An American Werewolf in London

Amazon.com

Remember back in the early 1980s when special-effects makeup artists were tripping over themselves to create the next big effect? The Howling boasted a fantastic werewolf transformation scene courtesy of makeup wizard Rob Bottin. Then along came Bottin's mentor, Rick Baker, with his own spectacular effects in this popular horror comedy directed by John Landis. An American Werewolf in London is more of a makeup showcase than a truly satisfying movie, but the film is effectively moody when David Naughton discovers that a wolf attack has turned him into a bloodthirsty lycanthrope. Jenny Agutter plays his love interest (watch out, he bites!), and who can forget Griffin Dunne as Naughton's best friend, an undead corpse who progressively rots away as the plot unfolds? All things considered, it's easy to see why An American Werewolf in London became a modern horror favorite. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Excelente.......2007-09-03

Pues es una muy buena película ochentera. Si les gustan los temas sobre licantropos, vapiros, etc. Les gustará.

Saludos.

Still Amazing.......2007-07-24

All these years later and the movie is still awesome! You can't beat the classic scene of when you actually see the character turn into the werewolf. The werewolf isn't scary, but the movie is still fun to watch. You will be thinking about the end of the film for a long time after it is over! It is that much of a mind freak.

Amazing.......2007-07-21

I LOVE THIS MOVIE. Its a lot better than I thought it would be. Its a horror movie with humor. Very highly recommended.

"My Favorite Werewolf".......2007-07-20

After having to endure the _true_ horror of sitting through "Mommy Dearest" on a movie date with friends years ago, we paid them back with the next movie's choice being ours..."An American Werewolf In London". This is the only movie I've ever seen people run shrieking out of the theater from, three teenaged girls who had been sitting behind us, delighted at the idea of being scared until the werewolf attack on the moors. I know our friend's wife(the Joan Crawford fan) wanted to join them...lol.
I loved the blend of humor and horror, and using the various "moon tunes" to highlight what was happening was fantastic, especially during David's first 'change'. Everyone is right, this is the best transformation of any werewolf film, then and now, and congrats that they won the first "Make-up Award" for it at the Academy Awards the following year!
Griffin Dunne _should_ have won an Oscar for being the best ever "dead best friend", but I also wish they had done a better job on Jenny Agutter's role. She's quiet an actress but was given little to do here besides looking worried and afraid. David Naughton is the perfect bumbling college boy suddenly become werewolf, he really comes across as truly flustered trying to figure out what has happened to him and his friend and how to deal with it.
Landis created a true classic, I've still never seen another werewolf film I enjoyed as much!

The best Werewolf.......2007-05-13

For a longtime this was my favourite film of all time, its not anymore, but it is still a genuine classic film, that deserves a place amongst the greatest horror films ever made.

The reasons for this are threefold:
Firstly the special effects by Rick Baker are amazing. Remember this was made 25 years ago, there was no digital effects then, what you see on the screen was either done with make-up or animatronic puppets. Rick Baker won an Oscar for his work on this film in 1982.

Secondly the blend of horror and comedy. If you watch the extras you will hear the director Jon Landis state that the film is not a comedy, although he admits it is funny. Some of the scenes are very funny and this comedy, sometimes black comedy works really well against the horror in the rest of the film. The horror in this film is brilliantly done with the double nightmare sequence being a particular favourite of mine.

Thirdly of course its a love story. The ending to the film is ultimately all about the love story, but once again John Landis confuses our emotions by immediately playing The Marcels great version of Blue Moon over the end credits.

The scene in the Slaughtered Lamb is a direct reference to the multitude of classic Hammer Films that featured a Pub that went silent went our hero entered it. You will spot quite a few well known faces in the Slaughtered Lamb including a fresh-faced looking Rik Mayall.

The extras on this edition are pretty good, with both Rick Baker and Jon Landis having some interesting things to say. Perhaps the most surprising was that Jon Landis wrote the script for this film in 1969. There's also some fascinating stuff on how Rick Baker created the amazing special effects.

Beware of the moon.

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (2-Disc Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

Brilliant debut for Dario Argento
Argento's 1st Remains a Stunner
amazing giallo
Stylish Horror
"Bring in the perverts!"

