Movie Time: Monster-A-Go-Go

The day has arrived: Halloween.

The plastic ghost and jack o'lantern stand watch by the front steps.

Steve the rainbow skeleton haunts the front porch.

A bowl of bite sized candy is primed for distribution.

And we've reached the final Saturday of October.

It's MOVIE TIME!  

Over the course of the previous 4 Saturdays, I have chronicled movies of questionable value and quality.  

We've tracked the torments of a mad magician, mutated child cannibals, a bloody pit of horror and a deranged sexual deviant.

Today's cinematic slog is... worse than all of them.

Some of the previous movies maybe had something to make the experience not completely suck.  Look, I rather enjoyed Bloody Pit of Horror if only for Mickey Hargitay's goofy happy torturer.  

Today's movie has no such remotely slim redeeming quality.

From 1965, I give you... Monster A-Go-Go! 

Our tale starts with a space craft on a MISSION into SPACE where a STRANGE COSMIC MYSTERY sends the space craft hurtling back to Earth.  

The space craft is EMPTY and there's a trail of the HORRIFYING  DEAD left by a mysterious CREATURE of enormous STRENGTH and RADIOACTIVE FIRE on a TERRIBLE RAMPAGE of FEAR and DEATH! 

Planet Earth is the KILLING GROUND of this RAVAGING MONSTER!

Is humanity DOOMED! 

"WOW, Dave-El! That sounds like an awesome sci-fi horror classic and I would love to see that movie!"

Well, my blog reading friend, you CAN'T! 

I sat through this damn thing and NONE of that actually happens were we can see it! 

What you do get to see is:

• People standing in a field.
• People telling us they found a body in the the field.
• People in a house talking about what was found and not found in the field.
• People still out in the field.
• People talking in a laboratory.  
• A monster appears (we can see that), attacks (not shown) and kills (not shown).
• I swear to God, we're back in the damn field again! 
• Somebody's dining in a restaurant.
• More discussion in a lab.
• We're back at that house.
• I swear to fucking Lucifer if we go back....
• GODDAMMIT! We're in a FIELD! 
• More talking in a lab.  
• One again the monster appears (we can see that), attacks (not shown) and kills (not shown).
• The army* shoots in the general direction of the monster.
• *A couple of guys in a Dodge Rambler.
• The monster shambles into Chicago and vanishes.

And that is Monster-A-Go-Go! 

What this movie lacks in any actual movie that you can actually see, it more than makes up for with an epic sprawling cast.

• Frank Douglas, astronaut  
• Col. Steve Connors, Army guy
• Jim Taylor, helicopter pilot
• Dr. Karl Schreiber, scientist 
• Dr. Nora Kramer,  also a scientist but a girl
• Ruth Logan, another girl character
• Also Harry Logan, Ruth's husband who is dead but he gets name checked
• Jimmy, Ruth's son. Frank Douglas has been like a father to Jimmy since Harry died 
• Dr. Frank Logan, another Frank, another scientist and another member of the Logan family
• Henry Schwartz, lab assistant to Dr. Frank Logan
• Dr. Chris Manning, some dude, maybe a scientist? 
• Who cares? Will to live being lost...
• Dr. Brent, another goddam scientist
• We don't need this many scientists! 
• Dr. Conrad Logan, are you shitting me? It's another fucking scientist and also named Logan? 
• Also add in nameless teenagers in a make out session, a hot blonde with car trouble and a no name truck driver
• And a narrator who randomly checks in to provide plot points the movie cannot bother to show and the characters cannot tell you because they don't know shit.
• Oh, and the Monster who may or may not be Frank Douglas, astronaut.  

There's a really perplexing twist at the end that calls into question the true identity of the Monster or some shit that if you made it this far, you really should not care! 

Oh where is that sweet release of death when you need it?

Why, why, WHY does Monster A-Go-Go exist?

God and the Devil made a bet and somehow they both lost?

No, because filmmaker Bill Rebane knew a guy: Henry Hite who was 2.31 meters tall.

Okay, this 'MERICA! We don't go in for that pansy European metric bullshit! 

Henry Hite was 7 ft 6¾ in tall.

So Bill Rebane started from the premise of let's make a movie around that guy.  

Rebane's production took 3 important steps:

1) Slather lumpy bumpy make up on Henry's noggin 

2) Film him lurching about looking scary.

3) Some other 3rd thing that will occur to Bill sooner or later.

Bill's production began in 1962 in and around his native Chicago and lurched forward through 1963 when the money and anything resembling creativity ran out.  

Bill Rebane handed over what little he had to noted exploitation horror movie maven Herschell Gordon Lewis and moved on to other things.

A couple of years later, Lewis was in urgent need of a second film to fill out a double bill with one of his shlockfest horror films and dug out Rebane's incomplete footage.  

