The Deadly Bees (1966) Online

Killer bees don't always make for the best 'monsters' in the horror genre, but this British thriller is an exception.

Pop singer vacations on an island with a local bee keeper, while a mysterious swarm of bees has caused the death of a woman.

The Deadly Bees isn't as dull a film as some make it out to be. It has some nice high-powered shock sequences even though the bee FX aren't always convincing. The makeup FX aren't bad, namely the great work on an ill-fated Catherine Finn. The story is a decent mystery, based upon H.W. Herd's novel A Taste for Honey. The direction of Freddie Francis is pretty good, the sets are well constructed and the art direction is excellent. There's also a great dramatic music score to boot.

The cast is quite good. Suzanna Leigh is a decent heroine, but it's really leading actors Guy Doleman and Frank Finlay that turn in the best performances as some feuding, menacing bee keepers.

All around not bad. Certainly the best killer bee movie around and an underrated work.

*** out of ****

The Deadly Bees starts in London where Inspector Thompson (John Harvey) of some unnamed Government Ministry receives a letter from a nutter who says he will release 1000's of deadly killer bees on an unsuspecting public, he has a quick laugh about it & throws the letter into the bin despite the nutter even giving his address on the ominous sounding 'Seagull Island'... Pop singer Vicki Robins (Suzanna Leigh) has been working far too hard lately & collapses while performing in a TV studio, her agent (Maurice Good) suggests she spend a couple of relaxing weeks with a friend of his on, yep you've guessed it, Seagull Island. Vicki arrives on the isolated Isalnd & meets up with Ralph Hargrove (Guy Doleman) & his wife Mary (Catherine Finn) who welcome her into their home, Vicki quickly learns that Ralph is a bee farmer & the next person she meets Mr. Manfred (Frank Finlay) is also a bee keeper. The people of Seagull Island seem to have bees on the brain & they come up in the conversation more often than one would expect, however it's not long before Vicki finds herself embroiled in a scheme involving killer bees that can be controlled to do their owner's evil bidding...

Produced by British studio Amicus The Deadly Bees was directed by genre veteran Freddie Francis & I have to say I quite liked it despite it's daftness & somewhat predictable storyline. The script by Robert Bloch & Anthony Marriott is based on the novel 'A Taste for Honey' by H.F. Heard & the central premise is rather silly & takes itself a little too seriously, why does someone want to develop a swarm of killer bees in the first place? The plot which tries to keep the villains identity a secret & then surprise everyone at the end, well I can assure you now that you would have to be pretty dumb not to see where The Deadly Bees is going as the script tries it's absolute hardest to convince you one way with unconvincing red-herrings that you just know there's more to it. I also found the bizarre sub-plot about Mr. & Mrs. Hargrove having the hump with each other somewhat puzzling & we never find out why they dislike each other so much or why Mrs. Hargrove is so rude to Doris (Katy Wild) the hired help! The villains speech at the films climax is also worth a mention as it feels & sounds like something out of a Scooby-Doo episode with the villain explaining it all nicely complete with flashbacks & how they did it. Having said that at only just over 80 minutes it moves along at a nice pace I was never bored, I found it quite fun & entertaining on a dumb level. There are only a few bee attacks & they are not graphic so don't expect a high body count or lots of gore.

Director Francis can't do much to liven things up unfortunately but does a decent job with the material at hand, the bee attacks themselves are poorly realised with some terrible special optical effects where the bees are super imposed over the actor who has to react & seem afraid to nothing, there are also a few plastic bees stuck on people but they don't move or anything. There is one cool scene though where the camera has a bee in close-up on someone's skin & we see it fly off without it's sting as it comes off in the wound. I really liked the 60's look to the film with the dated hair styles, clothes, furniture & the horrible garish wallpaper colours! Did people really choose to have wallpaper those colours?

Technically The deadly Bees is solid throughout with nice photography, location shooting, music & production values although those special effects won't impress anyone these days & some of the 'exterior' shots are obviously studio bound. The acting is OK but nothing special, I have no idea why but the IMDb cast list credits someone named Percy Edwards as the voice of Tess the Dog! I can promise you now there are no talking dogs in this film so why did he provide the voice? Why couldn't the filmmakers just record a normal dog barking?