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (2-Disc Special Edition)
Starring: Mario Adorf , Omar Bonaro , Giuseppe Castellano , Giovanni Di Benedetto , and Gildo Di Marco
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000B64U04
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Amazon.com

Sam Dalmas (Tony Musante) is an American reporter living in Rome who witnesses what appears to be a murder. Trapped by a glass wall, he can't intervene, but does manage to scare off the killer. Wounded, the victim survives, and Dalmas's curiosity drives him to look further into the story, but he soon finds himself and his girlfriend in jeopardy and stalked by the would-be murderer. Director Dario Argento's debut film is a remarkable work, more restrained than many of his later films. Based on an obscure 1950s pulp novel, Bird draws heavily on Hitchcock, as well as on American novelists such as Dashiell Hammett and Cornell Woolrich. At the same time, its execution makes it a highly original, inventive, and fast-paced film that plays with the conventions of the thriller genre. As was often the case with Hitchcock's work, Dalmas is a spectator to the original crime, reflecting the voyeuristic role of the film audience. He's an ordinary guy who unravels the circumstances of the crime until he comes across the most unlikely scenario, a device also reminiscent of Hitchcock. The score, editing, and camera work, however, give the film a distinctly Italian stamp, and established Argento as a stylish, innovative director to watch. The scene in which Dalmas is chased through the streets by a gun-toting assassin, in particular, is a little gem of suspense. Modern-day thrillers should hope to live up to this film's intelligence, energy, and intricate plot twists. --Jerry Renshaw

Description

The Stunning Debut By Dario Argento The Italian Master Of Terror

In his first film as writer/director, Dario Argento (SUSPIRIA, DEEP RED, TWO EVIL EYES) single-handedly created the giallo genre and instantly emerged as the filmmaker critics worldwide hailed as 'The Italian Hitchcock'. Tony Musante (TRAFFIC, OZ) and Suzy Kendall (CIRCUS OF FEAR, TORSO) star in this pulse-pounding suspense thriller about an American writer in Rome who witnesses - and is helpless to stop - a brutal assault, the cunning vengeance of a maniac, and the heart-stopping horror that lives - and kills - deep in the dark.

Blue Underground is proud to present this legendary shocker remastered in High Definition from its original camera negative - including recently discovered never-before-seen footage of explicit violence - remixed in 6.1 DTS-ES and 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround EX. Exclusive Extras in this 2-Disc Special Edition include four all-new featurettes with Argento, Oscar® winning cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, legendary composer Ennio Morricone, co-star Eva Renzi and much more!

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant debut for Dario Argento.......2007-05-20

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage was the directorial debut for Dario Argento, prior to this he wrote several screenplays. In my opinion The Bird with the Crystal Plumage rates as one of the best debuts.

While not the first Giallo this one took the genre to a whole new level and would show Argento was a director with great promise and he would totally live up to that and would go on and do some great work.

The only real flaw seen in Argento flicks are the screenplays, which is weird considering he started off as a writer. Now don't get me wrong I'm not saying Argento is a bad writer, he isn't by any means, but that is the only place he's flawed and I think a lot of Argento fans would likely agree.

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage though shows that Argento is in fact a fantastic writer. The movie is cleverly plotted and the characters are very well written for. Even though this was his first movie as a director if you didn't know any better one would think Dario Argento was already a proven director.

There are absolutely no flaws as a director; Dario Argento's scenes are paced brilliantly without a slow moment to be found. Each scene Argento brings out the best. While there is some action in the movie it's much more character driven.

Visually Dario Argento does a fantastic job, but doesn't he always? I don't think there is a better visual director than Dario Argento. The guy really knows how to work the camera and can make any scene brilliant.

The score by Ennio Morricone was just mind blowing; The Bird with the Crystal Plumage features without a doubt one of the best scores in a movie. The score really adds an eerie feel to the movie.

The highlight of the movie for me was around the 30-minute mark; the kill scene was very suspenseful; from the way it was shot to the score, which really added even more to an already brilliant scene.

The actors are all excellent and Tony Mustante makes for a great lead, he delivers a very solid performance.

