Cleveronix
A different way of telling a story
Fairaher
The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
Cassandra
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
hrkepler
A group of criminals steal gold from the bank and then hide themselves from police in the cabin of ski instructor while there is spider like monster on the loose who feeds from human blood.'Beast from Haunted Cave' was filmed in the same location with Roger Corman's 'Ski Troop Attack' with some of the cast and crew members the same. Corman hired Monte Hellman to direct to whom it was first feature film and later went on to direct such cult classics like 'Ride in the Whirlwind' and 'Two-Lane Blacktop'. Screenplay was written by Corman's regular collaborator Charles B. Griffith who reworked it from his earlier screenplay of 'Naked Paradise' That is the reason 'Beast' is sometimes called the remake of 'Naked Paradise' with the monster. The acting is good in the most parts and the directing is bit uneven. Although with short running time, the middle part of the film drags and starts to fall into melodramatic territories, but when the monster attacks second time, the film picks up pace again. Design of the monster is pleasantly effective (on all the wrong reasons), but it is not as laughable like some others in low budgeted B-movies from that era.It is not totally bad movie and it definitely has its moments, but all in all 'Beast from Haunted Cave' is pretty generic monster fare with crime film background.
Michael_Elliott
Beast from Haunted Cave (1959) ** (out of 4) Slow-moving but mildly entertaining horror film from director Monte Hellman has a group of thieves stealing some gold and deciding to hide out in the snowy mountains. Their plan seems to be working at first but soon they come across a giant spider deep within the cave.This here was an early Roger Corman production and like a lot of the films from this era you soon realize that they were working with very little money, which means that there's going to be a lot of talking and very little action. One of the Corman's most known sayings was how when you're monster looks bad it's best to keep it hidden. That pretty much happens in BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE as the spider is rarely seen outside of a part here or a part there. The bad costume finally shows up at the very end but at that point it's too late to turn the film off.I thought the cast were decent for what they were asked to do, which was basically hit their marks and say their lines. The cast were at least interesting enough to keep you glued to the movie and to stick with it longer than you probably would have otherwise. The spider creature design is obviously very cheap but there's some mild charm that you can take from it.Hellman would go onto make much better cult movies but this one here was mildly entertaining as long as you don't take it too serious.
O2D
While this movie doesn't have all the typical low budget horror clichés, it's still manages to move slowly and confuse you at the same time. The acting isn't too bad, it's not a constant tight shot and they are smart enough to never let you get a good look at the low quality monster, yet somehow it's still not good. The premise is bad enough. Some guys steal six bars of gold and are prepared to kill multiple people to get away and they have the longest and slowest possible get away planned. The beast is first seen in a gold mine and then later it lives in a haunted cave so I'm not sure what's up with that but that's the least confusing thing about the movie. The best thing I can say about this is that most 70 minute movies are much worse. Two stars.
wbswetnam
This is a Roger Corman low-budget B movie from the late 1950s. Before you roll your eyes, though, this one is worth a look. The acting is solid, and the storyline isn't bad. Well, it's very slow to get started, but it gets there. Basically, a group of gangsters gets the idea of robbing some gold bars while in South Dakota, and they set off an explosion in a nearby mine as a diversion. The trouble is, they also awaken a giant hairy spider which is annoyed that the humans have disrupted its humble abode, apparently. The gangsters take off cross country with a ski instructor (who is simply their guide and is unaware of their connection to the robbery) with the spider in pursuit. A snowstorm forces them into a cabin, where they get picked off one by one by the spider. Actress Sheila Noonan, who plays the sultry girlfriend of the head gangster, is particularly fetching.
