Roger Corman’s suspenseful, cult classic, Beast from Haunted Cave – newly restored from a 4K scan of 35mm archival materials – will be released as a special collector’s edition on Blu-ray and DVD, 24th October, from Film Masters just in time for Halloween.
Acclaimed as the king of low-budget cult movies, Corman produced dozens of films that were both hilarious and thrilling. Among the best of his early output was 1959’s Beast from Haunted Cave, which was directed by legendary director Monte Hellman (Two-Lane Blacktop, Cockfighter), launching a 15-year collaboration between the duo. The film stars Michael Forest, Sheila Noonan and Frank Wolff.
Cut-throat gangsters hatch a plan to rob a bank in Deadwood, South Dakota, but when one of the henchmen sets off an explosion in a nearby gold mine to act as a diversion for the heist, he awakens a blood-sucking, spider-like creature that isn’t happy about the intrusion. When a violent snowstorm delays the gang’s escape, things rapidly progress from bad to blood-curdling worse.
Upon wrapping Beast from Haunted Cave, Corman directed the 1960 World War II drama Ski Troop Attack – also included in this special collector’s edition – using the same location and much of the same cast and crew. For Corman, economy was key!
Beast from Haunted Cave is presented in its original theatrical 1.85:1, 65-minute format and extended, 72-minute 4×3 TV version. Ski Troop Attack is presented as a newly restored HD print in 4×3 aspect ratio. A full-color booklet with essays by authors C. Courtney Joyner and Tom Weaver with the man behind the beast, Chris Robinson, is also included. Available to pre-order from filmmasters.com
