I really don't think this deserves the "honor" of being in the Bottom 100 of all times. I've seen much worse films without nearly the notoriety. In "Bride of the Monster," Edward Wood shows himself to be a typically competent director doing a typical low-rent horror film. There are no mistakes in continuity, the lighting is adequate, the performances are pretty good
how "Plan 9" came from the same director is beyond me. I *am* put off by the DVD, though. For a premium price, you get the film, the trailer, and chapter stopsthat's all, folks. If this is supposed to be a camp classic, I could at least hope for some interviews, outtakes, and other amusements. The transfer isn't bad, with few scratches or specks that I noticed and a faithful rendering of the black-and-white movies of that era.
120 Reviews
Ed Wood tampers in God's domain...again.
Gafke20 June 2004
This really isn't such a terrible little movie. Sure, it's cheap, the acting is horrible, the sets wobble if sneezed upon and the special effects consist of stock footage and a rubber octopus, but "Bride of the Monster" is much, MUCH better than "Plan 9 From Outer Space."
Mad scientist Vornoff (a sickly Bela Lugosi) has apparently set up shop in the Florida Everglades, kidnapping anyone unwise enough to wander too close to his house (and his pet octopus) and conducting sinister experiments upon them. Vornoff, for some odd reason, is determined to create a race of super giants with incredible strength. We're never really sure exactly WHY he wants to do this, but one can only assume that, if one possesses an army of super strong giants, one could take over the world and rule it and stuff. That seems to be the goal of every other mad scientist in the unruled world, anyway. Into this diabolical plan stumbles loudmouthed newsgirl Loretta King, who is determined to get the story on the Lake Marsh Monster. Whether the title of "Lake Marsh Monster" refers to the octopus, Tor Johnson as the fumbling Lobo or Bela's drug problem, we're never sure. Take your pick. Anyway, Loretta is kept under constant hypnosis by Bela's eyebags and is slated to become The Bride of the Monster! By this point, we're all quite ready to see the annoying Loretta fried to a crisp, but unfortunately, her wimpy boyfriend shows up to save her. The stunning climax is packed full of raging Lobo's, rolling boulders, lightening bolts, gunfire and death by octopus!
The story doesn't make much sense, but were you really expecting it to when you saw Ed Wood's name listed under the title of director? Still and all, it's certainly Wood's most coherent effort and can be entertaining for those of us who stop to look at road accidents.
Mad scientist Vornoff (a sickly Bela Lugosi) has apparently set up shop in the Florida Everglades, kidnapping anyone unwise enough to wander too close to his house (and his pet octopus) and conducting sinister experiments upon them. Vornoff, for some odd reason, is determined to create a race of super giants with incredible strength. We're never really sure exactly WHY he wants to do this, but one can only assume that, if one possesses an army of super strong giants, one could take over the world and rule it and stuff. That seems to be the goal of every other mad scientist in the unruled world, anyway. Into this diabolical plan stumbles loudmouthed newsgirl Loretta King, who is determined to get the story on the Lake Marsh Monster. Whether the title of "Lake Marsh Monster" refers to the octopus, Tor Johnson as the fumbling Lobo or Bela's drug problem, we're never sure. Take your pick. Anyway, Loretta is kept under constant hypnosis by Bela's eyebags and is slated to become The Bride of the Monster! By this point, we're all quite ready to see the annoying Loretta fried to a crisp, but unfortunately, her wimpy boyfriend shows up to save her. The stunning climax is packed full of raging Lobo's, rolling boulders, lightening bolts, gunfire and death by octopus!
The story doesn't make much sense, but were you really expecting it to when you saw Ed Wood's name listed under the title of director? Still and all, it's certainly Wood's most coherent effort and can be entertaining for those of us who stop to look at road accidents.
Bela, Tor, Nash, and Studebaker!
dsayne29 January 2008
Having heard for years how bad this movie was I was prepared for the worst. I was very pleasantly surprised. While I wouldn't label this a good movie, I will say that it is entertaining - never boring. As others have commented, Bela does a fine job - perhaps overacting a bit, but in a good way. We are treated to a masterful performance as he makes the most of every bit of insipid dialog.
The story moves along well and the production, while cheap, is never ridiculous. I will disagree with other reviewers who pan the rest of the cast. I feel that the acting was mostly competent and fairly natural. I have certainly seen worse, often in much more highly regarded films. Even Tor manages to be believable within the context.
An added bonus that I think has not been mentioned: If you are a car buff you have the rare privilege of seeing a Nash and a Studebaker share a scene! That in itself is worth a look!
The story moves along well and the production, while cheap, is never ridiculous. I will disagree with other reviewers who pan the rest of the cast. I feel that the acting was mostly competent and fairly natural. I have certainly seen worse, often in much more highly regarded films. Even Tor manages to be believable within the context.
An added bonus that I think has not been mentioned: If you are a car buff you have the rare privilege of seeing a Nash and a Studebaker share a scene! That in itself is worth a look!
TWILIGHT OF A GOD
chrisP-1013 November 2004
AS others have commented on, BOTM is indeed a competent B-movie. After
seeing it on public domain video I was glad to buy the Image DVD which has
very good image quality. You can see the movie the way Ed Wood intended it.
The lighting is competent; the camera work is competent.
But what elevates BOTM to film nirvana is Bela Lugosi's performance as Dr. Eric Vornoff (sp?). To those who say that Ed Wood exploited Bela (including Bela Jr), I say, at least he didn't put Bela in white plastic go-go boots and give him no dialogue, like the director of The Black Sleep did.
Without exception Bela's performances are hypnotic. His strange intonation, his deliberate facial gesture, his gravitas -- he is always the magnetic center of his films. And BOTM gives a summary of his career -- the Dracula hands, the White Zombie hands -- and the pathos of his "I have no home" speech -- give his
performance a dimension most of his roles (though check out "Invisible Ghost" for another excellent role) lacked.
"Nuff said. I enjoy the delirium of Glen or Glenda? and Plan 9, but Bride of the Monster is Bela's show ALL THE WAY.
seeing it on public domain video I was glad to buy the Image DVD which has
very good image quality. You can see the movie the way Ed Wood intended it.
The lighting is competent; the camera work is competent.
But what elevates BOTM to film nirvana is Bela Lugosi's performance as Dr. Eric Vornoff (sp?). To those who say that Ed Wood exploited Bela (including Bela Jr), I say, at least he didn't put Bela in white plastic go-go boots and give him no dialogue, like the director of The Black Sleep did.
Without exception Bela's performances are hypnotic. His strange intonation, his deliberate facial gesture, his gravitas -- he is always the magnetic center of his films. And BOTM gives a summary of his career -- the Dracula hands, the White Zombie hands -- and the pathos of his "I have no home" speech -- give his
performance a dimension most of his roles (though check out "Invisible Ghost" for another excellent role) lacked.
"Nuff said. I enjoy the delirium of Glen or Glenda? and Plan 9, but Bride of the Monster is Bela's show ALL THE WAY.
