Tag: review

The Mad Scientists of Mammoth Falls

I am more than a bit “burnt out” on all the Geo-political bullshit. When I read an article about “containing China”, and how “America is roaring back” I just exit the browser tab. I’ve have enough. I am “toast”.

America is so full-on crazy right now, and they treat us “citizens” as slaves, and dumbed down nincompoops. It’s just an insult to see what constitutes “news” these days.

Instead, what I want to do do is relive a simpler time when I was a boy. And for me, that meant chilling out with my dog, and my cat in my tree house. It meant riding all over town and going on “hikes” and all-day-long “bike rides” and exploring old abandoned bridges, trestles, tunnels, and long abandoned rural homes. It meant lazying around eating home-made sandwiches, and sprawling out upon the couch as I read one of my hundreds of boyhood paperback books.

Rural Pennsylvania.

And one of the books that I loved then, and still love today, is the “Mad Scientist’s Club” series of short stories.

I still remember the book fair as one of the highlights of my elementary school year. For a half hour or so the teacher would take us down the long hall to the multipurpose room.  I lived in rural Western Pennsylvania, and my school was too small to have a separate gym. Though it did have a basement cafeteria and a  library on the nearby High School. There, in the gym where table after table had been set up with stacks of books arranged by interest and age level.

I loved books as a kid and I always looked forward to the event.

As a boy, I used to hang out in the tree house with my cat and read. But other times my friends would come up and we would read comic books together, and do other things that kids are forbidden to do.

Some of the books I purchased there would shape my reading habits for the rest of my life. I still remember taking the two dollars my mom gave me for the fair and investing it in Chariots of the Gods. It was astounding to me, and I found it impossible to put down.

Since then I have collected a small mountain of paperbacks. With science fiction and history being my favorites. I also had some war literature, some “how to” books, and Marmaduke comics paperbacks.

Another book fair introduced me to yet another author: Bertrand R. Brinley.

Few of you will recognize his name, though some will fondly remember series he authored: The Mad Scientists’ Club (referred to as MSC among fans).

His initial work consisted of two volumes of short stories and a novel. A second novel written by Brinley but not really published until after his death completes the set. In my opinion his stories rank as one of the best young people’s reading series ever created.

I mean…

…the BEST.

Dinky Poore didn't really mean to start the story about the huge sea monster in Strawberry Lake. He was only telling a fib because he had to have an excuse for getting home late for supper. So he told his folks he'd been running around the lake trying to get a closer look at a huge, snakelike thing he'd seen in the water, and the first thing he knew he was too far from home to get back in time.

His mother and father greeted the tale with some skepticism. But Dinky's two sisters were more impressionable, and that's how the story really got out. They kept pestering him for so many details about the monster that he had to invent a fantastic tale to satisfy them. 

That's one of the troubles with a lie. You've got to keep adding to it to make it believable to people.

It didn't take long for the story to get around town, and pretty soon Dinky Poore was a celebrity in Mammoth Falls. He even had his picture in the paper, together with an "artists conception" of the thing he'd seen. It was gruesome-looking -- something like a dinosaur, but with a scaly, saw-toothed back like a dragon. Dinky was never short on imagination, and he was able to give the artist plenty of details.

It was the artists' sketch in the newspaper that got Henry Mulligan all excited. Henry is First Vice President and also Chief of Research for the Mad Scientists' Club and is noted for his brainstorms. Neither Henry nor anyone else in the club actually believed Dinky had seen a real monster, but we were all willing to play along with the gag -- especially when Henry suggested that we could build a monster just like the one shown in the newspaper ...

Bertrand R. Brinley

Bertrand Brinley was born in Hudson, New York, in 1917. As a child he moved with his family from place to place, eventually living in West Newbury, Massachusetts as a teenager where he graduated from the local high school.

West Newbury, Massachusetts. Small town America.

He worked at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in California as a systems analyst during the early years of World War II and joined the army in 1944. His tour with the army allowed him to see much of the world.

He left the army for a short time, then reentered it during the Korean War.

Much of his work with the army involved public relations and in the late 50’s, right after the Sputnik launch, he was put in charge of a program to instruct amateur rocketeers in safety.

This lead to his first book published in 1960, Rocket Manual for Amateurs.

1960, Rocket Manual for Amateurs.

This book taught young boys, and maybe High School teenagers, how to make their own rockets from scratch. Not just the shape; nose cones, and fins, but also how to make solid rocket propellant motors, firing systems, and parachute escape and retrieval devices.

Sigh.

You would never see that today.

This is ancient history – even to me – but the launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union in 1957 sent the United States into a crisis.

The successful orbiting of a satellite by America’s rival after the failure of several of our own rockets created the impression of a scientific gap between the two countries.

In 1958 the U.S. would orbit its own satellite, Vanguard, but by then the idea that America was behind the USSR in science and technology was firmly planted in the public’s mind.

To close this supposed “gap,” money was poured into education for the next decade or so. Not just funding for schools, and extra courses, but real STEM courses for everyone.

Everyone, all over America, were training to be engineers, designers, and scientists.

The introduction of new curriculum – such as the so-called New Math designed to promote engineering and science-was common. While it is doubtful that New Math really turned ten-year-olds into rocket engineers, it is indisputable that these events had Americans thinking about science and technology.

Elementary textbooks for fourth through six grade doesn’t resemble anything being taught in America today.

It was in this atmosphere that Brinley conceived his stories.

In 1961 the first of Brinley’s tales was published in Boy’s Life. Boy’s Life was, and remains, the official magazine of the Boy Scouts.

Boy’s Life magazine.

The story, The Strange Sea Monster of Strawberry Lake, told of a group of small-town teenagers whose genius for technology gets them both into and out of trouble when they build a fake sea serpent.

The story of the club was continued in two more stories that year in Boy’s Life. In 1965 the first seven of the short stories were gathered into book form and published under the title The Mad Scientists Club. It was a paperback copy of this I came across and purchased at a book fair several years later.

The crew in their tree-house. Plotting and scheming.

To say that I liked this book would be quite an understatement.

I read the seven tales contained in it over and over again.

Each, while involving the same characters and setting, were very different and engaging.

My personal favorite is The Secret of the Old Cannon, where the club probes the mystery of what is in the breech of a giant civil war cannon in the local park.

Mammoth Falls

A strange sea monster appears on the lake...a fortune is unearthed from an old cannon ...a valuable dinosaur egg is stolen. 

Watch out as the Mad Scientists turn Mammoth Falls upside down! 

Take seven, lively, "normal" boys -- one an inventive genius -- give them a clubhouse for cooking up ideas, an electronics lab above the town hardware store, and a good supply of Army surplus equipment, and you, dear reader, have a boyhood dream come true and a situation that bears watching. 

In the hands of an author whose own work involved technological pioneering, the proceedings are well worth undivided attention, as the boys explore every conceivable possibility for high and happy adventure in the neighborhood of Mammoth Falls. 

To the unutterable confusion of the local dignitaries -- and the unalloyed delight of Bertrand Brinley's fans -- the young heroes not only outwit their insidious rival, Harmon Muldoon, but emerge as town heroes.

The stories were told in first person by character Charlie Finckledinck (who didn’t have a last name until the first novel came out) but clearly the club’s most prominent member was the bespeckled teenager Henry Mulligan.

Henry, the group’s resident science genius, was just as likely to come up with some outlandish prank as a legitimate experiment or invention.

Other MSC members included Jeff Crocker, the president (by virtue of the club meeting in his father’s barn), Homer Snodgrass and Mortimer Dalrymple (experts in electronics and radio).

The club membership was rounded out by Freddy Mulldoon and Dinky Poore, the group’s Mutt and Jeff pair.

