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davidngoliath22
Reviews
Mad Monster Party? (1967)
Childhood Favorite! w/ Stop Action Phyllis Diller!!
OK, maybe "excellent" is going far, but there is nothing like this movie and it is no unique that "excellent" pales as a description. The artwork itself is amazing - the depictions of the monsters are clever, cute and very funny, particularly the Invisible Man (as Sidney Greenstreet from "Maltese Falcon") and Dr Jekyl, drinking from his walking cane to become Mr Hyde at any given moment (that's not a spoiler!). This IS a spoiler!! I used to see this a lot as a kid and hadn't seen it for years, but what always stuck in my head - there is a catfight between the busty female vixen (way busty - like she's carrying a big watermelon on her chest)and Phyllis Diller which must be seen to be ... well, it MUST be seen! Just the fact that Phyllis Diller is in this as the Bride of Frankenstein makes it a hoot. Most of her jokes are horrible, but she sells each one with a signature "ha!HA!" that kills! As much a holiday classic as any of their other hits, this one is much more unique and special. Look for the resemblance in the Francesca's of this and "Santa Claus".
The Undertaker and His Pals (1966)
Childhood memories
I remember this as faint memories when it first hit the drive-in theatres of Pennsylvania back in the 70's while my parents were still married. Dad would pack us all in the station wagon to see whatever was playing - sometimes it was highly inappropriate, like this and "Dr Jekyl and Ms Hyde", both of which I remember only fleeting images of nudity and schlock horror. Thing is - this movie has always stayed with me as a crazy, zany, sexy horror comedy romp. Very "Sweeney Todd", I remember weird things like the guys playing with a girl's innards while she was alive and she wakes up to see them - and it was like ground beef, which never made any sense to me so it stuck in my mind; also the silly names that they gave the meals containing girl meat, like "Breast of Chicken" from Miss Poultry (or something - it's been over 30 years) and "Leg of Lamb". I'd love to see it again just to see what I remember. So many odd flashes from my past.
Brothers of the Head (2005)
Documentary style tale by Documentary filmmakers
No major spoiler in this comment, but if you don't want to know much, don't read much. The two directors brought this film to Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre and their introduction was minimal, stating "Just open your mind".
This was a very cleverly crafted movie that engages you early, teases you with hints of a classic rocker-style crash and burn tale, but never lets you know fully what is to come until it hits you. Creatively structured, you have a tale of mid 70's rockers, examined in real-time in a faux documentary, which allowed the film to have the story you're promised; yet includes actors portraying those same characters years later, commenting on the experience with the benefit of hindsight. This nuance not only keeps you intrigued, but also moves the plot-ball from cup to cup, keeping the storyline actively non-linear.
The hook to this movie, besides sexy young conjoined twin rockers, is the documentary feel they achieve. The directors told the audience at the Egyptian that sets were built 360degrees, and the cinematographer acted like a real-time documentary cameraman, moving through the scenes naturally, which were never blocked. Scenes were rehearsed and improv was encouraged as long as the essence of the scene was preserved. All the sound and dialog is real-time; all the concert music is recorded real-time and the band is actually playing the music you're hearing. They mentioned that the boom-mic operator even dressed in costume to blend in with the crowd during club scenes. This builds a very believable feeling of reality rather than a corny set-up that easily happens when creating faux star docs.
The story is well told and very engaging and it's worth seeing for that - but if you have any interest in the film-making process, this is a great study in new styles. The faux documentary style also allows for surprise celebrity cameo appearances.
Definitely not a "happy" film, but hearing the produced soundtrack version of the music during the credits does add a lift at the end.