The Manster (1959)

User Rating:

4.6/10   

Directors:

George P. Breakston
Kenneth G. Crane

Writers:

George P. Breakston (story)
William J. Sheldon (writer)

Release Date:

28 March 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Half-Man, Half-Monster!

Plot:

An American reporter in Japan is sent to interview an eccentric Japanese scientist working on bizarre experiments in his mountain laboratory...

Plot Keywords:

Experiment | Monster | Japan | Two Headed Monster | Two Headed Man

Cast

Peter Dyneley	...	Larry Stanford
Jane Hylton	...	Linda Stanford
Tetsu Nakamura	...	Dr. Robert Suzuki (as Satoshi Nakamura)
Terri Zimmern	...	Tara
Norman Van Hawley	...	Ian Matthews (as Van Hawley)
Jerry Ito	...	Police Supt. Aida
Toyoko Takechi	...	Emiko Suzuki
Kenzo Kuroki
Alan Tarlton	...	Dr. H.B. Jennsen
Shinpei Takagi
George Wyman

Also Known As:

Nightmare
Sôtô no satsujinki (Japan) (theatrical title)
The Split (Japan: English title) (theatrical title)
The Two-Headed Monster

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1960)

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company:

Lopert Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Sam Raimi's "ARMY OF DARKNESS" pays homage to this film. When Ash has swallowed one of his little dopplegangers, he then grows an eye on his right shoulder, which results in him splitting into two beings; Good Ash and Evil Ash. In The Manster, the reporter is injected with a serum and later develops an eye, which grows into a head, resulting in him splitting into a good being and an evil one.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989)

Not bad b-film that manages to be very subversive

This film suffers from many of the problems that plagued drive-in flicks of the era. Hammy acting, campy dialog, and poor special effects are all prevalent in this film. However, these factors are the reasons why many people (including myself) find these films to be so entertaining. In addition to that, there are several undertones that should be noted. It shows that these drive-in flicks were much more subversive and ahead of their time as far as content goes than most of the Hollywood product of the day.

The plot of the film involves an American reporter who is granted an interview with a reclusive Japanese scientist. While at the scientist's house, he is drugged than injected with a serum. In the following days, those who know him begin to notice many personality differences. He is violent, crude, and aggressive. He is drinking heavily and always seems to be in an alcoholic stupor. While he was previously loving and faithful to his wife, he has sex with the geisha girls. All this climaxes in the legendary scene where he has a cramp in his shoulder. He looks into the mirror and realizes an eye growing out of it. He runs out of the house and eventually grows a second head. He than goes on a rampage as the authorities attempt to find and kill him.

One of the factors in this film's cult status are all the Freudian subtexts. For one, it has a surprisingly frank (for it's time of course) depiction of sex. The memorable opening sequence has bathing geisha's being slaughtered by one of the scientist's monsters. Despite the bad makeup of the Manster, the scientist's mutated wife whom he keeps in a cage has a very creepy appearance. Also, the plot of the film can be taken as a metaphor for alcoholism. Maybe I'm looking too deep into this film, but one thing is for sure. It is quite lurid, bleak, and disturbing.

Now there are many things that don't work in the film. One is the performance of Peter Dyneley. From his beginning as a loving family man to being a psychopath, he is unconvincing. Also, the makeup for the title creature and the growing of a second head is cheap even for a film like this.

Despite several cheap public domain copies, I really recommend Retromedia's DVD. They give the obscure film (whose original negatives are no doubt lost) a very good transfer as opposed to the previous shoddy bargain bin dupes. Originally the second feature to the French horror classic "Eyes Without a Face", this is a watchable and subversive cult item. It was obviously seen by Sam Raimi who payed tribute to it in "Army of Darkness". One wonders if Cronenberg saw this, as a lot of the themes are present in his own works (done much more skillfully of course). If you enjoy films of this type, than this is recommended. (6/10)