Despite it's flaws & silliness I liked The Deadly Bees, it had a certain charm about it & it entertained me for 80 odd minutes which at the end of the day is all I ask for. Personally I think it's worth at least one watch.

A London pop star suffering exhaustion is sent to convalesce in the country-side where she encounters a toxic mix of deranged ambition and a hybridized strain of killer bees that threatens not only her fragile sanity, but also her life. Leigh is a relative lightweight amongst her accomplished co-stars, with Doleman as the no-nonsense farmer and Finlay as his eccentric neighbour jostling for position as the dominant bee keeper. It's a rather unusual premise on which to base a complex whodunit, but provides a surprisingly strong basis for the mystery to unfold. Doleman's strained relationship with his apparently invalided wife, and the curiosities of relationships in an isolated rural community serve as an intervening backdrop to the troubled Leigh and her increasing concern at the strange events she witnesses.

Veteran Hammer-horror director Francis has crafted an eerie little mystery, lacking none of the essential ingredients of a conventional mystery, with the notable exception of an impartial investigator. Most of the detective work is done by the protagonists, drip feeding the naive Leigh with twisted facts to conjure alibis and implicate the culprit. Francis does a fine job of concealing the mystery, carefully playing the doubt card, and tempering clues with red herrings and faux staging.

Opening to the groovy fusion of art-house pop culture, Leigh's character is framed as a victim of excesses in a progressive London scene (there's an implied drug addiction, but it's vague) and from there, the film juxtaposes to the opposite extreme - an ultra conservative, socially incestuous rural setting, a deep isolation both geographically and socially for the central character. It's an engaging tussle between old-fashioned values and an emerging modern liberalism.

Slated by critics, the film almost cheats itself with its bold title, because it's not ostensibly a movie of this genre. The bees are present as a vehicle only, and certainly they have comparably little to offer by way of shock value. But the intrigue that the many layers build, is compelling. Try it from a different angle and you may like what you find.

When I rented this movie I was expecting it to contain more "horror scenes", but was pleasantly surprised that it was more of a mystery with some mild sequences.

The Deadly Bees has a decent plot and the music fits in very well. This is certainly not a film that is seen or heard about very much in the United States. However, the directing, cast, and sets are all upper rank.

Suzanna Leigh's performance is quite good along with the other cast members. Some of the bee scenes are a bit awkward, but overall the movie was well done and worth renting.

"The Deadly Bees" is a compact little British thriller from 1967 that might be more well known for its talent behind the camera than in front. Directed by horror vet Freddie Francis and cowritten by Robert "Psycho" Bloch, the picture features a virtually "no name" cast, not to mention its supporting cast of thousands...of killer bees, that is! In the film, we meet Vicki Robbins, a young and pretty pop singer (appealingly played by Suzanna Leigh) who has just suffered a nervous breakdown and is sent by her doctor to some old friends of his, the Hargroves, on Seagull Island, for a few weeks of R&R. But poor Vicki's stay with the Hargroves turns out to be anything but restful, as Mr. Hargrove proves to be an apiary owner, an enemy of a rival apiarist (Frank Finlay, the only cast member I was familiar with here) on the island, and before long, killer bees are flying thick and furious. The film features three or four of these swarming bee attacks, and they are fairly well done (especially the quite gruesome one on Mrs. Hargrove!), although the use of plainly superimposed flying nasties will surely bring to mind the similar FX used in 1963's "The Birds." The film's debt to that earlier Hitchcock picture is made more apparent by a scene in which our young heroine is trapped in an upstairs room by a gaggle of the flying killers. Ultimately, however, "The Deadly Bees" is most reminiscent of the old Bela Lugosi flick "The Devil Bat" (1941); say no more. Bloch's script is clever and keeps the viewer guessing, Francis directs in his typically professional manner, and the picture has nary an unnecessary scene or bit of flab. And thanks to this great-looking DVD from Legend Films, this once-popular, B+ film (better make that "bee-plus film"!) may just be getting some well-deserved, modern-day buzz....