Lewis shot a few extra scenes and added some new dialogue and adorned it with the title Monster A-Go-Go in 1965.

Lewis' hurried slapdash efforts to turn Rebane's raw footage into... something, anything resulted in a strange disjointed story with no continuity.

So much time elapsed between Rebane's original shoot and Lewis dusting it off, a lot of the original cast was not available. Hence the plethora of redundant scientists that populate the film.  

Lewis was able to get the actor back who played Dr. Frank Logan but the actor had so dramatically changed his look, Lewis recast him as Frank Logan's brother, Conrad.

How cheap was this movie? There's a scene with a ringing telephone which is clearly somebody making a phone ringing sound with their mouth.  

I will assure you I did not watch Monster A-Go-Go alone. I was joined by Joel Hodgson and his robot pals.  

Mystery Science Theater 3000 took a pass at Monster A-Go-Go in 1993, much to their regret.  Writer Paul Chaplin called Monster a Go-Go "officially the worst movie the show had featured, as of Season 7. The movie's lack of focus also forced the writers for the first time to explicitly decide not to have any of the episode's host segments have anything to do with the movie."

Monster A-Go-Go is a Monster A-No-No and this post is mercifully Monster A-Gone-Gone.

Enjoy your Halloween!  

Your Friday Video Link: Halloweenies!

Hello, Halloweenies! 

Tomorrow is Saturday and it's Halloween. 

Do you have plans? Your Friday Video Link#1 turns to Stefon for some tips on how to spend your spooky holiday.  

Beware Sidney Applebaum, the Jewish Dracula!

Look for a chilling fright for a Halloween night?

Your Friday Video Link#2 takes you on an elevator ride of DOOM! 

Your Friday Video Link#3 features Bill Hader channeling Vincent Price hosting an off kilter Halloween TV special.

That's John Hamm doing a really uncanny impression of James Mason.

That's it, you Halloweenies! 

We're back tomorrow with Movie Time and the absolute worst movie we've written about all month.

Be safe out there and remember to be good to one another.  

Patrick Stewart

 I was nearing the end of my work day Thursday when I noticed something at the bottom corner of my computer screen:

"Breaking news: Patrick Stewart.."

I couldn't see the full headline but the sinking feeling in my stomach presaged what I was going to see.

"Breaking news: Patrick Stewart dead at age 86".

I know I said I was not going to say this anymore but my rage and my grief cannot be contained.

The WRONG people keep dying! 

...

...

...

This one hits hard.

Star Trek: The Next Generation was a pivotal part of the early relationship for Andrea and myself when we were dating. Long before I introduced Andrea to Doctor Who, TNG was our jam.

And at the center of the shared experience was Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard.

Whatever the merits or quality of any given episode, Stewart's talent always elevated the proceedings.  

Patrick Stewart was there at our beginning. To contemplate that he's now gone is hard to fathom.

I was particularly distressed to learn the cause of his death: Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.  

A man of such considerable talent and intelligence being brought low by so reprehensible a condition seems unconscionable to me.

Searching for mercy where we can find it, it seems the diseases ravaged him for a relatively short time before he died at his home, surrounded by loved ones. 

The loss of Patrick Stewart is a particularly hard one to process.

In the final frontier that awaits us all beyond this life, may God bless you, Patrick Stewart, and may you rest in peace.   

Comic Book Retro 50: October 1976

October 1976 was a month of transition at DC Comics.

I'm not sure if a young Dave-El perusing the drugstore and convenience store spinner racks was fully cognizant of what was going on.

The covers should have been a clue.

Fewer covers by Ernie Chan.  In fact, unless I'm overlooking something, October 1976 was the last month for Ernie at DC for cover and interior art.  

Justice League of America #138 sported a cover by Neal Adams.

After sharing space with the Justice Society and the heroes of Earth S (Shazam), the JLA has another guest star in  "Adam Strange -- Puppet of Time" by Cary Bates, Dick Dillin & Frank McLaughlin.  

The Zeta Beam that transports Adam from Earth to Rann has gone wonky and sent him travelling through time to the 73rd century. And there's some other Cary Bates style shenanigans to make Adam Strange <insert dramatic pause> the Enemy of Earth!!! 

From the  Justice League to Justice Society, a young Dave-El picked up All Star Comics #64 from the spinner rack.  

After providing inks and finishes to Ric Estrada & Keith Giffen, Wally Wood flies solo on the cover and the interior.

Written by Paul Levitz,  "Yesterday Begins Today" follows up on the Shining Knight subplot seeded a few issues back and reintroduces perhaps the JSA's greatest nemesis, Vandal Savage. 

These days, Vandal Savage will fight anybody and is currently the police commissioner of Gotham City. 

It's more Neal Adams cover art on Flash#246.   

The issue leads off with "Kill Me, Flash -- Faster... Faster" by Cary Bates, Irv Novick & Frank McLaughlin.

