Overview: Get ready for a crash course in Corman! Acclaimed as the king of low budget movies, Roger Corman produced dozens of films that were both hilarious and thrilling, such as Beast from Haunted Cave (1959).

Directed by cult favorite Monte Hellman (Two-Lane Blacktop, Cockfighter), Beast From Haunted Cave is a suspenseful tale of criminals being terrorized by a bloodsucking spider-like thing. Special Bonus: Ski Troop Attack (1960).

Upon wrapping Beast from Haunted Cave, Corman directed this World War II drama using the same South Dakota location and much of the same cast and crew. For Corman, economy was key!

Blu-ray Verdict: For those not in the know, Humphrass was the behind the scenes pet name devised by actor Chris Robinson for his creature creation, a mysterious, web spinning, somewhat arachnid-like animal that stalks a small group of people in the South Dakota wilderness.

Some of these people are criminals who came to stage a gold robbery, using an explosion in a cave as a diversion. Unfortunately, by doing so, they unleashed the beast, which occasionally catches up to its prey in order to do some pretty creepy things to them!

A 27 year old Monte Hellman, future icon of independent cinema (and director of classics like Cockfighter, The Shooting, and Two-Lane Blacktop) made his directorial debut with this obviously low, low budget effort, done for producer Gene Corman and his brother Roger.

On the whole, the movie is wholly underrated as far as this kind of B picture goes. It’s got some genuinely spooky atmosphere, and Hellman and Robinson (himself star of such features as Stanley) do their collective best to keep the monster in the shadows until the time arrives to show it in all its glory.

And what a monster it is. It doesn’t really look like anything seen on screen, before or since. It’s wispy, long limbed, and has a largely featureless head. The creature sequences are the main reason to watch, but not the only one.

The extremely moody cinematography is by Andrew M. Costikyan; Alexander Laszlo does the effective music. The screenplay is by Roger Cormans’ frequent collaborator, the talented Charles B. Griffith, and it does have some good dialogue.

Basically, the scenario is a reworking of the earlier Corman flick Naked Paradise, but with a monster added. There are some interesting characters in the bunch, especially gangsters’ moll Gypsy (Sheila Noonan), who is already depressed and defeated at age 26. The acting is generally solid - Michael Forest is a likable hero, Frank Wolff appropriately despicable as the criminal mastermind, Corman favorite Wally Campo amiable as comedy relief guy Byron, and Richard Sinatra (Frank’s cousin) has a solid presence as young punk Marty.

Robinson also does a good job at creating a nightmarish creature character that could easily spook younger children which all in all means the this is not a bad movie at all and most definitely, even after all these years, worth a look.

As for the other film in this wondrous double bill, Ski Troop Attack (1960), an American patrol has to cross behind enemy lines by skis in order to blow up an important railroad bridge. The task is made harder by conflicts between the platoon’s veteran sergeant and its inexperienced lieutenant and by constant attacks by pursuing German troops.

Considering Roger Corman shot this in two weeks, it is an amazingly good looking film. Quite suspenseful and action-packed with a unique setting about ski troops we had in the German mountains, the film definitely holds your interest all the way through and never betrays a low budget. Very worthwhile. [H.S.]

Special Features:
Extended TV Version of Beast from Haunted Cave (4:3), 72 min, also included
Fully Restored Ski Troop Attack, full film (4:3)
Color Booklet with essays by C. Courtney Joyner and Tom Weaver
Original Production from Ballyhoo Motion Pictures covering The Filmgroup
Original Restored Trailer from 35mm archival elements for Beast from Haunted Cave