While there are plentiful exceptions, the 1950s aren't exactly known as a hotbed of quality sci-fi and horror, and the ethos of ham-handed direction and narration, cheesy music, bad effects, and cheap productions extended well into the 60s if not beyond. The very name 'Frankenstein meets the space monster' doesn't exactly inspire confidence, though in fairness, the same could be said of Toho's 'Frankenstein vs. Baragon' - released only one and one-half months before in Japan - while it is in fact an unexpectedly superb film. Prepared for the worst but hoping for the best, how might this 1965 release stack up?
Futurama Entertainment is definitely not Toho, and director Robert Gaffney is no Honda Ishiro. I'm not about to put down this flick outright, but it's readily evident within the first minutes that this was made with the knowledge and intention that it would be a B-grade romp. Ross Gaffney's music immediately ranges from smart and tasteful to overt and flavorful, the acting and delivery to greet us right away are pointedly overwrought and/or melodramatic, and the writing swiftly impresses as direct, forthright, and unsubtle, if not also forced as R. H. W. Dillard, George Garrett, and John Rodenbeck push the story through a grinder to entertain us. Mind you, none of this inherently means that the sum total is bad, only that any prospective viewers should know, and will right away, what sort of movie they're entering. (As if the name doesn't give it away.)
Stock footage, juxtaposed with contemporary pop music. Instances of surprisingly shrewd scene writing, and some surprisingly gritty imagery, occupy much the same space as baseline adequate production design and art direction, and costume design, hair, and makeup that probably look as decent as they do only because this was filmed in black and white. I really do appreciate the music, but it ranges from keen and tasteful, to sly and somewhat cheeky, to "I'm sorry, what now?" At the same time, Lawrence C. Keating's editing often feels a tad rough and brusque - applying equally to the sound - and there were some curious choices made in the direction, whether in terms of pacing or just the precise orchestration of a given moment. I suppose I can't fault the cast for their acting, whether we look to what they had to work with by the writing or direction or the tenor of the feature, but it still comes off as a bit peculiar.
For what it's worth, I do admire the imagination that was poured into this with regards to both the story (in concept) and the the production at large, and I recognize the earnest work that went into it. The filming locations are lovely, and even if we make the assumption that they wouldn't hold up under scrutiny, the visuals are quite good. To that point, it comes across that the most consideration was given to the appearances of the titular figures, with some special makeup that's pretty fantastic. This is much more questionable in the details of the writing and execution - I have issues with the Martians' "Phase II" both on paper and as it is presented herein - but again, 'Frankenstein meets the space monster' only wants to have a kitschy good time. This isn't great, but it's mildly enjoyable, and unlike the worst of like-minded fare from previous years, the worst that I think we might say about this in general is that some facets were given notably less or weaker consideration than others.
All told this is a mishmash of some gratifyingly splendid aspects alongside many rather strange choices, and this is reflected in the varied music, in the use or declination of sound, in the visuals including stunts and effects, and in the writing that twists together a terrestrial android, a Martian invasion, a beast from another world, and the abduction of bikini-clad women that the camera is then allowed to dote upon. From one moment to the next we don't know if we're going to get something that's weirdly excellent, or something that will bewilder us with the oddball decisions that were made to piece the whole together. The end result is definitely no exemplar of cinema, yet I can't deny that I had fun watching, and really, the conglomeration is so scattered that it more closely resembles B-movies of the 70s, 80s, or 90s than it does the 50s or 60s. I can understand that titles like this won't appeal to all comers, but if you're receptive to all the wide, wacky possibilities of what the medium has to offer, I genuinely think this is more worthwhile than we're naturally inclined to assume from the outside looking in, and I'm glad and pleasantly surprised to find myself giving 'Frankenstein meets the space monster' a soft, warm recommendation.
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