The Beach Girls and the Monster1965

NOTE: THIS FANDOR VERSION is entirely black and white, BUT the original film featured a color surfing sequence "home movie" (that was better than the actual movie), which added to the surreal, groovy campy-ness of the whole thing.

No need to review it at length - you know what you're getting into with a movie like this - the title says it all!

“The Beach Girls and the Monster” is a mess, but it’s a lovable mess. It’s kinda like if the monster chewed up your sofa. You’re outraged for a minute, then you look at those google eyes, shrug and reach for a dog treat. It’s a weird snapshot of pop culture, circa 1965, trying to mimic the energy of the Beach Party films with a plot that feels like it came from a rejected Perry Mason script. All in all, however, not the worst way to burn an hour of your time, and hey the soundtrack has some bitchin' surf tunes---composed by Frank Sinatra Jr.!?!

So, there's this beach and there are some girls on it and there's a monster. There's also a whole lot of drama that concerns a young guy who's pressured into a science career by his father while he also fends off advances from his liquor-guzzling sexpot stepmother. It all adds up to a bad movie cult classic. It spends at least half of its seventy-minute run time on the dull soap opera storyline, but doesn't spend any time attempting to make a lick of sense. Its saving graces include the memorably bad rubber suit monster, some goofy low-budget beach party scenes and a fairly bitchin' little music score packed with reverb-happy surf rock and trashy jazz. Frank Sinatra Jr. co-wrote the party-hearty theme song, "Dance Baby Dance".

Spectacular special effects, soulsome acting and brilliantly witty dialogue. Truly the movie of our times! With a stunning twist of an ending that you will never, never see coming. Not only does it present a thrilling and engrossing storyline, but it presents a look back in time to the fascinating and strange world of the American 1960s. Wow!

This is a "Thanksgiving Special" -- a turkey. Don't watch this film as a cinema experience but rather view this as a 1965 cultural artifact. The actors, and I use the term 'actors' loosely, are all graduates of the "Red Wood School of Acting" -- i.e. just hit your mark and say your lines -- no emoting necessary. The scenes change from day to night and back to day without continuity, the "monster" budget was zero and there was no wardrobe -- just bikinis. So if you like 1965 shaking tushes, and bikini-top-restrained bosoms this is your "cup-of-tea". This film should be required viewing for all "wanna-be" film makers! In fact, no one should be allowed to graduate film school without sitting through multiple viewings. Doing so would make them all better film makers.