Rating: 
Summary: It was a Monster Mash !!! This dvd will be a monster smash!!
Review: Who remembers this classic?!?!?!?! This movie is hilarious! They show it every year on AMC and now there is a new restored print. This dvd will put the long out of print vhs to shame. Here's the description from our friends at Anchor Bay! Nice job Anchor Bay!!Baron Von Frankenstein, voiced by the legendary Boris Karloff (DR. SEUSS'S HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS), holds a special convention of The Worldwide Organization Of Monsters to discuss his retirement. When he announces that his successor will be his nerd nephew Felix, the world's major monsters are mortified. Now The Creature's Bride (voiced by Phyllis Diller), Count Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and more must all scramble to steal the Baron's ultimate secret during one wild party packed with cool monster music and outrageous monster madness! The mad monster classic you loved as a kid is now better than ever! Filmed in the revolutionary stop-motion of "Animagic" by Rankin/Bass (creators of such holiday TV classics as RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER and FROSTY THE SNOWMAN), MAD MONSTER PARTY has now been spectacularly restored for the first time ever from original 35mm elements and is loaded with tons of exclusive mad monster extras! Includes a 24-Page Collector's Booklet with liner notes and rare photos by Rankin/Bass Historian Rick Goldschmidt Starring: Ethel Ennis, Boris Karloff, Phyllis Diller, Gale Garnett Director: Jules Bass Producer: Arthur Rankin, Jr. Features • Full-Frame Presentation
• Production Art Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer
• Poster And Still Gallery
Rating:
Summary: A MONSTER MASH
Review: This is a much sought after title by horror fans who grew up with the UNIVERSAL CLASSICS in the 60s & 70s. No FREDDY, JASON or MICHAEL here just good clean fun. TNT used to show this until there copy was stolen from there video archives & the film hasn't been seen on TV in several years. The movie is a RANKIN/BASS production (famous for their CHRISTMAS movies) from 1968, with monster designs by top "MAD MAGAZINE" artist JACK HARRIS. Originally BORIS KARLOFF was not to play himself but after he saw clips from the film he joined the team of creative talent behind the first true HALLOWEEN (""Animagic") cartoon. It's a classic tale of suspense, love & skullduggery with a lot of cornieness thrown in to boot. Hey it was made in the 60s! The plot involves DR. FRANKENSTEIN (who it just so happens has recently created the most deadly chemical compound to date) planning his retirement party. He along with his beautiful assistant FRANCHESSCA invite all the old gang (the old gang just so happens to be all the CLASSIC UNIVERSAL MONSTERS) to his island retreat in the middle of nowhere & also his normal human(?) nephew FELIX gets an invitation. FELIX of course has no clue what his UNCLE does nor who he keeps company with. The quirks of his shipmates goes completly unnoticed by him as he bumps into them one by one on the journey to DR. FRANKENSTEIN's castle. All goes well until DR. FRANKENSTEIN reveals who he's going to entrust his duties to upon his retirement. What ensues is a murder attempt on the unsuspecting heir by those that feel they should recieve DR. FRANKENSTEIN's duties. PHYLLIS DILLER gives a top notch-over the top performance as THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN as only she is capable of. DRACULA, THE WOLFMAN, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, FRANKENSTEIN, THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE MUMMY, A ROCKIN' SKELETON BAND, KING KONG (oddly enough refered to as IT...maybe to keep him a surprise or possibly avoid copyright infringment), ZOMBIES, DR.JECKYLL & MR. HYDE & even a nod to PETER LORRE as portrayed by the love struck-head loosing butler YETCH this movie has it all! It even has a TWILIGHT ZONE ending & big explosions. The trip to the island, the party scene & the sleeping arrangements are classic scenes not to be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: Those Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters!