Most of the I.M.D.B. reviews of this film appear to be of the 'Mystery Science Theatre 3000' comedy version, rather than the original. With all due respect, I fail to see how anyone can objectively comment on a film when all they have seen is a send-up. It would be like someone who's never viewed 'The Elephant Man' ( 1980 ) looking at a photograph of John Hurt as he is in real life and trying to guess what he looks like as 'John Merrick'!

'The Deadly Bees' ( 1967 ) is one of Amicus' lesser offerings. Based on the novel 'Taste Of Honey' by H.F. Heard ( a title they could not have used then as Rita Tushingham would have had something to say about it! ), it was written by Robert Bloch ( author of 'Psycho' ) and Anthony Marriott ( who wrote for 'The Avengers' amongst other things ), and directed by Freddie Francis. Susanna Leigh is 'Vicki Robbins', a pop singer who collapses in the midst of a 'Ready Steady Go' type show ( which curiously lacks a live audience ). Suffering from nervous exhaustion, she is ordered to take time off from her hectic schedule. She goes to Seagull Island, where it seems only five people live ( including Michael Ripper as a pub landlord ). She moves in with the Hargroves ( Guy Doleman and Catherine Finn ). Hubby Ralph is a creepy type who keeps bees, and strangely makes no attempt to have his way with Vicki. She decides to investigate his furtive behaviour ( such as using a syringe to extract blood from a horse ), and suspects he may have perfected a way of controlling swarms of bees so that they can attack people. Another beekeeper, 'Manfred' ( Frank Finlay ) befriends her. Several bee attacks take place, and Vicki herself becomes a victim...

Leigh is a lovely lady ( who put me in mind of Wendy Craig ) who appeared in several '60's films, including Tony Curtis' 'Boeing, Boeing' and 'Deadlier Than The Male' ( both 1966 ). She's no great shakes as an actress, and the part does not require her to do more than clean her teeth and look scared. The then-unknown Elkie Brooks dubbed her singing voice. Doleman is best remembered as the dour 'Colonel Ross' from 'The Ipcress File' ( 1965 ) and its sequels, while Finlay later headlined notorious '70's dramas 'Casanova' and 'Bouquet Of Barbed Wire'. Tim Barrett appears briefly as a pompous Whitehall official who has received threats from the mysterious bee master.

The mystery at the heart of this story is not terribly difficult to solve. The island is too under populated for that. The bee attacks - though crudely done - are nevertheless effective. Had Amicus ever made a 'Journey To The Unknown'-type anthology series ( as Hammer did ), this would have been perfect for inclusion.

Things To Look Out For - a cameo from chart-topping group 'The Byrds'!

Another reviewer said this made 'The Swarm' look good. I disagree. Nothing in this film compares to the sheer stupidity of Richard Chamberlain and Jose Ferrer flapping their arms in slow motion as the bees invade a nuclear power station. And here the bees look real ( though a little over-sized in some shots ) unlike the Styrofoam pellets thrown at the camera lens in Irwin Allen's notorious 1976 stinker!

This is an intellectual version of a killer bee movie. Instead of focusing on bee sting makeup and civilization-ending massive explosions, this film focuses on plot and mystery. Yes, there is a bit of bee sting make up and a couple of small fires, but mystery rules this film. In my opinion, it is the best of all the bee movies.

Throughout the mid 60s and early 70s Amicus Productions churned out a series of wonderful little horror anthologies including my favorite, TALES FROM THE CRYPT.

But, before launching into the more-profitable horror genre, where low-budgets were more easily forgiven, Amicus produced some full-length features, including THE DEADLY BEES.

While watching this movie, you have to realize that this was a time before CGI, before Star Wars special effects and the like. Making a movie about killer bees isn't easy, as they don't necessarily make for the most horrifying "monsters." However, I think Amicus and Freddie Francis did a commendable job; and, really pulled this one off.