Chafing under the restrictions of being "reformed" from criminal activity by future science, Abra Kadabra uses a scheme to make it look like the Flash murdered him to escape his hellish existence of being "good". 

I mentioned DC being in a time of transition and Flash#246 was a milestone of change for the title.  After this issue, the Flash would no longer be reduced to just 10 pages of his own comic book.  

Back in June 1972, Green Lantern moved from his own book to back up player with Flash#217. Now with "Fury of the Floronic Man" by Denny O'Neil, Dick Dillin & Terry Austin, GL's time as a back up in this title was coming to an end.  

This story mark's the evolution of the plant controlling mad scientist Jason Woodrue to an actual "Plant Man".   It was a change that stuck.  Alan Moore would make excellent use of the Floronic Man in Swamp Thing.  

It's a shame that Terry Austin didn't have more chances to ink Dick Dillin's pencils.  They made a great team.  

Next up is Karate Kid#6 with a cover by Ernie Chan (DC's not done with him yet) & Mike Grell.  

"Showdown with Commander Blud" by Barry Jameson (a pseudonym for writer David Michelinie), Ric Estrada & Joe Staton features a guest turn by the Legion of Super Heroes.

The Legion is looking to convince Karate Kid to come back home to the 30th century but the Kid is insistent on continuing his self imposed exile in the 20th century for reasons known only to him. 

Speaking of the Legion, we come now to Superboy#223 with a cover by Mike Grell.  Yeah, I can see Karate Kid is on the cover after I just told you he wasn't coming back from the 20th century.  Whatcha gonna do? It's comics, y'all!  

"We Can't Escape the Trap in Time" is by Jim Shooter, Mike Grell & Bob Wiacek and I already wrote about this issue 13 years ago (OMG!).  Here's an excerpt from that post.  

"We Can't Escape the Trap In Time" was my first exposure to the long time Legion foe, The Time Trapper.  And he kind of weirded me out. Under that hood was just darkness as the Trapper plied his machinations to doom his enemies in the Legion.  Superboy and the Legion manage to escape the time trap that weren't suppose to escape. Meanwhile, their efforts have been observed....

 

 

 Even as the Time Trapper is (barely) defeated by the Legion, other forces are preparing to unleash themselves against our heroes, forces that may dwarf even the considerable power of the Time Trapper.

 

The Legion's ultimate threat is coming....When Stargrave Strikes!

Young Dave-El was really impressed by Superboy#223 but little suspecting that Superboy & the Legion was heading for a time of significant change.  And I was heading for some major disappointment. More on that 1 month from now and 13 years ago. (Wobbly wobbly timey wimey!)  

After missing several issues, I picked up Batman#283 with a cover by Ernie Chan & Vince Colletta.   

 "Omega Bomb Target:Gotham City" by David V. Reed & Ernie Chan marked the conclusion of a multi issue arc that took Batman on an international spy mission. 

It also marked the end of a run that began with Batman#262 in January 1975 when Ernie Chan drew his first issue of Batman.

Ernie was not a bad artist but I thought him ill suited to drawing Batman.  

Batman Family#9  features Ernie Chan's final cover for the title.

The all-new lead off story is a Robin and Batgirl team up to solve the "Startling Secret of the Devilish Daughters" by Bob Rozakis, Irv Novick & Vince Colletta.

This issue brings to an end the ongoing mystery running through Robin's solo feature of the Joker's Daughter who had also pretended to be the daughter of other Batman villains.  

NO, the timeline of Duela Dent being the daughter makes no sense.

Duela says she did all this as an audition to convince Robin to let her join the Teen Titans.

NO, dressing up as the alleged daughters of Batman villains to commit petty misdemeanors is NOT a good argument for joining a super hero team.

Just... no.

But damn it, Rozakis who was also writing Teen Titans does indeed have Robin introduce her to the Titans.

Featured reprints include an Alfred short from 1944 and a Batman vs. Blockbuster tale from 1966.  

I also picked up Detective Comics #467 with a cover by Rich Buckler and Vince Colletta.

Written by Bob Rozakis (boy, he was busy in 1976), "Pick-Up on Gotham 2-4-6" was drawn by John Calnan & Vince Colletta.

John Calnan had been a long time inker over various pencillers of the Superman/Batman team ups in World's Finest Comics. I think this was his first outing as a Batman penciller.  He will become the regular artist on Batman later in 1977.  

The story is a minor inconsequential crime mystery with the quirk of having 2 men dressed as Batman.

As Dire Straits once sang, "When two men say they're Jesus, one of  them must be wrong."  

Bruce Wayne is narrating this crime drama to a mysterious visitor who at the end reveals himself and is ready to tell his tale. 

Which brings us to the back up, "The Man Who Skyjacked Hawkman".  

