Octaman (1971)

With "Octaman", my buddy and I were pretty much convinced to have stumbled upon the ultimate bad movie! This initially looked like brilliantly bad entertainment with a horrendously inefficient environmental message and some of the most pitiable and cheesy costumes we would ever have seen. Well, it's bad all right … but not necessarily in the entertaining way that we were anticipating. "Octaman" is a long lost relative of the wonderful Creature of the Black Lagoon"; a half man and half sea serpent monster with a ludicrous head and six tentacles. There isn't much of a plot to describe, but writer/director Harry Essex (co-writer of the original aforementioned classic – believe it or not) does his very best to show off with the rubber suit as much as possible. Octaman is literally always luring from behind a bush or with the top of his dumb head sneakily emerging from the water. The continuity in this film is far lost, the characters (supposedly another scientific expedition) are lame wooden stereotypes and the screenplay takes itself way too seriously. There isn't any attempt to insert any humor, unless you think it's hilarious that the Octaman is credited as "himself". When the monster kidnaps the girl and flees towards the water whilst holding her, the image suspiciously looks a lot like that legendary poster of "This Island Earth", with Faith Domergue in the arms of big-headed alien. This proves all the more that "Octaman" got made and released approximately fifteen years overdue. At heart, this is a genuine 50's movie, but in the 70's it doesn't even qualify as a half-decent homage and ends up being a wacky and boring film.

Octaman (1971) ** (out of 4) This semi, unofficial remake of CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON doesn't shy away from ripping off various scenes from that film. In this one, a group of scientists (and of course a money hungry POS) discover that there might be a half man, half octopus's in the Mexican swamps so they try to track him down. Soon he's fighting back and killing everyone around. Okay, this is a rather hard film to judge because there's no question that this is an awful movie. Everything from the performances to the screenplay to the direction are downright bad. There are some rather interesting things about the film and we can start off with director/writer Harry Essex. He previously wrote the screenplay for Universal's MAN MADE MONSTER but also CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON itself so I guess he has the right to rip off his own work. How he wrote them amazes me after watching this screenplay, which has the be one of the worst ever written because none of it ever makes any sense. The movie never really makes it clear what the scientists are doing, where on earth they're at since the scenery is constantly changing and best of all is that they follow the monster in a RV and not a boat. The top billed Pier Angeli, who some might remember from SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME, died of a drug overdose during production, which certainly leaves a dark spot on the film. Thirdly, future Oscar-winner Rick Baker did the monster costume and effects here. Yes, it's obvious the thing is a rubber suit but I must admit that I liked the creation because it at least looks campy like the costumes from the 1950s horror films that this one is clearly trying to be like. The violence in the film is pretty good as well as the swinging arms of the monster is always knocking eyes out or ripping flesh. Again, if you're wanting art then I'd recommend checking out the work of Bunuel. If you're wanting good, drive-in fun then this film really fits the bill. This would make a perfect double feature with ZAAT, which I watched a few weeks earlier.

Octaman (1972) is an awesome Sci-Fi / Horror / Thriller Monster Film. This is my favorite Throwback imitation to "Creature From The Black Lagoon" (1954) Rana is my second favorite. There was another called "The Monster Of Piedras Blancas" (1958) that one was good for the 50's but I don't think that was as good as Octaman & "Rana: The Legend Of Shadow Lake" (1975). It was good but those two were both much better I thought. Blancas was pretty gory for the 50's with the decapitated head thing. It was Probably one of my favorite out of the 50's Lagoon Spin-Off's but overall Octaman was a lot better of a Spin-Off & so was Rana. Anyway Harry Essex wrote the script & Directed Octaman. He Also actually wrote the script for the original "Creature From The Black Lagoon" (1954) as well which had big mainstream success. I guess he decided he wanted to do a 70's Version of Black Lagoon thus Octaman was born. The Costume was designed & created greatly by Rick Baker & Doug Beswick I thought. The eyes look so realistic & also move. He has four tentacles as arms the other four are his legs & are stuck together. Even the second row of arms move & Read Morgan was in that costume & only had two arms so Baker especially & Beswick did a great job. It was also a lot gorier then Rana which is why I like it better. Also not to mention I like Octopy better then Frogs so. This one was just great. For u B & Z Grade Sci-Fi & Horror Film Buffs u will love it! I don't wanna ruin the movie if u live in the Pittsburgh area u can catch Octaman on television on The It's Alive Show on channel 21 WBGN - TV Sat. Dec. 10, 2005 at 11pm. Here is their home page & enjoy! http://www.theitsaliveshow.com/

The ecologic idea of this film is even interesting. There's no big difference between "Octaman" and the conception of "Godzilla", which in the 70's was also incredibly laughable. The big failure was how poor it was made. And this was a very, very cheap film. The courageous actors couldn't do a miracle, but they had all the dignity of doing what they needed to do. A difference rises, if they are watched apart of the surreal monster character.After watching "Octaman" we understand why the special effects in Sci-Fi films must be a step above of their era. Fortunately, the first Star Wars film (in which Mr. Baker- co-author of the "Octaman" monster and after academy-awarded winner- seems to have learned a lot) came in rescue few years after "Octaman" to change the poor panorama of Sci-Fi films until the 70's.Anyway, this film attracts so much attention, despite of the main monster character has been so bad constructed, has been so badly filmed and edited, having so deep weakness in the script, that it deserves a new version, exactly what was made with Godzilla. As a child I was scared with this film, at least with its first half, and as adolescent, sincerely entertained. It's understandable that there is a list where "trash" cinema fans put "Octaman" as one of their 50 favourite films. It's so… so strange that it becomes good.Finally, a time ago some Maritime Ecology site made sympathetic comments about the idea of "Octaman", relating the increasing number of giant octopus found dead in the world coast. It seems to be an important theme nowadays, upon which a well written and done film could be based on, in a new version for "Octaman".Note: 8