User Reviews

Back in the old days of television, with no cable and only 3 channels available, I was still very lucky to be able to catch some fine horror gems like this one, along with other more-scary films such as 'Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things' and 'Twisted Brain'. For years I never knew what the title of this film was, I just knew it was an invisible monster who screeched loudly and slashed people's faces & bodies apart! I loved the scene with the flour, where they had layed it across the floor, so you could see the creatures' foot-steps coming closer to them, holed-up in the cabin....it's a far-fetched film, but I loved it as a kid but could never place the title & never saw or heard of it again...until a few months ago! There is a video dealer in NYC who helped me discover its' title and I was able to buy it off ebay (oldies .com has it also) and am proud to have been able to find this old gem! It may not be for everybody, but there's something about a horror film, when seen as a kid or teen....it will always stay with you and to find it again is kind of like finding a lost love or family member! I give it 6 out of 10 stars ******

I remember first seeing this film on television back in the 1970's. At that time I watched it in the middle of the night. It played right after Brides of Blood. At the time I didn't know what the film was called but years later I read about the title in a film book. Now I have been able to see the film again after nearly 30 years as it has become available on DVD (although a poor print). The film still has it's scary moments and is notable as being Ingrid Pitt's first film as well as featuring Soledad Miranda. I can't give the film a high rating as it is very slow overall but the sounds the creature makes as well as the death scenes are very well done for such a low budget film.

With this type of film there always seems to be a sentimental this-scared-me-as-a-kid review. And I supposed this one is no exception. I saw it once on TV as a kid. It scared me. I've never forgotten it. And I never saw it again until recently when I picked it up as a discount DVD.

As others have said this is a very low budget effort from Spain that employs a cheap gimmick to scare it's audience. It's monster is not seen, only heard. And what is heard is a particularly creepy series of sounds.

But the problem for the film's detractors is that this gimmick seems to work.

Like the famous swimming pool scene in the superior Cat People, it tricks the audience into imagining something more horrible than what could be shown.

The movie's greatest asset is that it's director seems to know how to scare his audience. For instance there are long, sustained shots in which very little happens. But this serves to create tension, causing us to wonder, "What is coming next?"

In watching it again, I kept thinking how well this would have worked as a radio play. The way it uses only sound and narrative to frighten the audience, it reminded me of Wyllis Cooper's classic The Thing on the Fourble Board.

For those who need vivid color, big stars and intrusive CGI effects, let them rent Anaconda.

And for those who have trouble suspending disbelief over the film's gimmick: Who's to say there weren't any invisible dinosaurs? How would we know?

Don't know why I'm bothering to compile this review as obviously no one is ever likely going to read it, seeing as how the film has to date attracted just ONE other review and no votes in all the years it must have been here!!

Let me tell you something...dubbed it may be, but for what was obviously an ultra low-budget entry in the horror film genre (I mean, how cheap can the fx for an invisible dinosaur be???) it delivers both suspense and horror, even in black and white, which strangely adds to, rather than detracts from, the events at hand.

Comparable I suppose (and not necessarily favorably) to the invisible monster from the Id in FORBIDDEN PLANET, this newly hatched dinosaur takes out, quite unpleasantly I may add, several of the would-be treasure hunters that disturb its cave somewhere in Greece. It also emits quite a chilling noise during its approach, giving rise to the title which in most countries outside its native Spain, was THE PREHISTORIC SOUND (not surprisingly).

Some really long lasting images here. The scientist who first has his face slashed to pieces as he enters the cave. The survivors plight as they surround their refuge with flour (or something similar) to give them at least some warning of the beast's proximity. This sequence is especially well-done and highly suspenseful. The concluding scenes I will not divulge but are, let me say, unexpected and a cut above the usual (no pun intended!)

Decent little movie folks - trust me, I'm a reviewer!

When a group of isolated people in the Greek mountains set off a cave explosion, they are menaced by an invisible shrieking dinosaur that had been buried for eons.

As it happens, director José Antonio Nieves Conde was fairly prolific from the 1940s through the 1970s. Unfortunately, he was mostly prolific in Spain, and therefore little known in the United States. I wonder what other gems he has to offer and how easy they would be to track down...

