Creature of Destruction

Considering that this film was made by Larry Buchanan, you can't help but assume it will be a horrible film. After all, Buchanan made a ton of low-budget AND terrible films in his illustrious career. For most, this might be a bad thing, but fans of bad films (like myself) actually seek out his films because they are usually laughably bad.

At first, I was concerned however, as the film didn't seem all that bad. Sure, the monster was recycled from several previous cheesy films, but the plot involving the evil hypnotist seemed interesting. However, considering that the film never really connected this mind control with the appearance of the murderous creature, the film sure was confusing...and dopey.

Les Tremayne plays the hypnotist/mentalist and he actually seemed like a pretty good actor--but he was unfortunately stuck in a bad film. He had an assistant--a pretty lady who was under his total power. She would travel back in town a describe previous lives she'd lived to amazed audiences of rubes. Later, a doubtful psychic investigator (an air force captain whose hair was too long to be a real military man) tries to break Tremayne's hold on the lady. At the same time, there are a series of silly murders on the nearby beach--though as I said before, there really is no explanation of how the evil Tremayne and the somnabalistic lady are involved.

In many ways, the film is like THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH (a truly dreadful film) and the classic silent, THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI. The evil mentalist and his patsy are there--as is the dumb bug-eyed monster (a guy in a diving suit, rubber gloves and a silly mask).

What's to like? Well, other than Tremayne and a mildly interesting mentalist concept, nothing. The film is poorly directed and written and just screams "cheese" from start to finish. Only for the lovers of bad cinema.

CREATURE OF DESTRUCTION is another of Director Larry Buchanan's cinematic anvils to the cranium. This time, there's a hideous monster on a murderous rampage!

Enter Dr. John Basso (Les Tremayne), a clairvoyant practitioner of mesmerism and speaker of mumbo jumbo. Along with his assistant, Doreena (Pat Delaney), he prognosticates doom for certain humans in the area. More unexplained deaths occur. Could it have something to do with Basso and his "regression hypnosis"? The police are baffled.

A languid remake of the listless SHE CREATURE, this movie lumbers along, featuring a monster even more absurd than the original! Picture Kermit T. Frog's pop-eyed head on someone in a green wet suit, growling like a motorcycle that won't start.

Tremayne, playing his role with histrionic glee, towers above the other "actors" in the film, who recite their lines as if they'd been handed the script for the first time, seconds before filming started! Not one of Buchanan's "better" movies, it mostly consists of chatter and static. Dull as a butter knife, it saves all of its "excitement" for the less-than-stellar denouement.

Co-stars Annabelle Weenick (DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT) as the woman who sits in a chair a lot.

EXTRA POINTS FOR: The rockin' beach parties that spontaneously erupt throughout the movie!...

What a terrible made for TV remake film - but loads of fun. This film is the definition of cheesy z-movies. It's a remake of The She-Creature (1956) which is a pretty good B-film and this film is the groovy 1967 Z-film remade for television.

The creature costume in this one is hysterically funny but part of what makes this film fun. The other fun part is the out of sight band that is there for the entertainment of the guest singing there groovy great Batman song! --- A shameless plug for the Batman TV Series (1966–1968) I am guessing.

Okay this is a horrible film but in a way more fun to watch than the original because this one is laughable whereas the original is just a pretty good film.

3/10

A hypnotist and his assistant come to town, presenting an act -- real or contrived -- that features the assistant traveling back in her mind to past lives and revealing details of them to the audience. At the same time, a prehistoric monster is ravaging the community, killing beach bums right and left.

Many have written this film off as worthless and a poor remake. I can't comment on the remake aspect, because I didn't see the original. I would hardly call the film worthless, though. I found it to be highly entertaining and a very captivating story in its own right.

Yes, the film quality is poor, and if you remove the scenes of the beach parties the film doesn't even last a complete hour. But the actors are quite good, especially the man who plays the hypnotist -- giving Montag the Magnificent (from Lewis' "Wizard of Gore") a run for his money. Ultimately, of course, Montag is the better character, but only marginally.

I am still not entirely clear on the connection between the hypnotist and the sea monster (a man in a diving suit and cheesy mask). The link is explained at the end of the film, but doesn't seem to make rational sense. I'd explain that more, but I don't want to give away any twists. I would just like to say if you don't mind low quality 1960s films, this one is worth a viewing.

Within moments I was struck with how terrible the movie looked. With a monster that looks like it was made by the Blue Peter cast, random colour filters that looked appalling and a score that made me turn the volume down it was so bad.

Telling the story of a psychic, his subject and a mysterious creature (The very same one used in multiple movies to save money)

When you can't take the antagonist seriously and find yourself squinting to work out whats going on you have to question what the creators were playing at.

Sure it's not the worst of its ilk, but this is one of those that is so bad.....it's bad and doesn't even have that goofy charm to elevate it above embarassment.

The Good:

The monster is unintentional comedy

The Bad:

Light filters are bafflingly bad

Monster is laughable

Music cuts through you like a knife

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Science is jazz

Batman is a traditional party song