Sound of Horror

as a collector of vintage sci-fi movies from the 20"s through the 60"s i have found many use a cookie cutter mentality with no new imagination,that does not mean they are not good movies, but the story often is not very original,been done before,etc., that said, i like the story of the sound of horror even at the risk of being ridiculed,*** (my co-workers broke into tears of laughter when i told them i liked a movie about an invisible prehistoric dinosaur)***these same individuals looked me straight in the eye and told me how believable it was to them that a family could feed and pet a brontosaurus in Jurassic park!*** give me a break!*** anyway,that being said, i find sound of horror to be very unique in imagination and concept,the film was obviously a low budget production,yet,it has more intense suspense than some million dollar movies of later vintage. the only available copy at this writing is just a "fair" print quality wise,and the movie was Spanish origin with English dubbing,** still, i recommend this movie to serious "vintage" sci-fi collectors, its very different and thats what makes it stand out among the crowd.*** it really is kind of creepy,*** even today,*** turn the lights out when you watch it!***creepy soundtrack highlights it also! ****

With this type of film there always seems to be a sentimental this-scared-me-as-a-kid review. And I supposed this one is no exception. I saw it once on TV as a kid. It scared me. I've never forgotten it. And I never saw it again until recently when I picked it up as a discount DVD.

As others have said this is a very low budget effort from Spain that employs a cheap gimmick to scare it's audience. It's monster is not seen, only heard. And what is heard is a particularly creepy series of sounds.

But the problem for the film's detractors is that this gimmick seems to work.

Like the famous swimming pool scene in the superior Cat People, it tricks the audience into imagining something more horrible than what could be shown.

The movie's greatest asset is that it's director seems to know how to scare his audience. For instance there are long, sustained shots in which very little happens. But this serves to create tension, causing us to wonder, "What is coming next?"

In watching it again, I kept thinking how well this would have worked as a radio play. The way it uses only sound and narrative to frighten the audience, it reminded me of Wyllis Cooper's classic The Thing on the Fourble Board.

For those who need vivid color, big stars and intrusive CGI effects, let them rent Anaconda.

And for those who have trouble suspending disbelief over the film's gimmick: Who's to say there weren't any invisible dinosaurs? How would we know?

From the opening credits introducing the cast members scampering across the wilderness, pursued by an unknown assailant, you know you're going to get something a little different and that promise lives up to expectation in this Spanish thriller. A trio of treasure hunters converge on a haunted cave searching for an elusive cache of rare antiquities that has evaded them since their first brush when they were soldiers in WWII. But after discovering what may have been the long lost chest, they inadvertently release a terrible, shrieking creature that also happens to be invisible.

More than meets the eye to this cast, with Amercian James Philbrook cast as the stoic, unofficial leader of the trio (the other two Casas and Bodalo), his girlfriend Polish bombshell Ingrid Pitt in her film debut, while the ill-fated Soledad Miranda is the leading lady, a rising star who died prematurely in a car accident only a few years following this film. All the cast discharge themselves with professionalism and tact, no hysterics or over-zealous rants, very measured, solid performances. I thought Lola Gaos as the superstitious Greek housekeeper - whose frequent warnings go ignored until too late, - was a highlight, the scene in which she fetches the water, suspenseful and exceptionally well photographed.

There's plenty of atmosphere in the black and white cinematography, decent sets and calculated suspense, the film's multi-pronged climax is engaging and leads to an unexpected conclusion that won't disappoint. Perhaps the only faux pas is the fictitious Greek setting and characters, all of which looks and sounds very Spanish. Better than expected, worth a look.

