La chauve-souris du diable

Bela Lugosi turns in a not-so-bad performance in a not-so-bad little B-movie.

Oh, yeah, it is schlocky as all heck. Mad scientist, big rubber bats attacking people wearing too much cologne, dumb comic-relief side-kick for a hero all too full of himself, the usual cops without a clue. Yes, as many clichés as can fit 70-odd minutes. But fortunately, the pacing is actually rather good - moments that look like they're about to slip into the snooze-zone somehow get saved by a fresh revelation, and we're onto the next scene.The acting is competent, the dialog is not painful, the camera and editing do what they have to do to get the job done - a workmanlike performance, but what more can be expected of a cheapie B-movie. If you enjoy B-movie thrillers, you won't be disappointed.