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage has plenty of twists and turns with a great twist ending. The movie is very well made and filled with tension through out, while it doesn't rate as my favorite Argento movie it does come damn close.

Alfred Hitchcock may be the master of suspense, but Dario Argento can definitely give him a run for his money.

In closing, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is a well made suspenseful flick with twists and turns it really was a great mystery and a must see for Argento and Giallo fans

Argento's 1st Remains a Stunner.......2007-03-01

For many years, I'd felt that of the Argento films I'd seen, Deep Red (Profundo Roso) was easily my favorite. However, recently I ordered - on DVD - that movie, Suspiria, Inferno, and Bird Witb a Crystal Plumage. And while I'm glad to have all four in my collection, I've concluded that - at least for the time being - Bird has become my top choice, which surprises me.

Bird really benefits from the increased production values of DVD over VHS (I've owned a copy for the past decade): the cinematography (thank you, Vittorio Storaro & crew) is astounding. There are times when I feel like I can reach right out and touch buildings, foliage, people. It's that visually tactile. Also, the film is very tight. Little, if any, wasted space - and it's a talky picture, too. Fortunately, a good chunk of the dialogue is funny, sometimes hilarious (check out the scene when protagonist Tony Musante visits a painter whose work looks to be a significant clue in a series of mysterious murders that Musante is investigating in tandem with the police).

The mystery's a good one, too. And the use of repetition works like repeated motifs/actions should: a fascinating revelation of the process of memory - and how we may construct and reconstruct events through it. Though Bird's use of repetition looks something like DePalma's Blow Out (released over a decade later than Bird), it has more in common with that other late '60s enigmatic masterwork, Blow Up.

We also benefit from an imaginative musical soundtrack by the recent lifetime Academy Award winner, Ennio Morricone, who scored several of Argento's earliest efforts, including Four Flies on Grey Velvet (where has that gone?) and Cat o' Nine Tails. While I enjoy the pulsing, thrashing musics of Goblin in Deep Red and Suspiria, Morricone's pieces are more surprising and impishly playful - in much the same way Argento plays with us - including his use of a false ending.

Okay, so it's his first major direction. And the dubbing into English is, well, dubbing into English. But the suspense builds and builds, intelligently, leaving this viewer more than satisfied - after repeated screenings. If you're into Argento and you've overlooked this one, please get with it! And if you're a newcomer to this horror/mystery master, this is an excellent place to start. And do see it on DVD.

amazing giallo.......2007-02-16

this is argentos first horror film and one of my favourites how it all comes together at the end is amazing one of the best giallos i've ever seen!!!

Stylish Horror.......2006-08-31

Often reviews describe the Bird with the Crystal Plumage as Dario Argento developing his style. In fact, it is a classic of the horror genre and an obvious influence on John Carpenter. Though somewhat closer to suspense than horror the cinematography of the scenes with the killer attacking with a knife are jolting and shocking and with the (for the times) explicit scenes restored you have a classic film right there. Later films by Argento would be mired down in style over substance. The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, although obviously influenced by Hitchcock was taking Mario Bava to a new level and a blue print for the European horror film.

"Bring in the perverts!".......2006-03-10

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is not particularly gory, but it does establish a blueprint for most of Dario Argento's later work, with the crucial misunderstood attempted murder both referencing Antonioni's Blow-Up and prefiguring the killer-in-plain-sight twist of Deep Red. Best of all is Argento's mastery of vivid color and the Scope frame (the gallery window is even designed at an exact 2.35:1 to match the screen ratio). It still lacks the bravura and panache that would distinguish Deep Red, Suspiria and Inferno, and the best that can be said of the performances is that they don't get in the way: Tony Musante's hero and Mario Adorf's cameo as a cat-eating artist pass muster, as does Enrico Maria Salerno, the Italian voice of Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's westerns (the perverse side of my nature thought Eastwood could at least have returned the compliment by dubbing him into English), but Suzy Kendall definitely looks better than she acts and some of the supporting cast pull out most of the stops. Still how can you not love a film with lines like "How many times do I have to tell you, Ursula Andress belongs with the transvestites, not the perverts!"

