Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965), is a low-budget, science-fiction film, that's got a rockin' soundtrack, but awful make-up and the costumes are atrocious too. We will get to the bad acting later. The bad costuming is especially evident on Lou Cutell, who plays the nefarious Dr. Nadir. Also, in the cast, is Bruce Glover, as an uncredited alien and another, bad make-up job. The film also stars James Karen as our main, leading character, Dr. Adam Steele. Steele has created an android, named Frank (get it? Frankenstein), who's space capsule is shot down by Martians, who are invading Earth, to replenish their decimated female population. Being as it was 1965, the film industry was knee-deep in beach-party movies. Those types of movies were red-hot, due to the popularity of Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello's beach movies. So obviously, Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965), cashes in on that trend, with Dr. Steele running around Puerto Rico, trying to track down his malfunctioning, rampaging robot and the Martians, having their own, beach blanket bingo, while kidnapping women.
The space-suits the aliens wear, look like rejected, old, astronaut suits, that were stolen from NASA. The way Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965), is presented, has the set-pieces looking like a bunch of rich, college-kids, with connections to NASA, decided to make a movie. Marilyn Hanold, who performs as the alien princess, Marcuzan and Dr. Nadir, both look like they are hosting a really bad, TV shopping network, on a set, that's supposed to be an alien spacecraft. There is an awkward, seriously out-of-place, romantic, motor-scooter ride, between Steele (James Karen) and his assistant/girlfriend Karen Grant (Nancy Marshall), through Puerto Rico, which actually looks like, it was just hit by a hurricane. The scene is basically crafted for the song, that is playing in the background. Another nod to the low-budget feeling in Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965), is the over-abundant use of stock-footage. It looks like director Robert Gaffney, got his hands on a lot of aviation films and NASA stock-footage.
The acting in Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965), is terrible and the directing is juvenile. All of the characters, who get kidnapped by the aliens, put-up no fight at all and actually look like, they are content with their situation. They really could care-less about the fact, that they are being kidnapped for use as sex-slaves. They just quietly get in the menacing spaceship. There is no mention in the story, that anyone has mind-control or anything. The kidnapped extras show no fear or danger, unless they are part of the main cast. Director Gaffney saves all the acting for the main cast and the rest are empty extras. The directing miscues are dizzying in Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965). It was nice seeing this film in its original, theatrical aspect ratio on the streaming service I found it on and not a cheap, 4:3 TV or VHS version. With the new, restored, remastered, widescreen version, available today, Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965), looks more like a a polished, Plan 9 From Outer Space (1957), which I actually like more than this film.
PMTM Grade: 3.1 (F-) = 4 IMDB.
The space-suits the aliens wear, look like rejected, old, astronaut suits, that were stolen from NASA. The way Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965), is presented, has the set-pieces looking like a bunch of rich, college-kids, with connections to NASA, decided to make a movie. Marilyn Hanold, who performs as the alien princess, Marcuzan and Dr. Nadir, both look like they are hosting a really bad, TV shopping network, on a set, that's supposed to be an alien spacecraft. There is an awkward, seriously out-of-place, romantic, motor-scooter ride, between Steele (James Karen) and his assistant/girlfriend Karen Grant (Nancy Marshall), through Puerto Rico, which actually looks like, it was just hit by a hurricane. The scene is basically crafted for the song, that is playing in the background. Another nod to the low-budget feeling in Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965), is the over-abundant use of stock-footage. It looks like director Robert Gaffney, got his hands on a lot of aviation films and NASA stock-footage.
The acting in Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965), is terrible and the directing is juvenile. All of the characters, who get kidnapped by the aliens, put-up no fight at all and actually look like, they are content with their situation. They really could care-less about the fact, that they are being kidnapped for use as sex-slaves. They just quietly get in the menacing spaceship. There is no mention in the story, that anyone has mind-control or anything. The kidnapped extras show no fear or danger, unless they are part of the main cast. Director Gaffney saves all the acting for the main cast and the rest are empty extras. The directing miscues are dizzying in Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965). It was nice seeing this film in its original, theatrical aspect ratio on the streaming service I found it on and not a cheap, 4:3 TV or VHS version. With the new, restored, remastered, widescreen version, available today, Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965), looks more like a a polished, Plan 9 From Outer Space (1957), which I actually like more than this film.
PMTM Grade: 3.1 (F-) = 4 IMDB.