...OK, I might have been exaggerating with that one. Actually, so is that trailer, in that both no, this is so not the most "horrifying motion picture ever", but also no, what happens to Julie Ege in this film definitely could not happen to you. For a better idea of what this is about, here's a more accurate trailer.
So yeah, this is a very odd one, in that it's a bit of an mish-mash of styles. We have a mad scientist story right out the 50s B-Movie or Monogram Pictures era, but also a subplot that's a complete rip-off of the 1932 classic Freaks, except with none of the heart that one had, and it has a glaze of 70s era sleaze all over it. It's a mix that really doesn't fit together, this one is a bit of slog to get through, and is kind of unpleasant in parts, not least for how the people with physical abnormalities are treated, and that make up Tom Baker has that he clearly can't speak properly through. But it does have some points of interest; that venus fly trap man is an endearingly goofy creation, it's a curiosity to see Donald Pleasence in a horror role before Halloween, and one particular thrill for me, it was partially filmed around Imperial College! In one scene, you can get a good view of Beit Quad, next to the Royal Albert Hall, which I spent a good amount of time at as that's where the IC Student Union and the Science Fiction library are to this day. That library by the way is where my disc of this ended up, to give it a good home. Still, it's a bit of a mess, and as the last film directed by legendary cinematographer, Jack Cardiff, it's a bum note to go out on (especially since he had done fine work such as Sons and Lovers and Dark of the Sun before).
Now, I mentioned that I have an odd relationship with this one, and that goes back to about 1997. In the pages of Doctor Who Magazine, there was an advert for a new video range from Reeltime Pictures, who had done a lot of Doctor Who spin-off VHSs. Called Beyond Belief, it was a range of special VHS releases with introductions by Tom Baker, like a horror host, or the BBC's Moviedrome, and this film, since he was in it, was the first release. Sadly, it only had three releases, The Mutations, The Immortaliser, and Berzerk!, it didn't sell enough to make it a long term venture, as film rights are expensive things. However, just that advert did make me curious about this film for many years, especially as that age I hadn't gotten that deep into horror as yet. Sadly, once I could pass for 18, this was already a deleted title, and going for stupid money to collectors. I did manage to get a German import of The Mutations for the challenge in time for last year, and luckily also out on DVD is a special DVD of Tom's linking material from the tapes, so I had a good approximation of the original VHS experience. Beyond Belief, if it had a bit more of a marketing push, could have been a good range in the long term, with the right choice of titles; Tom makes a good choice of host, clearly getting the gag, delivering the film trivia with a good note of wit. That sadly wasn't to be, though thankfully the footage hasn't gone to waste; in fact, the footage for the Berzerk! release has been used for the Indicator films Blu Ray release for that film. So yeah, that's how about twenty years after reading an ad in DWM, I finally saw what was advertised. Wasn't exactly worth the wait in the end, but still good to see it through, and the film did surprise me in having one familiar connection in it's choice of location.
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