Not Wood's worst
lastliberal21 April 2007
There is a tendency to underrate Ed Eood's films due to the fact that he is considered one of the worst writers and directors out there. I will challenge that by saying that I consider William Allen Castleman and Robert Freeman to be worse than Wood. Having said that, you can't give this movie a high rating because it really is poorly done, despite the fact that Bela Lugosi does a credible job. I like Tor Johnson too, but that doesn't make him an actor. This movie has too many obvious flaws to be rated highly, but as a camp classic it should be viewed just so you know the history of movies. You can't call someone good unless you can point to someone who did it wrong.
Great Film For What It Is
gavin69426 October 2011
Rumours abound about what may go on at a creepy mansion just out of town. The house is owned by Dr. Eric Vornoff (Bela Lugosi) who is conducting experiments to turn people into super-beings through the use of atomic power.
With Tor Johnson as Lobo and directed by the eccentric Ed Wood, this film is a pure winner if you like B-movie cheese. Is it good? In the traditional sense of "good", no. But who can say no to cheesy movies and countless scenes of Lugosi making some absurd faces?
What needs mentioning is the octopus from "Wake of the Red Witch", a John Wayne film. Reports are contradictory about whether or not the octopus was stolen, but more importantly -- what is the deal with this thing? When attacked by it, the victim grabs the tentacles and flails them. Not very convincing. And the mismatched footage of a real octopus?
If you cannot handle this film in its normal mode, you may be happy to know it also can be viewed as an episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000". It has some historical importance as Wood's only profitable film, and allegedly this is the movie that created American International Pictures, which would bring us Roger Corman, and several other huge names over the next five decades.
With Tor Johnson as Lobo and directed by the eccentric Ed Wood, this film is a pure winner if you like B-movie cheese. Is it good? In the traditional sense of "good", no. But who can say no to cheesy movies and countless scenes of Lugosi making some absurd faces?
What needs mentioning is the octopus from "Wake of the Red Witch", a John Wayne film. Reports are contradictory about whether or not the octopus was stolen, but more importantly -- what is the deal with this thing? When attacked by it, the victim grabs the tentacles and flails them. Not very convincing. And the mismatched footage of a real octopus?
If you cannot handle this film in its normal mode, you may be happy to know it also can be viewed as an episode of "Mystery Science Theater 3000". It has some historical importance as Wood's only profitable film, and allegedly this is the movie that created American International Pictures, which would bring us Roger Corman, and several other huge names over the next five decades.
Not too bad, really
InjunNose8 January 2020
Considering the fact that it was directed by Ed Wood, the man responsible for what's supposed to be the worst movie of all time ("Plan 9 from Outer Space"), "Bride of the Monster" is a surprisingly competent and even watchable effort. As the last in a long line of Poverty Row mad doctor films starring Bela Lugosi, it's far from conspicuously terrible; in fact, we find Lugosi in above-average form. (He pulls out all the stops in his confrontation with George Becwar, delivering a fine, emotionally convincing performance that may have been the high point of his career.) The only thing that significantly mars this film is the flaccid octopus, and with better judgment Wood might have left those scenes to the viewer's imagination.
Not a work of art, but if you're watching something with a title like "Bride of the Monster," art isn't what you're after. As a horror/sci-fi potboiler it works just fine.
Not a work of art, but if you're watching something with a title like "Bride of the Monster," art isn't what you're after. As a horror/sci-fi potboiler it works just fine.
One of Woods' better efforts
JoeytheBrit29 May 2007
This no-budget monster movie isn't quite as bad as you'd expect considering it comes from a man who is widely considered to be the world's worst director. That isn't to say it's particularly good the acting ranges from amateurish to hammy, the sets wobble, the monster doesn't work (which means its 'victims' have to grab hold of its tentacles and thrash them around a bit), continuity is non-existent, editing looks as if its been spliced using a pair of blunt scissors and a pot of evo-stik, and the story makes no sense at all but it's no worse than many other cheap monster flicks from the same era.
Bela Lugosi, raddled by his addictions and close to death, looks old and ill here, but still manages to give a fairly sprightly performance, while Tor Johnson had the kind of looks that were made for horror films. The male and female leads are bland, however. Strange why Woods gave the sassy female journalist part to Loretta King rather than his girlfriend Dolores Fuller, who has only a small, inconsequential role.
Bela Lugosi, raddled by his addictions and close to death, looks old and ill here, but still manages to give a fairly sprightly performance, while Tor Johnson had the kind of looks that were made for horror films. The male and female leads are bland, however. Strange why Woods gave the sassy female journalist part to Loretta King rather than his girlfriend Dolores Fuller, who has only a small, inconsequential role.
Made famous by the film "Ed Wood"....
AlsExGal6 February 2023
... which was probably the best film about bad filmmaking ever made.
This is not as good as Ed Wood's 'masterpiece' Plan 9 from Outer Space, as this is just another inept film by Wood. Lugosi has a full lead as a mad scientist with his 'Igor' Tor Johnson. As Dr. Eric Vornoff Lugosi conducts bizarre and unethical experiments in an attempt to create a race of atomic supermen. Lugosi's performance as the deranged scientist is one of the film's highlights, capturing his signature charisma and adding a layer of campy charm to the proceedings. Lugosi is quite good in it, considering his age ,his health and his extenuating circumstances.
Now for the special effects. The victims are strapped to a table with a upside down salad bowl in sort of stainless steel on their head with three big sparks plugs on it, whatever it is. The monster is a giant rubber octopus but the mechanism does not work so the victims must move the tentacles themselves to create movement. And yet this is the only film by Wood to have made a profit (!) Surely it did not need much to cover its cost. The course of the troubled production and Lugosi's place in it is rather interesting if you take the time to dig into the matter.
This is not as good as Ed Wood's 'masterpiece' Plan 9 from Outer Space, as this is just another inept film by Wood. Lugosi has a full lead as a mad scientist with his 'Igor' Tor Johnson. As Dr. Eric Vornoff Lugosi conducts bizarre and unethical experiments in an attempt to create a race of atomic supermen. Lugosi's performance as the deranged scientist is one of the film's highlights, capturing his signature charisma and adding a layer of campy charm to the proceedings. Lugosi is quite good in it, considering his age ,his health and his extenuating circumstances.
Now for the special effects. The victims are strapped to a table with a upside down salad bowl in sort of stainless steel on their head with three big sparks plugs on it, whatever it is. The monster is a giant rubber octopus but the mechanism does not work so the victims must move the tentacles themselves to create movement. And yet this is the only film by Wood to have made a profit (!) Surely it did not need much to cover its cost. The course of the troubled production and Lugosi's place in it is rather interesting if you take the time to dig into the matter.
Almost Poignant
mmcclelland3 November 2000
Bride of the Monster is the best of Ed Wood's films. Frankly compared with Scared to Death and the Devil Bat-- the film truly looks like a masterpiece -- and truth be told it isn't that bad. In fact, it is rather enjoyable. Okay, I am gonna admit it -- I like it! If you look past the cheesy octopus (no worse than the hysterical devil bat), the cheap sets and the lame acting (better than Scared to Death!), if you suspend a little disbelief and realize this movie was made for a song -- then actually it is pretty darned good. One reason for this is that Bela Lugosi gets ample screen time. If Ed Wood was a bit unimaginative, he at least knew what it was that made Lugosi a legend and reprises little details, from the mad scientific leering of the Devil Bat to the idiosyncratic hand gestures of White Zombie. Bela is given a chance to shine in his final starring performance and shine he does. The movie has its flaws, but Bela is not one of them. He is old and looks weak, but he carries the movie like a true champion. He makes empty dialog sound meaningful and implausible scenarios seem poignant (well almost poignant).