A couple of points about the characters: Freddy Muldoon was originally called Fatso Brown, and his cousin, the notorious Harmon Muldoon, Skinny Brown, in The Strange Sea Monster of Strawberry Lake. My father changed the names in the version that was published in Boys' Life and subsequently in The Mad Scientists' Club. Charlie Finckledinck, the narrator, did not have a last name until The Big Kerplop!

-The Mad Scientists Club

The adults of the mythical town of Mammoth Falls where the stories were set found themselves forever involved in some scheme or prank the club had thought up.

These, for example, took the forms of a fake monster in the local lake, an electronically-haunted house at the city limits and a mad balloonist in the town square.

When the boys weren’t giving Mayor Scragg, Police Chief Putney or Constable Billy Dahr problems, they often found themselves at odds with a rival gang formed by Harmon Mulldoon who had been a MSC member but had been thrown out for activity unbecoming of a scientist.

It always amazed me how the characters in the books were so clearly and finely drawn. Unfortunately Bertrand Brinley is no longer with us, but his son, Sheridan Brinley, explained how his father had come up with the characters.

Like many authors, Bertrand Brinley’s own personality found its ways into the people he created. “Henry is my father through and through,” said Sheridan. “A guy who thinks before he speaks, has an unusual perspective on things, has a vivid imagination, secretly feeds the dog at the table, is late to dinner because he is thinking about something, etc., etc.”

“Dinky Poore, I have always thought, was in part me, as I was small and skinny as a child and a bit of a whiner,” said Sheridan. “The Poore name is a family name in Westbury, Massachusetts, which is the source of a number of the names and places in the stories. For example, Billy Dahr is based on the constable in West Newbury in the ’30s. He was a bumbling sort of cop, as is Dahr.”

At least some of the events in the stories were inspired by real incidents that would have appeared in the news at the time. The accidental loss of a nuclear device off the coast of Spain in 1966 surely provided inspiration for the first novel, The Big Kerplop!, where an atomic bomb splashes into Mammoth Fall’s Strawberry Lake.

The Air Force’s Project Blue Book, which investigated UFO sightings, may have also been material for Brinley’s imagination to chew on. “The Unidentified Flying Man of Mammoth Falls was, I think, a parody of the Air Force program spending taxpayers’ dollars to trace down UFO sightings,” muses Sheridan.

“What a great joke: create a flying mannequin that makes fools of the town elders and police and scrambles the planes from the nearby Air Force base. Some of the same stuff is in The Flying Sorcerer.“

Engineers and Scientists

I’ve heard a lot of stories over the years about how the original Star Trek TV show in the 60’s influenced people to become scientists and engineers, and as a longtime Treker myself, I believe it is true.

However, I think there may quite a few people who made their career choices based on Brinley’s work. A gentleman named Mark Maxham runs a MSC tribute site and has collected some quotes from anonymous fans including this one:

I have had at least 5 copies of the Mad Scientist's Club over the years. I just gave away my only duplicate set. [...] They too were my favorites when I was younger. I am now a spacecraft flight engineer (worked with NASA controlling the Magellan Spacecraft to Venus) thanks in part to those books.

I suspect that this sentiment is widespread. There aren’t as many MSC fans around as Trekers, but those that exist seem to cherish their memories of the stories just as much as episodes of that seminal TV series.

I even suspect that my own choice of career as an Aerospace engineer hearkens back to Brinley’s tales of crazed boys tinkering around with electronics, rockets, and machinery. Sure there were many other influences. But only Brinley translated that love for gadgetry and messing around with machines that I so very love today.

Like all my books, I eventually lost my old tattered book. My best guess is that it lies at the bottom of some landfill in San Luis Obispo  California.

By the way, do you know what I could use right now?

I could use a thin-crust cheese pizza with a goodly amount of salt on it. Maybe with a icy Coke. Not a beer. My doctor is telling me that my beer-drinking days are over. Beer is a “cold” food. I can only drink “warm” foods; like red wine and 53% alcohol. Sigh.

Anyways. For some reason, when I would plop myself and read these books, it was always with either sandwiches or pizza. I guess that I am just that kind of a silly guy. Eh?

What I liked about the thin crust pizza was that you could fold it up, and eat it like a gooey taco. I would plop myself down on this big sprawling 1940’s chair inherited from my grandparents, or our La-Z-boy and chill out. Smunching on a pizza, book about other kids like you, a nice breeze though the window, and a television or radio playing softly in the other room was what my boyhood was like.

Anyways, I had two books. They actually had a second volume that I had bought. It was titled The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists’ Club. I thought that it was even better than the first!

Unfortunately a novel entitled The Big Kerplop! Came out that I was unaware of, and so I never had the opportunity to read it.

Trying to get all these books has been a herculean task over the years. Not only due to the lack of availability, but also to the fact that I am in China. And obscure books in English are not readily available.

Unfortunately all of them had been out of print for many years and were almost impossible to find. This was bad news as I desperately wanted to get a hold of them for both myself and all the kids.

Purple House Press Reprints

Sheridan Brinley had been trying to get his father’s works republished for a number of years without success.

No publisher wanted to risk the money necessary to run off several thousand copies of the books no matter how ardent the small fan base might be.

Fortunately, Brinley came in contact with Purple House Press (PHP), a new publisher formed by a woman named Jill Morgan. Morgan had been locating and collecting out-of-print children books and had come to realize the cost of these original volumes were being driven through the roof.

Parents who wanted to share their favorite children’s books with their own kids were priced out of the market.This is that profit-greed based society that I always lament about. People in America do not care about society. They care about themselves; as a nation driven by psychopathic personalities, those of us with a different value system are often left out in the cold.

Morgan started contacting authors and their heirs and arranging for these works to be reprinted in small volumes. The company now has thirty-two books in its catalog including the original Mad Scientists’ Club, The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists’ Club and The Big Kerplop!

In fact for MSC fans there was perhaps an unexpected bonus from this alliance with PHP. Bertrand Brinley had written a second MSC novel, but it had never been published in the United States. After some editing, The Big Chunk of Ice – the story of the Mad Scientists entangled in a mystery in Austria – became available for readers for what was probably the first time.

I truly believe that one of the secrets of getting your kids to be great readers is not just to read to them, but to read to them stories you yourself are in love with.

The kind of excitement you radiate can’t be faked and kids pick up on it. That is one of the reasons why I am so happy to see efforts like Purple House Press succeed.

As a Rufus I’ve had the opportunity to not only share MSC stories with my kids, but my nieces and nephews as well.

From a technical point of view the stories show some signs of age – the radios, model rockets and remote controls the MSC kids used aren’t exactly cutting edge technology anymore (one can only wonder what trouble Henry and friends could get into using computers, the Internet and various wireless devices), but the stories are still great and worth sharing with a new generation.

Author’s Legacy

Bertrand Brinley died in 1994, but not without having left a significant mark in a lot of people’s lives.

I still can’t see more than two hot air balloons together without thinking of The Great Gas Bag Race.

I was ecstatic a few decades ago when I visited Fort McHenry in Baltimore and found they had a 15-inch Rodman cannon (the same one featured in The Secret of the Old Cannon).

I stood there pondering, could Homer Snodgrass really have wiggled his way down that barrel to find out what was inside?

In a way I like to think of this website, The Museum of UnNatural Mystery, as partly a tribute to Brinley’s work. I’m sure his stories inspired my interest in weird science.

I’d like to think that the halls of the museum are a place where the spirits of Henry Mulligan and Jeff Crocker, embodied into the children of today, can still find some adventure, or at least some mischief, to get into that would vex Mayor Scragg and the citizens of Mammoth Falls.

The Mad Scientist’s Club Series

The Mad Scientists’ Club – Seven Short Stories

– The Strange Sea Monster of Strawberry Lake – The club decides to shake up the town with a fake lake monster, but things go frather than they ever envisioned.

