Mad Monster Party

Rating:
Summary: Monsters Everywhere
Review: Here is a cute little animation movie from the late 60's. Think of a classic "monster" and it may be coming to the "Mad Monster Party." Basically, the movie is about Dr. Frankenstein (Boris Karloff) retiring from the monster making business and he is out to name his successor.

We have the puppets of the Frankenstein Monster, Dracula, the Mummy, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Werewolf, the Invisible Man, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and more...

Good movie for all ages!

Rating:
Summary: This restored Anchor Bay DVD is the definitive version!
Review: This restored Anchor Bay DVD is the definitive version of Mad Monster Party!

The eye-popping colors and set-lighting are finally visible thanks to the restored 35mm prints. I compared this DVD to my old Embassy VHS version from 1985, which I purchased in 1995, and watching the DVD was like seeing the movie for the first time! The picture is clean, with no dust or scratches, and the colors are extremely vibrant, revealing wonderful details that were obscured in inferior VHS prints. I would throw away the VHS version, except I'm keeping it as a collectors item.

The sound is cleaned-up, as well, but still mono.

A very nice 23 page booklet accompanies the DVD, which was a nice surprise. There are no audio commentaries, but the booklet details the making of the film, and is full of photographs. The DVD itself contains still images, as well.

If you like this movie and have only seen it on VHS, purchase this restored DVD immediately! It will be like seeing it for the first time.

Rating:
Summary: Party with the Monsters!
Review: This is a cool,animated, ghoulish take on all the classic monster movies of the 30's and 40's. It is to Halloween what Rudolph is to Christmas, and there are those of us gothic/horror film buff types who live for stuff like this. Dr. Frankenstein, played by none other than Boris Karloff himself is retiring, and passing the torch as the head of Monsters Worldwide, so he throws a massive retirement bash to name his successor. All the monsters of Earth are invited to his secret island hideout to the castle. Dracula, the Mummy, the Werewolf, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Dr. Jeckyll just to name a few, in addition to the nerdish but loveabvle nephew of the Doctor....a bit racy for a kids film, but she actually loses her dress in a catfight with Phyllis Diller's "Bride of Frankenstein"in a scene that is worth the cost of the DVD alone! Dracula and a wierd zombie spend the entire film lusting after her, but she loves the nephew!....Great stuff, and we even see a great climactic scene with King Kong....watch this with your kids this Halloween!

Rating:
Summary: Halloween fun from Rankin/Bass
Review: Rankin/Bass touched every holiday with their own brand of "Animagic." Of course Halloween is no exception. Here, they bring together the "Famous Monsters of Filmland" into a giant monster party. Horror master Boris Karloff is on hand, lending his voice to Baron Boris von Frankenstein. Tim Burton is an obvious fan, and his "Nightmare Before Christmas" pays due homage to the "Mad Monster Party."

The animagic process is on full display here, with the familiar puppets dancing and singing in true Rankin/Bass manner. Their quirky movements and catchy pop tunes are a signature of every holiday. The DVD is truly remarkable, making the special so much more lovely than I have seen it before.

And hey, what young growing boy didn't enjoy seeing the beautiful Francesca? I don't quite remember her being so buxom. She is still a heart-breaker after all these years. Go for it Felix!

Rating:
Summary: Yeah!!!
Review: Having grown up watching this feature around Halloween I was greatful to find a used VHS tape a few years back. NOW, I'm so greatful that this film has been remastered with vibrant color and on DVD format. Sure the animation is clunky by todays standards, but the music and theme is just so nostalgic and.... groovy. They did somehow leave out the last vocal and credited Forrest J. Ackerman for no apparent reason. Would've loved a commentary though.:-)

Rating:
Summary: YOU'LL BE ADDICTED
Review: If you're a big fan of '60's kitsch, holiday specials, and animatronics, you'll be in heaven watching "Mad Monster Party", made by the same folks who brought you "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". This was like the Halloween version of Rudolph, and features the voices of Boris Karloff & Phyllis Diller as well as animatronic representations of virtually every movie monster ever! This was struck from a pristine print and looks amazing. Francesca's fire red hai will wow you.The colors are super vibrant and the picture definition is superb. You'll be freeze framing your ass off!

Rating:
Summary: Mad over monster party!
Review: What can i say about this movie,it's fantastic! I loved it as a little girl and i still get excited when i watch it and now that i own it i watch it everyday after work. My favorite part of the movie is the dinner party, when the monster's mate(played by the great phyllis diller) and the mummy break it down. What's your favorite? what ever scene it is this movie is filled with good times.

Rating:
Summary: A dissenting opinion.
Review: Don't hate me. I bear this fun little dvd no particular malice. I just wish it had been a little... edgier.

It is hard to discount any film which features Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, Dr. Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Wolfman, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, King Kong, a faux Peter Lorre, Phyllis Diller, Boris Karloff, a faux Sydney Greenstreet, a faux Jimmy Stewart, Jack Davis designs, zombies, a skeletal band, and an ending which combines the skyscraper-and-biplane finale of King Kong with the finale of its immediate sequel, Son of Kong, as well as cameos by the Fly, the Blob and Audrey of Little Shop of Horrors fame. Not to mention the stunningly pneumatic Francesca, who has a catfight wearing only a slip.

Yes, it's hard to discount it, but I'm going to. It was just too childish overall, without enough story thrust, and lacking the satirical whammy of a Warner Bros. cartoon, which I had hoped Harvey Kurtzman would provide. The songs (after the intro) distracted horribly, and were not remotely spooky, but just bland pop tunes. They (along with an interminable kitchen scene added for TV) absolutely trashed the momentum. The first 10 minutes and last 10 minutes were stellar. The middle section was a colossal disappointment.

What else? Oh, I just wish that the characters' motivations could have been more true to their conceptions. I mean, I know it's a cartoon, so they can't have Drac and his pack actually being evil, but... Then again, the ending was quite nihilistic, so don't tell me Rankin/Bass couldn't have played by a slightly darker set of rules. And iconic as he is, King Kong has no place in this movie. The ending was fantastic, yet creatively sloppy and lazy, tying up events much too neatly.

It would be untrue to say I did not have a smile on my face as I watched this. But it not much later turned to a grimace when I got to thinking how much cooler this could have been.

P.S. Just to show my heart's in the right place, the animation was at times p-e-r-f-e-c-t.
P.P.S. What, they couldn't close the deal with the Phantom of the Opera's Agent? Why wasn't he included?

Rating:
Summary: A Must-Have
Review: Believe the words of my fellow reviewers: the transfer of this dvd is beautiful beyond belief. I always heard that the original negative of this movie was ruined, but somebody did SOMETHING to make this flick look as good as it did in 1967. So, throw out those awful video cassettes you have, because this version blows 'em all away.

Now for those of you not in the know about this movie, I encourage you to get it today. If you're a fan of Universal monster movies, or "Rudolph" or "Nightmare Before Christmas," then this is for you. It would especially make a good gift for a fan of those kinds of films, so think about that, too.

So what's it about? Well, Dr. Frankenstein decides to retire, and calls all the monsters in the world together to his evil island to pass on the torch, as it were. And of course Dracula, the Werewolf, the Mummy, etc., begin fighting over the honors. It's a delightfully campy, tune-filled extravaganza. How'd you like to see Phyllis Diller as a singing Bride of Frankenstein? Only in Mad Monster Party.

Rating:
Summary: Great DVD
Review: Great transfer of the cult classic, with lots of extra production picts, movie trailer, and informative color booklet!