Monster a Go-Go

Last updated

Monster a Go-Go!
Monsteragogo.jpg
Original theatrical release poster
Directed by
Written bySheldon Seymour
Screenplay by
  • Bill Rebane
  • Jeff Smith
  • Dok Stanford
Produced by
Starring Henry Hite
Narrated by
  • Herschell Gordon Lewis (uncredited)
  • Bill Rebane (uncredited)
CinematographyFrank Pfeiffer
Production
company
B.I. & L. Releasing Corp. [1]
Distributed byB.I. & L. Releasing Corp.
Release date
  • July 1965 (1965-07)
Running time
68 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Monster a Go-Go! is a 1965 American science-fiction horror film directed by Bill Rebane and Herschell Gordon Lewis (who remained uncredited in association with this film). The film is considered to be one of the worst films ever made.

Contents

Plot

The plot concerns an American astronaut, Frank Douglas, who mysteriously disappears from his spacecraft as it parachutes to Earth. The policemen in one scene inspect the landing site of Douglas's capsule and notice a burned patch, only to dismiss it as a prank. The vanished astronaut is apparently replaced by or turned into a large, radioactive, humanoid monster. This is revealed when it comes into the scene and kills off Dr. Logan. A team of scientists and military men also attempts to capture the monster – and at one point succeed and imprison it in the lab, only to have it escape. Neither the capture nor the escape is ever shown, and both are simply mentioned by the narrator.

At the end of the film, the scientists corner the monster in a sewer under Chicago, but the monster suddenly disappears. The scientists receive a telegram stating that Douglas is in fact alive and well, having been rescued in the North Atlantic, perhaps implying the monster was an alien impersonating Douglas. The narrator provides the film's infamous closing narration:

As if a switch had been turned, as if an eye had been blinked, as if some phantom force in the universe had made a move eons beyond our comprehension, suddenly, there was no trail! There was no giant, no monster, no thing called "Douglas" to be followed. There was nothing in the tunnel but the puzzled men of courage, who suddenly found themselves alone with shadows and darkness! With the telegram, one cloud lifts, and another descends. Astronaut Frank Douglas, rescued, alive, well, and of normal size, some 8,000 miles away in a lifeboat, with no memory of where he has been, or how he was separated from his capsule! Then who, or what, has landed here? Is it here yet? Or has the cosmic switch been pulled? Case in point: The line between science fiction and science fact is microscopically thin! You have witnessed the line being shaved even thinner! But is the menace with us? Or is the monster gone?

Cast

Production

The film had an unusual production history. [2] Director Rebane ran out of money while making the film. Herschell Gordon Lewis, who needed a second film to show with his own feature, Moonshine Mountain, bought the film, added a few extra scenes, included some new dialogue, and then released it, creating an odd, disjointed film with little continuity. Rebane had abandoned the film in 1961; Lewis did not finish the film until 1965, so he was unable to gather all of the original cast, resulting in almost half the characters disappearing midway through the film to be replaced by other characters who fill most of the same roles. One of the actors Lewis was able to rehire had dramatically changed his look in the intervening years, necessitating his playing the brother of the original character. At one point, when a phone supposedly rings, the sound effect is obviously a person making a noise with his mouth. [3]

Release and reception

Critical reception has been predominantly negative, with the film regarded as being one of the all-time worst.

Allmovie gave the film a negative review, calling it "an incoherent concoction brewed solely to fill space on a double bill" [4] while TV Guide panned the film, calling it "garbage". [5]

Dennis Schwartz from Ozus' World Movie Reviews gave the film a negative review. In his review of the film, Schwartz called it "One of the most incoherent films ever made because the plot line can't be explained rationally nor are the characters clearly defined." [6] When reviewing the film, Horror News.net also noted the reason behind its negative reputation: "The film itself falls into the 'worst' category with not only a lethargic presentation but with its odd-pieced editing style. Some scenes pop in out of nowhere that really don't seem to have much to do with the previous scene. Others are typical conversation scenes that are just edited back and forth in a haphazard way. I think the film stands better as a piece to be mocked and laughed at than as a real piece of important cinema. In fact, you may find humor in just those elements alone that make the experience one to look for mistakes, continuity errors and ridiculous logic at times. Why they felt the need that it needed some hipster dance scenes thrown in to sell more tickets is beyond me. But the result is so odd that it also deserves a laugh. It's classic B-grade miss mash that only has appeal in its disjointed effort." [7]