– The Big Egg – The kids find a dinosaur egg and it hatches, or does it?

– The Secret of the Old Cannon – What is hidden in an old civil war cannon up on Memorial Point?

-The Unidentified Flying Man of Mammoth Falls – A mad ballooner upsets the town’s Founder’s Day celebration.

– The Great Gas Bag Race – The club enters a balloon in the annual race and find themselves up against their old rival, Harmon Mulldoon.

– The Voice in the Chimney – The old house on Blueberry Hill is haunted, or is it just peoples’ imagination?

– Night Rescue – The club tries to rescue a downed jet pilot.

The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists’ Club – Five Short Stories

– The Telltale Transmitter – The club goes up against bank robbers.

– The Cool Cavern – The kids try to rescue Harmon’s gang from a cave in.

– Big Chief Rainmaker – The club tries to bring an end to a devastating drought.

– The Flying Sorcerer – A UFO seems to be visiting Mammoth Falls.

– The Great Confrontation – Harmon Mulldoon’s rival gang goes too far.

The Big Kerplop! – A full length novel that tells the story of the formation of the club during a scare when an atomic bomb is lost in Strawberry Lake.

The Big Chunk of Ice – A full length novel that tells the story of the club as it goes on a scientific expedition to Austria and gets entangled in the mystery of a lost diamond.

Do you want more?

You can go through the index page and explore. A lot of gems there. Have fun.

Master Index

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  • You can visit the Index Page HERE to explore by article subject.
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  • You can find out more about the author HERE.
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Awesome Movies – The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension

The Adventures Of Buckaroo Banzai Across The Eighth Dimension (1984) is a film written by Earl Mac Rauch and directed by W.D. Richter that is one part B-Movie, one part Action Adventure, one part comedy, and one part political satire.

-All the Tropes

Are you finding yourself taking life too seriously? It’s easy enough to do. I do it all the time. But, don’t worry we can remedy that. Here we look at a decidedly silly science fiction classic that should be in everyone’s home library. It’s titled “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension” and it’s funky strange enough to pull you out of your funk and set you down for some delicious movie time.

Why is this movie important at this time in our lives?

I personally wouldn't invest a lot of emotional energy in the hope that  things will go back to normal. "Normal" is gone forever. Even before the  virus the only consistent pattern we've been seeing is things getting  stranger and stranger. We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto. 

- Caitlin Johnstone

The Characters

It’s so strange that you’ve got to love it.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension
  • Buckaroo Banzai – Peter Weller! Brilliant particle physicist and neurosurgeon, he is also a martial arts master and plays in a band.
  • Lord John Whorfin – John Lithgow! Evil leader of the “Red Lectroids.” Buckaroo vaporizes him.
  • Penny Priddy – Ellen Barkin! The lost twin sister of Buckaroo’s deceased wife.
  • New Jersey – Jeff Goldblum! A cowboy at heart, this neurosurgeon partner of Buckaroo is joining The Hong Kong Cavaliers.
  • John Bigboote (Bigbooty! Hehehehe!) – Christopher Lloyd! Red Lectroid from planet 10, shot by Lord Whorfin for talking back.
  • Rawhide – Clancy Brown! (He played Kurgan in “Highlander.”) Member of The Hong Kong Cavaliers, poisoned by a Red Lectroid.
  • Perfect Tommy and Reno – Two of The Hong Kong Cavaliers. Tommy has some serious bleached hair.
  • John Parker – Black Lectroid, sent to help Buckaroo save Earth before his people are forced to destroy it.
  • John O’Conner – Vincent Schiavelli! (He’s been in lots of stuff, the teacher in “Better Off Dead” and the subway ghost in “Ghost.”) A Red Lectroid. Vaporized.

The Plot

There’s a plot here somewhere. It’s just a tad confused.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension

This movie has more famous people in it than most blockbuster films! Look at them all! Just look at them!

What we have here my friends is a seriously out in left field piece of work.

Buckaroo Banzai and his partners have just perfected the “Oscillation Overthruster” and it allows them to travel into the 8th dimension.

Why did we miss all the ones between? I dunno!

How can a 3rd dimension being interact on the 8th? I dunno!

Lord Whorfin is trapped on Earth with a select group of followers, he wants to steal the overthruster and free all the Red Lectroids from exile in the 8th dimension.

Then they will return to their home on the 10th planet and defeat the Black Lectroids!

Black Lectroids are the good aliens by the way, they’re also all Jamaican oddly enough.

Need a romance in here somewhere so Buckaroo runs into Penny while performing at a club, she’s the lost twin sister of the woman he loved. (She died, we don’t really know how.)

Well, the Black Lectroids can’t let Lord Whorfin escape Earth, they are fully prepared to precipitate a nuclear war if necessary.

They do have the courtesy to shock (literally) Buckaroo so he can see the alien’s true forms.

With his elite band of six shooting scientists, The Hong Kong Cavaliers, Dr. Banzai is able to defeat Whorfin and save Earth.

Do you get the idea?

What more do you need?

Okay, how about Christopher Lloyd running around and everyone calling him “John Bigbooty?” Or Jeff Goldblume as New Jersey, decked out like a cowboy – he even has black and white spotted luggage.

Gateway 2000 luggage!

Watch the film two or three times, the plot is there…

…somewhere.

Things I Learned From This Movie

Yup. I did learn a thing or two.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension
  • Neurosurgeons shouldn’t tug on things they don’t recognize.
  • Rocket powered pickup trucks don’t look right.
  • The 8th dimension looks a good deal like what you might see through an electron microscope.
  • New Brunswick, Maine is a tough town.
  • Aliens with bird like ships should stay well clear of Earth during duck season. Especially you, yeah you, darn Romulans.
  • Alien Lectroids have nads.
  • Hologram viewing glasses are made out of bubble wrap.
  • Girls: Never try to get intimate with some guy carrying a electric charge.
  • Bacteria can affect people via television.
  • Good aliens appear to hail from Jamaica.
  • Four star generals should not use the phrase, “I’m barely holding my fudge.”
  • Alien thermal pods carry parachutes.

Stuff to watch for;

If yer gonna watch it, take the time to notice these selected highlights…

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension
  • 7 mins – This is some serious high tech stuff!
  • 10 mins – Buckaroo is driving through a mountain?
  • 13 mins – John Lithgow is applying electric current to his tongue!
  • 23 mins – If Peter Weller was bawling out a song to me I’d do the same thing.
  • 32 mins – Somebody shut Penny up, damn blonde…
  • 48 mins – That little asian guy looks funny riding a Harley.
  • 50 mins – Awful lot of folks named John.
  • 53 mins – What the heck did the alien kill him with? Spit?
  • 60 mins – Yeah, why is there a watermelon there?
  • 78 mins – These guards don’t notice a double decker bus?
  • 85 mins – Now that is a mad looking slug, um thing.

Some Pictures.

Check out these screen caps.

 When it was released in 1984, W.D. Richter’s (Late for Dinner)   incomparably droll comedy was misunderstood on every level:  diluted  by editors, wrongly promoted as a straight sci-fi flick,  trashed by  many critics, and scorned by the public. Only a  scruffy band of  cultists have kept the film alive over the  years, but given the higher  ’90s profile of Buckaroo costars  Jeff Goldblum, Ellen Barkin, and John Lithgow (previewing his  3rd Rock From the Sun demented-alien shtick 12 years ahead of  schedule), it may at last be worthy of a mainstream audience. Or  vice versa.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Kicking off with an expository title crawl that apes Star Wars and is, if anything, even more incomprehensible, Buckaroo  plays  like chapter 27 of a Saturday-matinee serial, and too bad for   you if you missed the first 26. All you need to know is that  Buckaroo  (Peter Weller, exuding Zen coolth) is a world-famous   physicist/neurosurgeon/rock star who leads his Hong Kong  Cavaliers to  overthrow the Red Lectroids from Planet 10 while at  the same time  wooing his ex-wife’s long-lost identical twin  (Barkin). That’s skipping  the Rasta aliens, a mysterious  watermelon, and the bit where we find  out Orson Welles’ 1938  ”The War of the Worlds” broadcast actually  wasn’t a hoax. 

