When it comes to horror or scifi films, the so-called "Guilty Pleasure" may not exist as it once did. These days, canny video manufacturers slap a "Cult Classic" sticker on any old Jess Franco film, and it's acceptable to like that film. Forget that noise... this list is for films that existed before such marketing techniques became status quo, before anything you liked could be downloaded via a torrent file.
Sadly, dear reader, there was a time when certain films were recognized by everyone as being not just a cut below, but perhaps even the worst of their kind... embarrassments agreed upon by arrogant know-it-all film pundits that no one with any taste or knowledge of film would dare champion. For a few of these I defy the critics and provide my ever so weak reasons for liking them steadfastly, in no particular order.
I ask you, is a film bad if it is also entertaining, regardless of how or why?
"Hello, my name is not Laughing Reindeer (sadly). I'm Frank."
"Hi, Frank."
"...and I love..."
The Brain Eaters
Let me tell you one of those annoying name dropping stories. In a galaxy far, far away, I was once editor of a magazine called HERO Illustrated. Every year, we were at the San Diego comic convention, hooking up with comics guys, doing interviews, writing news stories, etc. Part of the festivities was that the comic book publishers (and later, film studios) previewed stuff we at HERO had to cover. One such publisher, Big Entertainment, was debuting a line of comics created by big, non-comic industry, names... one being Leonard Nimoy. They hosted a luncheon, and Nimoy was there to say hi to us.
Afterwards we each had pictures taken of ourselves with Nimoy and spoke quickly about his comic project. He was very nice, and I was a tad bit fanboy, because, hell, here was a guy who I grew up watching on Star Trek (admit it, naysayer, you did too). Then I surprised him... I told him that of all his films, I really liked The Brain Eaters. He moaned. Then, I added, "No, really!" I quickly followed that there was a nicely crafted scene in the film that helmer Bruno VeSota had created that George Romero would have been proud of with the film's hero and his girl in an old shack, with possessed townspeople outside. I think by bringing up VeSota's name, Nimoy clicked and realized I was on the level.
As most of you know, Nimoy has a cameo part in the film's end under a phony white beard. I asked him how he got involved in the project. He said, "Ed Nelson was a friend of mine and he told me about this film he was in and asked me to play that part." We joked a bit about the film's title creatures and their furry slipper looks. I told him I had a copy on video. He was surprised, and then he surprised me. "Could you send me a copy?" Sure, I said. I made a mental note to do so... and forgot to do it.
Nevertheless, despite some bad moments, some of the night scenes are eerily effective and worthy of credit... not to mention being a pleasant memory for Leonard Nimoy.
Creation of the Humanoids
Here's a film its creators must have been dying to make, packed with ideas about the nature of life, love, artificial life, the soul and more... so packed that, for the most part, they stand around and talk about it. And then they talk about some more and more and more...
No, this isn't a Jerry Warren film (thank goodness). However, it is a virtually actionless film about the future, where post-atomic war radiation is quickly diminishing mankind's ability to procreate. Meanwhile, man's own creation, the humanoids; android slaves with agreeable personalities; are up to something that may involve blowing out man's light.
The film is acted out on minimal but colorful sets by decent actors (including Dudley Manlove still doing his Eros the alien act from Plan Nine From Outer Space). A lot happens in a short time, mostly off screen. When I watched this film as a kid, I was amazed by its nothingness. Now, I find myself amused by long close-up shots where the character is talking to someone off screen, geetting a response back without cutting away, the sound recording of which has not been mixed correctly to match the ambient sound of the shot. Did they lose some ADR dubbing cuts and those actors would not return to do them again? Perhaps that forced them to attempt to bring out the dialogue that they could barely hear on the master shot sound. Who knows, but I think it adds to its charm.
The Humanoids themselves, are nicely created with quality make-up, showing what can be done with a little money and some skill. Honestly, I think much of the body stiffness of these creatures is the result of an inability to see through their metallic contact lenses.
I also like the film's breaking-the-fourth-wall finale. I leave that to you to see for yourself what I mean.
Dracula Vs. Frankenstein Vs. Dracula Vs. Frankenstein
Okay, I'm actually talking about 2 movies here... two ineptly bad movies that defy my critical eye, leaving me awed and entertained.
The first one is director/producer Al Adamson's classic take on the two traditional old monsters, shot in the Venice area under the pier. It features a final, sad performance by Lon Chaney, Jr., channeling Lenny from Of Mice and Men... wielding an axe. Angelo Rossito, J Carrol Naish, Anthony Eisley, Jim Davis and Russ Tamblyn appear as well, providing entertaining if not acting stretches for each of them, though Angelo's rants as a barker of sorts for Naish's house of horror are appropriately crazy. The title creatures are played by Adamson stock actors or friends. In fact, his accountant (who was given the stage name of Zandor Vorkov) hams it up big time as Dracula, one of the film's charms. Oh, and Adamson's wife, Regina, well, you can't deny that cleavage.
When I was a kid reading Famous Monsters of Filmland, Forry reported on this movie, partly because he appeared in it. After Uncle Forry hyped it big time, we all had to see it... and it was bad.
Okay, so it's bad... but why do I like it? I saw it show on local TV many times through the years, and despite my mind telling me to ignore it... it grabbed my heart. It was awful and laughable. It was also melancholy (mostly due to Chaney), and just plain weird. That still doesn't explain why I like it.
How much did I like it? When it came out on video, I bought it. When it came out on laser disc, I bought it. DVD? Yep, I bought it. I had to. I'll keep buying it, too.
Why? Well, despite his moneymaking intentions, I believe Adamson made a movie that was, yes, awful, but also immensely entertaining... something a kid might have made, making it up as he went along. I wish Adamson were still among us rather than #43 of the E! channel's 50 Weirdest Showbiz Deaths. Of all of his films, though not a fan of horror movies himself, Adamson managed to create a naive goofy monster movie, something kids would enjoy. One of those Monster Kids was me.
A few years back, I stumbled upon a video for sale with the title Dracula Vs. Frankenstein, thinking it was a reissue with new box art of Adamson's film. I was wrong. It was a Paul Naschy monster - scifi film which originally had the title of Los Monstruos del Terror, which I had seen years before on a local UHF channel (WSNS, channel 44) wherein Naschy's immortal werewolf character Vladimir Daninsky is part of an evil space alien's plan (along with the Frankenstein monster, a vampire and a mummy) to take over the world. The alien mastermind is played by Michael Rennie, of The Day the Earth Stood Still Klaatu fame. He and a few of his space buddies take on the lives and forms of dead humans and soon sabotage their own plans because of the human emotions that intrude on their insidious thoughts. Heck, they never really explain how their plan works, anyway. The video print was crummy, but I loved this silly mixed up thing. I still do.
I have to admit that for myself, Paul Naschy was an acquired taste. While the subject matter appealed to me, it took awhile for me to come around to liking them. Prior to seeing Frankenstein's Bloody Terror, I thought they were awful. As it ends up, they're certainly cheap and those jarring stock footage shots of Naschy's werewolf culled from a few earlier films with the make up done in obvious different ways eventually became part of my amusement.
Oh, and Rennie's voice is terribly dubbed, which I presumed either he had passed away by the time this film was done and could not dub, his final work marred by an unfortunate vocal substitute. Or maybe he was still alive and chose not to.
Next: More Guilty Pleasures, of course!
I'm totally with you on Al Adamson and most especially DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN. "Get out of the car, Dr. Beaumont."
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