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THIS SATURDAY, Delayed Viewing:
Saturday November 17, 2012 - MOVIE -"THE FLESH EATERS" (1964). Suggested by Dan Brenneis, Strongsville, OH.
Do to the flood here, we have readjusted our Creepy Classics Movie Night schedule as we were out of commission here for a coupe of weeks. Please see the revised schedule by clicking HERE.
In advance (Mark below was studiously on task while our web site was stagnent because of the flood shut down. Three cheers for Mark):
Mildly sleazy, but not without merit, here is a movie directed by none other than "Pops" Racer, Jack Curtis.
The stark black-and-white photography works well for the story, which mainly takes place on a bleak island, and prevents some of the nastier scenes from getting toogruesome. There's supposedly a version which turns to color at the climax, but that doesn't happen on the Dark Sky Films DVD and I don't remember that it did on television, either.
Martin Kosleck, the most familiar actor in the cast, practically screams "I am the bad guy!" as soon as he appears onscreen, but then, when didn't he?
For once he's not playing a Nazi, but a mad scientist who's been studying the title creatures, which are sort of flesh-eating plankton, created by the Germans for use as a biological weapon against the Allies near the end of WWII. Eventually the microscopic creatures combine into one giant monster. Considering the budget, it was an ambitious ending.
Barbara Wilson, the girl who loses her top in the opening scene, was the lead actress of the incoherent INVASION OF THE ANIMAL PEOPLE (1959). She also had a bit part in BLOOD OF DRACULA (1957).
Mark Ditoro
Moon Township, Pa.
Very low budget, but great little flick which could almost be an
episode of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND with Martin Kosleck as The Professor,
Byron Sanders as The Skipper, Rita Morley as a hybrid of Ginger
Grant/Lovey Howell, Barbara Wilkins as Mary Ann and Ray Tudor (playing
Omar) is Gilligan.
Also, the plane seems to develop trouble in the
storm after a few hours ("A three hour tour") having to land on what
looks to be a deserted island. Of course, when Martin Koslek is
around, you just know trouble will follow and does it ever!
Some good acting by the otherwise unknown cast and the little
monsters are pretty impressive even if it's revealed that hemoglobin
will destroy them-how do they strip away all the flesh from the bones
without coming into contact with the red stuff?
But, I digress... The
scene where the somewhat annoying Omar is given the mother of all
"mickeys" is way ahead of its time and one of the most audacious
scenes I can remember from a little "B" movie.
Well made despite the lack of funds and well worth viewing several
times. ***1/2
-Steve Schimming
Sanbornton. NH
I have to agree that THE FLESH EATERS almost seems like a twisted version of GILLIGAN'S ISLAND. For a low budget production with some rough special effects...it really moves. Never a dull moment as the evil Martin Koslek develops his flesh-chomping creatures. Lots of continuity problems as Bob Pellegrino pointed out to me. Clothing changes within the same scene, etc. The story just gets utterly ridiculous by the last ten minutes...but, like I said...it moves, not boring. Some pretty gory scenes for 1964 too!
-Ron Adams, Ligonier, PA
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