Review: Doctor Baron Von Frankenstein has discovered the secret to total destruction, and, after previously discovering the secret of life, he now feels it is time to retire as head of the Worldwide Organization of Monsters. But who will be his successor? The Baron keeps it a secret that he intends to bestow that honor on his nephew, pharmacist/soda jerk Felix Flankin. He soon invites all his Monster friends to his secluded island home for a Monster Convention, where he will reveal their new leader. Dracula, the Wolfman, the Invisible Man, the Creature, the Mummy, and plenty of others show up for the wild event, including the level-headed, young Mr. Flankin. All seems to be going well for the Baron, but little does he know that his trusted assistant, the lovely Miss Francesca, is conspiring against his wishes. She wants to be the one who inherits the Doctor's position, and all his secrets! Mad Monster Party was one of Rankin/Bass's rare, theatrically released Animagic feature films. While it doesn't quite have the charm or timelessness of their better known productions, such as the sacred Rudolph and Frosty classic specials, Mad Monster Party is still an entertaining treat, especially for R&B fanatics and classic monster lovers. The film is often mistakenly regarded now as a Rankin/Bass Halloween Special that somehow got lost, along with all those other classic Halloween Specials, until recently. But while the film was not made as an annual TV treat, and has no mention of Halloween, it certainly could be enjoyed as such. The DVD is excellent, especially for the price, including some nice extras on and off the disc. As for the cast, Boris Karlof is outstanding as always, and so is everyone else. But, while I sometimes do enjoy Phyllis Diller, I have to admit that I found her performance as the Monster's Mate a wee bit annoying, especially when she bursts into song early on. Some of the songs are as good as the beloved Rankin/Bass Christmas fare, but a couple didn't sit quite well with me, and Diller's was one of them. Aside from that, it's all great Monster fun and I highly recommend it to those feeling nostalgic for R&B or some classic monster comedy! And if this one isn't enough for you, look for Rankin/Bass's Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters! Made a while later, and sort of a Mad Monster Party prequel, it tells the story of the Monster's wedding to his newly created Mate in traditional R&B animation. Currently it can be found only on VHS.
Rating:
Summary: A Rollercoaster of Monster Proportions
Review: I had never seen a model/puppet movie before in my life because at first I thought they were rubbish but when my parents came home one day they had bought me Mad Monster Party on video , when I saw the box I was quite intrigued and put it on straight away and DAMN THIS MOVIE IS AWESOME its got everything a monster buff wants its got EERIE MUSIC , COOL SCENERY , (...), WELL MADE PUPPETS AND SOME ABSOLUTELY HYSTERICAL MOMENTS LIKE FOR INSTANCE WHEN THE MONSTERS MATE TOLD 'FANG' WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO WHEN CAPTURED BY IT AND HE BURST INTO TEARS this movie may be too scary for young children so I recomend an older person watch it with them first time through You have got too see it too believe it
Rating:
Summary: Corny , but Classic Animated Ghoulish Nostalgia
Review: This video ranks 5 stars purely for nostalgic reasons. If you saw this wacky animated Halloween special on TV any time during your childhood, you will remember the voices of Phyliss Diller and Boris Karloff, the classic monsters, Franceska (VaVaVOOM) and the dancing/singing skeleton band in funny Rankin/Bass animated form. You may even remember the corny humor. For those who have never seen or even heard of "Mad Monster Party", if you saw Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas you will see, and hopefully appreciate, how very "Pre-Burtonesque" this animated feature is. Reviewers can debate the quality of the animation or the sound or any technical imperfections this movie may have (remember folks..it was 1967), but one thing is for sure, it's a cult classic that kids and adults will still enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: LOST CHILDHOOD
Review: I have mixed feelings about this movie. Like everyone else I remember seeing this as a kid, but I only saw the last 15 minutes. I was mezmerized by it and for some years always searched for it on TV. It was my white whale. I never did see it until I purchased this DVD. The quality is terrific. The colors are vivid and the image is crystal clear. There are great extras, a thick booklet and some monster cards. This is a bargain. An absolute steal. Having said all this I was sorta disappointed in the movie. The story is just O.K., but nothing special. After all these years I guess I just expected to be blown away or have it rekindle memories. I still give it 5 stars, but I did not find my childhood in it. My advice is that if this movie was special to you when you were a kid either don't purchase or buy it knowing it will not be as good as you remember.
