31 Horrors: Mad Monster Party (#17)

Wherein I attempt to watch 31 horror films over the course of October. 31 horror films that I have never seen before, from obscure to acclaimed classics. We'll see how well I go in actually finding the time to watch and then write about them in some way.

Another horror spoof after the earlier Student Bodies. Inarguably more original and inventive, I didn't however find it anywhere near as entertaining. Taking on monster movies rather than slashers, Jules Bass' stop-motion animated film was the American's first animated feature since he co-produced the wildly successful Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The style is most definitely the same, and I give him props for making something a little bit left of centre for a G-rated animation, but I'm not sure how successful it ultimately is.

There's Dr Frankenstein (voiced by Boris Karloff!) who lives on Evil Island, and he's invited all the world's most famous monsters (Count Dracula, the Wolfman, the Creature from the Black Lagoon and so on) to his castle to announce his retirement as well as his successor. That turns out to be a meek drug store employee who sounds a lot like James Stewart with the whispy appearance of Niles Crane. Throw in all sorts of other references - including a copyright skirting beast named "It" and looks and sounds and acts identically to King Kong, plus a reference to Some Like It Hot (because, well, ya know... why not?) and you've got yourself Mad Monster Party. Oh, did I mention Phyllis Diller? Because there's Phyllis Diller doing her best kid-friendly version of her routine, her plasticine figure laughing at every one of her groan-inducing one-liners.

I didn't particularly like Mad Monster Party. I found it all a tad too flat for my liking. I imagine Tim Burton is a very big fan since he's tread into similar waters with his own wacky family friendly work on Frankenweenie and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Unlike those features, however, Mad Monster Party certainly has the feel of a TV movie. Unsophisticated humour for the most part - oh gawd, it reminded me of "Oy to the World"! - with only a few really great laughs hidden amongst the madcap musical adventure. I would recommend it most of all as a perfect movie to play in the background of your next Halloween gathering. It's an idea movie to be able to catch brief glimpses of without really having to pay all that much attention. And that you you also get to avoid the songs.


Songs like that one. It's all a bit nauseating, really. A DRACULA TAP ROUTINE! Of course, if I had seen this when I was younger then maybe I'd be crowing a different tune, but it doesn't hold much value as an adult when viewing it without the rose-coloured glasses of nostalgia. It's rather innocent demeanor really could have been played with a bit more of a wink and a nudge. Baby's first horror movie, if you will, but hopefully not the last. C

Review: Monsters (Part 1)

Monsters
Dir. Gareth Edwards
Year: 2010
Aus Rating: M
Running Time: 94mins

Monsters is a British independent science-fiction drama that was made on a budget of $500,000, filmed illegally in countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and America and stars a real life couple whose previous work involves TV guest roles and similarly low budget, independent work that many audiences have probably never heard of. Not only is newcomer Gareth Edwards the writer and director, he also cinematographer, production designer and visual effects programmer. Monsters is an awe-inspiring, miraculous filmmaking achievement that ranks as the finest film of the last half a decade. A modern sci-fi classic in the making, Monsters packs a powerful punch to unsuspecting viewers.

Read the rest at Trespass

To say I liked Monsters is an understatement. There is a much longer blog "exclusive" review coming up later in the week that I hope y'all will enjoy, but until then this edited down version should hold you long enough.

Review: The Wolfman

The Wolfman
Dir. Joe Johnston
Year: 2010
Aus Rating: MA15+
Running Time: 125mins

Who would have thought that only six weeks into 2010 we would have a contender for worst film of the year? Actually, after only six weeks into the new decade! Alas, that is what we have in The Wolfman, directed by Joe Johnston - a severely misjudged and poorly executed monster movie.

Read the rest over at Trespass Mag for which this is my first piece. Hopefully more to come!


I did want to mention some other stuff though. Word limits can be a blessing or a hindrance and in this case it was the latter. So many awful, awful things to talk about. How about how the sets and the costumes, as pretty as they are, are entirely washed out by the horrible cinematography that makes everything look dank and dark as if they were shooting with only natural light and the only natural light they had was a cigarette lighter. I was so surprised when I saw all of these movie stills since they certainly did not look like in the film.