In 1993, the film was featured in an episode of the satirical film-riffing television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Comedy Central alongside the short Circus on Ice. [8] The MST3K version of the film was released by Rhino Home Video [9] as part of the Collection, Volume 8 DVD set. It was soon re-released by Shout Factory [10]

The film's original director, Bill Rebane, released a "Special Collector's Edition" with commentary and other extras on Synergy Entertainment on October 19, 2010. [11]

Monster a Go-Go! was released with Psyched by the 4-D Witch as a DVD double feature by Something Weird Video. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Blood Feast</i> 1963 American splatter film by Herschell Gordon Lewis

Blood Feast is a 1963 American splatter film. It was composed, shot, and directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis, written by Allison Louise Downe from an idea by Lewis and David F. Freidman, and stars Mal Arnold, William Kerwin, Connie Mason, and Lyn Bolton. The plot focuses on a psychopathic food caterer named Fuad Ramses (Arnold) who kills women so that he can include their body parts in his meals and perform sacrifices to his "Egyptian goddess" Ishtar.

<i>The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies</i> 1964 film by Ray Dennis Steckler

The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies is a 1964 American monster movie produced and directed by Ray Dennis Steckler. Steckler also starred in the film, billed under the pseudonym "Cash Flagg". Upon release, the film received negative reviews and is regarded by some critics as being one of the worst movies ever made. The film was lampooned in a 1997 episode of the cult sci-fi TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000.

<i>Eegah</i> 1962 film by Arch Hall Sr. (as Nicholas Merriwether)

Eegah is a 1962 American horror film directed by Arch Hall Sr. and starring Arch Hall Jr., Marilyn Manning and Richard Kiel.

<i>Zaat</i> 1971 American film

Zaat is a 1971 American independent science fiction horror film produced and directed by Don Barton, and co-written by Barton, Lee O. Larew and Ron Kivett. Produced on a $50,000 budget, the film stars Marshall Grauer as a mad scientist who aims to transform himself into a mutation to seek revenge on those who spurned him.

<i>The Brain That Wouldnt Die</i> 1962 film by Joseph Green

The Brain That Wouldn't Die is a 1962 American science fiction horror film directed by Joseph Green and written by Green and Rex Carlton. The film was completed in 1959 under the working title The Black Door but was not theatrically released until May 3, 1962, under its new title as a double feature with Invasion of the Star Creatures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herschell Gordon Lewis</span> American filmmaker

Herschell Gordon Lewis was an American filmmaker, best known for creating the "splatter" subgenre of horror films. He is often called the "Godfather of Gore", though his film career included works in a range of exploitation film genres including juvenile delinquent films, nudie-cuties, two children's films and at least one rural comedy. On Lewis' career, AllMovie wrote, "With his better-known gore films, Herschell Gordon Lewis was a pioneer, going further than anyone else dared, probing the depths of disgust and discomfort onscreen with more bad taste and imagination than anyone of his era."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Rebane</span> American politician and film director

Bill Rebane is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for low budget movies such as Monster a Go-Go and The Giant Spider Invasion. Rebane also ran for Governor of Wisconsin in 1979 and 2002 as the American Reform Party candidate.

<i>The Giant Spider Invasion</i> 1975 horror/sci-fi film by Bill Rebane

The Giant Spider Invasion is a 1975 science fiction action horror film produced, composed and directed by Bill Rebane, and follows giant spiders that terrorize the town of Merrill, Wisconsin and its surrounding area. The film was theatrically released in 1975 by Group 1 Films and enjoyed a considerable run to become one of the 50 top-grossing films of that year.

<i>The Flesh Eaters</i> (film) 1964 film by Jack Curtis

The Flesh Eaters is a 1964 American horror/science fiction thriller, directed on a low budget by Jack Curtis and edited by future filmmaker Radley Metzger. The film contains moments of violence much more graphic and extreme than many other movies of its time, making it one of the first ever gore films.

<i>Time Walker</i> 1982 film by Tom Kennedy

Time Walker is a 1982 science fiction horror film directed by Tom Kennedy.

<i>The Incredible Melting Man</i> 1977 film by William Sachs

The Incredible Melting Man is a 1977 American science fiction horror film directed and written by William Sachs. The plot concerns an astronaut whose body begins to melt after he is exposed to radiation during a space flight to Saturn, driving him to commit murders and consume human flesh to survive. During post-production, the producers reshot scenes without Sachs' participation. The film starred Alex Rebar as the main character, alongside Burr DeBenning as a scientist trying to help him and Myron Healey as a United States Air Force general seeking to capture him. While writing and shooting, Sachs was influenced by Night of the Living Dead. With the changes by the producers, the final film has been described as a remake of First Man into Space (1959), which in turn was directly influenced by The Quatermass Xperiment, even though Sachs had never seen either of those films.