This film also features the debut of Ingrid Pitt, which has to be worth something. This is a cheap horror film (invisible dinosaurs are about as inexpensive as it gets), but having Pitt in there makes it quite important in retrospect...

If you are a fan of vintage, cult horror movies like I am then you will absolutely love this movie. I cannot believe that it has no cult following! I can't even find a movie poster for it. Although it is a low budget, dubbed, Spanish movie it has a great story with very good acting and the effects are as cool as can be.

Overall it is made in the typical fashion of horror movies of this period but has some real surprises along the way. The acting and dubbing is far superior than most. The sets are good. The camera work is average or a little above. But the story is very good and interesting with many scenes that I do not want to give away. The black and white make it moody and pretty scary. There are some rather gory effects especially for the time. The monster is invisible for the most part yet you can really imagine it from some cool footprints and the blood curdling noise that it makes. You really worry for the people in this movie. It also has one of the most surprise endings that I have ever seen in a movie of this era.

Another reason that I can't understand why this movie is not out there is that it is Ingrid Pitt's first movie role. She is lovely as ever but looks a lot different than her 1970's roles.

This movie is a must for vintage horror fans.

"A group of archaeologists is exploring mountains in a remote part of Greece when they stumble across an unexpected find. While blasting away the rock to find the hidden treasure, the explorers awaken a prehistoric creature with the power of invisibility. Only the shrieking cries of the approaching monster give its victims any warning to their terrifying fate," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

Dubbed "Sound of Horror" in English, this Spanish horror film doesn't make a bit of sense, if you think about the plot. But, when you consider the time, and what the production must have cost, it manages to provide a fair bang for the buck. The direction, by José Antonio Nieves Conde, is exemplary. And, you get to see Soledad Miranda (as Maria) and Ingrid Pitt (as Sofia) play pretty roommates, potential rivals, and possible monster food.

**** El sonido de la muerte (1964) José A. Nieves-Conde ~ James Philbrook, Soledad Miranda, Ingrid Pitt

If you wanna skimp on the budget of a movie,make the monster invisible. this is an awful mess of a movie.explorers find a dinosaur egg that hatches into a ...., invisible dinosaur.the only notable in the cast is British actress Ingrid Pitt.wasted in this crap.i believe the budget for this was about $2.98.theres good music and sound effects,but the movie is very dull.it must be seen to be believed.it may have been a little better if it was filmed in color.but a late sixties movie in black and white just doesn't look too good.1 out of 10.bottom of the barrel.the worst,and only invisible dinosaur movie ever made. i originally saw this on; chiller theater on channel 11,new york.

How do you save money when you want to make a scary movie? Easy, just make the monster invisible! It worked (sort of) with INVISIBLE INVADERS (1958) where not only the aliens but also their spaceships were invisible. That is just what happens in this movie only it isn't space aliens this time it's . . . well hold on, I'll get to that.

This b/w Spanish movie offers a bunch of old war buddies who are searching the mountains of Greece for art treasures hidden during WW2. To do this the start blowing holes in a mountain which the locals say is cursed. One blast does uncover a mummy but no his name isn't Popoca and he doesn't come back to life; that's another movie you are thinking of. They also discover a fossilised egg which they decide to take back to base camp. Unknown to them there was a second egg which cracked open. The contents, a blob-like substance, oozes out and . . . vanishes! Not long after that the men are planning what to do with the wealth they are soon to have when they dig up all those treasures (no one worries that the governments of the countries the artworks were stolen from might want them back but just keep repeating "It's only a movie, only a movie, only a movie . . ."). One man wanders outside to enjoy the night air when suddenly he hears footsteps but no one is close then. Then an ear piercing shriek rips through the night air. When the others find the friend he has been ripped to pieces. But who . . . or WHAT . . . did it?

Okay here is what you have been waiting for. The young dinosaur popped out of the egg that hatched but he (it?) just happens to be . . . wait for it . . . invisible! Now this dino is just about mansized but his teeth and claws, plus the fact that you cannot see him until it is way too late, give him the advantage. The treasure hunters cannot even run to their truck and drive away because it might be waiting for them! Hmmmmmm, I'd say we have a problem here.