Blue Underground's new DVD is some 30 seconds longer than the previous VCI issue and boasts superb picture quality and a choice of English or Italian tracks (it was shot in English, as per all of Argento's films). The extras aren't plentiful enough to justify a second disc - some 47 minutes of interviews, including an inadvertently revealing one by Eva Renzi pretty much badmouthing anyone who ever offered her a part for destroying her career - but if you don't have the film it's worth picking up for the remastering alone.

Average customer rating:

For a B movie it's a 4
ADDICTED TO BLOOD
hot

Red Blooded American Girl
Starring: Andrew Stevens , Heather Thomas , Christopher Plummer , Kim Coates , and Lydie Denier
Director: David Blyth
Manufacturer: Trinity Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0001Z4OWE
Release Date: 2004-04-13

Customer Reviews:

For a B movie it's a 4.......2007-07-21

It's a B movie with an interesting take on the vampire myth and it's got Heather Thomas. If you go in with that in mind I think you'll really enjoy it. Just don't try to compare it to an A list movie.

ADDICTED TO BLOOD.......2006-01-16

One has to give credit for this movie's plot: vampirism is a viral infection, and once infected, one becomes bloodthirsty. However, the execution of the film doesn't really do anything with its plot. Andrew Stevens (THE FURY) stars as Owen Urban, a brilliant young maverick scientist who is working on creating powerful enzymes. Christopher Plummer is an infected scientific genius who runs a powerful company and he wants Stevens to help him find an antidote for the vampiric virus. Kim Coates is swarthy as always as a particularly gruesome vampire, who can't quite satiate his thirst. And then comes Heather Thomas (remember her from THE FALL GUY?), a sexy volunteer at the lab who finds herself infected when an inmate bites her leg. Thomas' performance as the infected titular character turns into a slutty bloodthirsty vixen and her performance is sooo bad, it's hilarious. Plummer should be ashamed of himself for doing this role. The movie also suffers from a very weak ending with no real resolution. Filmed in 1990, this loser spawned a 1997 sequel, but don't let that convince you this one's a winner.

hot.......2002-03-24

Heather thomas is hot, but how they got the title I dont know. Its rated r but it shouldn't be. Its a good movie to see if you like Heather

Average customer rating:

Brilliant debut for Dario Argento
Argento's 1st Remains a Stunner
amazing giallo
Stylish Horror
"Bring in the perverts!"

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage
Starring: Mario Adorf , Omar Bonaro , Giuseppe Castellano , Giovanni Di Benedetto , and Gildo Di Marco
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00000JT2R
Release Date: 1999-11-16

Amazon.com

Description

An American writer (Tony Musante - Toma, TV series) traveling in Rome is the only witness to an attempted murder by a sinister man in a raincoat and black leather gloves, though he is powerless to do anything to stop him. With a feeling that something is not quite right about the scene he has witnessed and the police's inability to make any progress, he launches his own personal investigation -- and nearly loses his life in the process. While this modern day Jack-the-Ripper type is slithering through the dark byways of Rome slicing up pretty girls, director Dario Argento is carving up the emotions of terrified viewers. Dark deeds are mixed with black comedy worthy of Hitchcock in a film of almost unbearable tension and nail-biting suspense. Italian Director/Screenwriter Dario Argento specializes in stylish thrillers. His works include "Deep Red", "Suspiria", "Inferno", "Demons" and "Creepers". Bonus Features: Interactive Menus| Biographies| Theatrical Trailer| Previews| New Dolby Stereo Surround Track| Enhanced 16x9 Transfer| Bonus: Contains the complete Original Music Sound Track. Specs: DVD9; Dolby Digital Stereo Surround; 98 minutes; Color; 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - R; Year - 1970; SRP - $14.99.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant debut for Dario Argento.......2007-05-20

Argento's 1st Remains a Stunner.......2007-03-01

amazing giallo.......2007-02-16

this is argentos first horror film and one of my favourites how it all comes together at the end is amazing one of the best giallos i've ever seen!!!

