Stomp! Shout! Scream!

This movie has all the staples of the bad 60s beach movies but the site I watched it on claimed it was a comedy. Nothing even remotely funny happens until 59 minutes in and that's a song. I guess their idea of comedy is a deputy correcting the sheriff a hundred times. While the music is good, the rest of the movie just comes off like those old bad movies.

A cheesy beach party movie set in the 60s. It's cheap and silly and it knows it's cheap and silly. The acting is better than it deserves to be. The gorilla suit is SUPER cheap! It really works in this setting. A well made or scary monster suit would ruin the vibe. The sets did a reasonably good job of having period correct things. I'm sure the guitars and guitar amps are reissues but they look right.

Speaking of guitars and amps, the music is the real star in my opinion. I'm a big fan of garage rock and this nails it. I think the girl group songs were written and performed by Catfight. I will definitely be looking up more from this band.

The girls singing group called "The Violas" is very similar to a real group called "The Surfrajettes". The Monster is attracted by their musics and lurks in back of the garage as they play. I have never seen any of the actors, they all seem to be fairly new, but they're all pretty good actors and actresses. The dialogue could be improved a little. Set in the early 1960s, the girls are drinking black label beer in the club. If you don't set your expectations too high, not a bad little movie. Worth watching. The songs that the Violas sing are pretty good. I'd be curious to know who wrote the songs.

"Homage" is an oft abused term, but it is completely apt for this beach party send up. This film isn't for everyone...but if you have a passion for the offbeat, camp, or AIP flicks, then this is the movie for you. The girls are sexy, the music is rockin', and the intentionally kitsch dialog delivered so straightforward and heartfelt is hilarious. The monster is ridiculous, but that adds to the effect rather than detracts. Watch for Deputies Bob and Tillus to steal the show, but the rest of the cast is great too. This would be an excellent film to double feature with The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra, preferably at the midnight Drive-ins.

One of the only genre feature films I've seen recently that pay a respectful homage to the original films and still take themselves seriously without indulging in their camp-value - which usually creates the exact opposite of what they attempt, there is nothing worse than "camp" that's not entertaining. But again, this is not the case. "Stomp! Shout! Scream!" is funny, looks great and features excellent actors (a very lovely Claire Bronson in particular). Great original songs by Catfight! and excellent selections from various modern Garage bands including The Woggles, who are amongst the scene's best. For fans of the original 60's films, this is a must.