Bride of the Monster

Rating:
Summary: Ed Wood's Best Film and Lugosi's Last Hurrah
Review: Released in 1956, "Bride of the Monster" is an enjoyable schlock-fest from Grade-Z auteur Edward D. Wood, Jr. However, the film rises above its low-budget shortcomings -- thanks to a bravura performance by an aging Bela Lugosi. Regardless of his personal and professional misfortunes, Bela plays Dr. Eric Vornoff to the hilt, as though it were the performance of his life. Sadly, it would be Lugosi's last starring and speaking role. Despite the amateurish supporting cast and obvious production flaws (who can forget that rubber octopus), "Bride of the Monster" has a comic-book charm that's hard to resist. It's certainly on par with most of Bela's Monogram programmers from the 1940s, and it's definitely superior to Wood's "Glen or Glenda" (1953) and "Plan 9 From Outer Space" (1959). In retrospect, Hollywood has managed to surpass Ed Wood's cinematic ineptitude on a larger scale (remember "Heaven's Gate," "Showgirls" and, more recently, "Battlefield Earth"?). For once, let's give the Master of Bad Cinema his due.

Rating:
Summary: Ed's Best
Review: Seriously, this is Ed Wood's best film. Bela Lugosi also gives a top notch performance as Dr Eric Vornoff, despite being in his 70s and not in the best of health, we get to hear Bela in his last acting performance (his final 2 films were mute roles - the excellent "Black Sleep" and "Plan 9"). The quality of the DVD is stunning - flawless print with razor sharp image throughout (Except the shots of thundery skies which may be stock footage) and a trailer thrown in for good measure.

Rating:
Summary: A terrible classic
Review: This has got to be one of the all-time worst movies ever made. If it weren't for Lugosi's purposely camp acting and Tor Johnson as the loathsome Lobo, this film wouldn't be worth watching at all, even with its terrible rubber octopus. Except for a few daylight outside scenes, most of it's shot on stage. The trees, the rain, the lightning, the evil dwelling, the subterranean chamber of horrors (a combination of Dr. Frankenstein and Las Vegas), the atomic ray (mini portable mike boom with attached photo enlarger), the operating table (padded doctor's examination table with restraining straps), are all fakes and ad hoc incongruities. The Monster Octopus is so bad, everyone that lands on it has to scream and roll around and grab at its tentacles to make it look alive. And it's no use trying to excuse the acting; everyone except Lugosi and Johnson seem destined to break into TV commercials. The directing is the usual Wood style: no attempt whatsoever to edit anything. And the storyline: universally reviled and misunderstood super medical genius (Lugosi, aka Varnoff) retreats to seclusion with his atavistic assistant (Johnson, aka Lobo) to perfect his master work: supermen from men (except that, oops, all the experiments die). Notable scenes: Varnoff and Lobo chuckle maliciously (Lobo is mute, so he can only grin) as they watch their latest victim struggle with the monster rubber octopus on the other side of the door; Lobo gets the hots for King, and Lugosi

beats him down with a limp whip (Lobo also has a hat fetish); Lugosi hypnotizes King to sleep two or three times (get a load of the hand action); Lobo and Lugosi-look-alike battle in the subterranean chamber for the luscious body of Loretta King. Notable quotes: "You will soon be as big as a giant...with the strength of twenty men...or, like all the others...dead." What a genius! These are just a few of the immortal gems awaiting you in this terrible sci-fi horror classic. I can't really recommend this movie to anyone except a hard-core terrible movie buff such as myself, because movies of this sort are an acquired taste (one must wade through the truly bad stuff to get to the "good" stuff). But if you like Lugosi (and who can't like him?) and if you like movies such as Robot Monster and Plan 9 From Outer Space, you'll like this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome. Superbly directed and written by edard d wood jr. !
Review: This has got to be the overall best movie ever made. It was suspenseful scary and funny at points. For any out there who says this movie is bad ([e-mail]) all I have to say to you is BOO, BOOOOOO and a triple BOOOOOOOOOO to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: So Bad, It's Wonderful!
Review: This is a terrible film, but it's so bad, it's a delight to watch. It is probably Ed Wood's best film from a directoral point of view... "Plan 9" is actually not up to this film technically, but that is not saying much.

