The Beast Must Die

Director: Paul Annett

Overview

In this little horror film, a wealthy sportsman (Calvin Lockhart) invites a house full of guests to a big-game hunt that he's devised. He's sure that one of the guests is a werewolf, and he intends to stalk it, find it, and kill it. As a film viewer, you are alerted at the outset that a mystery awaits and that clues will be unveiled that can point to the identity of the werewolf. In fact, near the conclusion, the film has inserted a 30-second interlude during which you must decide, once and for all, who the hunted beast is. This film is based upon a story by James Blish titled There Shall Be No Darkness.

Product Details

Release Date:	03/31/2015
UPC:	0889290016133
Original Release:	1974
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Filmrise
Language:	English
Time:	1:32:00
Sales rank:	52,194

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Calvin Lockhart	Tom Newcliffe
Peter Cushing	Dr. Christopher Lundgren
Anton Diffring	Pavel
Marlene Clark	Caroline Newcliffe
Ciaran Madden	Davina Gilmore
Tom Chadbon	Paul Foote
Michael Gambon	Jan Jamokowksi
Sam Mansaray	Butler
Andrew Lodge	Pilot
Carl Bohun	1st Hunter
Eric Carte	2nd Hunter
Charles Gray	Bennington
Douglas Gamley	Composer

Technical Credits

Michael Winder

Paul Annett	Director
Max J. Rosenberg	Producer,Producer
Milton Subotsky	Producer
John Dark	Producer
Michael Winder	Screenwriter
Ken Ritchie	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

The non-anthology output of Amicus Productions tended to be hit-and-miss, but The Beast Must Die is an interesting if lightweight horror-mystery hybrid from the studio. The script derives its inspiration from The Most Dangerous Game, Ten Little Indians, and any number of werewolf films to create its own offbeat hybrid of thrills and chills. It is sometimes a bit too reliant on talk over action, but the amusing, often dishy dialogue helps (the story also boasts an endearingly kitschy "werewolf break" gimmick that is right out of the William Castle playbook). Director Paul Annett's work isn't quite stylish enough to capitalize on the film's offbeat mix of genres, but he unfurls the storyline at a steady clip and makes great use of a stellar cast. Said cast is probably the film's biggest hook; Calvin Lockhart delivers an engagingly hammy performance as the film's master hunter, while Peter Cushing lends a subtle but charismatic presence as the story's resident scientist, and Tom Chadbon steals a few scenes as the wiliest of the guests. Charles Gray, Anton Diffring, and Marlene Clark are given less to do, but all do solid work and their presence is likely to up the interest level for B-movie fans. In short, The Beast Must Die is modest but entertaining stuff. It might be a little too old-fashioned for younger viewers, but veteran horror fans are likely to be amused.