The script is based on the novel 'A Taste for Honey' by H.F. Heard; and, was well-adapted to the screen by Robert Bloch (unlike other Amicus feature-length films, which were written by Amicus insider, Milton Subotsky). Block turned out quite a few exceptional screenplays (e.g., Psycho), including the Amicus production THE SKULL, among many others.

The Deadly Bees isn't a dull film, the plot moves along quite well. The cinematography isn't always pretty; it is quite gritty around the farm, gorgeous around "Seagull Island;" and, quite slick and very "mod" in and around London.

I think that it offers some very good shock sequences, despite the fact that the bee effects are not always convincing. This is especially true of the bathroom attack on Vicky Robbins, which was quite well done.

Give it a try, with the right attitude; and, you won't be disappointed.

This really isn't that bad a movie. I quite enjoyed it, but then I generally do with this kind of film. Suzanna Leigh may not be much of a singer, or an actress come to think of it, but she is beautiful and rescues this film from being a COMPLETE waste of ninety minutes.

There are some genuinely horrific moments, particularly the unpleasant death of the farmer's wife. But who is the deadly bee keeper? You'll probably figure it out within the first ten minutes, but try and play along at home anyway.

Amicus production studios never looked more like a poor man's Hammer than with this silly and totally fright-free creature-feature revolving on behaviorally manipulated bees. You surely can't expect much from a movie about killer bees ("The Swarm" made that more than clear) but at least I was hoping for something a little better than this, considering the great names that were involved in the production. "The Deadly Bees" was scripted by Robert Bloch (he wrote "Psycho", for God's sake!) and directed by Freddie Francis (who also did "The Creeping Flesh" and "The Skull"). Eminent names, for sure, but this is a film better left undiscovered. The story is ordinary and full of holes and illogicalness. We're introduced to a pop-singer on the verge of a total breakdown and her doctor orders her to take a vacation on a calm, remote farmer-island. She agrees to spend two weeks on Ralph Hargrove's farm, but it soon becomes clear that he only has eyes for his beehives. Vicky makes friends with another bee farmer and they both suspect that Ralph intends to train his bees as killer devices. Isn't it remarkable how this tiny island homes two bee farmers whereas another guy is the local doctor, detective and pub-owner all at once? The script is full of similar stupidities like this, altered with some of the cheesiest dialogs. The special effects and make up are poor, but that's forgivable since it's not easy to make bees look horrific in front of a camera lens. The "surprise" twist at the end is one you can see coming from miles away and the seriousness of the actors only make it hilarious. Still, there are some neat exterior filming locations and a unique guest appearance from rock band "The Birds".

Vicki Robbins (Suzanna Leigh) is a singer in bad need of a rest. Her doctor contacts his friend, Ralph Hargrove (Guy Doleman), with a farm on a remote island that promises to provide Vicki the relaxation she desperately needs. When Vicki arrives, she discovers that Mr. Hargrove raises bees. So when Mr. Hargrove starts acting suspiciously and people begin dying from deadly bee attacks, it's natural for Vicki to suspect her host. But is Mr. Hargrove behind the trouble on Seagull Island?

Given the names behind The Deadly Bees, it's understandable to hope, if not expect, something better than this. Even with Amicus Productions, Freddie Francis, and Robert Bloch involved with the movie, there are far too many problems to call The Deadly Bees "good". Three prime examples of the movie's many faults include:

• Special/Visual Effects – Most people tend to focus on the bee attacks when discussing the effects found in The Deadly Bees. And with good reason – they're bad. But the bee effects practically shine in comparison with the matte painting used as the background for the farm. In a word, it's pitiful. It wouldn't fool anyone.

• Characters – None of the characters involved with the plot are in any way likable. Even the films heroine, Vicki Robbins, hasn't got much going for her. And that makes it almost impossible to root for her or care what happens to her when she comes across as so unlikable.

• Plot – For a movie that throws one red herring after another at the audience, it's too easy to see the outcome of The Deadly Bees from a mile away. None of the many plot twists actually work. Only the incredibly dimwitted characters in the movie like Vicki Robbins would find the outcome mysterious in anyway.

