Frankenstein contre le monstre de l'espace
A Martian princess and a doctor replace the women on Mars, destroyed by atomic war, by raiding Puerto Rico while a shot down android terrorizes all.A Martian princess and a doctor replace the women on Mars, destroyed by atomic war, by raiding Puerto Rico while a shot down android terrorizes all.A Martian princess and a doctor replace the women on Mars, destroyed by atomic war, by raiding Puerto Rico while a shot down android terrorizes all.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Dr. Adam Steele
- (as Jim Karen)
- Martian Crewmember
- (uncredited)
- Reporter
- (uncredited)
- Martian Crewmember
- (uncredited)
- …
- Lieutnenant Denny
- (uncredited)
- …
- Bikini Blonde
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Meanwhile, on Earth, Col. Frank Saunders (Robert Reilly), who is preparing for a flight to Mars, has some sort of breakdown. Actually, it's more of a malfunction, since Saunders is an android. After a quick tune-up, Saunders is off to the red planet.
NOTE TO FUTURE SCHLOCK DIRECTORS: Always play awesome rock music during all liftoff stock footage!
Oh no!
Something goes wrong! Saunders' craft crash-lands, sending him on a dizzying rampage of doom! It's the princess and Nadir again. We know this because of Nadir's annoyingly sinister cackle. Forced to land on Earth themselves, Marcuzan's minions must face a gun-toting hillbilly! Luckily, they have a pet monster on board their ship. Somehow, this all leads to the showdown of the title.
This is one funny movie! Cheap, but cheeeze-rich, Nadir steals the show with his hysterical speeches, packed with histrionic blather that is both intriguing and utterly nonsensical! His weird, dislocated stares are perfect, giving him an air of slight brain damage. The princess holds her own, mostly due to her magnificent headdress (a tablecloth with pipe-cleaners sticking out of it).
As for Saunders, his melted face is pure magic!
EXTRA CREDIT: For the aforementioned music, along with all of the glorious tunes in this film!
Co-stars James Karen as Dr. Adam Steele, who nearly runs off with the movie during the sudden, "motor-scooter-of-love" sequence!
EXTRA-EXTRA CREDIT: For the "pool-party-alien-assault" scene! The dancing! The music! It rivals the hootenanny in THE CREEPING TERROR! If only the girl in the gold pants could have been involved!...
"Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster" is fairly amusing 1960s cheese, and is reasonably entertaining for any schlock lover. It can be dull and talky at times, but it does have some fun moments. Of course, ANY movie that features the late, great James Karen (beloved for playing Frank in "The Return of the Living Dead") as a heroic, Vespa-riding scientist CANNOT be all bad. One of a few people from this production who managed to have a solid career after this, Karen is typically solid. Nancy Marshall is mostly just cute as his associate Karen Grant. Hanold and Cutell are entertaining baddies in the schlock movie tradition. Reilly is adequate as the "Frankenstein" of the title. Another great character actor, Bruce Glover ("Diamonds Are Forever"), has two of his earliest screen roles as he plays both one of the Martians and their pet "spacemonster" Mull (wearing a hilarious, fanged and shaggy costume).
A fair amount of stock footage mixes with new material in what is pretty enjoyable material, at least as far as this kind of movie goes. Ultra-cheap sets and special effects likewise make this endearing to the bad movie fanatic. The makeup on Frank (done by John Alese) isn't bad for a movie filmed over 53 years ago on a $60,000 budget.
Partly set in Puerto Rico, although largely filmed in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
Costume designer Anna Hill Johnstone went on to bigger and better things; her 1970s credits include "The Godfather", "Serpico", and "Dog Day Afternoon".
Five out of 10.
1960s monster open, with the USA copying the Japanese this time. It's a horror film in the "First Man into Space" groove, as astronaut Frankenstein comes back to Earth one vertical half of his body horribly disfigured, and he must do battle with an ugly alien, with the globe's safety in the balance. Beach party scenes are thrown in as padding. Frank beats off "Mull", much to the dismay of the creature's exotic Mistress, Princess Marcuzan.