This is a cool Spanish horror film from the 6os finely directed by Jose Antonio Nieves Conde , a slick craftsman . A group of isolated people expert on archeology in the Greek mountains formed by three adventurers "André" (Antonio Casas), "Asilov" (James Philbrook) and "Dorman" (Jose Bódalo), seeking a hidden treasure in a cave in a remote rural area of Greece . Accompany them in their search "Pete" (Arturo Fernandez), a hired driver in Athens, "Sophia" (Ingrid Pitt), the Asilov lover , and "María" (Soledad Miranda), daughter of "Andre" . Ignoring the warnings from local residents, who claim that the cave is cursed, and following an old map, "André", "Asilov" and "Dorman" use dynamite to open unexplored caves. They set off a cave explosion , one blast exposes two major prehistoric eggs that are apparently petrified . They are menaced by an invisible shrieking dinosaur that had been buried for eons . "André" leads one to the cabin where he is staying in the care of a local employee, "Calliope" (Lola Gaos). The egg opens and escapes inside a prehistoric monster invisible beeps awful, capable of causing death. As a dinosaur egg hatches and out lashes an invisible predator .

Thrilling film in low budget plenty of chills , suspense , screams and lots of blood . I admire creative effort to keep budget down , but this time is too little . The invisible monster is an original and imaginative resource that lets you play with a certain ambiguity and , at the same time, contributes mightily to create an oppressive ambient and haunting atmosphere . Predictability of the plot, written by Americans named Gregg Tallas and Sam X Abarbanel outlining causes of settings and characters , but not hidden at any time a script perfectly constructed, that transcends its status monster movie to approach the field of cosmic terror. Science has a role in the development of anecdotal history, full of mythological references and legendary as the legend of the Golden Fleece , the monster as a symbol of moral punishment of greed . You'll have to use your imagination as archaeologist are slashed to bits by the show terror carried out by the estrange creature . The spectator does not know at any time the dimensions and physical characteristics of the monster , but the abominable sound emitted is more than enough to imagine the horror it represents. This is an effective and simple movie ; it results to be an acceptable Spanish-American co-production with a Spaniard all-star-cast such as Arturo Fernandez , Lola Gaos , Francisco Piquer and Jose Bodalo-Antonio Casas , both of whom played many Spaghetti Western ; in addition a B Series American star as James Philbrook . Furthermore two cult female stars as the British Ingrid Pitt , Hammer's ordinary , and Spanish Soledad Miranda , Jesus Franco's usual . Passable cinematography in black and white by notorious cameraman Manuel Berenguer who photographed several American movies , though being necessary a right remastering ; it was filmed at Samuel Bronston studios and on location in Hoyo de Manzanares , La Pedriza , Madrid . Intriguing and suspenseful musical score by the classical composer called Luis De Pablo . The motion picture efficiently produced by Gregorio Sacristan was compellingly directed by Jose Antonio Nieves Conde , a director of great quality . He was a drama expert (Surcos, El Inquilino , Marta , Casa Manchada) , religious cinema (Balarrasa, Cotolay) , Comedy (Don Lucio Y Hermano Pio) and even terror as¨ Sounds of horror¨ , one of the least known and appreciated films but is nowadays best considered .

Don't know why I'm bothering to compile this review as obviously no one is ever likely going to read it, seeing as how the film has to date attracted just ONE other review and no votes in all the years it must have been here!!

Let me tell you something...dubbed it may be, but for what was obviously an ultra low-budget entry in the horror film genre (I mean, how cheap can the fx for an invisible dinosaur be???) it delivers both suspense and horror, even in black and white, which strangely adds to, rather than detracts from, the events at hand.

Comparable I suppose (and not necessarily favorably) to the invisible monster from the Id in FORBIDDEN PLANET, this newly hatched dinosaur takes out, quite unpleasantly I may add, several of the would-be treasure hunters that disturb its cave somewhere in Greece. It also emits quite a chilling noise during its approach, giving rise to the title which in most countries outside its native Spain, was THE PREHISTORIC SOUND (not surprisingly).

Some really long lasting images here. The scientist who first has his face slashed to pieces as he enters the cave. The survivors plight as they surround their refuge with flour (or something similar) to give them at least some warning of the beast's proximity. This sequence is especially well-done and highly suspenseful. The concluding scenes I will not divulge but are, let me say, unexpected and a cut above the usual (no pun intended!)

Decent little movie folks - trust me, I'm a reviewer!