Stylish Horror.......2006-08-31

"Bring in the perverts!".......2006-03-10

Average customer rating:

Excelente
Still Amazing
Amazing
"My Favorite Werewolf"
The best Werewolf

An American Werewolf in London
Starring: Jenny Agutter , Sean Baker , Joe Belcher , Michele Brisigotti , and Anne-Marie Davies
Manufacturer: Live / Artisan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6304675771
Release Date: 1997-12-10

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Excelente.......2007-09-03

Pues es una muy buena película ochentera. Si les gustan los temas sobre licantropos, vapiros, etc. Les gustará.

Saludos.

Still Amazing.......2007-07-24

Amazing.......2007-07-21

I LOVE THIS MOVIE. Its a lot better than I thought it would be. Its a horror movie with humor. Very highly recommended.

"My Favorite Werewolf".......2007-07-20

The best Werewolf.......2007-05-13

Average customer rating:

A Gorilla, A Mad Scientist, And The Most Annoying Man In Show Business
Classically Bad
So bad that it's almost good
Even Bela Lugosi has to eat...
Woefully bad in so, so many ways

Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla
Starring: Bela Lugosi , Duke Mitchell , Sammy Petrillo , Charlita , and Muriel Landers
Director: William Beaudine
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
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ASIN: B000087F1R
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Customer Reviews:

A Gorilla, A Mad Scientist, And The Most Annoying Man In Show Business.......2007-02-12

This is a stunning film in both concept an execution. The premise is simple: two talentless hacks...I mean...entertainers, parachute onto a primitive island, Cola-Cola. There they meet crazy natives, beautiful girls, and an evil genius in a castle. Mayhem ensues, comedy erupts, the entertainers sing, the natives dance, and Bela Lugosi turns Duke Mitchell into a gorilla. Nefarious schemes are hatched, romance rears its ugly head, and slapstick is in vogue. Lugosi gets his comeuppance and love conquers all. The end.

Seriously, this film is an absolute abomination. I once heard that Bela Lugosi thought this was his worst film; I can't confirm that, but I can believe it. This is a stunning find, unavailable for a long time, but now available to all camp lovers. The movie is definitely in the "so bad it's good" category, and the single worst feature is, without doubt, Sammy Petrillo, the poor man's Jerry Lewis. I personally find Jerry Lewis insufferable, but Petrillo is like a caricature of Lewis: even worse, and infinitely less funny than the original. The French would love this guy.

The standup routine and songs are especially noxious. I would have given this film five stars as a perfect camp classic, were it not for the two star penalty (one each for Mitchell and Petrillo) for the "live entertainment" performed within the film. You have to be pretty hardened to be able to tolerate Petrillo, especially when his partner turns into a gorilla leaving him an even higher percentage of the lines. Adding a predictable twist, Mitchell (the Dean Martin wannabe) romances the pretty islander, Nona, which leaves the morbidly obese island girl to chase stick-like Petrillo about, finally driving him into the clutches of a chimpanzee. Meanwhile Dr. Zabor (Lugosi at his most crazed) is doing evolutionary experiments and wants to stop the budding romance between Nona and Mitchell. I was grateful that he transformed Mitchell, as it stopped all the singing (for a while anyway.) In a dramatic finale, all subplots are resolved and we are able to contemplate those 74 minutes of our lives which we'll never get back.

This movie is a grade-Z cheesefest, and I recommend it to all lovers of tacky, stupid camp films; just be advised that Sammy Petrillo may be the most annoying man in show business. With that admonition in mind, enjoy the cheese.

Classically Bad.......2006-08-03

This 1952 "horror-comedy" finds poor Bela with a pair of infamous Martin and Lewis imitators -- Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo (remember them?). The result is a strange cultural artifact, yet perversely watchable. Lugosi makes the most of his limited footage as a traditional mad scientist. Directed by William "One Shot" Beaudine, who also helmed Bela's "The Ape Man" (1943).

So bad that it's almost good.......2006-07-23

The two Martin and Lewis look alikes almost fool you at first, but the production values are non-existent, as is the script in this "so bad that it's almost good" flick. If you like Arch Hall Jr. or Cash Flagg movies, this might appeal to you.

