SunnyHello
Nice effects though.
Solidrariol
Am I Missing Something?
Sameer Callahan
It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
Bezenby
How can a film so awful be so awful, if you know what I mean? We've got a terrible rubbery monster, a hypertensive mad scientist and his lovely ethnic assistant, and some boobs, but for some reason this film feels as if it's as long as Barry Lyndon and much less eventful.Overworked, cranky scientist guy gets sent from NASA to Japan for some R and R and ends up instead trying to prove that mankind is descended from plants by getting a Venus flytrap and some underwater plant and sewing them together to make a man-plant that feeds mainly on dogs, it seems.Now look at that last paragraph - that's gold to a bad movie guy like me! But in reality this film will send you into a coma. An awfully long time is spent by the scientist talking botany with his assistant (and as a guy who has an allotment, keeping a plant in a box away from sunlight don't seem like such a good idea, plus I only use lightening on my carrots and only feed dogs to my onions. Hollywood eh?) If you can stay awake long enough for them to reveal the beeping man-plant (the inclusion of boobs might help), then the last third of the film isn't so bad, but there's no gore whatsoever and you might miss the ending if you blink. Yes, the monster looks ridiculous but I felt cheated by the lack of blood and sauce. I watched this years ago and thought it was crap then. Wish I'd written an IMDb review back then and saved myself the time of watching it again.
mlevans
After going to IMDb and seeing Ed Wood's name affixed to this interesting 1970 concoction, I suddenly understand all I need to understand.Where can we start in dissecting this film? How about the title (which is 'The Revenge of Dr. X' on the version I have)? Let's see
first of all, there IS no Dr. X
just good old Dr. Bragan. Secondly, he doesn't seek or get revenge against anyone
or have any REASON for revenge. He merely agrees to take a much-needed vacation to Japan to ease work-related stress
although it certainly appears that he may have a brain tumor or some other physical problem coming on.The movie is quirky enough, with James Craig, who looks just like Clark Gable at the end of his life, and the attractive Japanese assistant (who goes nameless, since IMDb only lists TWO cast members!). Throw in some topless, well-built female divers, the obligatory hunchback helper (also unnamed) and shot after shot after shot of the two lead characters driving up and down and up and down rugged roads in a convertible, back and forth and up and down much of the time with silly Gilligan's Island-like comedy music playing.The basic plot is NASA scientist Dr. Bragan is getting stressed out and takes the advice of co-worker Dr. Nakamura (James Yagi, the only other listed cast member) and visits his cousin in Japan. On the way he picks up a Venus fly trap from a snake-handling gas station attendant in North Carolina. Although the plant apparently doesn't exist in Japan, he seems to have no trouble at all carrying it in. Meanwhile, his co-worker's cousin turns out to be an attractive young female, who makes arrangements for them both to go to an abandoned resort her father owns, out in the country. The road is bad, she warns him and director Kenneth Crane and/or Wood make darn SURE we understand this by showing them driving back and forth and back and forth over the rough road on various errands.Meanwhile, Dr. Bragan is getting more and more secretive, working with his flytrap. The only thing we see more of than them driving the convertible back and forth is the girl awakening to a dog barking, going to the window, looking out to see Dr. Bragan tip-toeing to his laboratory, then going back to sleep. This happens about half a dozen times! I won't even mention the man in the plant costume with two pot-holders that are supposed to be man-eating Venus fly-trap hands
OR the scene straight from every Frankenstein movie where he cranks the fly-trap up, through an opening in the ceiling during a thunderstorm to bring it to life! (No kidding!) Still, for those with insomnia or those who want to see every project the legendary Wood was associated with, it can be amusing. The backdrops at times are breathtaking, as the pair go to Tokyo (after braving that rough road for another 60 seconds of film driving), visit a museum, go to the ocean, meet topless divers and prowl around on the ocean floor while eerie haunted church music plays. A threatening volcano is thrown in for good measure.Instead of 'The Revenge of Dr. X,' I might title it 'The Long, Rough Road' or 'Dr. Bragan Goes to Tokyo
Then Breeds a Killer Venus Fly-trap.'
Hitchcoc
This is so bad it's fun. The main character, who has a fascination with carnivorous plants, brings a Venus fly trap to Japan on a vacation. He proceeds to cross breed it and comes up with a silly looking thing with big fly trap paws. It apparently walks around, leaving path of destruction. The beauty of this mess, is the incredible overacting by it's principle character. There is also an assistant, a Japanese woman, who helps with his needs while in Japan. He becomes obsessed. He continually abuses her verbally, but she sticks by him. It's the old story. I created it; I'm not destroying it. There is one ridiculous scene where a group of Japanese female divers stand around topless. No one pays any attention to this fact but they go on with their conversation like the girls were fully dressed. It's just about as idiotic as it gets. I know no one ever intended this to be serious and it is laughable when Craig emotes and shouts out preposterous comments. But it doesn't get much dumber than this.
horrorfilmx
I watched this movie last night in a state of total confusion. The opening credits read "Directed by Eddie Romero" and some other guy and "Starring John Ashley and Angelique Pettyjohn" so like any devoted B movie fan I was expecting lots of fun Blood Island Hijinks. The movie starts and it feels like a Larry Buchanan epic on a (slightly) bigger budget, but minutes drag by with excruciating slowness and there's no sign of the putative stars. Next thing you know we're in Japan and some mad scientist is trying to create humanoid life from a Venus flytrap in a scene that looks like a cross between FRANKENSTEIN and THE MUTATIONS. And all to background music that sounds like it was swiped from a local kiddie show from the 1950s! And weirdest of all, with all these surreal goings on I'M STILL NOT HAVING ANY FUN!!!!! Thank god for the IMDb! All has been explained and my world makes sense (sort of) again. Exit Eddie Romero, enter Ed Wood, and leave all hope of quality behind. I'm hesitant to use a phrase like "worst movie of all time" but I believe I have finally found that elusive worst movie. No entertainment value, not even of the camp or inadvertent variety, just 90+ minutes of stultifying ineptitude. Okay, there's one scene where the scientist is apparently seeking the help of a group of female divers and all the girls standing around listening to his half assed theories are topless, so for a few brief moments there are some pretty cute boobies on display. That's the sole redeeming feature of this film, and believe me it's not enough.