While working and researching in a Himalayan Monastery, John Rollason (Peter Cushing), much to his wife's disapproval (Maureen Connell), joins a team to go in search of the elusive Abominable Snowman. The lama at the monastery makes it clear that no such create exists, but evidence and eye witness accounts make the scientists believe otherwise so they embark on the treacherous mission anyway. They make decent progress and it soon comes out that the leader of the expedition, Tim Friend (Forrest Tucker) isn't just after documenting the authenticity of the Yeti, instead he wants to capture one, much to Cushing's disapproval. Near to summit camp, one of the party gets his leg trapped in a trap and is rendered immobile, meanwhile other members of the group claim to have captured a Yeti - which turns out to be a monkey. While nursing the wounded party member things start going wrong and it turns out that the hunters and now the hunted as Yeti's close in from all directions - but are the Yeti's the real threat? Could altitude sickness and paranoia be playing their parts? While Cushing is trying to survive his wife makes the decision to mount a rescue operation - but what will she find amongst the frozen tundra's and snow topped peaks.
At the time of its creation, this black and white hammer horror film was probably quite thrilling and scary - unfortunately it hasn't aged spectacularly and now looks quite dated aesthetically. It's not quite camp and cheesy enough to be mockingly laughable though, so it doesn't deserve to be outright admonished. The narrative is decent and the story is actually ok, enough to drive the film and create moments of confined tension.
Rather than this being a creature feature like so many Hammer Horror films, it relies on the narrative to create the chills. You don't actually see much of the Yeti - and it's reveal at the end of the film comes after its humane qualities have been set up. The message that set it up is that instead of it being a monster, perhaps it's the rest of the world who have become monsters, and the Yeti is actually just resorted to adapting to extreme conditions in a battle of attrition to wait mankind dying out - thus removing the real evil from the planet. Cushing is his usual charming and gallant self, oozing with gentlemanly class. When you think about the star vehicle it's true that other actors could have filled his role, yet somehow I can't actually imagine others doing as well, as convincingly.
I enjoyed this film because I like old films but I can see it wouldn't be for everyone. It's by no means going to end up on many people's top lists of films - but it is a stand-out picture for Hammer and bucks the expectations you might have before watching this.
This is a fun and easy way to spend some time on a quiet weekend, which won't disappoint.
I'm awarding this 6 out of 10.
At the time of its creation, this black and white hammer horror film was probably quite thrilling and scary - unfortunately it hasn't aged spectacularly and now looks quite dated aesthetically. It's not quite camp and cheesy enough to be mockingly laughable though, so it doesn't deserve to be outright admonished. The narrative is decent and the story is actually ok, enough to drive the film and create moments of confined tension.
Rather than this being a creature feature like so many Hammer Horror films, it relies on the narrative to create the chills. You don't actually see much of the Yeti - and it's reveal at the end of the film comes after its humane qualities have been set up. The message that set it up is that instead of it being a monster, perhaps it's the rest of the world who have become monsters, and the Yeti is actually just resorted to adapting to extreme conditions in a battle of attrition to wait mankind dying out - thus removing the real evil from the planet. Cushing is his usual charming and gallant self, oozing with gentlemanly class. When you think about the star vehicle it's true that other actors could have filled his role, yet somehow I can't actually imagine others doing as well, as convincingly.
I enjoyed this film because I like old films but I can see it wouldn't be for everyone. It's by no means going to end up on many people's top lists of films - but it is a stand-out picture for Hammer and bucks the expectations you might have before watching this.
This is a fun and easy way to spend some time on a quiet weekend, which won't disappoint.
I'm awarding this 6 out of 10.