The Horror of Party Beach

The monster had a striking resemblance to the Creature from the Black Lagoon, which was a much better picture with great cinematography. To make a correction: the substance used to kill them was sodium, not sodium chloride. Sodium burns on contact with water. It's a soft metal, not a powder, so it would take a lot to kill them. But why not just use flame throwers or some other flame source? The music by the Del Aires was really corny. I did a search and found nothing relating to them. Did they ever put out a record? You wonder where they plugged in their amplifiers on the beach. And how were the canisters of toxic material so easily broken open? I wonder what became of the actors. I don't recognize a single name from the cast.

At the beginning of this film, you'd think you were watching one of those "beach party" musicals as The Del Aires - a so-so group of the day - provide us with some rock music of the time period. Hey, we even got a folk song later by a couple of girls. It wasn't exactly Joan Baez and company, but they weren't bad.

Alice Lyon as "Elaine Gavin" may be one of the all-time worst actresses I've even seen on film. It is no shock this is her only movie. Some of the other actors ranged from bad to decent.

However, it's the "monsters" - the guys with the "Creature From the Black Lagoon" suits but with better eyeballs and hot dog-like appendages hanging from their cheeks - that mainly make this horrible film a hoot, making not really horrible but good because it was fun to watch.

To its credit, it was fairly fast-moving, too, with enough action to keep one's interest. The "creatures" were an active bunch! It all makes for decent viewing if you are a fan of the 1950s schlock monster and/or sci-fi films.

Recommended!

Believe it or not, this is NOT the worst horror movie ever made. That dishonor would have to go to either "Manos, the Hands of Fate" or perhaps "Demonwarp." At least "Party Beach" is somewhat entertaining.

Radioactive waste dumped into the ocean, just off of a popular beach party site, reanimates human skeletons and turns them into huge salamanders with cookie monster eyes and mouthfuls of hotdogs. They promptly go on a killing spree, the first victim being the obligatory slut in a bikini. After that, the monsters crash a pajama party, make off with three dimwitted broads (whose car conveniently breaks down just mere inches from the monsters hideout) and actually deign to kill a couple of drunken MEN! I mean, fully clothed men who aren't sexy or in bikinis or anything! Wow! Anyway, it's up to the towns brilliant scientist, his expressionless daughter and her hunky slab of whitebread boyfriend to stop the monsters!

Yeah, this is pretty dumb stuff, but the beach scenes are a lot of fun with some GREAT music by the Del Aires. The monsters are ridiculous, the acting is atrocious and the plot barely makes sense, but this film has an odd, innocent charm to it nevertheless.

Horror of Party Beach, The (1964)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Insane cult classic from director Del Tenney who also made the infamous I Drink Your Blood. Dumb scientists are dumping toxic waste into the ocean, which in turn creates half fish, half zombie monsters that start attacking the locals and drinking their blood. This is one of those infamous bad films that has gained a huge cult following over the years and it's easy to see why since this film has pretty much everything. This is certaily a very poor movie but there's just a certain charm that keeps it entertaining throughout. We've got jocks, bikers, sluts, sea monsters, bad rock 'n roll, insane dialogue and everything else. The sea monsters are some of the dumbest looking monsters ever created but that adds to the charm. The dialogue is also very silly but this here gets plenty of laughs as well. If you're into these 'so bad they're good" films then this here is a must see. The original rock 'n roll songs in the film are also terrible, especially "Zombie stomp".

It's hard to hate a film that creeped me out for years! made me leery of dark forests and deep water forever. I know it is drekk but it's definitely good drekk.What startled me at the time was how fast it got to the point. Beach scenes, spilled radiation barrels,the monster created,and gets its first victim a few minutes later with blood gushing everywhere.Then a few dull minutes of talk,then the classic slumber party scene!20 girls laughing,singing,and having pillow fight not knowing the things from hell are creeping outside!The attack is surprisingly gory,with shots of bloodied bodies all over the room.definitely get the 79 minute version,not the edited tv version.