-EW

Oh, it’s so very 1980’s.

Brain surgeon, rock musician, adventurer Buckaroo  Banzai is a modern renaissance man and has made scientific history. He  perfected the Oscillation Overthruster, which allows him to travel  through solid matter by using the eighth dimension. Along with his  crime-fighting team, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, he must stop evil alien  invaders from the eighth dimension who are planning to conquer our  dimension. He is helped by Penny Pretty, the long-lost twin sister of  his late wife, and some good extra-dimensional beings who look and talk  like they are from Jamaica.
                                                      
—Greg Bole <bole@life.bio.sunysb.edu>

Conclusion

Have you looked around lately? Don’t you think that the world is taking itself a little too serious? Eh?

I do hope that you enjoyed this post. I have others in my Movie Index. Here…

MOVIES

Articles & Links

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A Fun Movie; The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967).

As I stay inside my apartment while the coronavirus wrecks havoc all through China, I have little else to do but watch movies. Now, for various reasons, I have taken a shine to the older 1960’s and 1970’s movies. And in this case, a relatively unknown vampire-comedy. And this one is simply amazing!

I well remember watching it on television with my father. He was a big Sharon Tate fan, and now that I am older I can well understand why. But more than that, I loved how it carred me away and sucked me into the movie with the “atmosphere”, and the story line.

My most memorable scene is where they are locked inside the parapet tower.

Brilliant movie - beautifully shot and with Polanski's eye for detail.  Very funny/quirky and atmospheric. I loaned it to a work colleague who  thought Polanski only made horror films like 'Rosemary's Baby', she was  amazed when confronted with this one. 

She thought it was great. 

Everyone  is always very impressed with the ballroom scene with all the mirrors  and the vampires dancing. The colours are fabulous and the outside  scenes remind one of s Christmas card. 

If it's ever on t.v. it's always  on around midnight or after, so I had to buy the DVD. Definitely one to  watch late at night when you're alone!! It took me years to find it on  DVD. I think the one I eventually bought was an import. 

- funnybunny-7
Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

Today, being much older, I have come to love Roman Polanski’s “The Fearless Vampire Killers,” which is surprising to me now because for most of my life I thought it was so-so.

You see, I missed the original release back in 1967, but I was only nine years old then. And the version released in the U.S. was a truncated travesty of what Polanski intended. It was a remake for American audiences by a jack-ass who thought that all Americans were simpletons bumpkins.

No shit!

Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
 When I think about R.Polanski the first thing coming to my mind is -  "the master of fear and horror", and I knew it that "Fearless vampire  Killers" is rare example of comedy by this great director. Yeah, I was  worried before seeing this movie, not as much about "geting it", but  more so about simple thing - could this movie be entertaining for "21st  Century Boy".

First thing that striked me was beautiful music by  Komeda. I was in total awe. The music was scary, but at the same time so  light and funny - just like for a good fair story. And then the  beautiful winter scenery that was so fake - almost cartooning. Few  minutes into the movie, and I could say "that's what I call movie  poetry". 

The story is so simple. The old bat researcher,  professor Abronsius and his assistant, Alfred, go to a remote  Transylvanian village looking for vampires. They stay in house where no  one speaks about vampires, but the garlic is hanging everywhere.
Sharon Tate.
Sharon Tate.
Simplistic story is so right for this movie, because acting, scenery,  music, cinematography are all in top shape here. For composition I think  this is one of the best movie done by Polanski, next to "Tenant" for  sure.

And this movie is also a rare occasion to see Polanski in  comedic role. He and Brach make unforgettable duo. I was totally  entertain when in came to comedy in this movie, but the thing that  surprise me the most was the action factor. There is one scene that is  great example of that - when Polanski character is looking through  keyhole and is so scared of what he see that his face is screaming  "terror". It's sure funny, but in a way mad-scary too. And when I think  about this movie - this scene sums it up for me.

Its very funny,  but little outdated movie. For me one a few really cinematic fairy  tales, that keeps magic all the way to the end. Its up there with  Repulsion, Tenant, and Tess when in comes to greatest work of this  director. 

And just think about brilliant ending, so funny, so  mad. It's a shame Polanski hasn't made another comedy. Don't get me  started with Pirates - the most unfunny movie in history. But "Fearless  Vampire Killers " is movie magic - pure and simple. 

- fidomax

And, I am not the only person that was upset with the hack-job on this movie.

I’ve read that the movie was considered an almost complete fiasco because the executive producer, Martin Ransohoff, best known for “The Beverly Hillbillies,” wanted a very different film.

Yeah.

He wanted to change the film. He wanted to “improve” it to fit the bumpkin American mentality that he envisioned all Americans had.

So, in short order, he [1] cut 16 minutes out of Polanski’s 107 minute cut (Just under 1/5 of the entire movie.), and [2] inserted a short screwy cartoon before the titles (so people would know it was supposed to be a comedy…)

Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

Ransohoff thought Polanski botched it that badly, and [3] even re-dubbed some of the actors. You know, so that they would sound more “American”. I’m sure that he wanted thick “bumpkin” Southern drawls and accents. He also [4] added the awful tag line to the title, “Or, Pardon Me, But Your Teeth Are in My Neck.”

This must have been the version I saw on TV in the early seventies that I thought was so terrible.

Thankfully this abomination doesn’t seem to be in circulation anymore. Good thing. Let the rats in the film vault feat on that monstrosity.

Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

However, despite its flaws “The Fearless Vampire Killers” gained a cult following over the years, partially due to the morbid fascination with the murder of Sharon Tate, but also because the movie is really very, very good.

Paramount’s Robert Evans recognized this back in ’67 and thought Polanski the right director for “Rosemary’s Baby.”

He was right and the success of that film showed Hollywood what a master of the language of film Polanski actually is.

This is a wonderfully fun movie. It's got a lot of good stuff in it, and the critics can go try to make own luck at vampire comedy.
This is a wonderfully fun movie. It’s got a lot of good stuff in it, and the critics can go try to make own luck at vampire comedy.
When I first saw this film on TV in the early 70s, I thought it was so  cheesy I gave it very little attention.  

Then in the early 90s it was  released on laserdisc in a letterboxed version and I bought it on a  lark. After I viewed in the first time I still didn't think much of it  and thought maybe I wasted my money.  

But then, as the years passed, I  would look at it every so often and now I love the film.  

It is an  acquired taste.  

You first have to love vampire films -- the  old-fashioned, Gothic kind.  Next, you need to appreciate Polanski's  style and his understated approach.  It's also best to watch this film  late at night with the lights off, and especially with a snow storm  outside.  Give it a chance and this film will creep up on you. Hopefully  it will come to DVD soon. 

- stew100

Now, let’s be honest. This isn’t the best horror/comedy movie. The truth be told that Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein holds that position.

However, second place has just got to go to this one, and there’s no shame in being second here.

I don’t know too much about Roman Polanski’s career (I think I know more about his personal life): I’ve seen Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown, and this movie is the third of his that I know about that I’ve seen. maybe there were others, but I cannot recall them at the top of my head.

Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

I would never have imagined from those two movies that he could direct comedy. Because of that I came into FVK very skeptical. At first, I thought that the laughs were few and far between. I kind of took it as a light-hearted serious movie.

I also thought that Polanski’s direction was too showy for a comedy.

