The She Beast (Revenge of the Blood Beast)

The She Beast (Revenge of the Blood Beast)

1966

Director- Michael Reeves

Cast- Barbara Steele, John Karlsen, Ian Ogilvy, Mel Welles, Joe "Flash" Riley, Ennio Antonelli, Lucretia Love

            

     A British couple are traveling through 1960’s era communist controlled Transylvania for their honeymoon (because nothing says love like the Eastern Block). Philip (Ian Ogilvy) and Veronica (Barbara Steele) are a happy couple who always seem to be in on their own private joke. They stop at an inn ran by a truly vile inn keeper and meet a strange man who introduces himself as Count Von Helsing (Karlsen), the latest member of the famed family that exterminated Dracula. Of course, he’s not really a Count now that the communists have taken his castle and his title. He says that he remains in his home country to fight any evil threats that may rear their head. One such evil threat is a 17^th century witch, Vardella, who terrorized the area. Vardella was executed (in a really originally way which involved being impaled to a dunking chair and drowned in a lake) but her soul was not exorcised and it still remains, waiting to re-emerge.

            

   

Phillip and Veronica, in a freak accident run their car off the road and into the lake. Vardella’s spirit takes possession of Veronica, turning her physically into Vardella’s  hideous form. Vardella then runs rampant, murdering and wreaking havoc. Phiilp and Von Helsing have to track her down, capture her and exorcise her spirit in order to save Veronica.

            

    This movie is quirky. It can’t seem to make up its mind whether its horror or comedy and has a lot of the silliness of the popular movies of that era. It’s an original idea, but not well executed. I guess we have to give the director a break though. This was Michael Reeves directorial debut. He would find his stride quickly though. His 3^rd film was the excellent Witchfinder General with Vincent Price! Unfortunately he would die soon after from an accidental over dose.

            

    The only fault I can find with the film is that there wasn’t enough Barbara Steele! Once she gets possessed she is replaced with another actor and doesn’t show her face again until the end of the film. On the other hand, it is a chance to see Barbara in color, so you take the good with the bad.