The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001)

Director:

Larry Blamire

Writer:

Larry Blamire (written by)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

From the company that brought you "Zombies of Mora Tau" and "Lawrence of Arabia."

Plot:

A dedicated scientist, aided by his clueless wife, rolls up his shirt sleeves and tries to save the world from a radioactive monster...

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Skeleton | Alien | Spoof | Doctor

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Fay Masterson	...	Betty Armstrong
Andrew Parks	...	Kro-Bar
Susan McConnell	...	Lattis
Brian Howe	...	Dr. Roger Fleming
Jennifer Blaire	...	Animala
Larry Blamire	...	Dr. Paul Armstrong
Dan Conroy	...	Ranger Brad
Robert Deveau	...	The Farmer
Darrin Reed	...	The Mutant

MPAA:

Rated PG for brief mild language.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Fragmighty

Trivia:

While most of the actors were experienced, some even having lots of credits on stage and film, they had to work hard to give an honest B movie performance.

Quotes:

Betty Armstrong: Moons... teaspoons... that's all gibberish to me I'm afraid.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Obey the Lost Skeleton! (2004) (V)

Hugely entertaining film for low-budget classic sci-fi and humor fans

10/10 rating

Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is a remarkable little film that recreates the look and feel of old low-budget black and white sci fi films, but it has a refreshing spirit all its own that is smart and silly at the same time. You've never seen a film like this before. It's the best new film I've seen in years.

Lost Skeleton is fun in its own right because it takes the archetypes of sci fi and its cliché's and mixes them together to make something that is more entertaining than straight parody.

Those who look at Lost Skeleton as only parody or a recreation of old movies are missing Blamire's unique accomplishment. It's a mixture of late 50's pompousness and innocence with modern perspective and grace.

Done in good taste that reflects the boy-scout best of the 50's genre, the movie is unlike anything else that Hollywood or indies are putting out. It's refreshing, inviting, friendly, goofy, and true to a singular vision.

I've seen it now with four different small audiences, and for the most part everyone has enjoyed it immensely. You need to view this film with a group to get the most out of it--it's easily the most quotable movie I've ever seen. Blamire's sense of those delightfully absurd pitfalls many sci-fi writers have fallen into time and again is uncanny. Halfway between Shakespeare and Ed Wood, almost every line of dialogue is a wooden comic gem laced with a sense of sweetness rather than mean-spiritedness. It's hard to tell where the parody ends and the celebration of these loftily ambitious lines begins.

This makes the film a joy to watch again and again. Blamire is hitting something deeper than a stiff sci-fi parody, and his touch makes this a much greater film than on the surface it has any right to be.

I predict that Lost Skeleton will go the way of Young Frankenstein and establish itself as a comedy classic over the next couple of decades. It's just that good. Perhaps indescribably good, but I did my best.