There are more. I haven't even mentioned the unforgivably large plot holes or the ridiculous lapses in logic. But regardless of The Deadly Bees myriad of problems, I can't bring myself to rate the movie any lower than 5/10. Why? Despite itself, The Deadly Bees never fails to provide me with some degree of entertainment. Otherwise, how can I explain why I've now seen the movie at least three times? And, as I've always said, entertainment is the most important thing when it comes to movies and the reason I watch them.

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.

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.

"Psycho" author Bloch co-writes and the renowned director / cinematographer Francis directs this entry into killer bee cinema that predates the 1978 flicks "The Swarm" and "The Bees" by almost a dozen years. It may work for viewers if they approach it as a camp film but the truth is, it's too silly to be all that successful. The bee attack scenes really aren't bad (the actors certainly sell the hell out of the material), but they'd be better if the (not so) special effects weren't so hilariously unconvincing. The story, based on a novel by Gerald Heard, deals with a pop singer named Vicki Robbins (Suzanna Leigh), who suffers a mental breakdown and is sent to the idyllic, rustic community of Seagull Island for much needed R & R. Unfortunately, things there are going to get ugly as rival bee keepers engage in cutthroat competition. Bees are being sent to do some serious damage to various unlucky human victims. All in all, this viewer would consider this a lesser effort for Amicus Studios. The company always fared best with their omnibus features; their single story features were never quite as strong. Still, this is all fairly watchable regardless; sincere performances really help a lot. The pretty Leigh is engaging as a resourceful lead, but the show really belongs to Frank Finlay and Guy Doleman as the warring farmers, H.W. Manfred and Ralph Hargrove respectively. A fine supporting cast includes Catherine Finn as Hargroves' neglected wife, Hammer and Amicus regular Michael Ripper in a solid turn as part time barman and part time lawman David Hawkins, James Cossins as an investigating coroner, and the appealing Katy Wild as the helpful Doris Hawkins. There's also the chance to see a musical performance by rock group The Birds (not to be confused with American group The Byrds), featuring a young Ron Wood. The movie further benefits from a good score composed by Wilfred Josephs and a reasonably rousing and fiery finish. While it isn't particularly good, it isn't all that bad, delivering some fun moments and coming in at a short enough 84 minute running time. Five out of 10.

Well...it's not as bad as the other bee film, 'The Swarm,' but that's not saying much. It's just that bees are not as intrinsically scary as say, snakes or rats are. As if the film's producers went through all the small domestic animals, snakes, rats, rabid dogs, spiders and were left with bees.

Amicus productions were always the poor man's Hammer films and although they did one or two half decent horrors, the rest were mainly low budget pap, this been one of the latter.

The only saving graces are that Suzanna Leigh is easy on the eyes and how that as the hero, Guy Doleman was a very unsympathetic character, which made an unusual change. He really seems half-arsed about saving Leigh from any danger she is in, perhaps he'd heard her singing as the pop star she plays in this!

Viewed from today's standards, the special effects are very poor and were probably substandard when it was originally made. And if you can't figure out who the real villain is after 30 minutes or less, then you really shouldn't be allowed out on your own! There's only two suspects to choose from anyway....

It's not as bad as some films I've seen in the horror genre, certainly not the worst but it's just bland and mediocre, which is the last thing you want a horror film to be.

The Deadly Bees would be much more aptly titled were it called The Deadly Bore. Made by the company Amicus (a half-hearted sixties rival to Hammer) and directed by the usually reliable Freddie Francis, this is a truly terrible film.

Suzanna Leigh looks pretty but acts badly as a pop star suffering from exhaustion. Her agent sends her to Seagull Island to recover, and she finds herself lodging at a strange, isolated little farm run by Guy Doleman and his unhappy wife. Doleman breeds bees, as does nearby resident Frank Finlay, and things start to go wrong when a mutant breed of killer bee begins to attack and kill people and animals on the island. Finlay persuades Leigh that the bees responsible have been bred by Doleman, and solicits her help in gathering evidence to have him arrested.

