Mad Monster Party

Rating:
Summary: Poor, But Homey
Review: In all respects, "Mad Monster Party" is significantly inferior to other Rankin/Bass efforts. There are moments and aspects that are not only inept, but also embarassing -- you just want to avert your gaze.

And yet.... Every Fall I search the TV (almost always in vain) for "MMP." You know about comfort food? This is a comfort movie. It'll bring you back to a simpler and better time; a time when it was cold and gray outside, but warm and cozy inside, with your mother in the kitchen cooking a turkey or preparing hot cocoa.

If you can get this tape, do so.

Rating:
Summary: One of the RANKIN/BASS Classics!
Review: This film is my favorite tied with the classic TV Special RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER! Name another cartoon classic based on Monsters that stars Boris Karloff. Jack Davis created the BEST monster designs and Maury Laws and Jules Bass...the BEST Animation Soundtrack for a feature film. I have to laugh when I read others review the film and call the animation "Outdated" or "Rough." Part of the charm of the 'ANIMAGIC' process, is that it is not computerized! That is why this film has such a HUGE following! That is like saying, I don't like the BATMAN TV Series of 1966 because it's funny. People unfortunately just don't get it. Luckily, most of the RANKIN/BASS fans do and I highly recommend the DELUXO video release of the film. Buy it soon...it won't be around for ever! Rick Goldschmidt Author of THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS (Tiger Mountain Press)/also available at AMAZON.com [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Holy Grail of Rankin & Bass Movies
Review: This film is fiendishly good fun! For years, it was only available as a grainy poor quality bootleg, it's so killer it's out again! Rankin & Bass, the folks who brought you such fun Xmas movies like "The Year without a Santa Claus" (remember Heatmizer?) and "Rudolph's Shiny New Year" did this fun Halloween special back in 1967. Phyllis Diller plays the monster's (Frankenstein) mate, Boris Karloff plays the Mad Scientist, and Peter Lorre plays Yetch, an igor style assistant who is in love with Franchesca, a va-va-va-voom redhead who will have nothing to do with him. All the major monsters make an appearence in this fun flick. Written by Forrest J. Ackerman of horror genre fame. A must have for Rankin & Bass fanatics.

Rating:
Summary: A BLAST FROM THE PAST!
Review: I TOO, RECALL SEEING THIS MOVIE IN MY CHILDHOOD AND SEARCHED RELENTLESSLY THROUGH THE TV GUIDE FOR A LISTING OF THIS FILM. IT IS NOSTALGIC, FUNNY AND DATED BUT, IF YOU REMEMBER SEEING IT AS A KID, IT STILL HAS THE SAME MAGIC. I AM GLAD I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO REMEMBERS THE MAD MONSTER PARTY. I FOUND MY COPY AT SUNCOAST VIDEO AND IN OCTOBER THE MOVIE WAS FINALLY SHOWN ON TV ON THE AMC CHANNEL AS A HALLOWEEN SPECIAL. MY SIX-YEAR-OLD LOVED IT BUT, MY 14 YEAR OLD THOUGHT IT WAS A CORNY RELIC (SHES BEEN RUINED BY TECHNOLOGY). AS FOR MYSELF, I WAS MESMERIZED BECAUSE AFTER ALL THESE YEARS IT WAS FINALLY ON TV !

Rating:
Summary: Before Burton's Nightmare
Review: I saw this film only once, when I was six years old but the memory of it stayed with me for twenty two years. Every year I would look in vain through T.V listings, searching for another chance to see it. If you are a monster, animation or Hollywood trivia buff, you must see this film. Be warned though--if it is sophisticated, state of the art, Disney-fied animated works you seek, this is not the film for you. On the other hand, if you have a sense of humour, fun and want to be reminded of a more innocent time when this type of stop animation blew your mind, I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Fun for its time, but not quite a classic!
Review: I remember watching this movie years ago when I was a child on a Sunday morning show after Popeye reruns, and thinking this was a great movie. Now the release of the movie left me kind of upset. Granted the animiation of Rankin/Bass is unmatched, the sheer absurdity and somewhat blatent sexist movie of the Francesca, the super-stacked/Little Annie Fannie type robot and Alan Swift/Jimmy Stuart character falling in love in about a blink of an eye! All in all, the movie is fun but very outdated... the younger audience wouldn't enjoy it, but its camp! That's why I bought it!

Rating:
Summary: I looked forward to this every year!
Review: My brother and I watched this every year growing up together. It's one thing even at our ages now, that we still enjoy watching. We were very disappointed when they stopped airing it on T.V. If you like Rudolph and all the other classics, you'll love this.

Rating:
Summary: Great Goofy Fun, w/ celebrity voices.
Review: Only my California friends know this one, but if you like the irreverence of "The Nightmare Before Christmas", you'll like this one. Phyllis Diller is hilarious doing her typical schtick as the Bride. This has good camp-following potential. I thought this was no longer available. Thank goodness I was wrong!

Rating:
Summary: Childhood Classic, better than the Great Pumpkin
Review: This is the movie I hunted to find for my kids to see, they enjoyed it more than It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown,(Sorry Charlie) so did I. With all the monsters from Count Dracula to the Werewolf and the great voices of Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and Phyllis Diller no less. It's something that the young and young at heart can enjoy without having all the blood and gore, or something too sappy.

Rating:
Summary: great animation
Review: I have remembered watching this video as I grew up..and it hasn't lost it's charm yet....it is great...everyone should see it