But as the film went on, the comic moments began to build. And the showy direction ceased seeming showy and began to seem wonderful. If you find yourself not laughing a lot, it’s understandable.

Just sit back and enjoy Polanski’s amazing direction. And the laughs, although, to many, they may seem too few, those that there are are enormous.

Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

I’d also like to praise the actors, including Roman Polanski himself. The set design, especially in the castle, is more than amazing. It’s simply beautiful. 

The title "fearless vampire killers" it's not  so good as "Dance of the Vampires",outside U.S. this is the original title

I  always will remember this film as "Dance of the Vampires"  ALSO,CONGRATULATIONS to Mr Polanski for the Palme D' Or, he deserves  it(without him  just cinema "boring")

I enjoyed poetic scenes  such as like moment in Sarah's bath comparing the textures of first soap  bubbles, then falling snowflakes, and finally crimson blood. when  Alfred(Polanski) carries his master across the castle battlements remind  me of Polanski early short films.
This is a wonderfully fun movie. It's got a lot of good stuff in it, and the critics can go try to make own luck at vampire comedy.
This is a wonderfully fun movie. It’s got a lot of good stuff in it, and the critics can go try to make own luck at vampire comedy. 
Krystov Komeda's music has been  acclaimed as "the most innovative and haunting score ever devised for a  horror movie" by the heavyweight Aurum Film Encyclopedia. 

Krystof  Komeda's wondrous music, with its weird choral effects and little  melodies Komeda's score communicates the Kafka-like isolation of the  setting and the characters

Polanski chose some of the finest  English cinema craft artists to work on the film: cameraman Douglas  Slocombe, production designer Wilfrid Shingleton Polanski engaged noted  choreographer Tutte Lemkow, who played the actual Fiddler in FIDDLER ON  THE ROOF, for the film's climactic Danse Macabre minuet.

Sharon Tate as Sarah was delightful(we should remember her in a good way,as a decent actress and person,her scene with Polanski  is really cool ,especially "the bite scene") Jack MacGowran as  Professor Abronsius is  just great Polanski's films often deal in contrasts of master and  servant, the empowered and the powerless. The supposedly benign  Abronsius  bullies Alfred for his own purposes, just as the vampires  consider all of humankind a resource to be harvested.

The  character called Shagal got the best lines in the movie,when A woman  thrusts a crucifix in his face, only for Shagal - a Jewish rather than a  Christian vampire - to go "Oy-yoy! You got the wrong vampire" and bite  her anyway Count Von Krolock  (Ferdy Mayne, who plays the Count)he looks  really as a Nosferatu or a man that needs Transfusion!.

Also  funny is Herbert, the openly gay vampire who is interested in Alfred  rather than Sara, the sexual deviations implicit in early Hammer films  like The Brides of Dracula (1960) and Kiss of the Vampire (1964) are  brought out. 

- patita-1

Right from the main title sequence this film is really quite wonderful.

Christopher Komeda’s score is weird and haunting.

Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

The day-for-night shots of the snowy countryside are a bit distracting, but you know they kind of fit the fairy tale quality of the film’s isolated, late 19th century Transylvanian winter never land.

The movie is extremely well-mounted with wonderful sets, especially the vampires’ castle.

Oh, young love. Eh?
Oh, young love. Eh?

All the performances are excellent. Jack MacGowran’s Professor Abronsius is an absolutely incredible characterization, unlike anything else MacGowran ever did on film.

The same is true of Alfie Bass’ Yoine Shagal, possibly the world’s first Jewish vampire, and a terrible lecher.

Sharon Tate was probably never lovelier than in this movie, and Roman Polanski is very good as Alfred, in fact amazing when you consider he was also directing.

It is a tour de force on his part.

Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

Finally, Ferdy Mayne’s Count Von Krolock is a king vampire equal to any screen Dracula, while Iain Quarrier is also appropriately creepy as his gay vampire son, Herbert.

Well, what is this movie about? To begin with: although the vampire was  best popularized in the modern era by English writers, it is really a  myth of Eastern European Roman Catholicism. (I could explain that better  - and why the English so well co-opted it - but obviously not here.)  

This type of Catholicism (which finally produced a Pope in John Paul II)  now only thrives (and none too well) in Poland - Polanski's home  country. 

During the Second World War, Poland was utterly decimated.  

First, a large portion of its wealthiest citizens, who happened to be  Jewish, were exterminated. 

The Polish catholics themselves were split  radically between anti-semitic nationalists (who also, mistakenly,  thought the Nazis would save them from the Russians) and pro-Communists  who, mistakenly, thought the Russians would save them from the Nazis.  

Obviously, this was a no-win situation for the Poles. 

And yet the first  cinematic impression of this disaster arrived in the form of - a comedy -  Ernst Lubitsch's "To Be Or Not To Be" (later remade by Mel Brooks).

Does  the reader really need to know all this to appreciate this movie?  actually, yes. This film is laughter at death's door. 

The funniest and  most memorable line in the film is from the Jewish vampire, responding  to a threatened crucifix: "Oy vey, have you got the wrong vampire!"  Funny? - Hilarious. Unfortunately, if this Vampire had any  grandchildren, they all died in Auschwitz.

Why am I playing such a  heavy hand here? Because this really is a great horror-comedy, far  better and far more important than the studio hacks at MGM who released this film (after chopping it up) could ever have understood.

There  is unfortunately no rumor that there's a director's cut in the vaults;  it is well to remember that Polanski nearly disowned this film on release, and really only reclaimed it after the brutal slaying of his wife, who plays such an important role in the film.

But even as shredded as it is (pay especially close attention to the discontinuities  involving the Professor), this is still marvelously written, directed, and photographed - truly frightening at moments, utterly hilarious at  others, but always grounded in a particularly Polish sensibility which  is now, alas, a thing of the past; - the preservation of a culture that,  at its best, was among the best in Europe. 

- winner55

Like the drinking of blood (I would imagine!), appreciation of “The Fearless Vampire Killers” is very much an acquired taste.

I don’t know what to say to those that don’t like it except, Why don’t you try watching it again? It might grow on you as it did me.

The famous Ballroom scene.
The famous Ballroom scene.

This movie also has one of the best one-sheet posters from the sixties, with art by Frank Frazetta.

All in all, this is a great movie, and I cannot praise it enough.

Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
It's sad to say, whenever people ask me for a good vampire movie, one I  do recommend is The Fearless Vampire Killers, they always look at me and  ask "What's that?". 

But the 3 people I've shown it too loved it and I  think that has got to say something about this great vampire classic.  

Writer, director and co-star Roman Polanski made the first real vampire  spoof and what a great movie! 

If you think about today's spoofs,  everything is always a reference to something that's in pop culture.  This movie is just pure comedy, taking what was so typical at the time  of the weary travelers who happen upon a creepy castle with the even  creepier host, yet act completely oblivious when strange things happen.
The ballroom scene is amazing. It is just one of the great things that I really enjoy about this movie.
The ballroom scene is amazing. It is just one of the great things that I really enjoy about this movie.
Instead, how about we have two vampire slayers, one who is calm and  experienced vs. the inexperienced and nervous? While we're at it, why  not add a ball into the mix? Dancing vampires, it just doesn't get any  better than this.

In the heart of Transylvania Professor  Abronsius and his apprentice Alfred are on the hunt for vampires.  Abronsius is old and withering and barely able to survive the cold ride  through the wintry forests, while Alfred is bumbling and introverted.  

The two hunters come to a small Eastern European town seemingly at the  end of a long search for signs of vampires. 