Effects are surprisingly gory for a movie from 1964 and the suspense is really well constructed. The effects are fair, jump cuts are used the dino's footprints appearing in the sand and when an axe is thrown at the beast it is a blue-screen shot that only semi works. So is this a good film? YOU BET! It is the sort of thing that will make you feel like a kid at the movies on Saturday afternoon again. Of special interest is the inclusion of 27 year old Ingrid Pitt and 22 year old Soledad Miranda in the cast. Both would go on to achieve stardom, Ms. Pitt in Hammer Films and Ms. Miranda in movies for Jess Franco. The movie stops dead in its tracks so both women can dance.

So do we ever get to see the dinosaur? Should I tell you or let you find out for yourselves? Ah, the movie is available from several DVD sources so . . . er . . . "see" for yourselves. you will not be disappointed.

This is a cool Spanish horror film from the 6os finely directed by Jose Antonio Nieves Conde , a slick craftsman . A group of isolated people expert on archeology in the Greek mountains formed by three adventurers "André" (Antonio Casas), "Asilov" (James Philbrook) and "Dorman" (Jose Bódalo), seeking a hidden treasure in a cave in a remote rural area of Greece . Accompany them in their search "Pete" (Arturo Fernandez), a hired driver in Athens, "Sophia" (Ingrid Pitt), the Asilov lover , and "María" (Soledad Miranda), daughter of "Andre" . Ignoring the warnings from local residents, who claim that the cave is cursed, and following an old map, "André", "Asilov" and "Dorman" use dynamite to open unexplored caves. They set off a cave explosion , one blast exposes two major prehistoric eggs that are apparently petrified . They are menaced by an invisible shrieking dinosaur that had been buried for eons . "André" leads one to the cabin where he is staying in the care of a local employee, "Calliope" (Lola Gaos). The egg opens and escapes inside a prehistoric monster invisible beeps awful, capable of causing death. As a dinosaur egg hatches and out lashes an invisible predator .

Thrilling film in low budget plenty of chills , suspense , screams and lots of blood . I admire creative effort to keep budget down , but this time is too little . The invisible monster is an original and imaginative resource that lets you play with a certain ambiguity and , at the same time, contributes mightily to create an oppressive ambient and haunting atmosphere . Predictability of the plot, written by Americans named Gregg Tallas and Sam X Abarbanel outlining causes of settings and characters , but not hidden at any time a script perfectly constructed, that transcends its status monster movie to approach the field of cosmic terror. Science has a role in the development of anecdotal history, full of mythological references and legendary as the legend of the Golden Fleece , the monster as a symbol of moral punishment of greed . You'll have to use your imagination as archaeologist are slashed to bits by the show terror carried out by the estrange creature . The spectator does not know at any time the dimensions and physical characteristics of the monster , but the abominable sound emitted is more than enough to imagine the horror it represents. This is an effective and simple movie ; it results to be an acceptable Spanish-American co-production with a Spaniard all-star-cast such as Arturo Fernandez , Lola Gaos , Francisco Piquer and Jose Bodalo-Antonio Casas , both of whom played many Spaghetti Western ; in addition a B Series American star as James Philbrook . Furthermore two cult female stars as the British Ingrid Pitt , Hammer's ordinary , and Spanish Soledad Miranda , Jesus Franco's usual . Passable cinematography in black and white by notorious cameraman Manuel Berenguer who photographed several American movies , though being necessary a right remastering ; it was filmed at Samuel Bronston studios and on location in Hoyo de Manzanares , La Pedriza , Madrid . Intriguing and suspenseful musical score by the classical composer called Luis De Pablo . The motion picture efficiently produced by Gregorio Sacristan was compellingly directed by Jose Antonio Nieves Conde , a director of great quality . He was a drama expert (Surcos, El Inquilino , Marta , Casa Manchada) , religious cinema (Balarrasa, Cotolay) , Comedy (Don Lucio Y Hermano Pio) and even terror as¨ Sounds of horror¨ , one of the least known and appreciated films but is nowadays best considered .

This story of an expedition digging up an invisible dinosaur wouldn't be a bad if it wasn't for the fact that the idea of an invisible dinosaur, in and of itself, is really stupid. Shot on the cheap, we never see the rampaging monster, we only hear its cries moments before it devours someone or does some damage. I'm sure it kept the budget down, but it also keeps the interest down. The idea is okay for a couple of minutes but since you never see anything you simply don't care after a while. Actually you do care since the cast and the story telling are good enough to make you wish that they had had enough of a budget so we could see this monster. Its nice that the cast cared enough not to phone in their performances, but its not enough to make you really want to watch this movie more than once or even all the way to the end. I really can't recommend this movie to anyone, although if you ever have a bad plot premise movie festival this would be required viewing.