Lugosi's "I have no home" monolog is beautiful. He could make dialog such as "I have proven that I am alright!" sound good. Lugosi gives his all in his last performance, and it is a great performance, even if he does have to wrestle with a fake octopus.
Lugosi's "I have no home" monolog is beautiful. He could make dialog such as "I have proven that I am alright!" sound good. Lugosi gives his all in his last performance, and it is a great performance, even if he does have to wrestle with a fake octopus.
Probably Ed's most accomplished movie
Red-Barracuda15 March 2010
Technically speaking Bride of the Monster is probably Ed Wood's most fully realized film. I get the impression that in this instance Wood came closest to producing on screen what he conceived beforehand. That's not to say that it's his most enjoyable work because in the mad and crazy world of Wood, incompetence has been elevated almost to an art form and, therefore, some of his more unintentionally funny films are actually favoured by me. That said Bride of the Monster should certainly still please fans of bad psychotronic cinema. And, along with Glen or Glenda and Plan 9 From Outer Space would make excellent complementary viewing alongside Tim Burton's masterful biopic Ed Wood.
The story is suitably ridiculous and not really worth going into. And it's not 100% obvious what the title actually means. Loretta King's character is clearly supposed to be the bride but there are two completely separate monsters and neither of them particularly appears to be the groom. One of the monsters is played by a stock footage octopus that turns hilariously into an inanimate giant prop in a puddle when attacking various members of the cast. The second monster is played by the one and only Tor Johnson, as a character called Lobo who is the sidekick of Bela Lugosi's Dr. Eric Vornoff. Lugosi is a lot of fun in this and despite the film's cruddiness, it's not a terrible showcase for him. Ironically, his turn in this ultra-cheap notorious movie has become one of his most iconic. He gets to say his famous 'I have no home' speech that was made famous in Burton's movie, and the sight of him whipping Tor into action in his (cardboard?) laboratory is both funny and highly memorable. In general, the acting is not as bad as is typical for a Wood film; although Dolores Fuller is, as usual, gloriously rubbish in her small role as the secretary – her short conversation with Loretta King is truly a non-acting master-class.
It goes without saying that Bride of the Monster is not a film for everyone. For the casual viewer this would still be considered an awful film, but in relative Woodian terms it can be regarded as something of an accomplished success.
The story is suitably ridiculous and not really worth going into. And it's not 100% obvious what the title actually means. Loretta King's character is clearly supposed to be the bride but there are two completely separate monsters and neither of them particularly appears to be the groom. One of the monsters is played by a stock footage octopus that turns hilariously into an inanimate giant prop in a puddle when attacking various members of the cast. The second monster is played by the one and only Tor Johnson, as a character called Lobo who is the sidekick of Bela Lugosi's Dr. Eric Vornoff. Lugosi is a lot of fun in this and despite the film's cruddiness, it's not a terrible showcase for him. Ironically, his turn in this ultra-cheap notorious movie has become one of his most iconic. He gets to say his famous 'I have no home' speech that was made famous in Burton's movie, and the sight of him whipping Tor into action in his (cardboard?) laboratory is both funny and highly memorable. In general, the acting is not as bad as is typical for a Wood film; although Dolores Fuller is, as usual, gloriously rubbish in her small role as the secretary – her short conversation with Loretta King is truly a non-acting master-class.
It goes without saying that Bride of the Monster is not a film for everyone. For the casual viewer this would still be considered an awful film, but in relative Woodian terms it can be regarded as something of an accomplished success.
An Ed Wood Classic
MNatural19 June 2001
If you do not know Ed Wood then this movie will have little meaning to you. So the first thing you have to do is learn about the life of Ed Wood. He is one of the worst directors of all time, but also one of the most colorful. Bride of the monster is a good example of his ability to make the most out of his scarce resources. You'll love it or you'll hate it. Have fun!
Long live Bela!
Smells_Like_Cheese28 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
If Plan 9 from Outer Space is Ed Wood's Citizen Kane, then Bride of the Monster is his Casablanca. The weird thing is, even though this is a bad movie, again you can't hate Ed Wood for it, because he put a lot of passion into it. Also this was one of his better films, while it could be a bit dull at times and over the top fake with that octopus monster, he had a good story that with a bit of patching could have been a really decent sci-fi flick. But how could I dismiss Ed Wood? This was his baby, he and Bela Legosi put so much love into this movie. Bella proves that he still has that strong presence on screen. I'm so glad that he had more screen time than what was written originally, it shows such a precious time in his life where when you think he would have fallen still in his typecast of horror movies, he could still deliver a great speech with such honor. Bride of the Monster offers silliness and a not so scary monster, but nevertheless what else could you want from an Ed Wood movie? It was the 1950's after all and he was just trying to make a name for himself with this script.
Dr. Eric Vornoff, is experimenting with nuclear power with the help of his mute assistant, Lobo. His goal is to eventually create an army of super soldiers that he will use to conquer the earth. Their residence, an old mansion, is guarded by a giant octopus of Dr. Vornoff's own creation which lives in the surrounding swamp. The Octopus has been responsible for the deaths of local townspeople. Newspaper reporter Janet Lawton investigates further, becoming a prisoner of Dr. Vornoff in the process. The police eventually follow, led by lieutenant Dick Craig, who is also Lawton's boyfriend. Meanwhile, an official from Dr. Vornoff's home country, Professor Strowksi, arrives and tries to persuade him to return to their homeland in hopes that his research will benefit their nation. However, Strowski is killed and Lobo unwittingly turns Dr. Vornoff into an atomic-powered superhuman being.
I absolutely love the ending with a passion, I loved the out of no where explosion that also happened to be a nuclear bomb that somehow didn't effect anyone. The silly effects that were also offered, I found it hilarious that Bela Legosi's character couldn't operate his own machine that he built, but the minute that his deformed side kick operates it, it works for him just fine. The only flaw that I found with this movie is that there are times where it could be a bit dull and felt a little dragged on. With Plan 9 you never got that, because as silly as it was it never stopped entertaining you. So like I said while this was Ed Wood's better film, it just seemed like we had to wait a while before any fun action scenes. But if you like Ed Wood or goofy movies, I definitely would recommend this one, it's not as silly as some of his other films but you'll get a great kick out of people "wrestling" with the octopus. Gotta give those actors credit, no CGI back then, only a silly doll to play dead with.
6/10
Dr. Eric Vornoff, is experimenting with nuclear power with the help of his mute assistant, Lobo. His goal is to eventually create an army of super soldiers that he will use to conquer the earth. Their residence, an old mansion, is guarded by a giant octopus of Dr. Vornoff's own creation which lives in the surrounding swamp. The Octopus has been responsible for the deaths of local townspeople. Newspaper reporter Janet Lawton investigates further, becoming a prisoner of Dr. Vornoff in the process. The police eventually follow, led by lieutenant Dick Craig, who is also Lawton's boyfriend. Meanwhile, an official from Dr. Vornoff's home country, Professor Strowksi, arrives and tries to persuade him to return to their homeland in hopes that his research will benefit their nation. However, Strowski is killed and Lobo unwittingly turns Dr. Vornoff into an atomic-powered superhuman being.
