Like in The Undead, this movie attempted to cash in on the past life regression craze. Though it managed to get released while the fad was still hot, it’s by far the less engaging of the two. A big part of the problem is that lead actor Lance Fuller delivers his lines in an unintelligible mumble. Though when you consider how poor enunciation is a frequent issue in current films, it could be argued that he was ahead of his time.
He’s easily upstaged by the evil hypnotist Carlo Lombardi, portrayed by a slightly past his prime Chester Morris (known best for his role as safecracker gone straight Boston Blackie in fourteen movies and on radio). The conflict centers around the busty young lady Lombardi uses in his past life regression demonstrations. I’m not sure I truly follow the purpose for the summoning of the prehistoric lobster woman. I suppose it could be for the notoriety of predicting the deaths, but that still seems a bit weak.
The Tickle Me Carlo Lombardi host segment demonstrated that Bill had truly come into the role. His delivery is just so spot on.
Who knew there were so many movies out there with hypnotic past-life regression plots? Even El Santo got in on the action! Another creepy hypnotist and Lance Fuller’s non-acting are good riffing fuel, but I remember this one really bogging down in the second half. We do get to see Mike Nelson, Destroyer of Worlds in action again, though.
I blame The Search For Bridey Murphy, which was a big best-seller in 1954 and a film in its own right the same year as this beach-bound turkey. It inspired a pretty good parody sketch by Stan Freberg, too.
They were all the rage in this era of B pictures. You have the legacy of Bela Lugosi stoked by The Search For Bridey Murphy fascination and movies longing to capitalize. The past lives trend would fade but not the distrust in the charlatans selling somebody something and with such conviction.
Yeah… Yeah. The laughing of The Tickle Me Carlo Lombardi Doll is sooooooooo unsettling. Is that Kevin Murphy as Carlo? It touches not only on ugly kids toys but even the small creature horror phase of the 80s as well. Puppet Master anybody?
The She-Creature (1956), The Undead (1957), I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957). Best Brains sampled them all in one season. Bridey Murphy was a mini-boon for the film industry.
Bridey Murphy also inspired The Undead. The original title was The Many Lives of Diana Love. That WAS the original title until Corman determined that past lives were passe and Zombies were all the rage!
And then I guess the whole theme went mercifully, uh… dead for awhile until the 1970s cinematic glories which were Audrey Rose and The Reincarnation Of Peter Proud.
As for 808, well, remember when I was talking about how incredible season 8 was? This for me is a speed bump. I know I should love this episode, I just don’t. The movie is just so drab, and Lance Fuller drags down every scene he’s in (funny, I like him in This Island Earth). And Chester Morris is downright good as Lombardi! I’ve tried watching it multiple times, but still, it just doesn’t move me. Funny, because 807 and 809 are such classics in my opinion. This and Agent from H.A.R.M are probably my least favorites from season 8.
Sitting back to The She-Creature (1957) a day or two ago, I had difficulty staying with it. The movie is so lifeless the riffing is powerless to revive it. The meandering and heavy exposition put you to sleep quicker than Lombardi’s hypnotism. Lance Fuller is a non-entity onscreen and the plot is apparent from the opening sequence. Mike and the Bots lift it some but not enough.
Since this one is being showcased tonight, it’s worth remembering that Tom Conway (the rich dad) also shows up in 12 To The Moon and in Bride of the Gorilla, done on RT by our favorite woman riffers. I really liked him in that one. Not much of a movie, but he and the other performers really tried to bring something extra to the dreary/badly dated story.
This was only one of two episodes from Season 8 that I just couldn’t rewatch because it was a slog of a movie.
The other was The Mole People. Even though this wasn’t dull it was somewhat depressing, which was why I couldn’t rewatch it either. The big saving grace was the host segment at the very end with Pearl and Howard. Again my apologies to everyone that like this episode.