The Beast in the Cellar

A tale of sibling overprotectiveness taken to horrifying extremes, the 1970 British film "The Beast in the Cellar" introduces us to a very unusual pair of elderly sisters indeed. When we first meet Joyce and Ellie Ballantyne (played, respectively, by the great English actresses Dame Flora Robson and Beryl Reid), the two are in quite a flustered tizzy, as a wild animal has started to kill off some young soldiers at the military base near their isolated country home in Lancashire. The authorities suspect that a leopard is to blame, but when the two aging biddies realize that "he has escaped from the cellar"...well, let's just say that they know better. And the less said about the titular beast, the better, I suppose, for those potential viewers who somehow may not have heard.

Anyway, "The Beast in the Cellar" is something of a mixed bag, at best, and certainly not abetted by its DVD presentation. The film's main strength is unquestionably the most impressive performances turned in by its two leads. Robson's terrific portrayal was not a surprise to this viewer; I've been a fan of hers since seeing her decades ago in the great 1940 Errol Flynn swashbuckler "The Sea Hawk," in which Flora's Queen Elizabeth practically steals the show. I had not previously encountered Beryl Reid anywhere before, however, but she was so very good here that I am now inclined to seek out more of her work; her performance in 1968's "The Killing of Sister George" is supposed to be especially good. The acting turns by these two old pros aside, however, "Beast" does not offer too much to the casual viewer. It is never especially scary, or even suspenseful, and although the beast's attacks are somewhat gory, they are shot in such a dark and frenzied manner that the viewer cannot make out much. Composer Tony Macaulay's theme song for the film is eerie and excellent, but much of his incidental music seems out of place, and even non sequitur at times. James Kelly has directed his film in a fairly pedestrian manner, with little style to speak of, and his picture drags woefully in spots. Perhaps the uncut British version of the film, at 101 minutes, would be an improvement, but the 87-minute American cut seems to be missing...something. If ever a picture deserved a loving restoration! As suggested above, the DVD offered for us Yanks is a miserable-looking affair, with a scratchy print, lousy sound and many nighttime scenes rendered almost completely black on the small screen. Seeing "Beast" back when in a theatre must have been a completely different experience; it can only have improved what is, in essence, a highly interesting albeit flawed film. For this viewer, the most interesting aspect of the picture is how our opinion of the two sisters keeps changing as the film unreels. As in 1962's "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?," our perception of which sister is more rational and which is more batty--which is more sympathetic and which is more to be condemned--is subject to fluctuation as the secret of their history is revealed. In the film's best scene, Ellie does reveal all to a flabbergasted police superintendent, and it is a story both moving and tragic, and fully detailing this most unusual family affair. Having a loving and caring sister is one thing, but heaven forbid that you ever get one like Joyce or Ellie Ballantyne!

Kitchen sink snooz-a-thon which seems more focused on cups of tea and nattering than being a horror. Flora Robson and Beryl Reid are the odd couple of sisters, who spend every moment having agitated little quarrels about nothing, while a vicious beast is loose on the moors, and... Oh please excuse me...would you like a cup of tea?

In the pantheon of eccentric 70s brit horrors (that were not by Hammer or Amicus), this doesn't measure up to the groovy Tower Of Evil, or the deranged Killer's Moon, or Norman J Warren's campfest 'Terror'. I recommend choosing those over this one... Now, fondant fancy? Help yourself.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed and written by James Kelly; Produced by Graham Harris; Associate Producer: Christopher Neame, for Tigon British, released in America by Cannon Films. Photography by Harry Waxman and Desmond Dickinson; Edited by Nicholas Napier-Bell; Music by Tony Macaulay. Starring: Flora Robson, Beryl Reid, Tessa Wyatt, John Hamill, Peter Craze, T. P. McKenna and Vernon Dobtcheff.

Fine low-budget horror thriller staged like a play, involving spinsters Beryl & Flora who keep a monstrous relative indoors. Excellent acting by the duo, plus repetitive but ultra-violent flash-cut gore montages focusing first-person on the victim.

Rating: 5

Good atmosphere - soundtrack, film technique, creepy "not what they appear to be" characters - marred by muddled screenplay. Poor continuity. Opportunities with characterizations missed. Not an original idea, done better elsewhere. Mistitled - alternate titles describe movie better. "Beast in the Cellar" sounds exactly what it tries not to be: a '50s drive-in throwaway. "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" Brit spinster wannabe description is apropos.

This was the first title from Anchor Bay UK's "Tigon Collection" Box Set that I checked out - being already familiar with the higher-profile titles among them, namely WITCHFINDER GENERAL (1968) and THE BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW (1970). While the film isn't as bad as its reputation would suggest, and is actually well worth watching, it is by no means a classic. The interesting premise classifies it as an anti-war movie but it was deemed to be too talky by executive producer Tony Tenser and, along with some cuts, he ordered the addition of sex and violence inserts to heighten its commercial potential. However, incongruous as they may seem alongside the film's generally deliberate pace, these rapidly-cut scenes of the rampaging 'beast' work quite well!

The film's mainstay, of course, are committed performances by the two elderly female leads - Beryl Reid and Flora Robson - but also T.P. McKenna as the police official investigating the murders. John Hamill and Tessa Wyatt's contribution - intended to provide the requisite romantic interest - is largely negligible, however. Perhaps the best scene in the film is Reid's lengthy account to McKenna of their family's back-story, disclosing the identity of the 'beast' and the reason for its violent behavior. One may notice inconsistencies in the lighting scheme throughout; this is the result of having two separate cameramen - with very different styles - working on the film, albeit both very well regarded exponents of the field (Harry Waxman and Desmond Dickinson). Tony Macaulay's over-emphatic score, however, works against the film's attempt at creating suspense and, ultimately, is what dates it most of all.

THE BEAST IN THE CELLAR was actually released as a double-bill with the far superior THE BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW, which I rewatched later in the week. Director Kelly made only one other film before his untimely death - NIGHT HAIR CHILD (1971) - which, incidentally, I should also be watching fairly soon since I recently got a copy of it! The main supplement on the Anchor Bay UK DVD is the Audio Commentary, which is pretty adequate: Tenser's memory isn't so lucid and is occasionally hard to understand, but associate producer Christopher Neame (son of director Ronald) made up for this by his highly articulate observations and recollections about this particular film.