JasparLamarCrabb A reasonably exciting Amicus thriller directed by Freddie Francis with a screenplay by Robert Bloch. Pop singer Suzanna Leigh has a breakdown and seeks rest & relaxation on a seemingly idyllic island. She soon finds out that two gentlemen farmers are engaged in a fierce bee-keeping competition. One of them is raising killer bees. It takes a while to get going, but the last quarter of the film is well put together as Leigh realizes that her allegiances have been misplaced. Guy Doleman is one of the farmers and Catherine Finn plays his bitchy wife. Stealing the movie is Frank Finlay as the other farmer, a wolf in sheep's clothing if ever there was one. He's great. The music is by Wilfred Josephs and is awful. The Birds appear briefly during the opening scene.

michael-3441 When I rented this movie I was expecting it to contain more "horror scenes", but was pleasantly surprised that it was more of a mystery with some mild sequences.The Deadly Bees has a decent plot and the music fits in very well. This is certainly not a film that is seen or heard about very much in the United States. However, the directing, cast, and sets are all upper rank. Suzanna Leigh's performance is quite good along with the other cast members. Some of the bee scenes are a bit awkward, but overall the movie was well done and worth renting.

bensonmum2 Vicki Robbins (Suzanna Leigh) is a singer in bad need of a rest. Her doctor contacts his friend, Ralph Hargrove (Guy Doleman), with a farm on a remote island that promises to provide Vicki the relaxation she desperately needs. When Vicki arrives, she discovers that Mr. Hargrove raises bees. So when Mr. Hargrove starts acting suspiciously and people begin dying from deadly bee attacks, it's natural for Vicki to suspect her host. But is Mr. Hargrove behind the trouble on Seagull Island?Given the names behind The Deadly Bees, it's understandable to hope, if not expect, something better than this. Even with Amicus Productions, Freddie Francis, and Robert Bloch involved with the movie, there are far too many problems to call The Deadly Bees "good". Three prime examples of the movie's many faults include: Special/Visual Effects – Most people tend to focus on the bee attacks when discussing the effects found in The Deadly Bees. And with good reason – they're bad. But the bee effects practically shine in comparison with the matte painting used as the background for the farm. In a word, it's pitiful. It wouldn't fool anyone.Characters – None of the characters involved with the plot are in any way likable. Even the films heroine, Vicki Robbins, hasn't got much going for her. And that makes it almost impossible to root for her or care what happens to her when she comes across as so unlikable.Plot – For a movie that throws one red herring after another at the audience, it's too easy to see the outcome of The Deadly Bees from a mile away. None of the many plot twists actually work. Only the incredibly dimwitted characters in the movie like Vicki Robbins would find the outcome mysterious in anyway.There are more. I haven't even mentioned the unforgivably large plot holes or the ridiculous lapses in logic. But regardless of The Deadly Bees myriad of problems, I can't bring myself to rate the movie any lower than 5/10. Why? Despite itself, The Deadly Bees never fails to provide me with some degree of entertainment. Otherwise, how can I explain why I've now seen the movie at least three times? And, as I've always said, entertainment is the most important thing when it comes to movies and the reason I watch them.

AngryChair Killer bees don't always make for the best 'monsters' in the horror genre, but this British thriller is an exception.Pop singer vacations on an island with a local bee keeper, while a mysterious swarm of bees has caused the death of a woman.The Deadly Bees isn't as dull a film as some make it out to be. It has some nice high-powered shock sequences even though the bee FX aren't always convincing. The makeup FX aren't bad, namely the great work on an ill-fated Catherine Finn. The story is a decent mystery, based upon H.W. Herd's novel A Taste for Honey. The direction of Freddie Francis is pretty good, the sets are well constructed and the art direction is excellent. There's also a great dramatic music score to boot.The cast is quite good. Suzanna Leigh is a decent heroine, but it's really leading actors Guy Doleman and Frank Finlay that turn in the best performances as some feuding, menacing bee keepers.All around not bad. Certainly the best killer bee movie around and an underrated work.*** out of ****