ManiakJiggy This is How Movies Should Be Made

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

Hattie I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Phillipa Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

gavin6942 Trouble strikes when an exhausted pop singer, sent on a vacation to a farm, realizes that the farm's owner raises deadly bees.As far as films featured on "Mystery Science Theater" go, this is one of the better ones. That can be evidenced by the fact it isn't sitting in the "bottom 100" as most of those films are, pushed downward by the fans.Yes, this movie does have its problems. The flashback scene is pretty lame, for example. And among Amicus films, it is probably among the worst. But I still rather enjoyed it. A better editor might have fixed it, possibly. Sticking closer to Robert Bloch's script would have helped. It is not a great film, but there is still enough potential here that it can be admired in some small way.

Woodyanders Exhausted pop singer Vicki Robbins (a solid and appealing performance by fetching blonde Suzanne Leigh) decides to take it easy by spending some time at a farm on a remote island. However, things go awry when a swarm of deadly bees start attacking folks left and right.The merely competent direction by Freddie Francis not only lets the meandering narrative plod along at a sluggish pace, but also crucially fails to generate much in the way of either tension or creepy atmosphere. Worse yet, the paint-by-the-numbers script by Robert Bloch and Anthony Marriott doesn't cut the mustard as a mystery thriller, with the identity of the person behind the whole thing being pretty obvious from the get-go. In addition, the chintzy (far from) special effects leave a lot to be desired. Fortunately, the sturdy cast keeps this movie watchable: Frank Finlay excels as friendly eccentric bee expert H.W. Manfred, Guy Doleman portrays gruff farmer Ralph Hargrove with delightfully crusty gusto, Catherine Finn likewise adds some vinegar as Hargrove's snippy rundown wife Mary, Kathy Wild exudes a tremendous amount of perky charm as the chipper Doris, and always reliable character actor Michael Ripper makes the most out of his sizable supporting part as amiable bar owner/constable David Hawkins. Both John Wilcox's sharp cinematography and the shivery score by Wilfred Josephs are up to par. A passable diversion at best.

traitorjoe666 Nah, it's not *that* bad.It's dated. It's got cheesy special effects. It's got questionable science. It's as predictable a plot as if you were given a road-map in advance. But as long as you can shift your brain into neutral, you'll enjoy this fun little 80min romp on Seagull Island.It's a War Of The Beekeepers, one surly, and the other crazy. Amazingly, the crazy one taunts the cops with threats to unleash his killer bees on people. Now, on a small island with few beekeepers, how silly is that? Proof, perhaps, that the villain *is* in fact crazy. Intelligent, yes, but still crazy.Granted, this flick probably makes for better watching after having a few pints of stout, but it's not absolutely necessary.All in all, I'd give it 6/10 for the entertainment value.

JasparLamarCrabb A reasonably exciting Amicus thriller directed by Freddie Francis with a screenplay by Robert Bloch. Pop singer Suzanna Leigh has a breakdown and seeks rest & relaxation on a seemingly idyllic island. She soon finds out that two gentlemen farmers are engaged in a fierce bee-keeping competition. One of them is raising killer bees. It takes a while to get going, but the last quarter of the film is well put together as Leigh realizes that her allegiances have been misplaced. Guy Doleman is one of the farmers and Catherine Finn plays his bitchy wife. Stealing the movie is Frank Finlay as the other farmer, a wolf in sheep's clothing if ever there was one. He's great. The music is by Wilfred Josephs and is awful. The Birds appear briefly during the opening scene.