Rating:
Summary: A MONSTER MASH
Review: This is a much sought after title by horror fans who grew up with the UNIVERSAL CLASSICS in the 60s & 70s. No FREDDY, JASON or MICHAEL here just good clean fun. TNT used to show this until there copy was stolen from there video archives & the film hasn't been seen on TV in several years. The movie is a RANKIN/BASS production (famous for their CHRISTMAS movies) from 1968, with monster designs by top "MAD MAGAZINE" artist JACK HARRIS. Originally BORIS KARLOFF was not to play himself but after he saw clips from the film he joined the team of creative talent behind the first true HALLOWEEN (""Animagic") cartoon. It's a classic tale of suspense, love & skullduggery with a lot of cornieness thrown in to boot. Hey it was made in the 60s! The plot involves DR. FRANKENSTEIN (who it just so happens has recently created the most deadly chemical compound to date) planning his retirement party. He along with his beautiful assistant FRANCHESSCA invite all the old gang (the old gang just so happens to be all the CLASSIC UNIVERSAL MONSTERS) to his island retreat in the middle of nowhere & also his normal human(?) nephew FELIX gets an invitation. FELIX of course has no clue what his UNCLE does nor who he keeps company with. The quirks of his shipmates goes completly unnoticed by him as he bumps into them one by one on the journey to DR. FRANKENSTEIN's castle. All goes well until DR. FRANKENSTEIN reveals who he's going to entrust his duties to upon his retirement. What ensues is a murder attempt on the unsuspecting heir by those that feel they should recieve DR. FRANKENSTEIN's duties. PHYLLIS DILLER gives a top notch-over the top performance as THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN as only she is capable of. DRACULA, THE WOLFMAN, THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, FRANKENSTEIN, THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE MUMMY, A ROCKIN' SKELETON BAND, KING KONG (oddly enough refered to as IT...maybe to keep him a surprise or possibly avoid copyright infringment), ZOMBIES, DR.JECKYLL & MR. HYDE & even a nod to PETER LORRE as portrayed by the love struck-head loosing butler YETCH this movie has it all! It even has a TWILIGHT ZONE ending & big explosions. The trip to the island, the party scene & the sleeping arrangements are classic scenes not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: A great halloween classic
Review: I am so thankful to anchor bay for releasing this wonderful classic film full laughs & thrills this is as good as nightmare before christmas & is the inspiration for tim burton thinking of it in the first place . i am really happy with the transfer of this film , it is soo clean & crisp you could swear it was made a couple of months ago , much better then that embassy vhs transfer i bought years ago. they even took the skips out of film that annoyed me & the sound is terrific crystal clear so you hear everything boris , miss diller, monsters,fun for all ages. Highly Recommended. do yourself a favor buy a copy you wo'nt regret it & a big thanks to anchor bay for releasing it a fan !
Rating:
Summary: Animagic monsters unite!
Review: Well done tale of just about every monster in the horror genre made into clay animation (animagic). Not as enjoyable as most of the Rankin/Bass holiday animagic specials, but still quite a delight. The DVD is much better than the video released a few years ago. That video's colors were very dull and the DVD has livened things up.
Rating:
Summary: A GRAVEYARD SMASH!
Review: Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass having definitely produced an affectionate "Monster Mash" with MAD MONSTER PARTY, thus providing another fantastic addition to the traditional Holiday classics so many of us die hard classic film revisionists have come to cherish over the years. There is no live action, all stop-motion animation as Dr. Frankenstein (voiced by Boris Karloff - even animated to look exactly like Boris Karloff) is hosting a retirement party to announce his successor after discovering the secret formula capable of destroying all matter. The Horror Genre ghoulies are all invited as Monster and the Bride (delightfully voiced by Phyllis Diller), the Doctor's very lovely and very buxomy assistant Francesca, Count Dracula, the Wolfman, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Creature From the Black Lagoon, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the Peter Lorre-like servant Yetch all arrive to attend the party. Among other memorable characters included are the Skeleton Band variation of the Beatles, the Zombie Bellhops, Chef Mafia Machiavelli, and the little singing critters. Brief appearances from the Fly, the Blob, and Aurora of Little Shop of Horrors also are at hand, as well as King Kong (strangely referred to as "IT"). Enter Felix Flanken, Boris' nerdy nephew and a Drugstore Pharmacist, who loves soda pop, has allergies, wears fancy suites, and talks like James Stewart. It's going to get very ugly with the Monsters discover Felix is the Successor-to-Be. I must say, it's been a long wait for this DVD, and after a recent viewing on AMC several years ago, this delightful Horror Comedy is now back and better than ever. DVD has great picture quality, and extras include: Theatrical trailer
Production Art Gallery
Poster and Still Gallery
24 Page Booklet by Rick Goldschmidt All in all a great treat for die hard fans of the classics Horror films. Who after all could not see this film and instantly fall in love with Francesca? Gale Garnett gives a delightful performance as her voice. Gale around that same time had a hit single with "We'll Sing In the Sunshine". She makes Francesca effectively more than your average Femme Fatale, she is beautiful, seductive, clever, treacherous at times, and simply unforgettable. In closing, do buy this DVD it will look great on your shelf of Holiday classics alongside HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, and Rankin and Bass' other classics RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER and FROSTY THE SNOWMAN.
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