This movie is great fun to watch aside from the pace being a little too slow when Frank is wandering about in the hills of Puerto Rico. Also the Space Monster isn't in this film enough and its final showdown with the Android Frankenstein proves disappointing. Still this for the most part has a decent pace as the rock music used here actually works to enliven the stock footage and slow scenes...the tunes are actually pretty catchy too plus the way they are used may make many bust out in laughter.
Highly Entertaining Sci-Fi Silliness at its very best.
Did you know
- TriviaAmerican actor Bruce Glover plays two uncredited roles in this film, a "Martian Crewmember" and Mull the Space Monster, but Glover is best known for being the father of "Back to the Future" star Crispin Glover, and playing the assassin Mr. Wint in the James Bond film "Diamonds Are Forever".
- Goofs(at about 1:00 into the film) If you look at the inside of the Martians' purification chamber, you can see that it is made of plywood.
- Quotes
Dr. Adam Steele: Gentlemen, we have just returned from our last meeting with our science advisors, and I'm happy to report that the launch is ready to go on schedule. The countdown will begin at 0800 tomorrow. And now, gentlemen, I want to introduce the astronaut chosen for this mission... Colonel Frank Saunders. Colonel Saunders will answer any questions that you might have. Frank?
[shows Saunders to the podium]
Col. Frank Saunders: Dr. Steele is an optimist. What he means is I'll *try* to answer your questions.
Reporter #1: Colonel, aren't you just a little concerned about making a trip of 49 million miles alone? And when you *do* get to Mars, you still expect to be alone, or... you expect to find other life?
Col. Frank Saunders: I'm completely trained and ready for this mission, I'm not concerned. Now, fear is either physiological, or the result of ignorance and superstition. I'm in good physical condition, and haven't had the time to get superstitious. On the basis of all available data, it would be impossible to determine conclusively whether or not there is life on Mars. That's one of the things I expect to find out.
Reporter #1: Colonel, we understand that the radio telescope located on the down range island complex has been receiving signals in answer to their transmissions. It should maybe be from another civilization or a space vehicle itself.
Col. Frank Saunders: These signals could come from several sources. There's been no official agreement as to their origin, nor has there been anything to prove that they were sent by other intelligent beings.
Reporter #2: Colonel, how did you get picked for this project? Aren't there more experienced astronauts available?
Col. Frank Saunders: My career in the military, prior to this mission, was in test flight operations. Now, as I understand it, all the data on available test pilots was fed into a computer, and the results seem to indicate that I am the most likely candidate. Of course, I'm proud and happy to have been chosen, but I make it a rule never to question the decisions of my superiors.
Reporter #1: Colonel, I, uh, I've been covering the space program for *quite* a long time, yet, uh, prior to the day, I've never even heard of you. How do you explain that?
[Doctor Steele, Karen Grant and General Bowers look at each other nervously]
Col. Frank Saunders: [smiles] I guess I'm the shy type!
[Saunders, still smiling, suddenly freezes perfectly still and does not move at all, much to the reporters' confusion]
Reporter #1: [chuckling nervously] Colonel? Colonel?
Dr. Adam Steele: Gentlemen, the Colonel wasn't kidding, he really *is* shy! He, um... it's been a long day and we're all rather tired.
[Doctor Steele and Karen Grant take the stiff and unmoving Saunders out of the conference room]
- ConnectionsFeatured in It Came from Hollywood (1982)
- SoundtracksTo Have And To Hold
Written by L. Russell Brown (as Larry Brown) and Raymond Bloodworth
Performed by The Distant Cousins
Courtesy DVX Records
A Bob Crewe Production
- How long is Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Frankenstein contra el monstruo del espacio
- Filming locations
- Patrick Air Force Base - 1201 Edward H. White II Street, Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA(Rocket Garden in opening scene.)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $60,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 19 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1