get ready to be amazed I know I was so if you like sea adventure see BEASTand have a blast!!!

Peter Benchley's The Beast is one of my favorite movies. The Giant Squid left me screaming. There is enough blood and gore to keep me satisfyied. I am going to buy this movie right when it drops about $30 dollars. The Book was good, but the movie is better. The special effects are mint! Peter Benchley, did get a good deal with the people of the cast and crew. Karen Sillas gives an awesome preformance. I loved the movie, you will too! Rent Peter Benchley's The Beast you will be satisfied!

Like my title states, this movie is no Jaws, which is my all time favorite movie...but this movie is awesome. The action is great, the suspense is great, the acting is great....the movie is just plain great!!! The whole thing about the fishing cutting off it's food supply is very clever, and I have to admit that it beats a shark randomly coming to an island and eating people (Jaws is still better). And, although it seems as though the great Archeteuthis (sp?) is defeated half-way through, as was predictable, mommy wasn't pleased! The submarine scene was terrific, especially because later they explain that it was an act of revenge....that's so cool! And when the squid comes to shore to rescue the infant, you get to finally meet the 'guy', which is quite spectacular. Then, the reigning heroes go out to kill the beast, although of course Mr. Texas drugs the squid instead of killing it. ... The Beast is a great movie, and I reccommend it to anyone who likes Jaws type movies like that. And, as an added bonus to the overall "amazingness" of the film, the villian is squid instead of a shark, which was really starting get old!

The Beast is an awesome movie with a cool score and plenty of savage squid action. But not to see the full three hours is not to see 'The Beast'. You will miss major stuff, that makes the movie what it is. Do what I did and wait for it to come on T.V., then record it, and just edit the commercials. Its the smart thing to do

The first time I ever saw this movie was when we were moving out of our old house. I was only 5 so I didn't understand the parts where they would talk about it but when the beast would attack I would always get excited. Up until a few months ago, I never gave it a second thought until I saw the movie Octopus. I knew there was another movie like Octopus but I couldn't remember what it was, but after I saw Octopus(which wasn't nearly as good as the beast) I remebered that it was the movie the beast, then I rented the movie and after I saw it, it was so good that I watched it about 6 times then I had to take it back. It has got to be one of the best movies I've ever seen. The special affects are great and they don't make the squid look evil either. The plot was great, a giant squid attacks an overfished town after its food supplie has gone, and like in the movie Octopus, it just starts attacking people for no reason at all, not to mention, the acting is so good you'll want to tell people about this movie. And the mistake the mae with the baby squid was pretty neat too to think that the baby squids mother is over 3 times it size. This movie is a must have for anyone. Its the best thing since Jaws, and by the same writer. Of course, only peter benchley could come up with ideas such as these. The beast is as great as great can be. For those people who don't like it, their missing out on one of the greatest movies ever.

From the creative author of "Jaws" comes another goliath-sized undersea killer of a movie based on the novel "Beast" by Peter Benchley (I own the novel as well as the movie). The small island community of Graves Point, Washington (in the novel the story was set in Bermuda) is set upon by a highly rare and deadly creature. "Architeuthis dux", a lethal giant squid terrorizes the small community, and fisherman and sea expert Whip Dalton (name is Whip Darling in book), played by William Peterson, joins forces with his new love (in the novel she doesn't exist but rather Whip has a wife, Charlotte, unlike in this film of which tells she has been dead for ten years), a Coast Guard Lieutenant named Kathryn Marcus (Karen Sillas), macalogist (term for squid scientist) Herbert Talley, and Sea Land Texas owner Osborn Manning, to attempt to destroy the sixty-foot squid. Cool special effects and good acting by Petersen. Peter Benchley at his best. Even my old-timer dad liked it. A great movie!

this movie was great for those of you who dont know the movie is a mini series that came on in 1996 a 2 parted 2 hours a show its better when you watch the whole movie than this tape cause it cuts out alot of good parts in order to fit it on the tape i loved this movie when i seen it for the first time in 1996 it plays on scifi alot so i recorded it i say you do it that way if you want the whole movie its about a town called graves point that has a giant squid come in and start eating the cast which leaves william petterson and a squid expert and a team of great charecters to go and stop the beast my 2 most favorite film this show was great everyone can love this movie!

Recently, I ordered the movie "The Beast" based on Peter Benchley's book. My plan was to give it to my sister. So I found one at Amazon.com for [dollar amount]. My sister, a William Petersen fan, viewed the movie and was sorely disappointed. Having watched the movie on TV a couple of times, my sister notes two major (major to her) scenes have been cut from the movie....the one where Whip gets drunk....and the other where the mother squid comes looking for her little squid...a nice realistic aerial-type view of both squid in the water. Anyway, so I order another copy, thinking it will have the two scenes included....no such luck. Both scenes are missing in both copies. I wonder...so does my sorely disappointed sister.....What's the deal with this?