I absolutely love the ending with a passion, I loved the out of no where explosion that also happened to be a nuclear bomb that somehow didn't effect anyone. The silly effects that were also offered, I found it hilarious that Bela Legosi's character couldn't operate his own machine that he built, but the minute that his deformed side kick operates it, it works for him just fine. The only flaw that I found with this movie is that there are times where it could be a bit dull and felt a little dragged on. With Plan 9 you never got that, because as silly as it was it never stopped entertaining you. So like I said while this was Ed Wood's better film, it just seemed like we had to wait a while before any fun action scenes. But if you like Ed Wood or goofy movies, I definitely would recommend this one, it's not as silly as some of his other films but you'll get a great kick out of people "wrestling" with the octopus. Gotta give those actors credit, no CGI back then, only a silly doll to play dead with.
6/10
If you have ever wondered where the expression "so stupid its brilliant" comes from...
mentalcritic11 July 2006
This is the place to look. After Glen Or Glenda? failed to attract any offers of big-studio financing, Ed financed this entire film himself and filmed it entirely without oversight. The fact that he was clearly less than competent to do all of these tasks himself utterly failed to dissuade anyone involved from seeing the thing through to completion, and the result is that we have this cinematic turkey to laugh at for all time. Wood, bless him, was so enthusiastic about making films that he never bothered to try and learn his craft or test his ideas to see if they would work in the finished product. As a consequence, all of his effects are symbolic, and utterly laughable. When he wants a character to manipulate lab equipment, he will direct an actor to wildly gesticulate in front of a set that looks like a random collection of dials and lights stuck to a board. Making it all the funnier is that his actors are so clueless to his incompetence, or so captivated by his imagination, that they deliver a stupefyingly earnest performance.
The plot of Bride Of The Monster is as ridiculous as anything else to have been written by Ed Wood, but in a sort of charming way, it works. The documentary Flying Saucers Over Hollywood explains in some segments that Wood's best-known work, Plan 9 From Outer Space, is widely watched because in addition to the reputation it has as a completely insane film, it also has a smattering of legitimately effective scenes or shots. That is definitely the case with Bride Of The Monster. Scenes like Bela Lugosi's "I have no home" speech, or Loretta King's quick chat with the file clerk, demonstrate a knack for composition and spacing that would have served Wood quite well if he had been able to reign in his apparent belief in shooting everything in one take, even if that take shows the set wobbling. Another quote about Plan 9 that definitely applies here is that no matter what time you watch Bride Of The Monster at, it always feels as if you are sitting in front of your television at four in the morning.
Lugosi plays a mad scientist named Eric Vornoff, who is attempting to create a super-strength zombie through the use of a table, some straps, a powerful lamp, and some kind of electric play-toy. In the swamp around his mansion, people have been going missing with alarming regularity, prompting a detective to poke his nose into the area's goings-on. Contrary to the impression given by Tim Burton's biopic, Tony McCoy is not that bad an actor, although you will not be surprised to learn he only ever acted in one film and a TV episode after Bride Of The Monster. In fact, the acting in this particular film is much better than is usually the case for Wood productions, although that is not saying a lot. Loretta King speaks all of her lines as if she is reading from cue cards, and Dolores Fuller makes it plainly obvious she would rather be anywhere but on the office set. But the real prize for bad acting comes from George Becwar as Professor Vladimir Strowski, who has the apparent objective of taking Vornoff home by any means necessary. Whether Vornoff likes it or not. If one ever needed proof that Bela Lugosi was the most talented person to cross Ed Wood's path, this scene is it.
Wood's enthusiasm for incorporating stock footage into his films both benefits and hinders him this time. The octopus stock footage is blended with his footage of what is clearly an octopus dummy to an effect that is both hilarious and rather sad. Watching Bela Lugosi battle with an octopus that he is clearly moving himself is enough to make one feel pretty sorry for the old guy. Exactly why producer Donald McCoy felt the need to end the film with a nuclear explosion is anyone's guess, but Wood obliges him with stock footage that not only doesn't come close to matching the rest of the film, but also raises the question of how our heroes survived. Wood's problem as a director was not so much that he was incompetent or had ambitions too great for his ability. No, his real problem was that he was utterly blind to when his stock footage or effects shots simply were not working. A good filmmaker like Verhoeven or Lucas would arrange their shots and editing to either cover their mistakes or let the audience's imagination take over. Wood just showed his blunders, warts and all.
Amazingly, Bride Of The Monster achieved financial success when first released to theatres in 1955. Combined with Wood's documented excessive enthusiasm, this does a lot to explain why Wood was so enthusiastic to get another film in production. Although he made two short films between this and Plan 9, it took another two years for him to get what was then a feature-length film wrapped. That's another peculiarity of Wood's productions - none of them reached so much as a ninety minute length. In today's film-making world where studios will insert excessive scenes just to get a film up to an unspoken minimum length, nobody will ever accuse Wood's of outlasting their welcome. And that is probably one of the saddest things about Wood's story. Even though he never fit into the system in place during the 1950s, he would have even more difficulty fitting into the studio system of today. He dared to take on subjects that others considered taboo, and wasn't made creatively impotent by focus group meetings.
I gave Bride Of The Monster a one out of ten. It is incompetent on every level, yet so endearing. Watch it with a group of friends, make it a MST-style night, and you will have a blast.
The plot of Bride Of The Monster is as ridiculous as anything else to have been written by Ed Wood, but in a sort of charming way, it works. The documentary Flying Saucers Over Hollywood explains in some segments that Wood's best-known work, Plan 9 From Outer Space, is widely watched because in addition to the reputation it has as a completely insane film, it also has a smattering of legitimately effective scenes or shots. That is definitely the case with Bride Of The Monster. Scenes like Bela Lugosi's "I have no home" speech, or Loretta King's quick chat with the file clerk, demonstrate a knack for composition and spacing that would have served Wood quite well if he had been able to reign in his apparent belief in shooting everything in one take, even if that take shows the set wobbling. Another quote about Plan 9 that definitely applies here is that no matter what time you watch Bride Of The Monster at, it always feels as if you are sitting in front of your television at four in the morning.
Lugosi plays a mad scientist named Eric Vornoff, who is attempting to create a super-strength zombie through the use of a table, some straps, a powerful lamp, and some kind of electric play-toy. In the swamp around his mansion, people have been going missing with alarming regularity, prompting a detective to poke his nose into the area's goings-on. Contrary to the impression given by Tim Burton's biopic, Tony McCoy is not that bad an actor, although you will not be surprised to learn he only ever acted in one film and a TV episode after Bride Of The Monster. In fact, the acting in this particular film is much better than is usually the case for Wood productions, although that is not saying a lot. Loretta King speaks all of her lines as if she is reading from cue cards, and Dolores Fuller makes it plainly obvious she would rather be anywhere but on the office set. But the real prize for bad acting comes from George Becwar as Professor Vladimir Strowski, who has the apparent objective of taking Vornoff home by any means necessary. Whether Vornoff likes it or not. If one ever needed proof that Bela Lugosi was the most talented person to cross Ed Wood's path, this scene is it.
