People are voting emotionally.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

I really wish the TV channels here would show more films like this in the ghetto slots rather than the cheap American TV movies that are usually screened. For me then this was a rare chance to see an early Hammer Horror movie and the great Peter Cushing's first of many with the studio, into the bargain.I liked many aspects of the movie, not least the unexpected ecological strain to the narrative culminating in a neat plot twist at the end. Sure, the five man team hunting Bigfoot are reduced to one as per horror tradition but interestingly not one of them is ripped from limb to limb or eaten alive as might have been expected. Neither is the Yeti posited as the unthinking eat-now-ask-questions-later creature I was expecting but is instead portrayed as almost "homo-superior" with the hunting homo-sapiens in an interesting deviation from the norm, shown as being the barbarians.The appearance of the Yeti itself is artfully shielded from the viewer, even after the team kill one with its looming close-up at the climax not shown full-face. Instead therefore, of rooting for the humans in pursuit, it's the innocent Yeti with whom we're meant to feel sympathy with the obvious comparison with modern-day man, as then, either seeking to capture rare beasts for commercial exploitation or more brutally just vaingloriously hunting them to extinction, giving the story relevance today, with our world of ever-diminishing creatures.There's a nice ambiguity in the final scene where the viewer isn't quite sure if last-man-standing Cushing is willingly or unwillingly covering up the Yeti's existence.I was impressed with the conveyance of the snowy mountains of Tibet, even if I was always aware of the set-bound nature of the close-up shots. The acting too was very good, with Hammer's usual mix of American and British actors trying to get them a toe-hold I would imagine in both English-speaking markets. Cushing is best as he's the only principal who avoids occasionally hamming it up, but by and large the ensemble playing is very good. Val Guest's direction includes plenty of atmospheric dread and cleverly puts suspense before horror in moving the story forward.I really must keep a weather eye out for more Hammer films of the era, especially if they're of this high standard.

Against the wishes of his wife, a British scientist sets out from a Tibetan monastery to find the Yeti, on an expedition led by a shouty American.Quality Hammer production that sets a menacing, claustrophobic atmosphere with a few touches of humour. The cast is good throughout, with the two leads chalking their cheese with some decent dialogue that sometimes is on the nose. One thing I noticed is the actors talking across each other, which adds realism.The outdoor scenes on the climb seem genuinely dangerous, and the camp scenes look pure studio. The creatures are kept out of sight as much as possible, and the mysterious void this creates is filled with reflections on man's destructive urge (vastans) and an unexpectedly spooky, almost sci-fi, angle on nature and destiny in the style of Frankenstein.Somewhat dated, but the pace is good, and while the music is dramatic it doesn't overwhelm. Overall, an engaging yarn with a slightly ambiguous ending.

(42%) Much like a certain amount of these early Hammer flicks this has more up its sleeve than what you might at first think. Without wanting to ruin the plot at all I will only say that it's not simply about a man in a big hairy suit chasing Himalayan explorers around a wobbly set filled with fake plastic snow. Actually some of the location work is very good, certainly better than even most modern movies set in extreme conditions. This honestly is not recommended for everyone, as it is showing its age in places, but Hammer fans should certainly give it a look as it is quite well made, and better than most B-movies from this period.

Whilst the story is thought provoking the practicalities of life in the Himalayas are completely ignored. If even one bullet was fired it would start an avalanche which would carry all before it so for an American gangster style exchange of bullets to take place up there is a complete nonsense. It is also well below 0 so for them to leave their ears uncovered and strip off their jumpers inside the shelter - is laughable. It is a known fact that the locals NEVER take their clothes off and simply put on new ones over the old which eventually rot away! The lack of research into ACTUAL life in these places is remarkable. As for shouting to each over at that altitude - anybody who have been up in the mountains knows that even clapping one's hands will provoke an avalanche - shouting is a "no-no" up there!