Watch The Beast of Yucca Flats

The Beast of Yucca Flats is a low-budget horror film from 1961 that follows a mad scientist who turns into a mutant after being caught in a nuclear test explosion in the desert. The film stars Douglas Mellor as the scientist, Joseph Javorsky, along with Barbara Francis as his wife, and Bing Stafford as a dedicated police captain trying to track down the beast.

The film opens with a nuclear test in the desert, one that Javorsky wanders into, leading to his transformation. He becomes a feral creature with enhanced strength, agility, and an insatiable hunger for blood. At the same time, Francis's character is trying to find her husband, not realizing the horrors he has turned into.

As Stafford's police captain and his team search for the beast, Javorsky struggles to control his newfound instincts and avoid being caught. The film features several tense chase scenes in which the captain and his team hunt the creature, leading to a final confrontation that reveals the true nature of the beast.

While the plot may seem straightforward and predictable, there are several aspects of the film that make it notable, both for its time and as a cult classic today. For one, the film is almost entirely silent, with minimal dialogue throughout. Instead, the story is told through a voice-over narration by the actor who would later become known as the "Criswell" character in several low-budget horror films, such as Plan 9 from Outer Space.

Furthermore, the film's director, Coleman Francis, was known for his use of long, drawn-out shots and scenes that linger for longer than necessary. While this may have been due to budget constraints, it gives the film an eerie, surreal quality that adds to the overall sense of dread.

The Beast of Yucca Flats may not be for everyone, but its unique style and commitment to its strange, apocalyptic tone have made it a cult favorite among fans of low-budget horror. The film's bizarre blend of silent, slow-moving scenes and violent, grotesque monster attacks feels like a surreal nightmare, enhanced by the eerie, haunting score by Gene Kauer.

Overall, The Beast of Yucca Flats is a fascinating relic from a bygone era of low-budget horror filmmaking, one that feels like a surreal, hallucinatory nightmare, evoking a sense of dread and unease that lingers long after the credits roll. It's a testament to the power of pure, unbridled creativity, and a reminder that sometimes the most unusual, unexpected films can become the most memorable.

The Beast of Yucca Flats is a 1961 horror movie with a runtime of 54 minutes. It has received poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 1.9.