Rating: **
Review Date: 7/18/26
Cast: Sandra Dee, Dean Stockwell, Ed Begley, Lloyd Bochner,
Donna Baccala, Sam Jaffe
Creepy occultist Wilbur Whateley (Dean Stockwell) visits Miskatonic University to get his hands on the Necronomicon so that he can summon the Old Ones back to Earth and bring about the destruction of humankind. Turns out he's the half-human son of Yog-Sothoth and wants a family reunion of sorts. When Dr. Henry Armitage (Ed Begley) refuses to let him see the book, Wilbur hypnotizes Nancy (Sandra Dee), who is one of Armitage's students, and grooms her to become a sacrifice for Yog-Sothoth. The film culminates with a monster breaking loose from Whateley's house and going on a killing spree, but Armitage's knowledge of the Necronomicon helps him defeat Wilbur before the dimensional gate can be opened.
While it's based on H.P. Lovecraft's novella of the same name, it bears little resemblance to it, particularly in the character of Wilbur. In the book, he's described as an ugly, goatish character, with black fur, reptilian features, and multiple tentacles with sucking mouths. He also exudes an unbearable odor. In the film, he's the young, virile, and charismatic Dean Stockwell, who has no problem making women swoon for him. He gives an impressively effective and extremely creepy performance as a sexual predator and an unhinged devil worshipper. The only thing you can't take seriously is his ridiculously fake-looking moustache. Sandra Dee looks a little old to be playing a college student, and while she delivers an adequate performance, her character is uninteresting and a complete blank. Her girlfriend Elizabeth (Donna Baccala) is much prettier and more engaging, but sadly meets a grisly end as the film's first casualty. Ed Begley gives a decent, but confused performance, and it's a toss-up who has bushier eyebrows: him or Stockwell. I actually found the town doctor (Lloyd Bochner) to be far more engaging than Begley.
Overall, it's a terrible film and the glacial pacing had me looking at my watch every couple of minutes. Very little happens and the film is padded with an annoying amount of pointless footage. Not surprisingly, we never see "the horror," apart from a couple of quick cuts depicting flailing tentacles, and a few seconds of a full body shot right at the very end. The psychedelic effects and bizarre shots of naked hippies reflect the 1960s, but there's nothing particularly horrific about the film, except the way that Wilbur seduces Nancy like a serial killer. Apart from that, it's just a lot of screaming and mumbo jumbo chanting, which doesn't evoke any sort of reaction. There's also a hilarious sequence with a barking and growling dog, where the dog is clearly not making any sound. The only reason I'm giving it two stars is because the sets and lighting look good, and I was consistently impressed (and creeped out) by Stockwell's performance.