Wood's enthusiasm for incorporating stock footage into his films both benefits and hinders him this time. The octopus stock footage is blended with his footage of what is clearly an octopus dummy to an effect that is both hilarious and rather sad. Watching Bela Lugosi battle with an octopus that he is clearly moving himself is enough to make one feel pretty sorry for the old guy. Exactly why producer Donald McCoy felt the need to end the film with a nuclear explosion is anyone's guess, but Wood obliges him with stock footage that not only doesn't come close to matching the rest of the film, but also raises the question of how our heroes survived. Wood's problem as a director was not so much that he was incompetent or had ambitions too great for his ability. No, his real problem was that he was utterly blind to when his stock footage or effects shots simply were not working. A good filmmaker like Verhoeven or Lucas would arrange their shots and editing to either cover their mistakes or let the audience's imagination take over. Wood just showed his blunders, warts and all.
Amazingly, Bride Of The Monster achieved financial success when first released to theatres in 1955. Combined with Wood's documented excessive enthusiasm, this does a lot to explain why Wood was so enthusiastic to get another film in production. Although he made two short films between this and Plan 9, it took another two years for him to get what was then a feature-length film wrapped. That's another peculiarity of Wood's productions - none of them reached so much as a ninety minute length. In today's film-making world where studios will insert excessive scenes just to get a film up to an unspoken minimum length, nobody will ever accuse Wood's of outlasting their welcome. And that is probably one of the saddest things about Wood's story. Even though he never fit into the system in place during the 1950s, he would have even more difficulty fitting into the studio system of today. He dared to take on subjects that others considered taboo, and wasn't made creatively impotent by focus group meetings.
I gave Bride Of The Monster a one out of ten. It is incompetent on every level, yet so endearing. Watch it with a group of friends, make it a MST-style night, and you will have a blast.
One of Wood's most underrated movies. 'Bride Of The Monster' isn't anywhere near as bad as many claim and Lugosi is terrific!
Infofreak25 May 2004
Ever since The Golden Turkey Awards chose Ed Wood as the world's worst director back in the 80s there have been a lot of people who automatically dismiss all Ed Wood movies as garbage. Even Tim Burton's terrific 'Ed Wood' has encouraged this. My opinion is that there are many, many worse directors out there, because at least Wood's movies were fun and entertaining, unlike many of those made by the likes of Roland Emmerich or Michael Bay, directors who are able to work with budgets a 1000 times bigger than Wood I might add! 'Bride Of The Monster' is one of Wood's most underrated movies. It was his second movie to star horror legend Bela Lugosi, but unlike the first, the truly mind blowing 'Glen Or Glenda', it isn't completely inept. True, some of the acting is terrible, especially the talentless leading lady Loretta King who is (I admit it) lousy, and Wood regular Paul Marco, who has a small supporting role as a cop. But, and this is a BIG but, Lugosi is terrific. Many fans regard this as his best performance. I wouldn't go that far but it's hard not to get choked up at Lugosi's immortal "I have no home" speech. 'Bride Of The Monster' is the first Wood film to feature the amazing Tor Johnson. He plays Lugosi's Tibetan servant/slave Lobo. All the scenes with Lobo are great fun to watch, especially when Lugosi whips him. Apart from Lugosi and Tor this movie is best remembered for the rubber octopus monster. Of course it's a hoot, but the rest of the picture isn't anywhere near as bad as many claim and is comparable to say 'The Devil Bat', which Lugosi starred in back in the 1940s. Both movies suffer from their minuscule budgets, but both are still worth watching to see Lugosi struggle for greatness. I recommend 'Bride Of The Monster' to all horror fans, especially those of Bela Lugosi.
a terrible film you MUST watch!
planktonrules13 June 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This film is only marginally better than Wood's most famous film, Plan 9 From Outer Space. Plan 9 was rightfully voted the worst movie ever made a while back. So why would I recommend this movie?! Well, it is not because I am a masochist, but I do enjoy watching films that are so inept and stupid they are funny. However, this is NOT the same as a simply bad movie. There are many bad movies that either bore me (The Conqueror--starring John Wayne as Genghis Khan) or give me a headache (Cracking Up by Jerry Lewis) and I would NEVER recommend ANYONE seem them (except, maybe, the prisoners at Guantanamo). No, instead Bride of the Monster is one you put in with a group of friends and watch just how amateurishly made a film can be! The movie stars the down-and-out Bela Lugosi shortly before his death. He stars as an evil mad scientist and he is assisted by his henchman, Tor Johnson (both of which are ALSO in Plan 9). I really don't remember that much of the plot--just the silliness of the movie and the ending where Lugosi wrestles with a giant rubber octopus (or squid). According to Michael Medved, the creature was to have been animated but the motor broke. So, the aging Lugosi had to wrestle a dead-looking creature and ACT like it was alive--wrapping its tentacles around him and screaming hysterically! It's a sight to see--trust me!
I'm so glad I bought this movie
nhlgumby15 December 2001
I was so surprised when I found this movie for sale at the local used book/CD/video store. I was also very delighted, because it meant I would be able to see more work of Ed Wood. This film had a big part in the movie Tim Burton did on Ed Wood. I think it was great that he got booed out of the theater, but also kind of depressing. But I have to admit, I think this movie deserves a lot more credit than it currently has.
The only really and truly bad part of the movie was the end. Not just one part of the end, but the WHOLE ending. The parts where Bela was getting shot at, and he twitched his face to dodge the bullets, and the part with the boulder and then the octopus in ankle deep water where Bela had to fling the tentacles around to make it look alive. And then the explosion. Now, I'm no atomic physicist, but I thought atomic explosions encompassed at least a one mile blast radius... at LEAST. I mean, the other characters where like ten feet away when the explosion happened. How could they not have been hurt? Well, I shouldn't be complaining too much... It IS after all Ed Wood, and it WAS stock footage, so... who can complain. Not me!!! Good day to all.
The only really and truly bad part of the movie was the end. Not just one part of the end, but the WHOLE ending. The parts where Bela was getting shot at, and he twitched his face to dodge the bullets, and the part with the boulder and then the octopus in ankle deep water where Bela had to fling the tentacles around to make it look alive. And then the explosion. Now, I'm no atomic physicist, but I thought atomic explosions encompassed at least a one mile blast radius... at LEAST. I mean, the other characters where like ten feet away when the explosion happened. How could they not have been hurt? Well, I shouldn't be complaining too much... It IS after all Ed Wood, and it WAS stock footage, so... who can complain. Not me!!! Good day to all.
Beware That Metal Salad Bowl Thing!
gftbiloxi16 May 2005
Most of Dr. Bella's patients seem to die in this film--and it's probably of embarrassment. After all, how would you feel if some one tied you to a table and then strapped a metal salad bowl on your head? The purpose of these odd experiments seems to be the creation of an "atomic" man, through which Bella can rule the world...but his subjects keep dying off, and eventually intrepid reporter Loretta King goes stomping out to Bella's house to see just what's up--and pretty soon she too is writhing on the table with that metal salad bowl thing on her head.