The two stay at a local inn,  full of angst-ridden townspeople who perform strange rituals to fend  off an unseen evil. Whilst staying at the inn, Alfred develops a  fondness for Sarah, the daughter of the tavern keeper Yoine Shagal.
The environment is amazing, and can take you away to another time and place. You can feel the cold wind on your face, and the pack of wolves snapping at your heels.
The environment is amazing, and can take you away to another time and place. You can feel the cold wind on your face, and the pack of wolves snapping at your heels.
After witnessing Sarah being kidnapped by the local vampire lord, Count  von Krolock, the two follow his snow trail, leading them to Krolock's  ominous castle in the snow-blanketed hills nearby. 

They break into the  castle, but are trapped by the Count's hunchback servant, Koukol.  Despite misgivings, Abronsius and Alfred accept the Count's invitation  to stay in his ramshackle Gothic castle, where Alfred spends the night  fitfully. 

After finding Sarah the next day, they come up with a plan to  destroy the count and save Sarah, but with a midnight ball in the mix of  vampires, the plans might be a bit harder than they realized.

I  think one of the funniest scenes in film history is when Roman Polanski  is being chased by Count Krolock's feminine vampire son, Herbert.
Frozen stiff. Poor fellow, but then again it's actually pretty funny in a dark comedic sort of way.
Frozen stiff. Poor fellow, but then again it’s actually pretty funny in a dark comedic sort of way.
The  seduction scene before that was too funny, but let's add Roman running  around in a circle oblivious that he did just go around in a circle and  runs right back into Herbert! 

The comedic timing was just gold! 

Sharon  Tate is also in this film and she is just beautiful, you could see how  Roman would fall in love with her on and off screen so easily. It's  really sad that we lost her so young and so tragically, you see the  talent that could have been. 

I also love Jack MacGowran, he's calm  exterior to Roman's scaredy cat routine was the perfect balance the film  needed. 

I nearly die laughing each time I see the scene where they are  in the Count's bedroom about to stake him, but Jack gets stuck in the  window and Roman chickens out on killing the count. 

He has to go around  the castle to pull Jack out but gets distracted by Sharon Tate and when  he finally realizes that he left Jack in the same room with blood  sucking vampires, he just reeks with the "Oops!" face. 

The ballroom  scene is so memorable, again, the comedic timing is great. Another thing  about this film is that it also has some great scares in it too, some  great make up effects with the Count. 

I highly recommend this film; I've  been watching it since I was a little girl, I still love watching it  all these years later and can't wait to show it to others as well. 

- Smells_Like_Cheese
Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It's a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.
Scene from the Fearless Vampire Killers. It’s a great flick and does help to carry you away to another time and place. It is, thus, great escapist viewing.

Conclusion

This movie is a bit dusty and not something that you would turn to automatically. However, it is a great little gem of a movie and well worth a nice visit. It will carry you away to a different time and place and it is rather charming in it’s own sinister comic way.

For me, it took me away for the germ warfare, the masks and goggles, and the latex gloves. It took me away from the disinfecting and the isolation and being cooped inside as the beautiful day with blue skies and lush green trees beckoned to me outside.

I am sure that it will take you too to a nice place far away from your normal life.

I hope that you enjoyed this post. I have other posts regarding movies and you can view them in my movie index here…

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A Great Underrated Movie – Spaced Invaders

I well remember watching this in Indiana. We had picked up a cheap VHS at the check-out lane in Walmart. This video looked promising, but I really didn’t expect too much. But, boy, oh, boy was I wrong. It was awesome. It’s one of those under promoted, and under-reported movies that are just wonderful. It’s a movie about a group of hilariously incompetent Martians that try to take over the world during Halloween. OMG!

 Kathy:  "But dad, they're not really bad.  They're just stupid."

And are they ever stupid. You’ve got a Martian pilot that sounds like a mutant Jack Nicholson, a most excellent duck costume, a tinker-toy mechanic, and a pile of super fertilizer alien shit. It’s pure awesomeness.

My favorite character is the Martian pilot. He's a real hoot.
My favorite character is the Martian pilot. He’s a real hoot.
 After mistaking a Halloween re-broadcast of Orson Welles' classic radio  adaptation of WAR OF THE WORLDS for a real Martian invasion, a group of  moronic Martians shows up on Earth looking to conquer only their plans  go awry as they find themselves truly out of their element and in  reality all alone.

This really is often quite good and funny,  with some decent lines (just check the memorable quotes) to boot. It  will most likely appeal to Sci-Fi fans. This has passed the test of time  for me as seeing it again recently it proved much better than I  expected it to be. Despite a cast made up of no-name stars, this may  just be the funniest Martian invasion ever put to film. Interestingly  enough, the Martians themselves seem to represent almost every classic  Action Hero/Sci-Fi Hero stereotype there is (cool 50s teen, fighter  pilot, fearless astronaut, brave soldier and kooky scientist). Fun for  the whole family. 

"Prepare to DIE! Earth Scum!" 

- Space_Mafune
Spaced Invaders - the pilot discusses his problems with the town sheriff.
Spaced Invaders – the pilot discusses his problems with the town sheriff.

Why so unknown…

While perfectly harmless, Spaced Invaders is a kid’s movie that had the potential to be something a little bit more than a silly Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles knockoff.

Halloween night. A War of the Worlds rebroadcast. Except, this time, the humans know it isn’t real. It’s the Martians that don’t.

The idea is a nice flipping of history and, with throwback practical effects, it seemed that this production from Touchstone Pictures was destined to be something special.

Except it wasn’t.  

The movie was skewered by critics at the time of its release and ignored by audiences.

Crippled with a throwback vibe many were not expecting, the madcap flick was disappeared from theaters as quickly as it had arrived.

And is slowly being rediscovered by net-citizens all over the internet.

The Characters:  

I first saw this movie in 1990 when it first came out on video.  I agree  that it is total nonsense, but it is also one of the funniest movies  that I have ever seen.  The very idea that a group of "advanced aliens"  would be running for thier lives from a bunch of country hicks is  totally side-spliting. Why do all science fiction movies have to be  about murderous beings? This group of Imperial Martian Atomic Navy  misfits reminds me of some of the idiots that I knew in the army!  No  wonder they were left on asteroid patrol while the rest of the fleet  went to war.  Leave this movie alone.  We need more like it. 

- boomryoung
The Martian crew, each wearing a different uniform from well known science fiction movies, sit around a campfire and discuss their situation.
The Martian crew, each wearing a different uniform from well known science fiction movies, sit around a campfire and discuss their situation.
  • Sheriff Hoxley – He just moved to this small town and already has an alien invasion on his hands.
  • Mr. Wrenchmuller – Some of the farmer’s lines are exceptional for a movie of this kind. When faced with losing his farm he morosely asks, “Why did I have to go and get old?”
  • Mr. Klembecker – Total bastard who owns the liens on many farms in the area, including Wrenchmuller’s.
  • Kathy & Brian – She is the sheriff’s daughter and the owner of an awesome “Alien” costume. He is dressed as a duck, but deadly with a trash can lid.
  • Blaznee – Martian pilot who sounds and acts a lot like Jack Nicholson.
  • Capt. Bipto – Senior officer aboard the Martian’s ship. Limited duty? Yeah, you could say that.
  • Lt. Giggywig – The gung-ho, kill them all, sort of alien invader. Lucky for us that he will not start shooting until someone notices him. Nobody pays the little guy much attention.
  • Dr. Ziplock – Whatever those are embedded in his eyes, they look like they hurt.
  • Cpl. Pez – As the FNG, he knows his place. Cowering behind the others is his only hope for survival.
  • The Enforcer Drone – Remember the Russian political officer in “The Hunt for Red October?” Now turn him into a lethal robot. Blasted to smithereens.
Each Martian has their very own personality. One is the leader, one is the scientist, one is the Jock... oh each one is unique and super silly.
Each Martian has their very own personality. One is the leader, one is the scientist, one is the Jock… oh each one is unique and super silly.
Normally the best way to annoy me in a film is to include some reference  to Orson Welles. But here is a sci-fi comedy quoting the War of the  Worlds broadcast.... and it is gold! The very concept of a small bunch  of diminutive,aggressive and stupid aliens being mistaken as kids in  Halloween dress is magnificent. Don't be fooled by the notion that  because it seems like a kids' movie it is unsophisticated - it isn't,  there's a lot of hidden treasure...  A gem! 