The special effects are pitiful. The bee attacks look so unconvincing that they provoke humour rather than terror. All right, so it's a limited budget 60s film, so the effects are hardly likely to be the best, but surely they could've done better than this! Furthermore, the characters make no sense whatsoever. For instance, some of the events going on simply don't seem to perturb Doleman in the slightest; Leigh reacts strangely much of the time; and Finlay's character seems to be a different person from one scene to the next. Even the "shock" twist at the end is telegraphed miles in advance. I won't reveal the solution here, but as you're watching this film the likelihood is that you'll figure out what's going on long before the heroine does!

Britains most famous blonde pop singer, Vicky Robbins, collapses on stage after an exhausting 2 minutes of lip-synching her latest insipid hit single. Her doctor orders her to take a holiday and promptly sends her to an island, where a friend of his owns a farm. Vicky arrives in full mod gear, ready for her vacation in Manure World. The Hargroves, the couple who own the farm, aren't exactly enthused about entertaining Vicky; Mrs. Hargrove spends all of her time chain smoking and feeding the dog and Mr. Hargrove is always busy with his bees, when he isn't at the pub. Vicky takes a walk and meets Mr. Manfred, a goggle eyed dork who also keeps bees. Soon, people are being attacked by Deadly Bees, and when Mrs. Hargrove dies, her husband comes under suspicion. Vicky stupidly decides to assist Mr. Manfred in an investigation. But who really controls the Deadly Bees? Do you really give a fat damn?

Here's a hint for horror film directors: if you want to lose your audience as soon as possible, be sure to kill off a small, defenseless, cute and cuddly animal. But, maybe that's just me. The characters in The Deadly Bees are all thoroughly unlikable, even Vicky herself although if you're attracted to whiny blonds with one facial expression, you may appreciate the scene in which Vicky swats at bees in the bathroom while the camera zooms in on her breasts doing the Obligatory Boogie in a tiny white bra. This whole film is so dingy and depressing that it seems to have been soaked in Mrs. Hargrove's cigarette smoke for a month.

Once again, MST3K comes to the rescue and makes this stinkburger somewhat enjoyable. Otherwise, it's not worth anyone's time.

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.

"Vicki Robbins" (Suzanna Leigh) is a British pop singer who has a nervous collapse due to her hectic schedule and is sent by her doctor to a remote place called "Seagull Island" for some rest and relaxation. When she gets to the local hotel she meets the owner by the name of "Ralph Hargrove" (Guy Doleman) who seems rather aloof and prefers to spend his time tending his bee hives. So when a dog, that Ralph didn't like, is killed by bees Ralph's wife immediately thinks he had something to do with it--and so does Vicki. Then when Ralph's wife is also killed by swarms of bees Vicki becomes even more convinced. But proving it is another matter entirely. Now rather than reveal any more of this film I will just say that it was an adequate "Grade-Bee movie" for the most part which seemed to concentrate more on mystery than horror or suspense. Naturally, as one might expect from a movie produced in the mid-60s, the special effects were rather elementary compared to today's standards. But the acting was okay and all things considered it managed to fill the time satisfactorily enough. That said, I rate it as about average.

Given the fact that Hammer rival Amicus were behind this, not to mention the contribution of scriptwriter Robert Bloch and director Francis, I made sure to acquire it immediately when the opportunity arose. Unfortunately, the edition I ended up with not only featured the wrong aspect ratio (which noticeably lopped off the top of both the credits and, on occasion, the actors themselves!) but the image appeared stretched to boot (though I was able to fix this from my TV remote). I needn't have worried excessively, however , because the film was hardly worth the trouble: I've watched the more famous and star-studded (but similarly maligned) 'killer bees' movie THE SWARM (1978) twice but, while this is somewhat less enjoyable (given the definite camp factor of the later outing) if certainly more tolerable at nearly half its length – THE DEADLY BEES ran for 84 minutes against THE SWARM's excessive 155, at least in its "Extended Version" – it's just as dull and generally misguided! Incidenatlly, yet another film on the subject was the made-for-TV THE SAVAGE BEES (1974) but I've yet to subject myself to that!

