The Creeping Terror (1964)

A newlywed sheriff tries to stop a shambling monster that has emerged from a spaceship to eat the citizens of an American town.

Director:

Vic Savage (as A.J. Nelson)

Writer:

Robert Silliphant (story)

Stars:

Vic Savage, Shannon O'Neil, William Thourlby

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vic Savage	...	Martin Gordon
Shannon O'Neil	...	Brett Gordon
William Thourlby	...	Dr. Bradford
John Caresio	...	Col. James Caldwell
Brendon Boone	...	Barney the Deputy (as Norman Boone)
Byrd Holland	...	Sheriff
Jack King	...	Grandpa Brown
Pierre Kopp	...	Bobby
Ken Savage
Mark Field
Les La Marr	...	Driver Passing Lovers' Lane
Mary Price
Louise Lawson	...	Blonde in Gold Pants
Myra Lee
Buddy Mize	...	Guitar Player

Storyline

A creature that looks like a cross between a Chinese dragon puppet and the Pope sucks up people into its maw. A sheriff, his wife, and a "handsome" scientist battle it to the end, with a sub plot about the evils of bachelorhood.

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Plot Keywords:

unintentional humor | accidental nudity | child eaten off screen | giant animal | psychotronic film | 

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Taglines:

EEEK!!! Lock the doors! Bolt the windows! It's... THE CREEPING TERROR

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the last full-length features shot in the 1960s at the Spahn Ranch, which was in decline due to Hollywood's waning interest in westerns. The Ranch later achieved infamy as the Manson Family residence, but Charles Manson was in federal prison during filming, and the Family did not move to the Ranch until 1968; hence, rumors that Manson and his cohorts were somehow involved in the production are untrue.

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Goofs

After the monster eats everyone in the corner of the dance hall it turns and a man is seen standing at the bar and the center aisle is empty.In the next shot the man at the bar is gone and there is a couple standing in the aisle.

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Quotes

Narrator: Despite Brett's inquiries about what Martin had seen in the spacecraft, he avoided specific details for fear of distrubing her more than she was. If the truth were known, Martin was more than a little disturbed himself.

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Connections

Referenced in MrSheltonTV Media: Retrospective Film-Reviews...: The Creep Behind the Camera (2014) - Review! (2019)

User Reviews

"Life has its way of making boys grow up and, with marriage, Martin's time had come."

Holy crap what did I just sit through? A tour-de-crap from Vic Savage, who produced, directed, and starred in this travesty. The story (like it matters) is about a newlywed sheriff and his bride trying to stop a carpet monster from outer space. The entire thing is narrated like a badly-written book. The narrator describes the scenes as we're watching them! What the hell was with the obsession with marriage vs bachelorhood? Talk about someone working out their issues through their "art." I felt like I just listened to Vic Savage's therapy sessions. The movie's budget must have been whatever Savage found in his couch cushions. The monster literally looks like pieces of carpet mixed with the contents of a garbage can draped over some people crawling along at a snail's pace. The awful sound effects they use when it's growling or gurgling or whatever will make your ears bleed.

It is terrible in a way that defies belief but there is something fascinating about it. I must have shook my head and said "this must be a joke" a dozen times while watching it. That anyone could try to pass this off as a movie boggles my mind. The entire production would have to improve by a million percent just to be considered amateur. I've seen more riveting home movies than this. Objectively, it's one of the worst movies of all time. The only thing redeeming about it is that it has some "so bad it's good" qualities. If you watch it with friends you can all make fun of it, which improves the viewing experience but doesn't change the fact that it's a really a shitty movie. I'm giving it a 2 solely for the giggles at its incompetence. I reserve 1's for movies that should be fed to carpet monsters.

Details

Official Sites:

Crown International Pictures

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Crawling Monster

Filming Locations:

Film Center Studios, Glendale, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metropolitan International Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1