Attack of the Bat Monsters

If you grew up in the 1950s and/or 1960s and watched the classic sf/horror movies produced during that time period, you will absolutely love this clever, witty and above all, affectionate tribute to those great monster movies of days gone by. A terrific script, great performances and top-notch direction by newcomer Greene, make this one to watch and enjoy over and over again. If you love Roger Corman movies, if the name AIP makes you weak in the knees, if you want to see what low-budget filmmaking was like in the late 1950s, see this movie. Though it's extremely funny in many places, this is not a spoof. Don't come looking for some campy send-up of movies that the MST3000 thinks are objects of ridicule. This film is far smarter than that crowd. This film deserves to be picked up for wide-spread theatrical distribution at best or available on home video. A true genre classic. Don't miss it!

I saw "Attack of the Bat Monsters" at a "Monsterfest" convention (yes, I am that geeky) in Washington, D.C. a few years ago. After having spent the day in the exhibit hall viewing "Wasp Woman" posters, models for sale of the "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and "Bucket of Blood" 8x10 glossies, it felt particularly perfect to then watch Kelly Greene's "Bat Monster". It was apparent that Mr. Greene, the director and writer, also had the same love as I of B movies from the 1950's. His film filled in some of the blanks as far as how these films were made. The films' characters and Greene's writing brilliantly portrayed the frenzied writer, director and actors of those films and the quick turnaround time and measly budgets allotted to them. The dialogue between characters is witty and has a rhythm to the patter that is edgy. This makes the switch between the movie and the movie that the main characters are shooting within the movie even funnier - clever dialogue at counterpoint with the forced, stumbling lines that makes part of B movies so damned lovable. Greene did an excellent job on this film and I look forward to seeing his next project.

I saw this film as a work in progress at the 1999 Austin Film Festival in Austin, TX. At that time, even though a work in progress, I rated the this film in the top 3. If memory serves I saw about 36 films at that festival. With the exception of "Attack of the Bat Monster", and "Princess Mononoke," I can not remember any other film I saw at the festival. I highly recommend this film to any fan of comedy or '50's Sci Fi movies.

Every sci-fi lover should track down a copy of this movie, a loving tribute to the Roger Corman-era of film-making. Just as we all held our breath for the first glimpse of The Creature as he poked his gilled head out of the Black Lagoon, the Bat Monster himself is worth the price of admission. Very clever writing with rich character development ... with a Scream Queen to rival the greats! I'm only sorry I didn't see it at a drive-in. Find this film.

Every now and then a fitting tribute to some genre (like RUSTLERS' RHAPSODY was to 1940's to 1960's Westerns) comes along, and for those of us who are fans, it's a great experience! ATTACK OF THE BAT MONSTERS is, for this 1950'S SCI-FI fanatic, a little slice of Heaven on Earth! I'm not familiar with all the details of it's production - I heard it was done as a college thesis(?) - but I thourougly enjoyed it! Well written and with some really nice references to films and filmmakers we have come to know and love, and some good performances. Certainly, a loving tribute! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! Good luck finding a copy!!!