Mad Monster Party? (1967)

Not as good as I remembered, 5 February 2005

My wife got me this for Christmas and as I was babysitting three year old, I put it in. I doubt I had seen Mad Monster Party? since 1970. I remember it being a favorite of mine at the time. And it was a hit with the three year old I was babysitting. But, it's lost some of the magic it once held for me.

I found most of it disjointed, and as a result, dull. The movie skips from one unrelated scene to the next. The plot, as it is, provides very little cohesion. The lack of a decent plot made much of the movie downright dull.

That's not to say there weren't some good moments, they were just few and far between. Boris Karloff adds some dignity to the movie, but this is almost entirely offset by Phyllis Diller. How annoying! Some of the creatures are quite good. I was particularly struck by the Hunchback. Gale Garnett is also good as the voice of Francesca. Francesca reminded me a bit of Jessica Rabbit - she's not bad, she's just drawn that way. There's also some swinging 60s music that is particularly good. Some of the music had a James Bond type feel to it.

Some of you may say, "It's a kid's movie. Give it a break." I know that and I really hope my son will one day enjoy it like I once did. For a young child, it's a good first glimpse at the classic horror characters.

This may be a little harsh, but for what it's worth, I'll give it a 5/10. (The three year old I was watching it with would probably give it a 10/10.)

5/10