- Balthazar-5

The Plot: 

Giggywig:  "Look, when a vastly superior alien culture comes all this  way to take over your world, certain basic laws of planetary conquest  apply.  For example, when someone points a quad-vected hypothermic  cosmo-blaster at you, it's a fair bet you are about to become toast."

While the rest of their fleet gets its butt completely whipped during an ill conceived attack upon Arcturus, an asteroid patrol ship full of Martians intercepts a stray radio broadcast coming from Earth. As luck would have it, the station they tune to has “The War of the Worlds” playing.

The little green menaces are ecstatic!

Earth is nearby; they can join in the carnage! The patrol craft departs from the asteroid belt and heads pell-mell for Big Bean, Illinois.

The Martians encounter some trick-or-treaters.
The Martians encounter some trick-or-treaters.
Looking at some of the negative posts, you really have to wonder what some people do for fun....

I  was lucky enough to see the film during its all-too-brief theatrical  run. The audience laughed its heads off.  I'm watching a tape of it as I  type and it's still dang funny!

It's also got a sweet side, with  unexpected turns of genuine pathos. The late, great Royal Dano is  especially effective as the lonely, down-on-his-luck farmer  Wrenchmuller.  Ariana Richards and J.J. Anderson are great as the lead  kids.  And the actors in the Martian suits, although limited to mime, do  a great job

Another thing to look for is the background details.  The film is full of homages, pastiches, and references to other SF and  fantasy films. Take a look at the Martian costumes next time.  One of  them is wearing a Marty McFly costume, another is a Ghostbuster, a third  is in a House Atreides uniform, and a fourth is wearing a Last  Starfighter flightsuit. 

- davidemartin

I hope that all the “Invader ZIM” fanboys have taken notice at this point. Short aliens, really hyper, sort of goofy, with big heads and advanced technology (let alone the Martian’s crest of arms and the little robot).

In Big Bean things are not entirely without strife. Klembecker is snatching the land from under poor farmers. The greedy twit wants to capitalize on the town’s new highway off-ramp. One of Hoxley’s first calls is to deal with Wrenchmuller. The elderly man was about to walk into the twit’s office with a double barrel shotgun. The scattergun was unloaded, but Wrenchmuller begins looking for shells once Klembecker appears and starts acting like an evil banker. The situation is diffused. Later, the sheriff drops his daughter off at a Halloween party. 

I've watched this movie so many times the video is worn out. It is a  movie I can put on whenever I need a good laugh. The farmer is  hilarious, the duck boy is too. 

It's an overall feel good movie. 

Even  kids 12 and up can watch it without being inundated with sexual  innuendos, violence and cursing. The TNT award at the end is the best...  "well, you can just say your prayers." LOL Oh yea, and so are the two  old guys and the old woman after the martians fly by them when they are  crash-landing on earth - "okay, go get the bucket" 

It's great! I think  kids under 10 might be frightened by the enforcer drone, maybe. 

I don't  know though, with all the crap they see on TV on a regular basis, it  might not be. So go out an rent it today! If you have Blockbuster  Rewards(TM) program, you can use one of your free rentals and you'll  enjoy. 

- becca239

The patrol ship arrives on Earth with a bang; it crashes into Wrenchmuller’s dilapidated barn. The old farmer, with the help of his trusty dog, expends a lot of effort trying to capture, or at least photograph, a Martian. Only Blaznee is left aboard though, because the others gleefully embark upon a campaign to crush humanity. Bipto quickly runs afoul of traffic. More precisely, a truck. He is pried from the grill of Klembecker’s vehicle by the gas station attendant. No, no, no – he is not dead. In fact, the resourceful Martian clamps a mental control device onto Vern (the attendant). It turns the poor guy into a cross between Christopher Lloyd in “Back to the Future” and Christopher Lloyd in “The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai.” The two begin building a super weapon. 

This movie is to Halloween what the hilarious "Christmas Story" is to  Christmas: both are relatively low-budget, no-big-name-stars type  films...and both are two of the absolute greatest and funniest movies  available, both seasonal CLASSICS!!! 

"Spaced Invaders" comes galloping  out right from the start with warmth and humor and a superb cast of  characters...all five goofy Martians, Klembecker the Realtor, Russell  the deputy, Vern at the "fuel dispensing depot" and so many more! 

You  just have to see this movie to believe it, and, like "Christmas Story",  it just keeps getting better and better with each viewing, and you pick  up on fun little things each time!! MOST DEFINITELY A TEN!!! 

- michael_shell

Elsewhere, Kathy, Brian, and the other Martians (a robot too – the Martians’) are being chaperoned around town by a heavyset lady. Only on Earth a short while and already consigned to the back seat of a station wagon. Ha! Despite waving around deadly alien weaponry, the poor little Martians are treated like spoiled brats by the frazzled mother. Lt. Giggywig does not help either, he keeps threatening her with total annihilation. The woman finally throws all of the green invaders out of the car. Kathy and Brian bail too.

The two main characters of the Spaced Invaders movie.
The two main characters of the Spaced Invaders movie.

Blaznee continues fixing the ship, along with parrying moves by one annoyed deputy and Wrenchmuller. The little fellow has everything in hand until the radio station reveals that the broadcast is science fiction. The Enforcer Drone decides to eliminate the entire inept crew. It zaps Blaznee, but he survives. Knocked unconscious and toted into town by Wrenchmuller as proof that they are being invaded, but alive. 

Anyone who does not find this movie funny, does not understand simple  comedy. This movie is not a complex comedy, it is full of one liners,  and sight gags, and will make anyone who wants to laugh, laugh... The  alien who is doing a Nicholson impression will crack you up! 

- John Wersan

The pilot wakes up just in time to crawl out of the truck bed. The excited citizens are further distracted from looking for him when the rest of the crew broadcasts an ultimatum. Surrender now Earth scum! The Martians heroically blast a silo with their portable cannon. What results is a deluge of popcorn, which has the positive effect of temporarily swamping the Enforcer Drone (it had been closing in for the kill). Blaznee dashes back to the ship as several truckloads of shotgun wielding hicks converge on the destroyed silo.

Did I mention that the aliens are inept? Oh, also be it known that Kathy and the little robot become friends. 

I understand many will think "Spaced Invaders" a lame farce about little  green men trying to take over Earth; but believe me, compared to "The  Sorcerer's Apprentice," which I have just finished watching with my  family, "Spaced Invaders," along with "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and  "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids", makes me weep with nostalgia for how low  Disney has fallen in quality. While "Spaced Invaders" is the film of  least quality of the trio I mentioned, it nonetheless has a cheeky sense  of humor, with a wonderful script and actors (er, voice-over artists  for the Martians) who make this film highly watchable (and with no lame  CGI effects of dragons or fireballs to ruin the fun!).

The  Martians themselves make a great team. Their antics and delusions of  grandeur are insanely fun to watch. One person compared the ostensible  military commander of the Martians to Invader Zim, the protagonist from  the eponymous Nickelodeon cult classic, and I think it is an apt  comparison. Why does one Martian have a Jack Nicholson voice? I don't  care, and I love it. Enjoy the futile attempts of the Martians to get  their jalopy of a spacecraft to go airborne, and their desperate fight  against the hicks and yokels of Big, Bean, Illinois. The human robot  slave is one of the coolest sidekicks I've seen, and his creation, a  robot made from tractors and other farm machinery, is one of the best  special effects I've seen in a Disney movie. How can you hate his best  line: "the smell of battery acid makes me thirsty!"? Answer: you can't.