Even Bela Lugosi has to eat..........2005-07-11

I'll admit to a fondness for bad movies. Call it my inner Tom Servo, but I enjoy watching really hopeless films and pointing out all the places where the filmmakers blundered. And if there's one thing I've learned in watching bad movies it's that there is nothing worse than a film that's simply boring. And if there is one thing that's worse than that, it's a comedy film that isn't funny.

BELA LUGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA manages to capture both of those dubious honors without breaking a sweat. This is a wretched movie with absolutely nothing to recommend about it. It's film prints exists purely to use up atoms that could be of better use as food for starving children, as gold to bring developing nations up out of poverty, or, to set our sites somewhat lower, as prints of better movies where the human actors aren't actually out-acted by a trained monkey. (To be fair, the trained monkey in this film is rather adorable.)

First of all, let's begin with a look at the main cast. The "comedy" duo which stars this film are Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo, who are a blatant rip-off of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. And when I say "blatant rip-off" I mean that (according to legend) Sammy Petrillo was ordered to refrain from future performances as this character under threat of legal action from Jerry Lewis.

And you can understand where Lewis was coming from. I mean, Jerry Lewis' standard character was more annoying than an eight-year-old on crack, but this guy is Jerry Lewis turned up to 11. He's so mind-alteringly aggravating that I can only imagine that he had to hold off a lynching from his fellow cast-members with a well loaded machine-gun.

He's whiny. He's annoying. He hops and skips and warbles his way through the film. He's awful, really. He makes me want to revise my opinions on capital punishment.

He, incredibly, is actually the most entertaining thing about the movie. And he's horrific.

See, the problem is this. If you're making a comedy movie (and if you're giving your film the title of "Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla", you damn well better be making a comedy), then you really need to put some jokes in it. I'm not asking for much. Good jokes, bad jokes, corny jokes, silly jokes. Anything will do. But, really, virtually all of the jokes fall under the jurisdiction of the Sammy Petrillo character. Everyone else is in a sort of holding pattern waiting for the jokes to fall from the typewriter of the writer.

But the jokes never came.

And we all grew weary and sad.

But now we must turn our attention onto the eponymous Bela Lugosi. Oh, the poor man. I have no idea what he was doing in this film, and judging from his performance, neither does he. He deserved better than this.

I haven't mentioned the plot yet, because the film barely has one. Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo fall out of a plane (yeah) and land on an island somewhere in a Pacific Ocean populated by a bunch of white looking "natives". The production of the jungle doesn't look half bad, but the extras are clad in very cheap fake animal skins and in at least one scene I believe these primitive people are actually wearing Hawaiian shirts in an attempt to look native.

Anyway, the plot, as I was saying, involves these two dopes on a primitive island. Also on the island are the obligatory love interest (a native girl), the obligatory love interest's father (the chief of the village), and a mad scientist who is supposed the "only white man on the island" (a statement true only if you discount everyone else living on the island). Oh, and the comic relief comes in the form of the love interest's enormous sister who for some reason falls in lust with Sammy Petrillo. (Two problems with this. First of all, if you're making a comedy film and your script requires an obvious comic relief, then the story isn't as funny as it needs to be. Second, no, the large sister isn't the most attractive woman on the island, but, hey, Sammy Petrillo is the most annoying man on the planet. Where does he get off turning away anyone's advances?)

You see, the story revolves around Duke Mitchell being in love with the Chief's daughter. The mad scientist (you didn't need me to tell you this is the Bela Lugosi role), apart from being mad, is also in love with the same girl. And since he runs experiments on evolution (you're hearing Darwin on spin-dry) you just know we're in for some "hilarious" hijinks involving monkeys. Or people in unconvincing gorilla suits.

The actual trained monkey is arguably the best thing about this movie. And my understanding is that he actually is the same chimp who appeared in much better movies of the era, so if you're a big fan of the monkey you can see him in something else better.

Don't be fooled into thinking this might be a wonderfully fun, camp bad movie. This is a horribly annoying awful film and no one should waste their time watching this in hope of finding even some unintentional laughs. Avoid at all costs.

