Image credit: Amicus Productions, Paragon Films, Vulsinia Films, M.B.S. Cinematografica, Rex Carlton Productions, Joseph F. Robertson Productions, Phoenix Cinematografica, Rapid Film, Friedman-Lewis Productions
The 60s gave us a lot of great movies; the mystery genre? Maybe not one of them.
1. "The Deadly Bees" (1966) It's London. Pop singer Vicki Robbins collapses from exhaustion while shooting the 1960s equivalent of a music video, and her physician dispatches her for a weekend to a remote island. She's greeted with moody landscapes and a series of peculiar events.
And then, wait for it, killer bees! Sounds like a typical weekend getaway, right? It's got a certain "buzz" to it. Watch it for yourself on Prime right to – you'll see what I'm talking about.
2. "They Saved Hitler's Brain" (1968) So, here's a doozy for you. Nazi agents are waiting for the right moment to unleash Hitler's preserved brain (yes, you read that right) onto the world.
This movie is exactly what it sounds like. It's wild, it's bizarre, and yet you can't help but wonder – what happens next? It's a collage of mad science and espionage, and let's just say it's a whole mood of its own. Who knew you could mix historical villains and campy sci-fi?
3. "The Brain That Wouldn't Die" (1962) Now, this one's a head-turner, literally. A doctor keeps his girlfriend's head alive after a car accident wrecks her body. But now, he needs to find a new body.
This film feels like Frankenstein's distant cousin who shows up at family gatherings and makes everything awkward. However, despite its ludicrous plot, it might make you question: how far would someone go for love?
4. "Horrors of Spider Island" (1960) Picture this: A plane crash on a remote island, stranded dancers, and a mutated spider creature. If that doesn't sound like a recipe for cinematic "perfection," what does?
When the pilot turns into a spider monster, chaos ensues. What's not to love? There's an eerie spider-man chasing a dance troupe, and there's a bit of romance on the side because, well, why not?
5. "Blood Feast" (1963) Caterer Fuad Ramses is not your regular foodie. He's collecting body parts to bring an Egyptian goddess to life. Yeah, that's right, someone's serving human body parts on a platter. While this may sound gruesome, trust me, the over-the-top gore and hammy acting make it more campy than scary.
This might be the ideal "so bad, it's good" movie for a late-night laugh with friends.
6. "Castle of Blood" (1964) A journalist takes a dare to spend a night in a haunted castle on All Souls' Eve. He meets ghostly residents who each recount their tragic deaths. Sounds cliché? Oh, it is. And yet, there's something utterly charming about the campiness and predictable twists. One might say it's a haunted house tour gone wrong – or right, depending on how you look at it.
7. "The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave" (1971) Alan is a rich aristocrat haunted by his dead wife Evelyn's memory. To cope, he lures women to his dilapidated mansion and tortures them. But when Evelyn returns from the grave, things get twisted. I mean, was she even dead? And why are there so many red-headed victims?
It's confusing, but you'll be entertained, especially with the dramatic ghostly sequences.
8. "The Crawling Hand" (1963) A severed hand, believed to be from a dead astronaut, crashes on Earth and possesses whoever comes in contact with it. This "handy" villain goes on a violent rampage.
It's hilarious, especially when you think about how a single hand can cause so much chaos. Every scene featuring the hand crawling around is comedic gold. Talk about lending a helping hand to the world of camp cinema!
9. "Terror-Creatures from the Grave" (1965) A year after his death, an attorney returns to his remote villa where mysterious occurrences begin to unfold. Let's just say, summoning plague victims from the grave was probably not on his to-do list. The undead uprising, while meant to be spine-chilling, will probably evoke more chuckles than screams.
It's got graveyards, eerie sounds, and some, let's say, unconvincing special effects.
10. "Bloody Pit of Horror" (1965) A photographer and his models are trapped inside a castle by a former actor who believes he's the reincarnated executioner of a sinister Crimson Executioner. It's colorful, over-the-top, and drenched in melodrama. The muscly, crimson-clad executioner steals the show, literally, with his extravagant torture methods.
It's the sort of film where you might think, "Did they really just do that?" More often than not, the answer is a resounding yes.
