It rose from the crypt to slake its monstrous thirst for beauty ... and the power to rule the earth!

The Thing That Couldn't Die
1958 | B&W | 69 Minutes | 1.85:1 | UR | Horror | Mono | Universal

Source: 

Svengoolie

Director:
Will Cowan

Writer:
David Duncan

Stars:
William Reynolds
Andra Martin
Jeffrey Stone

Plot:
A psychically gifted young woman discovers a centuries-old crate buried on her aunt's ranch. Opening it, her family discovers the living head of Gideon Drew, a 16th-century devil worshiper who was beheaded by Sir Francis Drake.

Ah yes, a movie that people seem to love or hate! Me I was drawn in by young Jessica and her strange power to find water with a stick. And jewelry and unwanted body parts. Sure the acting was not the best and the only cool score for this movie was taken from The Creature from The Black Lagoon but I found it very entertaining. In fact, it was a story that was pretty new for me in many ways.

No, I will not lie the pace of the movie could have been better and at 69 minutes it does get painful at times. But that is no reason to skip this movie. The idea of a mute head using telekinetic power to control the weak is nothing new but I felt it played off well.



For a 1958 Horror Drama, the special effects are pretty darn good and the visuals using just the head rocked. Back then I'm sure it brought plenty of screams from the young ladies driving them into the shoulders of their boyfriends during date night. 

Ok so the real disappointment has to be the ending *Spoiler alert* we are promised that the bodyless guy was going to have great and course damage and take over the world. But know he see's across falls into the casket and that is it! Why the hell did they not just do that thousand's of years ago. Such a weak ending. I'm starting to think back in the 50's they just did not know how to end a good thing and it's too bad. This could be remade today and given a better ending it would be a great flick!

Sorry gang only.....

2 Bloody Brains