Woefully bad in so, so many ways.......2005-05-22

And the award for Most Annoying Actor in the History of the Universe goes to ... Sammy Petrillo for his shamelessly bad impersonation of Jerry Lewis in Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla. About the only thing this film accomplishes is to prove that Jerry Lewis was a comic genius. Lewis was funny, but Sammy Petrillo doing the same shtick is dreadful. Duke Mitchell isn't exactly Dean Martin, either. Petrillo's first line in this film is "Ah lady, you got us mixed up with two other guys!" Wrong. Try as they might, these guys are a painfully bad substitute for Lewis and Martin. Lewis apparently threatened some sort of legal action over this bomb, thereby helping ensure that Duke and Sammy never made another movie. Jerry, you have our eternal gratitude.

The only reason anyone should contemplate watching this movie is for Bela Lugosi alone. Lugosi is one of my favorite actors, but there's no denying the fact that he hit rock bottom in his later years. Just out of rehab and desperate for work, he had little choice but to take on roles such as that of Dr. Zabor - especially when the filmmakers promised to put his name in the film's title. Sadly, he would soon have one foot in the grave and the other on the rotten banana peel that is Ed Wood. I think he's pretty good in this film, but he really has nothing to work with here. William "One Shot" Beaudine didn't earn his nickname by directing theatrical masterpieces. Charlita isn't bad as Nona, aka the poor man's Dorothy Lamour, but the only genuinely impressive performance in the entire movie is that of a chimpanzee.

So what's the story here? Well, Duke and Sammy are on their way to play for the troops in Guam when they fall out of the airplane and land in a jungle paradise (the island of "Kola-Kola"). A tribe of extremely white natives finds them and, unfortunately, do not go along with their Bird Man's advice to kill them. Nona, the chief's educated daughter, takes quite a shine to Duke, and that doesn't sit well with her mad scientist employer Dr. Zabor, who lusts for young Nona himself (and who can blame him, what with all those revealing outfits she wears?). I won't bore you with all the silly details, but the upshot is that Dr. Zabor turns Duke into a gorilla. Then, just when you think the movie can't get any more ridiculous, it does.

This whole film boils down to Sammy Petrillo spewing out one-liners left and right, seemingly oblivious to the fact that nothing he says or does is remotely funny.

Average customer rating:

Real American Hero
Starring: Brian Dennehy; Forrest Tucker; Ken Howard; Sheree North; Brian Kerwin; Lane Bradbury
Director: Lou Antonio
Manufacturer: Reel Enterprises
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000PDZRWI
Release Date: 2007-04-13

Average customer rating:

American Rampage
Starring: Kary Jane , Thomas Elliott (II) , Troy Donahue , Otis T. Longhorn , and C.J. Bav
Director: David DeCoteau
Manufacturer: Simitar Ent.
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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Armed Response

ASIN: 630485384X
Release Date: 1998-03-10

Average customer rating:

A Gorilla, A Mad Scientist, And The Most Annoying Man In Show Business
Classically Bad
So bad that it's almost good
Even Bela Lugosi has to eat...
Woefully bad in so, so many ways

Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla
Starring: Bela Lugosi , Duke Mitchell , Sammy Petrillo , Charlita , and Muriel Landers
Director: William Beaudine
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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4-for-3 Comedy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

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( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00005NG0S
Release Date: 2001-09-18

Description

The time is the 1950s, and the hottest comedy act in Hollywood is Martin and Lewis. Taking full advantage of the trend, Dean Martin look-alike Duke Mitchell and his partner, Jerry Lewis clone Sammy Petrillo, play a pair of nightclub performers who fall out of a plane and find themselves stranded on a jungle island. They discover Bela Lugosi, who is experimenting with a serum that turns people into gorillas! Also included: Interview with star Sammy Petrillo.

Customer Reviews:

A Gorilla, A Mad Scientist, And The Most Annoying Man In Show Business.......2007-02-12

Classically Bad.......2006-08-03

So bad that it's almost good.......2006-07-23

Even Bela Lugosi has to eat..........2005-07-11

Woefully bad in so, so many ways.......2005-05-22

Average customer rating:

The Bird With the Crystal Plumage
Starring: Mario Adorf , Suzy Kendall , Carla Mancini , Fulvio Mingozzi , and Tony Musante
Director: Dario Argento
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Blue Underground | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000B9E2MM
Release Date: 2005-10-25

DVD:

DVD

DVD