<i>Monstrosity</i> (film) 1964 American film

Monstrosity is a 1963 American science fiction horror film produced by Jack Pollexfen and Dean Dillman Jr. and directed by Joseph V. Mascelli. The film stars Marjorie Eaton, Frank Gerstle, Erika Peters, and Xerxes the cat. It tells the story of a wealthy elderly woman who wants to have her brain transplanted into the head of a young woman. Actor Bradford Dillman, the younger brother of co-writer and producer Dean Dillman, Jr., narrated the film.

<i>The Horror of Party Beach</i> 1964 film by Del Tenney

The Horror of Party Beach is a 1964 American horror film in the beach party genre, directed and co-produced by Del Tenney. The film, described as "a take-off on beach parties and musicals".

Juan Piquer Simón was a Spanish film director best known for directing two cult classic horror exploitation films, Pieces (1982) and Slugs: The Movie (1988).

<i>The Giant Claw</i> 1957 film by Fred F. Sears

The Giant Claw is a 1957 American monster film from Columbia Pictures, produced by Sam Katzman, directed by Fred F. Sears, that stars Jeff Morrow and Mara Corday. Both Sears and Katzman were well known as low-budget B film genre filmmakers. The film was released as a double feature with The Night the World Exploded.

<i>Soultaker</i> (film) 1990 horror fantasy film

Soultaker is a 1990 American fantasy horror film written by Vivian Schilling and directed by Michael Rissi. It stars Joe Estevez in the title role, alongside Vivian Schilling, Gregg Thomsen, Chuck Williams, Robert Z'Dar, and David "Shark" Fralick. The film follows a group of young adults who try to flee from the titular "Soultaker" when their souls are ejected from their bodies after a car accident. Inspired by discussions with Action International Pictures producer Eric Parkinson, the script was based on a real-life car accident which Schilling was involved in.

<i>The Gore Gore Girls</i> 1972 American comedy horror splatter film directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis

The Gore Gore Girls is a 1972 comedy horror splatter film directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis.

<i>Night of the Bloody Apes</i> (film) 1969 Mexican film

Night of the Bloody Apes is the title of the 1972 English language version of the 1969 Mexican horror film La Horripilante bestia humana, also known as Horror y sexo and as Gomar—The Human Gorilla. The film was directed by René Cardona and is a remake of his 1962 film Las Luchadoras contra el medico asesino, the first in a series of films blending elements of the lucha libre and horror genres.

<i>The Wild World of Batwoman</i> 1966 American film

The Wild World of Batwoman is a 1966 American science fiction comedy superhero film produced, written, directed and edited by Jerry Warren. The film stars Katherine Victor as Batwoman, George Andre as Professor G. Octavius Neon, and Steve Brodie as Jim Flanagan. The film is considered to be one of the worst movies ever made.

<i>The Alpha Incident</i> 1978 film

The Alpha Incident is a 1978 American science fiction horror film directed by Bill Rebane and starring Ralph Meeker, Stafford Morgan, John F. Goff, Carol Irene Newell, and George "Buck" Flower.

References

  1. ↑ "Monster A Go-Go". Trailers From Hell. November 29, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Monster a Go-Go". DVD Talk. October 19, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Monster A-Go Go (1965)". The Agony Booth. June 16, 2003. Retrieved July 2, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Monster a Go-Go! (1965) - Review". Allmovie.com. Allmovie. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Monster A Go-Go - Movie Reviews and Movie Ratings". TV Guide. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  6. ↑ Schwartz, Dennis. "monsteragogo". Sover.net. Dennis Schwartz. Archived from the original on November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  7. ↑ "Film Review: Monster a-Go Go (1965)". HorrorNews.net. Horror News. Retrieved November 9, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Monster A-Go Go". January 9, 1993 – via IMDb.
  9. ↑ "The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Collection, Vol. 8". November 8, 2005 – via Amazon.
  10. ↑ "MST3K: Volume VIII - DVD". Shout! Factory.
  11. ↑ "Monster a Go-Go (1965)". AllMovie.
  12. ↑ Murray, Noel (August 12, 2002). "Monster A Go-Go". The A.V. Club.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.