The Beast in the Cellar (1970)
Directed by James Kelley

Film Review

One of the more unusual and less successful low budget horror offerings to escape from the Tigon stable, The Beast in the Cellar looks as if it may have started out as a BBC Play For Today before someone jumped on it and decided to turn it into a poor man's slasher movie.  After a moderately attention-grabbing opening (which is marred only by some over-enthusiastic camerawork and editing), we are plunged into the humdrum daily routine of two harmless old ladies (Beryl Reid and Flora Robson) whose hobbies include (in no particular order): hunting for celery, arguing over who makes the coffee,  reminiscing over how handsome their father was, dressing up in army coats for no reason whatsoever, and keeping a close relative locked up in the cellar.  James Kelley tries hard to make an impact with his first directing work but his lack of talent and experience are painfully evident throughout, although his criminally verbose script is the main reason why the film fails to have much impact.  Opportunities for injecting suspense and genuine thrills into the narrative are missed with staggering ineptitude, although there is some fun to be had from the two principals, who are clearly taking the whole thing far too seriously.  Not quite as bad as its reputation would suggest, The Beast in the Cellar is an atmospheric work with an interesting premise but it falls way short of its potential.   By the time the beast is finally unveiled, you are likely to have long since fallen asleep.

Film Synopsis

Somewhere in rural Lancashire, a soldier from an army base is savagely murdered, although it is unclear whether he was killed by a man or a wild animal.  Two elderly spinsters who live in the vicinity - Joyce Balentine and her sister Ellie - are disturbed when they hear of this.  The thing they have been keeping in the cellar of their house has somehow managed to find its way out and is on a killer rampage.  As more soldiers are slaughtered, the sisters have no choice but to tell the whole story to the authorities...