With Leigh Whannell wolfman Werewolves roaring into the theater, hoping to become the next monster. nosferatu The year ended on a vampire-like high. Get in the mood with the weirdest werewolf movie ever made. This film is saying something for a genre that has some very strange offerings. It’s a 1974 movie. the beast must die.
It’s based on a 1950 short story with the equally charming title “There Shall Be No Darkness.” the beast must die ” has an Agatha Christie-esque setting in which a group of people are invited to a remote country mansion under false pretenses and find themselves taking part in a sinister escapade that involves a body count. Calvin Lockhart plays Tom, a flamboyant billionaire whose obsession with hunting leads him to pursue the ultimate game: werewolves.
Whether werewolves actually exist is only lightly questioned in the context of the film. Tom is obsessed with the idea of investing large sums of money into an elaborate werewolf trapping system. There is a high-tech (1974) surveillance system installed around his mansion, demonstrated in the opening sequence where he tests his abilities, and the audience is left with the idea that Tom is a fugitive of some sort. They are tricked into believing they are being tracked. A man barks orders to security forces with guns from a control room.
But even before Tom jumps out of the forest with a small army in pursuit and scares the guests, we know. the beast must die It’s not an ordinary country whim. That’s because the movie begins with a very specific explanation: “This movie is a detective story, and you are the detective in it.”
Okay, cool. The participatory element is interesting. But then, “The question is not ‘Who is the murderer?’ but ‘Who is the werewolf?'” what now? “Once all the clues are shown, you will have a chance to say your answer…Watch for the werewolf break.”
Now that the premonition of “Werewolf Break” is penetrating the hearts of viewers, the beast must die It continues like an Agatha Christie story, but with a groovy, vaguely disco-flavored soundtrack. Tom details the motives behind this strange gathering to Pavel (Anton Diffring), a skeptical but good-natured security expert. , “I was born a hunter,” and “This will help you hunt the greatest prey of all.”
His “guests” on this adventure, coincidentally timed around a full moon, include a group of disgraced eccentrics (a painter with an admitted cannibalistic hobby, a former United Nations member whose colleagues have been mysteriously disappearing); representative) is included. Tom loudly tells them, following a dramatic musical cue, “One of you sitting in this room is a werewolf.” In other words, one of you is the beast who is about to die.
Horror legend and future star wars The villain, Peter Cushing, is invited as an archaeologist because he happens to be an expert on werewolves. Cushing plays it very seriously as he lectures the other guests about the strangeness of wolf pollen, while Lockhart takes turns grabbing silver objects to the increasingly uncomfortable group throughout the film. He commands them to do so, agrees to them, and gives excessive guidance. The tension builds even before John Carpenter’s blood test scene. The Thing But it gives similar results.
We know we’ll eventually discover the werewolf’s true identity — but unfortunately, when Pavel becomes his first victim, that impressive camera system turns out to be of little use. But as you get caught up in the hilarity of the various accusations (hmmm, that guy has seriously hairy hands, for sure!), you may inadvertently forget about your promised “werewolf break.”
However, there is no need to worry. the beast must diea title taken directly from one of Tom’s proclamations, won’t let you down. With about 15 minutes left and several suspects removed from the lineup because they had already been eaten, the narrator returns and announces, “This is the werewolf’s break,” and at the same time the time appears on the screen. A ticking clock will appear and you will see: Images of all “suspects”. Think for 30 seconds about who the culprit is. Perhaps you’ll discuss your hypothesis with someone watching the movie with you, or maybe you’ll just shout your best guess into the air?—before the beast must die is returned and a fake solution is provided before that. actual The terrible cause of all troubles will be revealed.
Of course I won’t spoil it, but the ending is the beast must die Both surprising and satisfying. Yes, this movie leans into the gimmick to get you to the finish line, but what other movie dares to bring everything to a screeching halt to proclaim this? werewolf break?
Can be streamed the beast must die for free Tubi Several other FAST channels. You can also rent it on Prime Video or watch it with a subscription to Shout! Factory TV and Fandor. severin movie A Blu-ray with bonus features including a commentary by director Paul Annett was also released.
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