Monster a-Go Go (1965)

Director:

Bill Rebane
(more)

Writers:

Jeff Smith (screenplay) &
Dok Stanford (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

July 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Horror

Tagline:

The picture that comes complete with a 10-foot-tall monster to give you the wim-wams!

Plot:

A space capsule crash-lands, and the astronaut aboard disappears. Is there a connection between the missing man and the monster roaming the area?

Plot Keywords:

Astronaut | Space Capsule | Narration | Radiation | Secret Formula

Cast

Phil Morton	...	Col. Steve Connors
June Travis	...	Ruth
George Perry
Lois Brooks
Rork Stevens
Peter M. Thompson		(as Peter Thompson)
Robert Simons
Barry Hopkins
Stu Taylor
Lorri Perry
Del Clark
Art Scott
Leonard Gelstein
Aviva Crane
Dean Tompis
Jim Bassler
Rick Paul
Henry Hite	...	Frank Douglas / Monster
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Herschell Gordon Lewis	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Bill Rebane	...	Radio Announcer (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Bill Rebane
Herschell Gordon Lewis		(uncredited)

Writing credits
Jeff Smith		(screenplay) &
Dok Stanford		(screenplay) &
Bill Rebane		(screenplay)
Herschell Gordon Lewis		(additional dialogue) (as Sheldon Seymour)

Produced by
Herschell Gordon Lewis	....	producer (as Sheldon S. Seymour)
Henry Marsh	....	assistant producer
Bill Rebane	....	producer

Cinematography by
Frank Pfeiffer		(director of cinematography)

Production Design by
Herschell Gordon Lewis		(as Seymour Sheldon)

Makeup Department
Lillian Toth	....	makeup artist

Production Management
William Johnson	....	second unit manager
Andy Romanoff	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stu Taylor	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Paul Allen	....	chief sound engineer
George Turek	....	sound recordist
Howard Warren	....	sound mixer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Merigail Moreland	....	wardrobe
Barbara J. Rebane	....	wardrobe (as Barbara Rebane)

Editorial Department
Alex Ameri	....	editorial supervisor (as Peter Guilfhoyle)
Thomas Casey	....	editorial supervisor

Other crew
Ray Foster	....	production assistant
Leonard Gelstein	....	production assistant
Bobby Vercruse	....	crew chief (as Robert Vercruse)
Seymour Zolotareff	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• B.I. & L. Releasing Corp. (presents) (as BI & L Releasing Corp.)

Distributors

• B.I. & L. Releasing Corp. (1965) (USA) (theatrical)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (2002) (USA) (VHS) (re-release)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (2002) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Turner Classic Movies (TCM) (2009) (USA) (TV)
• United Video (VHS)
• VCI Home Video (video)

Other Companies

• The Other Three  original music

Also Known As:

Terror at Halfday (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:TV-PG

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company:

B.I. & L. Releasing Corp.

Trivia:

The film was featured in a 1993 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The makers of the show considered it to be the worst film they had watched up until the episode that featured the infamous film Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966). Monster A Go-Go is still counted among the top worst movies to be featured on the eleven season series.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Sound of phone ringing obviously made by person on set (mimicked vocally).

Quotes:

Narrator: Suddenly there was no trail. There was no giant, no monster, no thing called Douglas to be followed. There was nothing in the tunnel but the puzzled men of courage who suddenly found themselves alone with shadows and darkness. With the telegram, one cloud lifts, and another descends. Astronaut Frank Douglas, rescued, alive, well, and of normal size some 8000 miles away in a lifeboat.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: 'Manos' the Hands of Fate (#5.24)" (1993)

My vote for THE WORST FILM EVER MADE.

Ask many people what the worst film ever made is, and they will probably respond with either "Ishtar" or "Manos, The Hands of Fate". I, on the other hand, have seen those two and this one, and I have to tell you, this is the low point in my book. Several key points using "Manos" for comparison:

--Manos was in color. --Manos has better costumes. --Manos is at least unintentionally funny. --Manos has more of a surreal approach.

MONSTER, on the other hand, is a black and white sleeper of a film (and I mean sleeper in the sense that you will probably fall asleep waiting for something to happen). The badly paced dialogue cuts present in "Manos" are here, but sadly, they aren't interspersed with freaky costumes (not counting the odd go-go outfit) or for that matter, memorable dialogue. As an example of exactly how dull this film is, I showed it (admittedly, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version) to some MST3K friends of mine who are avid collectors of bad/tacky cinema. OK, they had been drinking...a little. But regardless, they were both out in the first 20 minutes and did not wake up at all for the rest of the film. I don't think _I_ have ever sat through a viewing and remained awake.

Therefore, I would like to recommend this film as a fine sleep aid to anyone suffering from recurring insomnia. If you do decide to watch the film, and manage to remain awake to the conclusion, please refrain from damaging your video equipment if you find the ending...perplexing.