Hessler's third and final film with Price. When the opening credits began to play, I said to myself, "Wow, that really reminds me of the animation found in Monty Python's: Flying Circus." I later discovered that Terry Gilliam was responsible. Price is Lord Edward Whitman, an evil lord who seeks to destroy a coven of witches. The leader of the coven, Oona, summons an ethereal servant known as 'The Banshee' to destroy Whitman's family and ultimately Whitman himself. This seems like another typical Hessler display....cheap devices riddle this film. He also saw it fit to add random nudity that offers absolutely nothing to the story. I found the plot somewhat interesting, but getting to the final act was painful. I happened to love the ending, but unfortunately that does very little for the rest of the film. Some of the acting is a bit suspect from the cast and I certainly don't consider this Price's best work. Apparently AIP claims this is based off the work of Edgar Allen Poe, but Cry of the Banshee is not part of Poe's works. I find it pathetic that AIP struggled to hang on to the Poe- adaptation-wagon for so long...it does a great disservice to the other great titles they created in the line-up.
Hessler's third and final film with Price. When the opening credits began to play, I said to myself, "Wow, that really reminds me of the animation found in Monty Python's: Flying Circus." I later discovered that Terry Gilliam was responsible. Price is Lord Edward Whitman, an evil lord who seeks to destroy a coven of witches. The leader of the coven, Oona, summons an ethereal servant known as 'The Banshee' to destroy Whitman's family and ultimately Whitman himself. This seems like another typical Hessler display....cheap devices riddle this film. He also saw it fit to add random nudity that offers absolutely nothing to the story. I found the plot somewhat interesting, but getting to the final act was painful. I happened to love the ending, but unfortunately that does very little for the rest of the film. Some of the acting is a bit suspect from the cast and I certainly don't consider this Price's best work. Apparently AIP claims this is based off the work of Edgar Allen Poe, but Cry of the Banshee is not part of Poe's works. I find it pathetic that AIP struggled to hang on to the Poe- adaptation-wagon for so long...it does a great disservice to the other great titles they created in the line-up.
