Mothman and a 1967 movie

What's the connection between Mothman and a certain 1967 British horror-movie? That's the question I raise in a new Mysterious Universe article titled "Blood Beast Terror Versus Mothman!. You can find it here, and here's how it begins:


No, thankfully, that’s not the title of some new, awful movie of the cheaply-made and badly-acted kind. And where the special-effects are anything but special. You know the ones I mean. And you know where you can find them, too. I’m focusing my attention on something else: a 1967 movie that has more than a few similarities to the saga of one of the world’s most famous and strange creatures. We’re talking about the legendary Mothman, immortalized in John Keel’s book, The Mothman Prophecies. As for the movie, it’s called The Blood Beast Terror.

If you fail to take notice of the opening credits to The Blood Beast Terror you could easily be forgiven for thinking you were watching one of those old, classic Hammer Film Productions. Why? Simple: it stars Peter Cushing, who – alongside Christopher Lee – was Hammer’s most famous face. But, Cushing wasn’t exclusive to Hammer. The Blood Beast Terror was a production of Tigon British Film Productions. Tigon’s other credits included The Blood on Satan’s Claw and Witchfinder General. The Blood Beast Terror was made in late 1967 and was first shown in British cinemas in early 1968.

Michael Ripper

If, like me, you're a fan of those old 1950s-1970s Hammer horror movies, you might like this. It's a 1999 biography on the late Michael Ripper, which I picked up the other day. Some people might say, "Who was Michael Ripper?" Most people associate Hammer's movies with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. But, Michael Ripper appeared in more Hammer movies than any other actor, usually playing inn-keepers, grave-diggers, etc. It's a cool book, he had an interesting life.

Cattle Mutes and a Movie

 
My new Mysterious Universe article is an odd one. It focuses on a few weird parallels between (A) the cattle/animal mutilation phenomenon and (B) a fairly obscure British sci-fi/horror movie (starring horror-legend, Peter Cushing) that was released before the mute issue began (or, at least, before it is believed to have begun).

Here's how it starts...


"Back in 2003, when I was promoting my then-new-book, Strange Secrets, I was interviewed by BBC Radio. This was just two years after a catastrophic outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the UK that absolutely decimated the nation’s cattle-herd. Since one chapter of my book dealt with the matter of official files on cattle mutilations, the host wanted to focus on this particular topic, but chiefly from the perspective of the mutes having a down-to-earth explanation, rather than one of extraterrestrial, 'satanic cult,' or supernatural origins.

"During the course of the show, we got into the matter of Strontium-90 – a radioactive isotope that is produced via nuclear fission and which has a half-life of close to 30 years. Was it possible, the BBC host asked, that the mutilations could be due to clandestine, government programs checking on the cattle-herds? The purpose: to determine the extent to which they might have been affected by exposure to Strontium-90, from (a) nuclear tests undertaken in the 1950s and 1960s; and (b) the Chernobyl disaster of April 1986?"

Peter Cushing - 100!

As someone who grew up watching all those old, excellent Hammer horror films of the late 1950s and 1960s, I couldn't let it pass that Peter Cushing - who starred in so many of them - was born 100 years ago today!

The Abominable Snowman: Thursday

If you're in the US, and are into all things of a Bigfoot and Yeti nature, well this Thursday you're in for a treat. At 11.00 AM, central time, the Fox Movie Channel will be airing what is, in my opinion, the best movie ever made on such matters.

I'm talking about the 1957 production from Hammer Film Productions, The Abominable Snowman, starring Forrest Tucker and Peter Cushing.

Hammer made some great films, but this is one of the best. And the good news is that it does not take the tired and predictable approach of so many of today's crappy cryptozoological movie-makers. I mean, of course, having the creature slaughter - one by one - a bunch of kids in the woods.

Nope.

The Abominable Snowman is very different.

Yes, it's packed with intrigue and suspense, but (unlike so much of today's cheaply made rubbish) it's also filled with a great deal of thought-provoking material on the nature of the Yeti.

In fact, as we learn more about the creature, things become downright spooky. Indeed, certain scenes are unforgettable in the enigmatic stakes.

If you've never seen The Abominable Snowman, you're in for a great treat. If you have, well, watch it again!