THE VULTURE (1967)
Article 3305 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-16-2010
Posting Date: 9-1-2010
Directed by Lawrence Huntington
Featuring Robert Hutton, Akim Tamiroff, Broderick Crawford
Country: UK / Canada / USA
What it is: Ineffectual monster movie

A vulture with the head and hands of a man is terrorizing the members of a family.

Whatever expectations you have going into this movie, I suggest you lower them. It’s by no means a good movie; in fact, it’s just plain ludicrous, with a silly monster, a ridiculous backstory, and a budget-strapped threadbare look. None of these things necessarily make a movie unenjoyable, but even those who come to laugh will be a little disappointed; there are some laughs to be had (especially when the hero explains what’s going on or the monster attacks), but most of the movie is a gabfest of the dullest sort. It’s something of a cross between THE FLY and THE FLYING SERPENT. For me, the most memorable thing about the movie is the scientific question it left me pondering – could a bird the size of a man become airborne while carrying Broderick Crawford in his claws?