Bob Rozakis, Marshall Rogers & Terry Austin brings the Calculator back ups to a close with Hawkman telling Bruce he deduces Calculator is coming for Batman next.

That's a story for next issue.  

This issue also marked the end of the super hero back ups in Detective Comics until June 1978 when Hawkman would return.   

Next up, young Dave-El forked over 30 cents for Secret Society of Super-Villains #5 with a cover by Ernie (I'm still here for now!) Chan & Vince Colletta.     

After I sampled this series with issue #3 (June 1976), I skipped issue #4 for reasons I've long forgotten,  

With issue #5 I wandered into a mess.  David Anthony Kraft was no longer the writer leaving Bob Rozakis to bat clean up on the SSOSV's ongoing Darkseid storyline.  

"Endgame" is drawn by Rich Buckler & Vince Colletta.

Manhunter goes boom and presumably takes Darkseid with him.

SPOILER: no, he doesn't.  

Meanwhile, the blinders are off and Captain Comet is done with being deceived by the Secret Society.

Next up is Shazam#27 under a cover by Ernie Chan & Kurt Shaffenberger.   

"Fear in Philadelphia" by  E. Nelson Bridwell, Kurt Schaffenberger & Vince Colletta continues the cross country tour by Billy Batson & Uncle Dudley, emulating the format of the Shazam TV show.   

Guest starring in this issue is an old Quality Comics character called Kid Eternity who last appeared in a new story in August 1949.  By shouting "Eternity!", Kid Eternity had the power to summon anyone from history (or sometimes even mythology) to aid him in his adventures.  

SIDE BAR: By the way, you may have noticed Vince Colletta is inking a lot of stories this month.  Somehow Colletta had conned his way into the job of DC's art director where he would assign a lot of inking assignments to himself. With his notorious propensity for erasing background, Colletta could deliver completed ink jobs very fast.   

Here comes Action Comics#467 with a cover by Bob Oksner. 

"Stop It, Superman -- You're Wrecking the World"  is by Gerry Conway, Curt Swan & Tex Blaisdell.   

I am hard pressed to remember the deets of this story but the Grand Comics Database offers this summary:  "Superman defeats a scientist who used a gadget to absorb and weaponize the energy Superman suppresses to prevent sonic booms when he flies at super-speed."

Let's have fun with this: "a gadget to absorb and weaponize the energy Superman suppresses to prevent farts". 😜

Nope, not ringing a bell. But I do remember  this bit:  This story contains the first mention of Black Lightning months before the release of Black Lightning #1.

OK, some of the story is coming back to me now.

It's more Bob Rozakis writing  "A Superman's Best Friend Is His Superdog" drawn by Swan & Blaisdell with Krypto the Superdog vs.   Mr. Mxyzptlk.

What breed of dog is Krypto? He's 100% good boy! 

Which brings us to Superman#307 and another cover by Neal Adams and "Krypton No More", part 1 of a 3 issue arc.  

After drawing issue #s 301 and #302, Jose Luis Garcia Lopez is back to pencil the interiors for 3 issues, joined by inker Frank Springer.  (Another of the changes at DC, issue #306 was Bob Oksner's last issue inking the interior art on Superman.) 

writer Gerry Conway crafts a story wherein Clark Kent is clued in to a environmental disaster in the making.

Superman looks into the situation and does not like what he's hearing.  

Man, I wish I could say things are better 50 years later.  

Superman ponders the parallels between Krypton and Earth's descent into self destruction.  Superman decides he will not let what happened to Krypton happen to Earth.

Until Supergirl intervenes with some troubling news.

Supergirl tells Superman their powers came from radiation absorbed by their scientist fathers on Earth, Jonathan Kent and Fred Danvers.  And Krypton is merely a delusion?

What the when how why now?

Young Dave-El will find out when he plunks down his 30 cents for Superman#308 in November 1976.   

Books I Did Not Buy 

Superman Family#181 with this weird ass cover by Ernie Chan

Thus was the LAST new/reprint issue with the rotating lead feature.  Issue #182 would over double in size and feature all new material of all the Superman Family stars at one time.

Weird Western Tales #38 with a cover by  Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez

The last issue starring Jonah Hex.  He would move on to this own title with a new character taking over the Weird Western Tales title.

Four Star Spectacular #6 with a cover by Ernie Chan 

Four Star was the odd ball reprint title that ostensibly featured 4 super heroes per issue.  These kinds of all reprint titles were being phased out under the leadership of new DC publisher Jeanette Kahn.

Another change was coming.  October 1976 was the last month for this logo:

The future awaits 50 years ago and one month from now for the next edition of Comic Book Retro 50.

________________________________________

Thanks to The Tom Breevort Experience, the Grand Comic Book Database. Attack of the 50 Year Old Comic Books and Mike's Amazing World of Comics.