Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here!, The (1972)

...aka: Curse of the Full Moon, The

Directed by:
Andy Milligan

Most people seem to hate this movie and basically anything associated with director Milligan. This one's very slow moving, has awful make-up, bad lighting, horribly recorded sound, the token Milligan plot dealing with an inheritance and wealthy, depraved British characters, and a huh (!?) nonsensical/chaotic ending, but some of the overwrought performances are actually pretty amusing, the overkill melodrama is hilarious at times and it's kind of interesting... at least for a little awhile. For the record, I'd consider this one of Andy's better efforts. Faint praise that be. I know. I know.

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In England, poor Gerald (Ian Innes) is in for a treat when he visits the family mansion of his new bride Diana (Jackie Skarvellis, from Milligan's 1970 vampire movie THE BODY BENEATH). Pa Mortimer (Douglas Phair) is a bedridden grouch, older sister Monica (Hope Stansbury, who gives the standout performance here) is a sadistic and childish psycho, mom Phoebe (Joan Ogden) is a miserable mess and unpredictable, mentally retarded brother Malcolm (Berwick Kaler) is kept chained-up in a secret room. Only the older brother seems normal. Well, sort of. Something isn't right, as the son-in-law soon realizes, but his wife won't let him leave. Yes... they all turn out to be werewolves guarding the family secret. The older insane daughter torments the chained up brother by insulting him and beating him with a belt in some outrageous out-of-place scenes. She also buys a cage full of flesh-eating rats from a grimy vendor and in a shocking, standout scene, nails a real rat on a board! The whole rat idea has no relevance to the plot and was added by the director to bulk up the running time and cash in on the success of WILLARD, so that (sort of) explains the title.

★1/2