Anyway, this does feature a reasonable cast – led by a pretty if miscast Suzanna Leigh, Guy Doleman and Frank Finlay, while also including the likes of Michael Ripper (actually one of the Hammer stalwart's bigger roles, if still playing nothing more complex than a bartender-cum-constable!), James Cossins and Michael Gwynne (in one brief scene); having mentioned Hammer earlier and again just now, it's worth noting that Leigh, Cossins and Gwynne also did work for that famed horror studio at some time or other. For the record, the fashionable but rather queasy pop music background (highlighting Leigh herself) of the opening scenes includes the underwhelming performance by a band called The Birds(!) which numbered among its members future rhythm guitarist with The Rolling Stones Ronnie Wood!

The idea of Leigh's character being sent to recover from a nervous breakdown on a remote island was pretty stupid to begin with – and it's rendered even more comical (which I don't think was the intention) by the fact that the farm in which she lodges is run by a middle-aged couple who can't stand each other! One would have expected the essentially weak script (beekeeper Doleman, for instance, is depicted as generally boorish so as to obviously arouse audience suspicion – however, the casting of Frank Finlay as his sheepish neighbor, complete with sympathetic Cary Grant-type delivery, won't fool anyone!) would eventually be compensated for by the appearance of the rampaging bees themselves; however, even these emerge to be so poorly animated as to dissipate any hoped-for tension during the relevant scenes – causing an air of dejection to hang over the entire film (apparently, Francis was so unhappy throughout the shooting that he considered retiring from direction altogether: happily for us horror film buffs, he didn't)…

This movie is about a pop star who is tired and needs rest badly, so her doctor sends her to the most hideous farm you have ever seen. Not only is this farm bad looking, but they raise bees (they sure convey a sense of peace and serenity). We are expected to believe that during the busy season this place is a kind of cool place to stay. Beyond the farms appearance and the apparent lack of things to do there are the deadly bees. Though in the end these bees only kill one person and a dog (you could say two people, but the last one was really more the result from panic). Who is behind these deadly bees? Chances are you will figure it out long before the pop star does (she is a bit dense). During the time you will see the bees kill a dog and a woman (which is a bit gross looking), you will see the bees attack a bunch of people and not kill them, and you will see two scenes where they review what happened in the movie. The end is a bit funny though as you see a man walking up during the credits and you wonder "was he late for the film?"

This was my favorite horror film when growing up in the 60s. It has everything you want in a horror flick of the time: period clothing and hairstyles, a dreary setting, ugly-spirited people, a common creature of nature whose behavior changes (hints of the future of Africanized bees?). It has been a good 36 years since I've seen this movie, but scenes of the dead dog, of the girl trying to run away and the bees with their relentless swarming -- have haunted my memory throughout the years! Who knows why! Gross horror movies aren't my thing. If you want a movie that gets to those who have fears of bees (not me) or of scary places (me), you'll have fun with this one. It's one of those you can feel a bit embarrassed about liking.

Deadly Bees, The (1967)

** (out of 4)

Robert Bloch wrote the screenplay to this film, which has a pop singer (Suzanna Leigh) going to get rest at a country home only to arrive as an outbreak of bee attacks start to happen. It appears that these aren't just any bees but instead specially trained by a psychotic beekeeper. Bloch is of course best known for his novel, which turned into Hitchcock's Psycho but he certainly missed the boat here. There's a big mystery wrapped around the film as to who is the beekeeper but it's very obviously from the opening ten minutes. I'm not sure if the screenplay was just bad or if Francis didn't like Block and decided to give away the secret early on. Either way, there's really not too much going for this film as the performances are all rather bland and that includes the lead Leigh. Not for a second did I buy her as a pop singer and the opening music is just torture on the ears. The screenplay introduces several characters and subplots but none of them every come out to anything. This Amicus production does benefit from some rather gruesome death scenes but the special effects don't hold up too well today.

!!!!! MILD SPOILERS !!!!!

