I am working my way through the Chilling Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection and THE BLANCHEVILLE MONSTER is the fourth movie on disk 7. Slogging through 50 movies is sometimes more work than it is fun; but, overall I like the collection.
After watching some fair-to-mediocre 70s horror on the disk (from PANIC, which I rated 3 stars) to MESSIAH OF EVIL, which I rated 7 stars), this movie, which was released in the early 1960s was quite a jarring change of pace.
The opening sequence, with its foreboding castle, neatly framed by brush in the foreground so struck me as Coman-esquire that I had to go back to see who the director was. Not Roger Corman; but, this movie really feels like one of his films! I love ALL of the Poe stories that he did with Vincent Price (and, worked for years to collect all the DVDs), so I really settled in for a treat.
After learning from her brother that their father perished, when the old Abbey burned, a young woman returns to her family estate from a London University. She is confronted with a completely new household staff, which raises her suspicions. Luckily, she has her best friend (and her friend's brother) in tow, to help moderate the madness visited upon the family.
The dark family secret (not if you read the DVD jacket) is that her father has been horribly disfigured; and, is living in one of the castle's towers. He believes that his daughter must die before her 21st birthday, to prevent the spread of the family curse.
Things unfold in a fairly matter-of-fact manner; and, there is very little suspense to build. The three antagonists, the brother, the housekeeper and the doctor, are obviously in on the cover-up. The great reveal comes when the family prophecy is disclosed by Rodrigue (the brother) to Emily (the sister). However, this is highly objectionable, as it is purportedly carved on the headstone of the family tomb! Did she never look there?!?
Many minutes later everything is resolved, as so often happens in these types of fils. However, I don't want to give it all away. But, there are some interesting dream sequences interspersed among the drawn-out dialog heavy scenes, which do little to move the story forward. As I mentioned the cinematography is very much like Roger Corman, albeit not quite as rich, or as artfully done. The score is fine, sometimes a little heavy; but, not distracting.
And, finally, to at least three other posters, however, I'd like to say that maybe with the right lighting and camera angle, Gerard Tichy could pass for a Vincent Price look-a-like. But, a dead-ringer, no way!
After watching some fair-to-mediocre 70s horror on the disk (from PANIC, which I rated 3 stars) to MESSIAH OF EVIL, which I rated 7 stars), this movie, which was released in the early 1960s was quite a jarring change of pace.
The opening sequence, with its foreboding castle, neatly framed by brush in the foreground so struck me as Coman-esquire that I had to go back to see who the director was. Not Roger Corman; but, this movie really feels like one of his films! I love ALL of the Poe stories that he did with Vincent Price (and, worked for years to collect all the DVDs), so I really settled in for a treat.
After learning from her brother that their father perished, when the old Abbey burned, a young woman returns to her family estate from a London University. She is confronted with a completely new household staff, which raises her suspicions. Luckily, she has her best friend (and her friend's brother) in tow, to help moderate the madness visited upon the family.
The dark family secret (not if you read the DVD jacket) is that her father has been horribly disfigured; and, is living in one of the castle's towers. He believes that his daughter must die before her 21st birthday, to prevent the spread of the family curse.
Things unfold in a fairly matter-of-fact manner; and, there is very little suspense to build. The three antagonists, the brother, the housekeeper and the doctor, are obviously in on the cover-up. The great reveal comes when the family prophecy is disclosed by Rodrigue (the brother) to Emily (the sister). However, this is highly objectionable, as it is purportedly carved on the headstone of the family tomb! Did she never look there?!?
Many minutes later everything is resolved, as so often happens in these types of fils. However, I don't want to give it all away. But, there are some interesting dream sequences interspersed among the drawn-out dialog heavy scenes, which do little to move the story forward. As I mentioned the cinematography is very much like Roger Corman, albeit not quite as rich, or as artfully done. The score is fine, sometimes a little heavy; but, not distracting.
And, finally, to at least three other posters, however, I'd like to say that maybe with the right lighting and camera angle, Gerard Tichy could pass for a Vincent Price look-a-like. But, a dead-ringer, no way!