In the sixties drive-in theaters were the rage. Teens
unwilling to sit at home with the squares wanted to be out on their own rather
than watching FATHER KNOWS BEST. The best option they found was the drive-in.
They could dance, they could talk to one another, they could socialize and they
could see a movie made for their generation all at the same time. Del Tenney
was an actor who knew the market well enough as well as how to make a film so
he set out to make movies specifically for the drive-ins. One of those was THE
HORROR OF PARTY BEACH.
The movie features almost every aspect of a drive-in movie
from the time you can imagine. To begin with it starts on the beach where teens
are dancing away their cares and woes to the local band the Del-Aires, a New Jersey
band. With songs like "Joy Ride", "The Zombie Stomp",
"You Are Not a Summer Love", “Drag” and "Wigglin' Wobblin'” one
of them was sure to be a hit. Granted this wasn’t a beach in California but one
in Connecticut but it works out fine.
Then there is the hot rod our hero drives during the opening
credits. During those a biker gang tries to cut him off but he zips past them.
Which of course leads to a short rumble once they arrive at the beach. The
teens on the beach aren’t quite teens but college students this time around.
Thank goodness because none could pass for a teenager. All are dancing in
trunks and bikinis, shaking whatever body parts they can. What else do we need?
Monsters!
Our monsters are those types created by radioactive wastes,
a common creator of creatures in the fifties. A tugboat is dumping canisters of
radioactive waste into the bay and the lid pops off of one. In what is actually
a pretty decent transformation sequence the material mixes with the remains of
a few skeletons on board what looks like a sunken treasure ship. Combined with
the fish in the water we now have several half man/half fish creatures to
terrorize the shores!
The first victim is Tina, the party girl who’s just been
dumped by our hero Hank. Clawed to death by the creatures it is a gruesome site
indeed, especially when you consider this movie was made in 1963. Being in
black and white helps with copious amounts of chocolate syrup standing in for
blood though there is plenty of it to be seen.
Rumors abound that this is an attack of monsters and the
police call in local scientist Dr. Gavin to help. Hank is his assistant and his
daughter Elaine has a crush on Hank. Studying the few clues he has as to what
the makeup of these creatures might by his maid Eulabelle tells him it’s
voodoo. Of course he ignores her and tells her to go to bed.
The body count rises as the sea monsters scramble on land
for new victims. On one rampage through town they see mannequins in a store and
mistake them for women. One of the monsters attacks and cuts his arm off while
smashing through the glass window. This arm becomes the first real evidence
Gavin comes across and he accidentally discovers a means of destroying the
monsters. Before he can return with the chemicals needed Elaine is off looking
to find the monster’s lair and is almost killed. Will Gavin and Hank return in
time to save her and the rest of the beach partiers?
Okay so obviously this film is not Shakespeare, not even
close. But it fill the bill for a drive-in double feature and does so
admirably. It’s made the list of worst movies ever made and found itself on
MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 but I honestly found it to be a decent little low
budget horror flick. This was the stuff drive-ins and later late night horror
hots dreamed of featuring.
Compared to some of the worst movies made (most notably
those of Ed Wood) the film looks quite good for being shot in black and white.
The acting is not near as wooden as one would expect, perhaps in part due to
the fact Tenney used a number of fellow actors he was friends with in the film.
The effects that I once thought were laughable are better than I’d been led to
believe from the stills I’d seen of the film. I often referred to the monsters
as the “hot dog monsters” because of what looks like a full package of wieners
sticking out of their mouths. Seeing them in motion though they present a
frightful enough creature that I would think could induce nightmares in small
children.
Severin Films has rescued this movie from obscurity or just
as a movie to deride via that MST3000 episode. The film has been restored with
a 2k scan from the original negative. The extras are a good mix considering the
type of movie we have here as well as the fact it was made so long ago. They
include RETURN TO THE PARTY BEACH a retrospective documentary on the film, IT’S
THE LIVING END: AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE DEL-AIRES featuring a short current
interview with band members Bobby Osborne and Ronnie Linares, SHOCK & ROLL
a short with filmmaker Tim Sullivan discussing rock & roll in horror
movies, an archival interview with director Del Tenney and the original trailer
for the film.
I’ve always said that studios that take a chance on rescuing
and releasing films like this, movies that might not be mainstream but that
have a solid fan base, should be applauded for their efforts. And I’ll keep
saying that. When a company like Severin releases a movie like this one they
deserve praise for their efforts. So if you love a good drive-in movie or a
horror movie that’s not quite the greatest film ever then I suggest you pick up
a copy of THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH. Slip on your bikini, dance a bit around
the set and have some fun.
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