This film is a MUST for your collection if you loved the movie "Ed Wood", because this is the real film that some scenes in that movie were based.... but the best part of this film is the speech made by Bela Lugosi about "having no home"... terribly written, but even though this film was made shortly before his death, he still sells his lines... he is wonderful.

The transfer on this DVD is clear and sharp and sound is superb. I love this terrible movie and will watch it again and again. I recommend this one highly for the camp and unintentional comedy it contains.

Rating:
Summary: So Bad, It's Wonderful!
Review: This is a terrible film, but it's so bad, it's a delight to watch. It is probably Ed Wood's best film from a directoral point of view... "Plan 9" is actually not up to this film technically, but that is not saying much.

This film is a MUST for your collection if you loved the movie "Ed Wood", because this is the real film that some scenes in that movie were based.... but the best part of this film is the speech made by Bela Lugosi about "having no home"... terribly written, but even though this film was made shortly before his death, he still sells his lines... he is wonderful.

The transfer on this DVD is clear and sharp and sound is superb. I love this terrible movie and will watch it again and again. I recommend this one highly for the camp and unintentional comedy it contains.

Rating:
Summary: A terrible film that is still compelling to watch!
Review: This is a terrible film, no doubt about it...,but it's an absolute delight to watch. It is probably Ed Wood's best film from a directoral point of view... "Plan 9" is actually not up to this film technically, but of course, that is not saying much.

A MUST for your collection if you loved the movie "Ed Wood", because this is the actual film where some scenes in "Wood" were re-created. The best part of this film is the speech made by Bela Lugosi about "having no home"... though poorly written, Lugosi delivers the lines with such conviction and emotion, HOW he says it is far more important than what he is actually saying .... he was wonderful in this film.

The transfer on this DVD is clear and sharp and sound is superb. I love this odd movie but I know I will enjoy it again and again. I recommend this one highly for the camp and unintentional comedy it contains, but also for being one of the purest examples of truly bad 50s horror.

Rating:
Summary: A terrible film that is still compelling to watch!
Review: This is a terrible film, no doubt about it...,but it's an absolute delight to watch. It is probably Ed Wood's best film from a directoral point of view... "Plan 9" is actually not up to this film technically, but of course, that is not saying much.

A MUST for your collection if you loved the movie "Ed Wood", because this is the actual film where some scenes in "Wood" were re-created. The best part of this film is the speech made by Bela Lugosi about "having no home"... though poorly written, Lugosi delivers the lines with such conviction and emotion, HOW he says it is far more important than what he is actually saying .... he was wonderful in this film.

The transfer on this DVD is clear and sharp and sound is superb. I love this odd movie but I know I will enjoy it again and again. I recommend this one highly for the camp and unintentional comedy it contains, but also for being one of the purest examples of truly bad 50s horror.

Rating:
Summary: Could be more fun
Review: This is campy Sci-Fi (Sci-low?) at its best. For real fun however, find the version spoofed on Mystery Science Theater 3000. Absolutely nothing is lost in the translation, as if there is much to lose, and the add-on commentary is hysterical.

Rating:
Summary: An Ed Wood Classic
Review: This is essential Ed Wood, right up there with Plan 9 and Glen or Glenda. There is a scene towards the end where one of Bela's crazy mad scientist experiments backfires on him, and according to the story, the effect is supposed to make him grow in size. Wood achieves this illusion by placing Bela in a pair of 6-inch platform shoes. He doesn't even try to hide the crassness. Bela, all of a sudden, out of the blue, is just wearing these platform shoes to make it look as though his body had somehow become physically larger. And then, just to ruin the ending for you, the film climaxes with a nuclear explosion that has nothing to do with anything in the movie, and is never explained. And need I even mention the fake octopus? This is film is the gift that keeps on giving.