THE BRIDE OF THE MONSTER doesn't really have the sublime ineptitude that makes PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE so much fun, but it has more than enough unintentional hilarity to keep you tuned in. After all, where else are you going to see a rubber octopus, an angora-fondling slave, and a police chief who plays with birds? And dare we mention an incredibly obnoxious performance by Loretta King, who has less talent than your bathroom tile? Ed Wood fans will love it, for sure, and for them I give it four stars. But all others are warned away! Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
THE BRIDE OF THE MONSTER doesn't really have the sublime ineptitude that makes PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE so much fun, but it has more than enough unintentional hilarity to keep you tuned in. After all, where else are you going to see a rubber octopus, an angora-fondling slave, and a police chief who plays with birds? And dare we mention an incredibly obnoxious performance by Loretta King, who has less talent than your bathroom tile? Ed Wood fans will love it, for sure, and for them I give it four stars. But all others are warned away! Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
"The ground is alive with crawling things"-a quality line of dialogue from Edward D. Wood Jr.'s Bride of the Monster!
poolandrews28 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Bride of the Monster opens on a dark stormy night, the wind howls as the rain lashes down between strikes of lightening and rumbling thunder. It's Lake Marsh and two men, Mac (Bud Osborne) and Jake (John Warren) are caught unawares by the storm and find themselves stranded. They seek refuge in 'Willow' mansion owned by mad Russian scientist Dr. Eric Vornoff (Bela Lugosi). Vornoff warns the men to leave. Before they can Vornoff's idiotic servant Lobo (Tor Johnson) creeps up behind them and sends them running back into the swamp. There Mac and Jake are attacked by Vornoff's monstrous creation that lives there, a giant octopus. Lobo manages to retrieve one of the men and take him back to Vornoff's laboratory where Vornoff sticks a siv with three spark plugs stuck to the top on his head. Vornoff then shines a light in his face, which proves fatal. Vornoff bemoans yet another failed experiment. Captain of homicide Tom Robbins (Harvey B. Dunn) calls Lieutenant Dick Craig (Tony McCoy) into his office to discuss the disappearance of twelve men near Lake Marsh. Lt. Craig says he has nothing to go on when his fiancé who works as a journalist, Janet Lawton (Loretta King) walks into Robbins office. Janet feels the police aren't doing everything they can so she decides to do some investigating of her own, much to the displeasure of Lt. Craig and Captain Robbins. After some research Janet drives out to Lake Marsh but crashes her car in a violent thunder storm and is kidnapped by Lobo. Back at headquarters Captain Robbins and Lt. Craig talk to the leading authority on Prehistoric monsters, Professor Vladimir Strowski (George Becwar) who convinces them that the legends of a monster surrounding the swamps may be true and along with Lt. Craig and his partner Detective Marty Martin (Don Nagel) decides to head out to the swamps to check things out. Vornoff dresses Janet in a white bridal gown (I don't know why) and prepares her to undergo more of his insane experiments which he hopes will create a race of Atomic supermen to conquer the world! Once at the swamp Lt. Craig finds Janet's abandoned car with her nowhere to be seen. Will Lt. Craig be able to solve the mystery and rescue his fiancé Janet before she becomes Vornoff's latest experiment? Or will he end up octopus food?
Written and directed by Edwood D. Wood Jr. I thought this film was nowhere near as bad as it's reputation suggests. In fact I was impressed with it considering all the negative things I had heard. Don't misunderstand me as it certainly isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination but as a decent, fun, silly and entertaining 50's monster film I quite liked it. It moves along at a fair pace and at under 70 minutes it doesn't outstay it's welcome, but it did start to drag a little in the middle but it picked up again towards the end. The dialogue, although stupid at times, isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. It's simple and basic but coherent. Obviously there are 'bad' bits in the film, Vornoff's lab for instance is just a simple set with the stonework and bricks painted onto the walls to give the impression of an old Gothic dungeon. There is the odd continuity error and the special effects for the giant octopus are truly terrible, plus the octopus isn't really in it enough just a somewhat measly three times. The black and white photography by Ted Allan and William C. Thompson is simple but clean and crisp, at least you can see whats going on all the time which is all I was hoping for. Lugosi puts in a decent performance, Johnson is absolutely awful and he can hardly walk straight much less act and Dunn as Robbins is actually quite funny in a couple of scenes particularly when he questions the old woman in the records office. I really don't think this film deserves to be in the bottom 100, I've seen many film much worse than this fairly innocent, fun and at times charming little 50's effort from Edward D. Wodd Jr.! Difficult to recommend for casual viewers, but definitely worth a watch if you like these types of films.
Written and directed by Edwood D. Wood Jr. I thought this film was nowhere near as bad as it's reputation suggests. In fact I was impressed with it considering all the negative things I had heard. Don't misunderstand me as it certainly isn't a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination but as a decent, fun, silly and entertaining 50's monster film I quite liked it. It moves along at a fair pace and at under 70 minutes it doesn't outstay it's welcome, but it did start to drag a little in the middle but it picked up again towards the end. The dialogue, although stupid at times, isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. It's simple and basic but coherent. Obviously there are 'bad' bits in the film, Vornoff's lab for instance is just a simple set with the stonework and bricks painted onto the walls to give the impression of an old Gothic dungeon. There is the odd continuity error and the special effects for the giant octopus are truly terrible, plus the octopus isn't really in it enough just a somewhat measly three times. The black and white photography by Ted Allan and William C. Thompson is simple but clean and crisp, at least you can see whats going on all the time which is all I was hoping for. Lugosi puts in a decent performance, Johnson is absolutely awful and he can hardly walk straight much less act and Dunn as Robbins is actually quite funny in a couple of scenes particularly when he questions the old woman in the records office. I really don't think this film deserves to be in the bottom 100, I've seen many film much worse than this fairly innocent, fun and at times charming little 50's effort from Edward D. Wodd Jr.! Difficult to recommend for casual viewers, but definitely worth a watch if you like these types of films.
You have to admire Ed Wood
JoeB13127 July 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The man came with his projects with such sincerity, that you can safely ignore his lack of budget, props, sets, talented actors or the ability to write engaging dialog. He was just a guy who wanted to make movies with his friends.
So the plot is pretty by the numbers. Mad Scientist Bela Lugosi is trying to make a race of atomic supermen in a swamp somewhere in the south. Assisted by mute henchman Tor Johnson, he is subjecting hapless victims to gamma rays and feeding the rejects to his pet giant octopus, which can live in fresh water, for some reason.
The movie concludes with the girl reporter discovering his secret, only to be saved from being experimented on by a reluctant Tor, who subjects Lugosi to the machine, making him an atomic monster.
It's pure 50's schlock, romanticized by the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton film.
So the plot is pretty by the numbers. Mad Scientist Bela Lugosi is trying to make a race of atomic supermen in a swamp somewhere in the south. Assisted by mute henchman Tor Johnson, he is subjecting hapless victims to gamma rays and feeding the rejects to his pet giant octopus, which can live in fresh water, for some reason.
The movie concludes with the girl reporter discovering his secret, only to be saved from being experimented on by a reluctant Tor, who subjects Lugosi to the machine, making him an atomic monster.
