In 1980 authors and film critics Harry and Michael Medved
created a new genre of film by authoring the book THE GOLDEN TURKEY AWARDS. The
book discussed the worst movies ever made and discussed what made them so bad.
It boosted the career and knowledge of Ed Wood Jr. whose PLAN 9 FROM OUTER
SPACE took the top spot. But it also interested enough people into looking past
the top money making films being made and begin searching for these lost
“treasures”. Among the many directors who were sought out was Andy Milligan.
I could go on to describe Milligan’s life and history but
I’ll pass. Feel free to search the web for info because it’s out there. Suffice
to say that while his output was lacking it wasn’t for lack of trying. Milligan
was a prolific writer of plays and screenplays, produced plays, operated his
own stage theaters and directed over 29 movies. But most fall into the category
of bad films and are viewed now through the lens of those willing to overlook
the problems and dig deeper into those films, noting the lack of expertise but
the enthusiasm that was on display. Milligan was a man who wanted to make
movies and that’s what he did.
Which brings us to MONSTROSITY. Let’s view this through two
sets of eyes. The easiest is the normal film goer. This movie is terrible for
those folks. It lacks a cohesive story that will hold someone’s interest from
start to finish, the acting is terrible, the cinematography bad and the make-up
could have been done by a middle school fan. The story involves three friends
who are tired of the local gangs terrorizing the neighborhood, especially when
one’s girlfriend is raped by the bad guys. Recalling the tale of the Golem who
Jews would form from clay and bring to life to defend them, they decide to do
the same creating a creature made of body and animal parts from the local
morgue. Their creation has an orange afro, buck teeth, a glob for one eye and
the mentality of a child. But he’s strong and does what they want. He also
finds love with the victim of one of the gang’s outings. But can he be
controlled?
Those genre fans who want to see movies like this will find
the movie a delight. It’s just bad enough that they’ll be laughing at bits and
at the same time appreciating the fact that while Milligan might not have been
technically adept he did have a love of the horror genre that led him to at
least attempt making a movie. The character of Frankie, the creature, will have
them quoting him and imitating his mannerisms while at the same time noting how
bad he looks. It’s trash cinema at its best.
Most people will find the movie incredibly stupid and
lacking in most anything movie fans want. But that hasn’t stopped Garagehouse
Pictures from releasing the movie in blu-ray format with several extras that
fans of Milligan will enjoy. Garagehouse is the little engine that could of
disc releases. They don’t release a ton of movies non-stop and they don’t
release what would be termed blockbusters. They cater to that niche market of
die-hard movie fans looking for something extra, something different. Not only
do they cater to that crowd they embrace them and provide them with the best
quality releases of movies that have been considered lost. They are a treasure
for the real cinephiles out there.
Garagehouse has brought the movie back and restored it
presenting it in HD format for the first time ever. With loving care they’ve made the movie look
fresh and new, as good as could be expected. They’ve also included enough
extras to please the fans which include an audio commentary with Milligan
biographer Jimmy McDonough & Charlie Beesley, an audio commentary with
Andrew Repasky McElhinney, Greg Giovanni & Dan Buskirk, “Matsui s
Monstrosities: An Interview with a Make-Up Man”, outtakes, a still gallery, trailers from
other Andy Milligan films, liner notes by Jason Coffman, deleted scenes,
trailers from other Garagehouse Pictures films, cover art by Stephen Romano and
slip sleeve art by Justin Miller. They’re limiting this to just 1,000 units to
if you’re a Milligan fan or looking for something truly different then make
sure you order your copy today.
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