Octaman

'Octaman' is a pretty nice monster movie from early 70's and includes one of the sweetest rubber costumes in the whole movie history. Created by Sixth time Oscar award winner special effects guru Rick Baker ('Gorillas in the Mist)creature is a half man half octopus mutant, who terrorizes people in a small Mexican village. A group of scientists tries to catch the creature but Octaman seems to be much smarter than he looks. Some people will die and some will survive to stand up in the final battle against the powerful freak of nature. To be honest with you - this movie isn't good. Actually it's hilariously bad, laughable flick with bad acting and totally lack of gore. The music is boring as hell and cinematography for sure isn't the first rate,but in overall 'Octaman' is a cult classic of bad movies and as I said it has one of the greatest costumes in movie history to date. Strong tentacles and scary red eyes -that's the Octaman device. Absolutely must see for monster movies fans! It definitively needs a proper DVD release in a good quality and with some extras. 6 out 10 for this cult trash.

Far-out retread into "Creature from the Black Lagoon" territory, this time with a giant rubber octopus-man emerging from a river to terrorize a hapless film crew--err, scientific expedition. It's no coincidence that the screenplay was done by the same guy who wrote the original "...Black Lagoon", the whole movie is a throwback to 50s sci-fi, when radiation had the strange ability to instantly send ordinary creatures through mutations that would normally take about seventeen generations to accomplish.

"Octaman" is in that same shameless spirit, this time molding the aesthetic into a distinctly 70s-era production. The results are fairly laughable, although that may have been what the filmmakers were intending all along. The "octaman" (and his ordinary-sized cohorts) simply must be seen to be (dis)believed. Of course nobody thought this movie was going to be brilliant when it was made, it was produced in an era when cheapie horror films were readily produced as part of the drive-in/grindhouse circuit. "Octaman" fits that bill quite nicely, and only bogs down in the talky sections of the film. As long as the rubber arms are a-wavin', it's a real hoot.

The three stars out of ten is because of the fun I had laughing at this god-awful movie. Absolutely hysterical. Ridiculous monster, a totally unbelievable Kerwin Matthews, and Pier Angeli, who died shortly after this film was completed. I watched the entire movie fascinated by two things, the horrible monster costume, and Pier Angeli, who was once a very promising young actress back in the 1950's. She still looked good, but what a waste for her to act in something like this. Even more sad is that this apparently was her final acting job. Very sad. It is hard to believe that this was the only role that she would be hired for. I had read that she had hoped to act in The Godfather, and also that she had overdosed before finding out that she had been hired for a role on Bonanza. Does anyone know if she accidentally overdosed, or did she commit suicide?

In reality, It will bore you to death and make you cry!!! A pathetic 50's style rubber monster that appears as if he will fall over at any moment. The acting is bad, the effects are bad (Poor Rick Baker), the photography is terrible (It appears as though some scenes were filmed with the lens cap on!!!) and Harry Essex has got to be the most incompetent director ever!!!!

I loved every minute of it!

"Octaman" is the Holy Grail of grade-Z monster movie trash.There's the Octaman,an aquatic creature out of Oscar winner Rick Baker's closet walking about and waving his monstrous tentacles...You see,Octaman kills many dumb people by slapping his victims to death in combination with some hideous psychic power that forces you to wrap its rubbery tentacles about yourself and beat yourself with them.I don't care about the plot,because I watched this amusing piece of cow dung for Octaman.Repeat...Octaman!The utterly bizarre lust of an icthyoid creature for a female mammal reminded me "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" written by "Octaman" director Harry Essex.The lighting is awful,the acting is as bad as it gets and the script is trashy,but Octaman steals the show.6 out of 10 for this fearsome monster.