Or how about the bombastic sound design? It wouldn't have been that bad if The Wolfman wasn't one of those movies that utilises the "boo machine" literally every few minutes. By ten minutes in I had already smartened up to their game. Seriously you guys, the failings of this movie should be written into cinematic lore for all to gawk at for decades to come. F

Black + White Friday Saturday: King Kong (1976) & King Kong (2005)

I wanted to take a look at these two remakes of the black and white classic monster movie King Kong. I thought it would be interesting to see if either of them lend themselves to the classical style of filmmaking that black and white photography lent itself too.

I actually had to outsource the caps used in this installment. I don't actually own either of these movies on DVD, so all images are from DVD Beaver.


Oh Jessica Lange! I can't take her seriously at all in this movie. Can you? There's something there that just turns me off majorly.


I much preferred Peter Jackson's remake, but even that had major problems and really wasn't that good. I'm not entirely convinced that Naomi Watts portrayed the character 1920s enough, but she was far better than Lange. I do hate those bloody hats though!


I just think this is a bit gorgeous.


I remember really liking this scene as I felt it actually tried to be like an old movie (unlike so many other sequences in this remake). On one hand I guess it's a good thing that Watts didn't do the same style of performance as Fay Wray did in the original, but on the other hand I sort of miss it.


Apart from the very "of the time" top that Jessica Lange is wearing here, this could conceivably be seen as a shot from an old movie. I think it's the moustache.


This image is actually quite wonderful. I thought the scene was "a bit much" in the film, but it did look gorgeous. In black and white though this actually looks more like a sketch drawing using charcoal.


She's not exactly Fay Wray, is she?


I just think this is a bit gorgeous.

I do find it interesting though that in black and white this moment looks far more ominous than it does in the colour version. All those dark clouds look far more scarier than the overly orange hues that they were before.


This is ridiculous. How is it that a remake made some 60 years after the original can have effects that are barely improved? In fact, I'd go so far to say that they're worse in this 1976 remake than the original since, at least, the 1933 version was made in 1933. This image particularly looks quite silly don't you think? What would I know though, the film won an Oscar for its visual effects so there ya go.


By far the best scene in either of these remakes was this quite touching moment on the ice rink in New York City. It looked like 100% CGI, which was one of the big disappointments of Jackson's film in general, but even that couldn't stop this moment being lovely.

Black + White Friday: Scream

I wanted to experiment with Wes Craven's violent slasher flick and see if I could turn it into some sort of 1950s monster movie. A monster moving involving a monster with a ghost face, apparently. The experiment will most likely fail. The Scream movies hold such a special place in me, more than I can ever fully express, so this'll be interesting.


"Oh no! A person wearing a funny-looking mask is staring at me! NOOOO!"


"AAAAAGH! It's a giant horrible gelatinous blob! Whatever will I do?!"


Sidney: "My gosh Randy, who are you going to the Prom with? I'm just so happy to have found my dreamboat of a date!"
Tatum: "The Prom committee won't let me wear a dress this short to the dance, but I'm a fun-loving woman of the future so I'll wear what I want!"
Billy: "I can't believe I left my sweater-vest at home!"
Stuart: "Have you heard about the disaster at the nuclear plant?"
Randy: "DID YOU REALLY PUT HER LIVER IN THE MAILBOX? 'Cause I heard they found her liver in the mailbox, next to her spleen and her pancreas."
Everyone: "..."


"What is that on the horizon? A pack of wild radioactive animals?!? Why yes it is!"


"It is true you know what happened to Old Man Willard on his farm and that he is involved in a secret government plot to inject human lab rats with radioactive waste?"


"This is the uniform headdress that is worn by the secretive cult who worship aliens that police believe are behind the plot to murder all the young people of this pure, perfect American hamlet."


"Due to my boyish all-American looks and police uniform you can believe everything I say because a brave member of the Police force in the United States of America would never lie. It's those damned Communists!"


"Even though there is a monster killing all the teenagers in town and tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of the suspicious unexplained death of my mother I think I will go to that big party tonight held at a house in the middle of nowhere filled with all the major characters from this story. All this despite my psychic abilities telling me something dreadful is going to happen there. Oh yes."


"I truly thought nothing could have possibly gone wrong with this idea! How could I, the fun-loving girl that every boy wants to get to third base with, end up in such a predicament?"


"AAAGH! Apparently this final monster comes equipped with a deadly fan! Those horrible radioactive animal-like communist cult monsters sure do come prepared. Oh, wait, it's just a false alarm. Now that we have beaten the evil commy cult monsters, this sleepy 1950s American town can live without fear... except the fear of GAY MARRIAGE!!"

*dun dun duuuunn*

{fin}