It's pure 50's schlock, romanticized by the Johnny Depp/Tim Burton film.
Believe it or not...this movie is pretty good!
Boba_Fett113825 March 2005
This movie is easily Wood's best! Of all the movies Ed Wood has written this one makes 'the most sense', even though the story and concept are still ridiculous of course. Yet the movie works as an horror movie, or like Ed wood would call it; 'a supernatural thriller'.
The acting probably is the only thing that is truly bad about this movie. Lot's of people praise Bela Lugosi for his role in this but I think that's truly offensive to a great actor like him. Lugosi was hundred times better in movies like "Dracula" and "The Black Cat". Bela Lugosi and Tor Johnson are terribly overacting in this!
Also it's too bad about the octopus scene's. It all was terrible fake and the use of archive footage was done horribly.
The dialog and characters are the best Wood has ever written. Even though they are far from supreme, they work very well in the movie. Wood even manages to come up with some memorable quotes.
This movie really doesn't deserve such a low rating and my guess is that more than halve the people who have rated this movie poorly had not even seen this movie but just rated it low because it's an Ed Wood movie. Be fair people! I recognize a bad movie when I see one and this movie most certainly is not bad!
Even if you're not familiar with Wood's work but are a fan of classic horror movie's, you'll appreciate this movie. It really is not bad and works well as an horror movie. The story flows well and the ending is build up very good.
By Wood's standards, an excellent movie!
6/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
The acting probably is the only thing that is truly bad about this movie. Lot's of people praise Bela Lugosi for his role in this but I think that's truly offensive to a great actor like him. Lugosi was hundred times better in movies like "Dracula" and "The Black Cat". Bela Lugosi and Tor Johnson are terribly overacting in this!
Also it's too bad about the octopus scene's. It all was terrible fake and the use of archive footage was done horribly.
The dialog and characters are the best Wood has ever written. Even though they are far from supreme, they work very well in the movie. Wood even manages to come up with some memorable quotes.
This movie really doesn't deserve such a low rating and my guess is that more than halve the people who have rated this movie poorly had not even seen this movie but just rated it low because it's an Ed Wood movie. Be fair people! I recognize a bad movie when I see one and this movie most certainly is not bad!
Even if you're not familiar with Wood's work but are a fan of classic horror movie's, you'll appreciate this movie. It really is not bad and works well as an horror movie. The story flows well and the ending is build up very good.
By Wood's standards, an excellent movie!
6/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
Squids and monsters and atom bombs, oh my!
Elijah-129 July 1999
A mad scientist from Eastern Europe, a wrestler passing as Lobo, a radiation monster with a fetish for angora sweaters, a giant squid in the backyard, an airhead female journalist and a brain-dead but pretty-faced hero to save the girl. It doesn't get much better than this in the land of B-movies, thanks to the genius of Edward D. Wood Jr.
Strangely enough, if you dig deep down into this poor movie, you find some marks of intelligence. The scene where Bela Lugosi turns down his fellow scientist ("Home? I have no home...") starts with a solid performance and soon turns to the hysterical. This movie will leave you with the persistent feeling that Wood tried really, really hard and failed miserably.
Truly an oddity, and the perfect companion to "Plan 9 from Outer Space" and a 12-pack of cold beer.
Strangely enough, if you dig deep down into this poor movie, you find some marks of intelligence. The scene where Bela Lugosi turns down his fellow scientist ("Home? I have no home...") starts with a solid performance and soon turns to the hysterical. This movie will leave you with the persistent feeling that Wood tried really, really hard and failed miserably.
Truly an oddity, and the perfect companion to "Plan 9 from Outer Space" and a 12-pack of cold beer.
NOT all that bad.
Hey_Sweden3 June 2018
"Home? I have no home. Hunted. Despised! Living like an animal!"
One of screen icon Bela Lugosis' final completed roles is as the mad scientist Dr. Eric Vornoff, in this, one of the notorious efforts for schlock creator Edward D. Wood, Jr. Vornoff lives in an estate by a swamp where he conducts experiments in turning ordinary humans into atomic "super beings". He also utilizes the services of a henchman (Tor Johnson, amusing as always) and keeps a pet octopus on the premises. Headstrong journalist Janet Lawton (Loretta King) sniffs out a story and wanders into Vornoffs' domain.
"Bride of the Monster" may have been done on the ultra-cheap, but that does not mean it necessarily reeks of incompetence. Wood does manage to crank out an entertaining (if patently ridiculous) story and make a watchable film that runs a trim 69 minutes. He also gives Lugosi his last great hurrah by providing him with a role (and monologue) that the actor obviously relished. Truthfully, the film wouldn't be quite as memorable if Bela weren't playing Vornoff for everything that the part was worth.
Budgetary restrictions are most hilariously apparent when it comes to the octopus. Wood alternates between stock footage of octopi and an absurd rubber prop that requires the actors playing the victims to do a fair amount of the work in death scenes. But the film does have good atmosphere, and a moderately effective lab set.
The supporting cast has its moments. King is appealingly feisty, and Tony McCoy is passable as her hunky fiancee / hero, a detective lieutenant. (McCoys' father, a rancher (who retains an executive producer credit), financed "Bride" on the condition that his son get one of the principal roles.) Harvey B. Dunn is fun as McCoys' superior, a police captain whose pet bird is often perched on his shoulder. Former Wood companion Dolores Fuller has a regrettably minor role as a colleague of Janets'. And Woods' repertory player Paul Marco is typically a hoot as a dimwitted cop.
Decent cinematography (credited to two men, Ted Allan and William C. Thompson), and music (by Frank Worth) further assist in making "Bride" a B picture to cherish.
Eight out of 10.
One of screen icon Bela Lugosis' final completed roles is as the mad scientist Dr. Eric Vornoff, in this, one of the notorious efforts for schlock creator Edward D. Wood, Jr. Vornoff lives in an estate by a swamp where he conducts experiments in turning ordinary humans into atomic "super beings". He also utilizes the services of a henchman (Tor Johnson, amusing as always) and keeps a pet octopus on the premises. Headstrong journalist Janet Lawton (Loretta King) sniffs out a story and wanders into Vornoffs' domain.
"Bride of the Monster" may have been done on the ultra-cheap, but that does not mean it necessarily reeks of incompetence. Wood does manage to crank out an entertaining (if patently ridiculous) story and make a watchable film that runs a trim 69 minutes. He also gives Lugosi his last great hurrah by providing him with a role (and monologue) that the actor obviously relished. Truthfully, the film wouldn't be quite as memorable if Bela weren't playing Vornoff for everything that the part was worth.
Budgetary restrictions are most hilariously apparent when it comes to the octopus. Wood alternates between stock footage of octopi and an absurd rubber prop that requires the actors playing the victims to do a fair amount of the work in death scenes. But the film does have good atmosphere, and a moderately effective lab set.
The supporting cast has its moments. King is appealingly feisty, and Tony McCoy is passable as her hunky fiancee / hero, a detective lieutenant. (McCoys' father, a rancher (who retains an executive producer credit), financed "Bride" on the condition that his son get one of the principal roles.) Harvey B. Dunn is fun as McCoys' superior, a police captain whose pet bird is often perched on his shoulder. Former Wood companion Dolores Fuller has a regrettably minor role as a colleague of Janets'. And Woods' repertory player Paul Marco is typically a hoot as a dimwitted cop.
