Bride of the Monster

Lugosi is the only reason to watch this. He must have been at the end when this was produced. He plays a man who has been wronged, his science scoffed at. He sets about to create his own master race rather than share his work. He holes up in a house near a swamp, feeding his unfortunate experiments to a waiting octopus that inhabits the swamp. Reporters and police get suspicious and the rest is history. Tor Johnson wanders around like a 350 pound sleepwalker and Lugosi abuses him. The best thing is listening to the great one spout his crazy plans. This isn't a horrible movie, but a man of the sophistication of Lugosi must have really seen his life as a sort of failure.

There is a tendency to underrate Ed Eood's films due to the fact that he is considered one of the worst writers and directors out there. I will challenge that by saying that I consider William Allen Castleman and Robert Freeman to be worse than Wood. Having said that, you can't give this movie a high rating because it really is poorly done, despite the fact that Bela Lugosi does a credible job. I like Tor Johnson too, but that doesn't make him an actor. This movie has too many obvious flaws to be rated highly, but as a camp classic it should be viewed just so you know the history of movies. You can't call someone good unless you can point to someone who did it wrong.

I really don't think this deserves the "honor" of being in the Bottom 100 of all times. I've seen much worse films without nearly the notoriety. In "Bride of the Monster," Edward Wood shows himself to be a typically competent director doing a typical low-rent horror film. There are no mistakes in continuity, the lighting is adequate, the performances are pretty good…how "Plan 9" came from the same director is beyond me. I *am* put off by the DVD, though. For a premium price, you get the film, the trailer, and chapter stops—that's all, folks. If this is supposed to be a camp classic, I could at least hope for some interviews, outtakes, and other amusements. The transfer isn't bad, with few scratches or specks that I noticed and a faithful rendering of the black-and-white movies of that era.

If you do not know Ed Wood then this movie will have little meaning to you. So the first thing you have to do is learn about the life of Ed Wood. He is one of the worst directors of all time, but also one of the most colorful. Bride of the monster is a good example of his ability to make the most out of his scarce resources. You'll love it or you'll hate it. Have fun!

Bride of the Monster (1955) *** (out of 4) Cult classic from Edward D. Wood, Jr. about a mad scientist (Bela Lugosi), his over-sized assisstant (Tor Johnson) and their pet rubber octopuss. Only God really knows how many of these "Z" grade films I've seen over the years but there's no doubt in my mind that Wood's movies are the "best" of the bunch. The worst thing that could happen while watching this stuff is that you get bored but with Wood, and especially this film, boredom isn't a possibility since there's countless insane moments happening throughout the 69-minute running time. The film moves by very quickly and while I do enjoy the movie because it's bad, I will go out on the limb and say Lugosi gives his best performance in his later day roles.

Okay...lets be honest. This film was just what is was expected to be: a poorly made film with little to no budget, terrible acting overall, a script that borders on insanity, and special effects that children in a school play could be proud of. Yet, the film has a certain charm to it and is a vehicle in which to see both Bela Lugosi and Tor Johnson madly overact and interact. Bela whipping Johnson and then getting into a wrestling match is definitely a high point. The rest of the cast strive to be mediocre...and fail...with the exception of character actor Harvey Dunn. Dunn plays the police chief and is humorous both intentionally and unintentionally. Watch his scenes and see him play with his parakeet in his office. It defies logic, time, and space...and is funny. Not Ed Woods best or worse...and a film that really has been given a boost by Tim Burton's Ed Wood. A fun picture to sit through with a group.