Villain(s)  Large hairy beast

Actor(s):  Michael Forest, Sheila Noonan, Frank Wolff, Richard Sinatra

Brief Description  Beast from Haunted Cave (1959) is a low-budget blend of a crime heist thriller and a creature feature. Directed by Monte Hellman in his feature debut and produced by Gene Corman, the story follows a gang of bank robbers who hide out in the snowy Black Hills of South Dakota, only to be hunted by a giant, web-spinning cave monster that feeds on human blood.

Plot:
A ruthless gang of criminals, led by the calculating Alexander Ward, arrives at a remote ski resort in South Dakota. They plan to rob a local bank of its gold bars. To pull off the heist, they hire an innocent local ski instructor, Gil Jackson, to lead them through the treacherous mountain terrain under the guise of a ski trip. To create a chaotic distraction during the robbery, one of the henchmen, Marty, sets off explosives near a local mine cave. Unbeknownst to the gang, the blast disturbs a horrific, ancient, spider-like monster sleeping deep within the caverns. While setting the bomb, Marty encounters the creature but manages to survive, though a local barmaid isn't as lucky and becomes the creature's first victim.

The gang successfully steals the gold bars and flees into the snowy wilderness on skis, guided by Gil. They make their way to a secluded, snowbound cabin to wait out the aftermath. Along the trail, romantic tension builds between Gil and Gypsy, Alexander Ward's girlfriend, who is desperate to escape Ward's abusive behavior. As a massive snowstorm hits, the monster stalks the group, picking off members one by one. It drags its victims back to its nearby cave lair, where it wraps them in silky, web-like cocoons to slowly drain them of blood. When the criminals realize they are being hunted, greed turns to panic. Ward's paranoia peaks, leading to internal betrayals within the gang. Eventually, the remaining survivors—Gil, Gypsy, and Ward—are forced into the creature's cave during a final showdown.

Ward tries to use Gypsy as bait to save himself and his gold, but Gil fights back. Gil manages to set the monster on fire using a flare gun. The creature burns to death, killing Ward in its death throes, allowing Gil and Gypsy to escape the mountain alive. The creature in the film is an unnamed, bizarre entity often described as a giant, furry, spider-like monster. Because of the micro-budget nature of the film, the costume was built by actor Chris Robinson using a mix of chicken wire, plywood, wool, and oilcloth. It features long, spindly legs and tentacle-like appendages, acting like a tarantula by paralyzing its prey and trapping them in webbed cocoons.