Decent cinematography (credited to two men, Ted Allan and William C. Thompson), and music (by Frank Worth) further assist in making "Bride" a B picture to cherish.
Eight out of 10.
When a Horror Cult-Movie Becomes a Comedy
claudio_carvalho22 May 2004
Many person are vanishing in the Lake Marsh, nearby an old mansion recently bought by Dr. Eric Vornoff (Bela Lugosi). He lives with Lobo (Tor Johnson) and has an octopus in the lake, product of his experiment in developing somehow atomic energy. Janet Lawton (Loretta King), a reporter of a tabloid, decides to investigate further the disappearance of locals and is abducted by Dr. Vornoff. Her fiancée, Lt. Dick Craig (Tony McCoy), together with the police force, goes to the old house looking for Janet. This story, expected to be a horror movie, is indeed a funny entertainment due to the lack of talent of Ed Wood. When I bought this rare VHS a couple of days ago, some friends of mine, also lovers of cinema, were a little jealous. - Where did you find this film? was the common question. When we watch an Ed Wood's film, we know that it will be a movie full of flaws. But why do we like him so much? Because since Tim Burton promoted this director, he became a cult personality. Therefore, it is very unfair and almost unacceptable the IMDB User Rating of 2.8 for this movie. There are unbelievable mistakes in framing and edition, such as, for example, about 36 minutes running time, we can see the microphone over the heads of Janet and Dr. Vornoff. The performance of the cast is so ridiculous that becomes really funny. The motionless octopus in the `lake' is also funny. And what about the screenplay, a kind of Frankenstein meeting the Loch Ness monster, with hilarious dialogs? This movie is a great entertainment, to see the courage of a brave director lover of cinema but without any skill. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): `A Noiva do Monstro' (`The Bride of the Monster')
Title (Brazil): `A Noiva do Monstro' (`The Bride of the Monster')
Has curiosity value!
JohnHowardReid31 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Bela Lugosi (Dr. Eric Vornoff), Tor Johnson (Lobo), Tony McCoy (Lieutenant Dick Craig), Loretta King (Janet Lawton), Harvey Dunn (Captain Robbins), George Becwar (Professor Strowski), Paul Marco (Keiton), Don Nagel (Martin), Bud Osborne (Mac), John Warren (Jake), Ann Wilner (Tillic), Ben Frommer (drunk), William Benedict (newsboy), Delores Fuller (Margie), Ed Parker, Conrad Brooks.
Director: EDWARD D. WOOD Jr. Original story and screenplay. Edward D. Wood Jr. and Alex Gordon. Photography: William C. Thompson, Ted Allan. Supervising film editor: lgo Kantor. Film editor: Warren Adams. Music: Frank Worth. Camera operator: Bert Shipham. Key grip: Thomas J. Connolly. Special effects: Mike Pollock. Sound recording: Dale Knight, Lyle Wiley. Associate producer: Tony McCoy. Producer: Edward D. Wood, Jr. Executive producer: Donald F. McCoy.
Copyright 1955 by Rolling M. Productions. U.S. release through Banner Films: February 1956. No New York opening. Hollywood opening at the Paramount: 11 May 1955. U.K. release through Exclusive: June 1956. No Australian theatrical release. 6,251 feet. 69 minutes.
Hollywood premiere title: BRIDE OF THE ATOM.
SYNOPSIS: Doctor Vornoff claims to have invented an atomic machine to turn people into beings of superhuman strength. Unfortunately, his trials only result in deaths. He proposes to use Janct Lawton, a newspaper reporter, as his next subject, but is prevented by Lobo, his gigantic mute assistant.
NOTES: Ted Allan was the photographer originally signed when shooting began in October 1954. The film was shut down because of financial problems. A rancher, Donald McCoy, came to Wood's rescue. Filming resumed in early 1955.
Lugosi's third last role, and the last time he spoke from the screen. Eddie Parker doubled for Lugosi in some action spots.
Tor Johnson appeared with Lugosi again in his last two films.
COMMENT: Most of this picture is in focus, whilst the players are mostly centered correctly in the frame. Dialogue is clearly recorded. A cute budgerigar appears in an early scene. And I'm afraid that's it, folks! Everything else about Bride of the Monster -- particularly script, direction, acting, sets -- is not just plain awful, but absolutely atrociously awful.
Mind you, for those patrons who groove on them, there are clichés galore! My favorite: "I discovered him in the wilderness of Tibet. He's been quite useful to me -- at times!"
OTHER VIEWS: Despite low budget handicaps, Lugosi is believable as the mad scientist who finally falls victim to his giant octopus. Assisting him is Tor Johnson as a muscle-bound henchman whom Lugosi found wandering in the snows of Tibet... Rest of the cast tries hard despite clichéd lines. - Independent Trade Review.
Director: EDWARD D. WOOD Jr. Original story and screenplay. Edward D. Wood Jr. and Alex Gordon. Photography: William C. Thompson, Ted Allan. Supervising film editor: lgo Kantor. Film editor: Warren Adams. Music: Frank Worth. Camera operator: Bert Shipham. Key grip: Thomas J. Connolly. Special effects: Mike Pollock. Sound recording: Dale Knight, Lyle Wiley. Associate producer: Tony McCoy. Producer: Edward D. Wood, Jr. Executive producer: Donald F. McCoy.
Copyright 1955 by Rolling M. Productions. U.S. release through Banner Films: February 1956. No New York opening. Hollywood opening at the Paramount: 11 May 1955. U.K. release through Exclusive: June 1956. No Australian theatrical release. 6,251 feet. 69 minutes.
Hollywood premiere title: BRIDE OF THE ATOM.
SYNOPSIS: Doctor Vornoff claims to have invented an atomic machine to turn people into beings of superhuman strength. Unfortunately, his trials only result in deaths. He proposes to use Janct Lawton, a newspaper reporter, as his next subject, but is prevented by Lobo, his gigantic mute assistant.
NOTES: Ted Allan was the photographer originally signed when shooting began in October 1954. The film was shut down because of financial problems. A rancher, Donald McCoy, came to Wood's rescue. Filming resumed in early 1955.
Lugosi's third last role, and the last time he spoke from the screen. Eddie Parker doubled for Lugosi in some action spots.
Tor Johnson appeared with Lugosi again in his last two films.
COMMENT: Most of this picture is in focus, whilst the players are mostly centered correctly in the frame. Dialogue is clearly recorded. A cute budgerigar appears in an early scene. And I'm afraid that's it, folks! Everything else about Bride of the Monster -- particularly script, direction, acting, sets -- is not just plain awful, but absolutely atrociously awful.
Mind you, for those patrons who groove on them, there are clichés galore! My favorite: "I discovered him in the wilderness of Tibet. He's been quite useful to me -- at times!"
OTHER VIEWS: Despite low budget handicaps, Lugosi is believable as the mad scientist who finally falls victim to his giant octopus. Assisting him is Tor Johnson as a muscle-bound henchman whom Lugosi found wandering in the snows of Tibet... Rest of the cast tries hard despite clichéd lines. - Independent Trade Review.
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