bad presentations can affect a movie's reputation, look no further than this late '60s 
Euro-horror monster perennial that turned up on TV and home video for decades in hopelessly muddy, damaged, and brutally cropped transfers. A Spanish-West German co-production helmed by American actor Mel Welles (who also did the honors later on Lady Frankenstein), this operates like a fairly typical creature feature of the era with a collection of hapless isolated in a creepy house where they find themselves at the mercy of something monstrous inside. In this case the film tries to pose its threat as something of a mystery for a long stretch, though even a quick glance at any poster or synopsis will give away the main selling point which recalls something Welles had already dealt with more comedically in The Little Shop of Horrors. Better known to VHS hounds and fans of Elvira's Movie Macabre as Maneater of Hydra, it's a pulpy, crazy treat if you're in the right frame of mind with an unusually nuanced performance from headliner Cameron Mitchell.
and botanist Professor Demerist (Nehlsen) arrive at the wild, jungle-like abode of Baron von Weser (Mitchell), 
albeit after running into and killing a strange man on the way. It turns out the deceased was no major loss since he was the disturbed twin brother of the estate's manservant, Baldi (Brendel), just one of the deranged surprises in store. The Baron treats them to a unique dinner featuring special dishes made from his specially engineered plants, taken from his garden which features a spectacular flower-sprouting tree. When dead bodies start to appear drained of blood and with strange punctures, it's clear something very nasty is among them with a voracious need for blood.
elements are no 
longer in existence.) Here you get DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono English or Spanish tracks with optional English subtitles, both sounding fine with the English one probably preferred for most viewers. David Flint appears for a worthwhile new audio commentary covering the film's toes in two different European horror pools, the tendency to rate this badly over the years, the admitted shortcomings in some of its pacing choices, and Cameron's career, among many other topics. "Fantastique in the Catalan Mediterranean" (27m40s) with Angel Sala focuses on horror films produced in the Costa Brava beachside area, as well as Barcelona and Sitges, covering films like this one, Mysterious Island, The Light at the Edge of the World, The Fox with a Velvet Tail, Eyeball, A Quiet Place to Kill, The Night of the Seagulls, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Hell of the Living Dead, and of course, Jess Franco. Then in "The First Spanish Action Hero" (57m22s), film historian Xavi Sanchez Pons takes an exhaustive look at the life and career of Martin (a.k.a. Jorge Martín) including the quirk of fate involving his military service and an athletic team that saved his life, his Euro westerns, his eagerness to do his own stunts that kept him in high demand, and several key titles. Finally you get an interview with Welles (31m11s) shot in 2002 by Pete Tombs and Andy Starke at the 13th Festival of Fantastic Films in Manchester, focusing primarily on his acting career (and especially working with Michael Reeves) but going into his directing a bit as well and brushes with names like Jayne Mansfield. Also included are the original trailer ("The Bloodiest Terror-Thriller of the Year!") and a 4m43s "publicity parade" of stills and posters.