A bimbo singer has a breakdown and decides to go to an island to recover . I don`t know about you but I found her rather selfish - she`s the one who goes to the countryside but we`re the ones who have to put up with her bloody singing . And I used the word " singing " because I don`t think there`s a word to describe what she was doing . It sure wasn`t singing as I know it , perhaps it is in the William Shatner meaning of the word but not singing as most people would know it . And from here on Ms Bimbo gets involved in a reworking of the " mad scientist bumps off people he doesn`t like " plot . Things to look out for :

Mr Manfred who is the spitting image of Adolph Hitler`s big brother

The bad guy having to explain the plot to the audience . Considering they stayed untill the end of the film you can`t blame the producers for thinking the audience are completely stupid and need every plot twist pointed out to them

You know when OJ Simpson`s character got shot in THE NAKED GUN and crashes into everything with side splitting results ? Well the exact thing happens to the bad guy at the end

Ms Bimbo showing gut wrenching fear . Or at least that`s what it may have said in the script

Ms Bimbo thrusting her cleavage at the camera . If she`s got a cracking pair of lungs then how come her singing voice is so bad ?

This one is pretty much a misfire from the get-go. It's like a Hammer film, only without the energy, suspense, or entertainment value.

I'm not one of those people who automatically assume that being covered by MST3000 means that a movie is complete crap (although it is a pretty reliable indicator that the movie will be fairly cheesy or problematic). And in fact, "Deadly Bees" had some potential to be a minor classic. Two major league writing talents were involved in the screenplay (including Robert "Psycho" Bloch!!). The heroine was fairly "hot" (in a Swinging London 60's way). The idea of swarms of bees stinging people to death has a nice visceral impact, And even "B" movie/minor league British actors tend to be more interesting than their American counterparts. Meanwhile the plot involved a mystery of sorts, a domestic situation simmering with tension, anger and resentments, a satiric look at the pop music industry and even a twist or two at the end. And to be fair, I don't think the director had anything more in mind than cranking out a nice, mean-spirited little thriller.

Sadly, the results just don't come together. Some decent performances get smothered in a morass of badly paced, tediously staged scenes. The plot isn't allowed to gain any momentum. The bee attack SFX are poorly done and utterly unconvincing. The drab locations and dull cinematography leech away any sense of interest. But mostly, I think that the director's sensibilities and choices simply didn't play out the way he had hoped in the finished product.

For instance, it wouldn't surprise me to learn that the two opening musical numbers were MEANT to be mediocre and insipid as a way to comment on how dopey and empty the 'swinging' pop music scene really was. And it wouldn't surprise me to learn that Bloch and the director meant for the heroine to come off as shallow and inexpressive as a department store mannequin (she is a pop idol, after all), and gullible and stupid to boot. And I can see where the surprise "villain" was meant to look like Adolph Hitler's brother and to be dumpy and uncharismatic; this might have been meant disturb the viewer by masking the true craziness of the character under such a dull, banal exterior. You have to admit that the film captured the sourness and misery of a marriage gone bad quite well. And the pratfall/reversal at the end, where the villain ends up a victim of his own murder gimmick may have been an intentional bit of slapstick, a bit of ironic comment the inanity of it all, even serial killers.

But it just didn't make for a good movie. Watching a bitter middle aged couple quarrel doesn't make for a pleasant viewing experience unless that is what you came to the movie to see ( "Who's Afraid Of Virgina Woolf" or "Closer", etc), and watching really stupid musical performances featuring utterly disposable plastic pop songs doesn't make for good movie watching either. Even if the drab brown scenery is meant as a comment on British rural living, it makes for tedious viewing as well. Etc. Etc.

Still, for all its faults, the small gap between expectation and execution makes "Deadly Bees" faults somewhat forgivable. For the low key performances alone, I'd watch a misfire like "Deadly Bees" a dozen times before I'd watch horrible, over produced messes like "The Cave" or "House Of The Dead" again. That's a backhanded compliment, of course, but it still is a compliment.

Oddly, because the "Deadly Bees" wasn't all that bad, the MST coverage of it wasn't nearly as entertaining compared to when they cover amazingly bad films like "Manos" and "Robot Monster". For this one, Mike and the Bots had to roll out the "droll" in gross caseloads. Still, it was fun to watch.