This  is one movie where you root for the alien invaders all the way. The  human, denizens of a small Midwestern farming town, are made to be less  than sympathetic characters, especially the wicked banker named  Clembecker (or whatever his name was). One of the good humans is a  brilliant example of character design, a crazy, wiry old farmer named  Wrenchmuller who has a way with words and with nitroglycerin. The kid in  the duck costume who also speaks with a lisp is also fun to watch,  though he isn't in the film all that much.

Don't take "Spaced  Invaders" too seriously as a film, nor look for any important theme or  message. Sit back and enjoy Disney before CGI and Jerry Bruckheimer  eliminated any camp value the company once had. 

- michael_the_nermal

Faced with numerous American bred fans of the Second Amendment, Dr. Ziplock activates the “distress-o-matic.” The device should summon the ship to the beacon’s location. However, the ship is still not fully repaired. It goes hopping across empty fields with Blaznee struggling to kill the autopilot. It crashes to a halt at the terminus of a dead end road. The Martians (all of them) pile inside, then the angry locals arrive and start shooting at the ship. Idiots! It flies through an asteroid belt! Your weapons are useless! Bunch of dolts (apply to either group, as you desire). 

If the creators of this film had made any attempt at introducing reality  to the plot, it would have been just one more waste of time, money, and  creative effort.  Fortunately, by throwing all pretense of reality to  the winds, they have created a comedic marvel.  Who could pass up a film  in which an alien pilot spends the entire film acting like Jack  Nicholson, complete with the Lakers T-shirt.  Do not dismiss this film  as trash. 

- knappws

The sheriff tries to calm everyone down. Then the Martians emerge from their patrol ship. They are surrounded by a metal ring. It is none other than the “Donut of Destruction!” (DOD for short.) This device will obliterate a sphere one million miles in diameter, but leave what is inside the donut unharmed. The exact usefulness of the DOD is called into question by everyone present. Sure, the invaders will be unscathed. In the middle of a rapidly expanding ball of plasma, but unharmed. Unfortunately, this means they will be left “unscathed” in the middle of space once the planet and everything around them (ship included) is gone. Fat lot of good that thing is.

The Martians wisely decide to run away and rethink their plan. 

This movie is not for everyone.  You're either bright enough to get "it"  or you're not.  Fans of sci-fi films who don't take themselves too  seriously definitely will enjoy this movie. I recommend this movie for  those who can appreciate spoofs and parodies.  Everyone I've recommended  this film to has enjoyed it.  If you enjoy Monty Python or Mel Brooks  films, you'll probably enjoy this one.  The voice characterizations are  done in a tongue-in-cheek manner and the one-liners fly fast and  furious. 

- joseph_lauer

As silly invasion movies go, this is pretty good. The costumes are better than average and you can quickly begin to identify individual Martians by their voices. Besides, what could be more fun than a bunch of enthusiastic, but hopelessly inept, invaders from Mars? Armed with lethal weaponry, I might add.

The head Martian orders this crew to take over the Earth. OMG!
The head Martian orders this crew to take over the Earth. OMG!

Things I Learned From This Movie: 

Hoxley:  "Where is Kathy?" 

Mrs. Vanderspool:  "She got out with your Martian surfer nephews." 
 
Hoxley:  "Mrs. Vanderspool, do you have any idea how stupid that sounds?"
  • There is such a thing as too many pockets when you are looking for your shotgun shells.
  • Police radar guns go up to 3,000 mph.
  • Nose cone art is alive and well on other planets.
  • Too much chocolate is bad for anybody, regardless of physiology.
  • Extreme speed limit infractions are punished with the death penalty in some states.
  • Never fire a plasma cannon at a silo full of unpopped popcorn.
  • Dynamite is a farmer’s best friend.
  • The aurora borealis are caused by spacecraft dumping their toilet systems into Earth’s stratosphere. 
Zany and fun -- that's all this movie is about!  Don't think about  trying to read too much into it.  If you do, you'll be sorely  disappointed.  It's just a farcical take-off on monster movies and  contains some real good slapstick moments.  No violence, no sex, no foul  language -- safe for the kids and fun for the adults!! 

- wjeffer

Stuff To Watch For: 

  • 2 mins – That would be a CR-1398977 “Cactus” heavy assault cruiser.
  • 20 mins – Captain, you really should look both ways before… …never mind.
  • 25 mins – What does he think it is, a potato bug?
  • 45 mins – Ten feet of rope could have saved you a lot of trouble.
  • 50 mins – RANDOM ACT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST AN OFF-RAMP!
  • 53 mins – Humans: 1, Martians: 0, Cats: -1
  • 63 mins – You know, the Martians’ heads look a lot like watermelons. I wonder what they taste like? (I am, after all, an unevolved savage.)
  • 74 mins – The little scout ship can implode and take the universe with it? Sounds like cause for a recall. 
Being from a small town in Illinois myself, I can instantly relate to  this movie. Considering the era it was made in, the townsfolk look  uncomfortably like a lot of people I grew up with. 

Yes the plot is  so-so. And yes, the Acting is not going to get nominated for an Oscar  anytime soon. 

But that isn't the point. The point is to suspend reality  and just have FUN. 

And this movie has Fun aplenty. From the  greedy,uncaring banker to the well meaning,but dimwitted deputy, this  movie was made to poke fun at the SciFi genre and small town living at  it's best. 

Who can't smile at the sight of the Enforcer Drone or the  Vern Droid? and I LOVED the FarmZoid. 

Wish I had one when I was growing  up. Overall, considering the technology they had available at the time,  this is a pleasant romp into one's childhood, when you could sit back on  a Saturday afternoon, Popcorn in hand, and laugh at the foibles of  small town living. 

This is a movie I would watch again and again, if for  no other reason than to poke fun at myself and my small town ways. 

- johnboy1260-1

Conclusion

This is a gem of a movie not just for people who like fun and quirky premises, but who love the history and traditions of Sci-Fi and Classic Hollywood movies.

Each alien of the Martian crew is the embodiment of a classic Sci-Fi character or member of Hollywood royalty. As such, it’s pure pleasure watching them bounce of each other and the residents of Big Bean, Illinois.

If I were you, I’d stop being so serious and instead gather your loved ones around the video monitor. I’d spend the time making up some fried chicken, some fries and /or coleslaw and/or some mashed potatoes. Get some biscuits, and a couple of cases of icy cold beer and enjoy yourselves. Life is about spending time with friends and family, and this movie is just silly enough to tie it all together.

"Spaced Invaders" is one of the funniest movies, I´ve ever seen. I don´t  understand, why this movie didn´t get better critics, it´s funny,  harmless and sweet. 

I first watched it, when I was 11, and I really fell  in love with it... 2 days later, I got it on VHS :-P Till today, I´ve  shown it to many friends, and they all liked it, but nobody knew the  movie before. 

I think, that´s the problem, nearly nobody knows it, so  nearly nobody can like it... 

This movie never got a real chance, that´s  sad, "SI" has really the potential of a comedy like "Monsters Inc." or  "Spaceballs". Ok, enough displeasure - What I really wanted to say, is  that, if you ever want to laugh your head off, watch it! 

Even if you  don´t get mad about it, it´s worth watching! -->

Prepare to laugh,  earth scum! 

- Amy_Brigman
Inspiration for the most wonder Spaced Invaders movie. All that is missing are some mugs of icy cold beer, mac and cheese, and good friends to share the moments with.
Inspiration for the most wonderful Spaced Invaders movie. All that is missing are some mugs of icy cold beer, mac and cheese, and good friends to share the moments with.

I do hope that you enjoyed this post. I have other posts on movies in my Movie Index, here. Check them out…

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