This is an adventure/horror movie about a small group of treasure hunters. They are excavating a cave in the mountains of Greece, where a rich treasure of stolen artwork is said to be hidden. Despite warnings from the locals that the cave is cursed, they continue to look for the treasure. One of their explosions accidentally releases an invisible shrieking dinosaur that has been buried for eons. The recently hatched dinosaur terrorizes the people on the expedition, killing many of them as the opportunity arises. This is a pretty cheesy movie, but the suspense is actually good in places. Interestingly enough, this movie starred two actresses who would go on to become cult stars of European horror movies: Soledad Miranda and Ingrid Pitt.

I cannot think of a single reason to watch "Sound of Horror". It is terrible but not terrible enough to be of any use to a bad movie buff. And, when I try to think of anything good about it, I am stumped. To make it worse, the print which is available through Alpha Video is absolutely terrible--though I cannot imagine anyone in their right mind wanting to restore the film!

"Sound of Horror" is a cheap Spanish horror film. And, like most horror films of the day, it's been sloppily dubbed into English. Because it is so cheap, they cannot afford nice costumes or sets, so they have come up with an amazing gimmick to hide the cheapness of the film. Instead of creating some ridiculous monster out of rubber, pipe cleaners and toilet paper roles (or the like), they avoid the problem altogether by having the monster be invisible! This is awfully funny but dumb. So, instead of seeing the creature, you hear horrible screaming every time this monster attacks a group of treasure hunters. Now that I describe it, this does sound a bit interesting. Trust me, however...they manage to keep it from being the least bit entertaining! Talky, dull and never the least bit good.

The Sound of Horror is a mid-60s Spanish horror film set in Greece. Some men are looking for buried treasure after obtaining both halves of a secret treasure map which leads them to an old cave. After blowing up portions of the cave, they discover a mummy, a skeleton, and some semi-petrified dinosaur eggs. One of the eggs hatches to produce a transparent dinosaur-like monster which terrorizes the men and the ladies. Not content to stay in its cave, the monster roams around and attacks the cabin where the people are staying.

The suspense factor is actually not bad, I'll give the suspense factor a six. The special effects are awful though. There are a couple of brief flashes of the monster (it looks like a plastic Godzilla model picked up at a discount toy store) and stop-motion effects to show the footprints of the monster walking through the flour. Finally, the monster shrieks sound like a person going "AAAAAHEEEAAAAAHH" and nothing more. Anyway the monster gets one star.

The stunningly beautiful Soledad Miranda, however, gets a solid eight just for the Greek dancing and standing around looking so pretty. Overall, not bad, I give it a four.

One scene speaks volumes about this movie. Not fifteen minutes in, we see a woman dancing for a couple minutes. There is some dialogue in this scene that meekly advances the narrative - but more prominently, other characters clap to the music, except they're not in time with the song, nor in sync with each other. This, by the way, is a few minutes after a long, lingering shot of a cave interior, during which nothing happens.

Much like the plethora of B-movies that filled theaters and drive-ins in the 1950s with often bland, low-grade sci-fi or horror flicks, 'Sound of horror' isn't exactly captivating or essential. The most noteworthy aspect might actually be the cast, as recognizable Soledad Miranda and Ingrid Pitt both star. Beyond these names, the film's claims include sometimes flat and unnecessary dialogue and scene writing, somewhat deficient exposition, lazy direction, and a score that while satisfactory could be cut and pasted to or from any comparable title without really losing anything. The acting isn't always convincing, and the basic orchestration of some shots or scenes struggles with stilted pacing.

The premise isn't perfectly inspiring, but it holds promise, and there are some good ideas here. Why, recognizing the broad limitations and faults of the pictures whose company 'Sound of horror' joins, it's worth pointing out the obvious, that the only intent was ever outlandish genre fun. In all fairness, while this feature is less than riveting, it's suitably enjoyable. The writing can effectively be boiled down to "Just So" - sufficient to weave together a tale of horror, and that's about it. That doesn't mean it's bad, but there's no questioning the nature of the film before us, not least as plot development generally leaves something to be desired in one way or another.

