Watch Beast of the Yellow Night
- R
- 1970
- 1 hr 27 min
-
3.4 (928)
In the horror movie Beast of the Yellow Night, a man named Joseph Langdon (played by John Ashley) is cursed by Satan and becomes a werewolf-like creature. The film opens with Langdon being executed for a series of brutal murders, but even death cannot stop him from carrying out his evil deeds. As a spirit, Langdon is able to possess the bodies of others, and he uses this power to continue his killing spree. His victims are generally young women, and he preys on them in the Filipino countryside.
One of the women targeted by Langdon is named Julie (Mary Charlotte Wilcox). After she narrowly escapes his grasp, she begins to research the origins of the curse and tries to find a way to stop the beast.
Langdon himself is tormented by his own condition, and he seeks out a scientist named Doc Ramsey (Leopoldo Salcedo) for help. Ramsey is initially skeptical of Langdon's story, but he begins to believe after seeing the man transform into his monstrous form.
As the body count rises, Julie and Ramsey team up to try and put an end to the beast's reign of terror. They race against time to find a way to break the curse and stop the monster before he strikes again.
Beast of the Yellow Night is a classic horror movie made in the Philippines in the early 1970s. It has a low-budget feel, but the filmmakers manage to create an eerie atmosphere and several genuinely frightening moments.
John Ashley, who also produced the film, is a compelling presence as the doomed Langdon. He brings a sense of tragic desperation to his performance, and the scenes where he transforms into the beast are suitably creepy.
Mary Charlotte Wilcox is less effective as the heroine, Julie. She comes across as a bit bland, and her character's motivation is underdeveloped. Leopoldo Salcedo is solid as the skeptical Doc Ramsey, though he isn't given a lot to do until the film's climax.
The movie's pacing is somewhat uneven, with long stretches of dialogue punctuated by brief bursts of violence. It takes a while for the plot to really get going, and there are some clunky exposition scenes that slow things down further.
Despite these flaws, Beast of the Yellow Night is an enjoyable horror movie that is sure to please fans of classic monster movies. It has an old-school charm that makes it easy to overlook some of its rougher edges, and the central concept is intriguing enough to sustain interest throughout.
One of the film's strengths is its use of Filipino folklore and mythology. The idea of a cursed spirit taking the form of a monster is a well-worn horror trope, but the addition of local legends and beliefs adds a unique twist.
The movie also boasts some effective makeup and special effects work. The transformation scenes are suitably gruesome, and the scenes featuring the monster in action are suitably chaotic and terrifying.
Overall, Beast of the Yellow Night is a solid entry in the canon of Filipino horror movies. It's not the scariest or most polished film in the genre, but it has a certain charm that makes it worth seeking out for fans of classic monster movies.
Beast of the Yellow Night is a 1970 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 27 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 3.4.