Monster Man (2003)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Michael Davis

Writer (WGA):

Michael Davis (written by)

Release Date:

11 March 2005 (UK)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Horror

Tagline:

On this highway, the roadkill is HUMAN!

Plot:

Two guys and a female hitchhiker are terrorized by a monstrous looking man driving a giant monster truck.

Plot Keywords:

Monster Truck | Hitchhiker | Road Trip | Self Mutilation | Bathroom Scene

Cast

Eric Jungmann	...	Adam
Justin Urich	...	Harley
Aimee Brooks	...	Sarah
Michael Bailey Smith	...	Monster Man / Brother Bob
Joe Goodrich	...	Brother Fred
Tim Sitarz	...	Big Redneck
Johnny Green	...	Headless man in Pentagram Room
Steve DeRellian	...	One Armed Man (as Steve de Relian)
Robert R. Shafer	...	Police Officer #1 (as Bobby Ray Shafer)
Diana Morgan	...	Newscaster
Frank Schettini	...	One Eyed Bartender
Mike Kimler	...	Extra
Scott McGaffee	...	Extra

MPAA:

Rated R for strong horror violence/gore, language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | USA:R (certificate #40070) | Netherlands:16 | Germany:18 | Finland:K-18 | Australia:MA | UK:18 | Ireland:18

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Company:

Dream Entertainment

Trivia:

The monster truck used in this film was designed and built for $2500. The "sheet metal" covering the outside of the truck was actually wood spray painted to look like very old and rusted sheet metal. The truck only had a maximum speed of roughly 30mph (48kph) so footage of the truck chasing after the car was sped up to make it appear as though it was capable of very high speeds. The truck could only be used for 20 - 30 minutes at a time before it would over heat and production would be shut down. It also ran on rocket fuel, which reported cost the producers $300 per gallon. There was no steering wheel, the driver was standing inside the truck using levers to control the speed and direction.

Goofs:

Continuity: A short while after Harley shows up driving that Monster Truck, two unexplained blood spots appear on Adams shoulder.

Quotes:

Harley: I'm the kind of guy who puts the "ick" in "dick".

Movie Connections:

References Citizen Kane (1941)

Soundtrack:

Cherry My Car

That Monster Truck Was So Freakin' Cool! This Movie Is A Surprise Hit With Me.

I rented Monster Man because I thought watching people being chased around by a freak in a monster truck was kind of appealing, but I knew in my heart that I would be sorry, for I have been burned by the cool box covers many, many times now. I can honestly say, I am pleasantly surprised and I actually enjoyed the movie MUCH more than I ever thought I would.

I have to admit that they borrowed from many other movies of this type, most notably to me was Jeepers Creepers with the creepy vehicle and the freaky monster type. However, that monster truck was so cool. It was freakier than the truck thing used in Jeepers Creepers. Whoever designed that thing can be very proud of himself. I loved how the truck's front end raised up on it's hydraulics when letting off of the gas and dropped down when flooring it. When letting off the gas and quickly flooring it, it gave the impression of a hungry animal trying to bite it's prey, which was especially creepy and cool.

The two main characters, Adam and Harley (Eric Jungmann and Justin Urich), are two guys on opposite ends of the extreme. Harley is an obnoxious, loud mouthed punk and Adam is a meek and timid guy who needs to stand up for himself. Along the way to a wedding they were going to, they meet up with a beautiful hitchhiker named Sara (Aimee Brooks), who joins up with them from that point on.

The special effects were great, with the exception of the obviously rubber corpse. The roadkill scene was hilarious, whether or not it was meant to be. The monster truck was awesome. The Monster Man was creepy enough to make it work, despite the so-so appearance. Brother Fred was probably the creepiest and most likable at the same time (hard to imagine I know). Overall, if you are into the low budget horror movies, then I can recommend this one highly to you. The two main characters get annoying but the violence more than makes up for it. 7/10