At its best 'Sound of horror' is a bit viscerally entertaining, with decent blood and gore, or slightly hair-raising where the titular audio is employed. At its worst, one can only wonder why they ever sat to watch it. The movie does improve as it goes on, and the last third bears minor thrills, though overall remains uneven all the while. When all is said and done it's not especially remarkable in the grand scheme of things, yet this is a step above some of its brethren; you could definitely do far worse. Know well what you're getting into if you come across this, and don't get your hopes up just based on those involved, but if you're looking for something modestly enjoyable that you don't have to actively engage with, 'Sound of horror' is passably worthwhile.

From the opening credits introducing the cast members scampering across the wilderness, pursued by an unknown assailant, you know you're going to get something a little different and that promise lives up to expectation in this Spanish thriller. A trio of treasure hunters converge on a haunted cave searching for an elusive cache of rare antiquities that has evaded them since their first brush when they were soldiers in WWII. But after discovering what may have been the long lost chest, they inadvertently release a terrible, shrieking creature that also happens to be invisible.

More than meets the eye to this cast, with Amercian James Philbrook cast as the stoic, unofficial leader of the trio (the other two Casas and Bodalo), his girlfriend Polish bombshell Ingrid Pitt in her film debut, while the ill-fated Soledad Miranda is the leading lady, a rising star who died prematurely in a car accident only a few years following this film. All the cast discharge themselves with professionalism and tact, no hysterics or over-zealous rants, very measured, solid performances. I thought Lola Gaos as the superstitious Greek housekeeper - whose frequent warnings go ignored until too late, - was a highlight, the scene in which she fetches the water, suspenseful and exceptionally well photographed.

There's plenty of atmosphere in the black and white cinematography, decent sets and calculated suspense, the film's multi-pronged climax is engaging and leads to an unexpected conclusion that won't disappoint. Perhaps the only faux pas is the fictitious Greek setting and characters, all of which looks and sounds very Spanish. Better than expected, worth a look.

It ain't the budget, it's how you use it. Ignore the obvious limitations (mediocre dubbing, lack of effects, etc.) of this little horror film and enjoy the decent direction that manages to generate more suspense than most A thrillers. There's even a scene that reminded me of Val Lewton (that's right--Val Lewton!). This is just plain fun, with scares, a decent atmosphere and an often effective music score. And it's available on a budget DVD so how can you go wrong?

It's not all bad. The dubbing isn't very good and so the dialog really detracts from the story. Some of the translation is a bit bewildering. It's all how they react after they find out what is going on that just doesn't work. It is hard to face invisibility, but there are some things one might think of. The scene with the flour (or whatever that is) and the hatchets is really stupid. Apparently the invisible dinosaur glides along the ground or has an invisible bicycle. I hate to criticize these things too much because all they are is a two bit make-up artist and some pretty weak actors. The special effects don't even include the gratuitous prints in the sand. It would have required some stop action, and that probably wasn't in the budget. The movie involves two types of people: those that run to the house and those that hang around outside and allow themselves to be destroyed. There is a great amount of suffering as we can hear by the beast's cries. It's just a pretty bad movie.

as a collector of vintage sci-fi movies from the 20"s through the 60"s i have found many use a cookie cutter mentality with no new imagination,that does not mean they are not good movies, but the story often is not very original,been done before,etc., that said, i like the story of the sound of horror even at the risk of being ridiculed,*** (my co-workers broke into tears of laughter when i told them i liked a movie about an invisible prehistoric dinosaur)***these same individuals looked me straight in the eye and told me how believable it was to them that a family could feed and pet a brontosaurus in Jurassic park!*** give me a break!*** anyway,that being said, i find sound of horror to be very unique in imagination and concept,the film was obviously a low budget production,yet,it has more intense suspense than some million dollar movies of later vintage. the only available copy at this writing is just a "fair" print quality wise,and the movie was Spanish origin with English dubbing,** still, i recommend this movie to serious "vintage" sci-fi collectors, its very different and thats what makes it stand out among the crowd.*** it really is kind of creepy,*** even today,*** turn the lights out when you watch it!***creepy soundtrack highlights it also! ****