The Thing That Couldn't Die

source: The Thing That Couldn't Die

Trailer—The Thing That Couldn't Die

As a preteen (late 60's/early 70's), I remember the occasional TV broadcast of this movie on Saturday afternoons. Just a real cool 'b' movie. Needn't say more. I'm hoping to find a DVD of this one. Better than the original 'Night Of The Living Dead'. It's a real shame they don't make films like this on anymore. It gives plenty of room for the imagination to run amok. The acting is really well done and believable. The setting couldn't be more perfect. I can't say a lot without giving away the premise or the goodies in this film, but if you like classic 'b' horror, then this one is for you.

Yes this movie features a gal named Jessica who says everything is evil and she causes trees to land on people too (well she only causes a tree to fall once, but she does say everything is evil). This movie is about a farm that apparently rents out rooms to people, but offers little else in the way of entertainment. Jessica can find things with a stick and she finds the head of an evil guy. Of course they don't know this until the owner of the farm's helpers open the box containing the head. The head proceeds to hypnotize everyone it can so it can get to Jessica and use her powers to find stuff to help look for his body. This movie has an interesting enough story, but it plays out very bad here. Everyone in this flick will get on your nerves at least once.

Very entertaining. A girl with supernatural gifts feels something "Evil" while witching for water. Despite her warnings, her Aunt digs up an old chest, which turns out to contain the severed noggin of a sorceror. He starts controlling people in a quest for his body. They don't make 'em like this anymore. FX are pretty good, a highly enjoyable film.

During this period of movie history, studios were making movies to lure young people to drive-ins and walk-in theaters. Usually, the studios didn't care what was on the screen, because most young people would use the opportunity to make out. For those that managed to watch the film, they were usually treated to creepy horror. One film in particular is "The Thing That Couldn't Die." Jessica has a psychic skill that allows her to find things. One thing that she finds is a box that contains the head of Gideon Drew. As many moviegoers can figure out, the head is STILL alive, and wants Jessica to find his body. Seems that Drew was a devil worshiper and was beheaded, his body buried separately from his head. The film has some interesting points, but it was strictly made for drive-in audiences: enough to keep the little ones quiet, and enough to push the teens into the back seat. Great for a Saturday night fun fest.

I love this movie. Even though I rated it a "4", that's because the acting, the plot and the budget were all slated to the "B" universe even before this movie was released. But that's OK! It is an entertaining film that has a lot to offer! I remember what Leonard Maltin said about "Plan 9 From Outer Space": a film so bad that it's great! Lacking the UFO - alien plot, The Thing the Couldn't Die relies on the supernatural (divination, a buried head looking for it's body, hypnosis, etc) to tell it's story. The acting is stilted, the camera work second class and the settings are limited, but boy! what a movie! This film is available in the bootleg market. If you find a copy, buy it!

On a California farm, folks uncover the served head of an evil colonial man which begins to possess people. A rather inventive story makes this old B film a stand out from the other monster flicks of its day. Director Will Cowan gives this film some compact direction, making a nicely dark atmosphere for the movie, even creating some occasional eeriness and a few good shocks along the way. The music score for this film is the same spooky score used for the sci-fi classic This Island Earth (1955). The cast is pretty good, Hughes is especially good as the films non-deceased villain. Not a bad watch for those looking for a B flick that's a little different from the average rubber-monster movie. ** 1/2 out of ****

Pretty scary to me when I saw it as a kid, and then I thought it was quite interesting when seen on AMC (yes, on AMC) a couple of years ago. The premise is a good one, disembodied living head of centuries old warlock is dug up and exerts mind control over all, while looking for it's body. It has quite a nice, sudden ending that reminded me of Hitchcock (not in style, only in the fact that it ended rather unexpectedly - for an example, see Family Plot again) but with a neat anticlimax, one that predates the typical anticlimax of modern fright films. I won't spoil it by telling it, but if you can see this film and remember that it was made in 1958, then you'll enjoy it. If your idea of what's scary is Alien, or anything after that, then forget it, you'll probably be bored or laugh inappropriately. Not that Alien isn't scary, but that's a whole different generation of horror.

Yes,the movie is not a piece of art but the first time I watched it I was 10 years old,my parents were out and I stayed home with my two brothers.It was May 1970(I know that because I found a note about the cycle of horror movies that one network had).It's one of the most vivid memories I have with the guys.We ended all in one bed and covered up to the head! Our very first horror movie! We kept talking about it for years and laughing about the moment.Those were horror movies.Nowadays horror movies are always the same.Or was it better when we were kids enjoying without analyzing the plot and the cast and the dialogs? Most sure it was that.But for me this is a great movie!