Giving a nod to everything from
1953's "Robot Monster" through 1964's "Creeping Terror,"
writer-director-star Larry Blamire's scenario finds silver-haired Dr. Paul
Armstrong (played by the helmer) and addle-brained blonde wife Betty (Fay
Masterson) heading to a remote SoCal cottage. Meteor specialist Paul hopes
to find astral-rock fragments chockful o' radioactive element "atmospherium"
nearby.
Trouble
is, crazed rival scientist Dr. Fleming (Brian Howe) seeks the same, with which
he'll revive an evil-skull cave entity and rule the world. Meanwhile,
interplanetary travelers Kro-Bar (Andrew Parks) and Lattis (Susan McConnell)
from Planet Marva require atmospherium, too, to repair their disabled spaceship.
Using the aliens' stolen "transmutaron" device, Fleming contrives a "date" from sundry forest creatures -- interpretive-dancing, black-tights-clad beatnik siren Animala (Jennifer Blaire) -- to crash the surprised couple's already hidden agenda-laden rural cocktail get-together. There's also a hideous mutant (which disappointingly looks like a goggle-eyed Mr. Giant Toad when finally seen) on the loose, escaped from the Marvans' rocket.
"Lost Skeleton" really knows its material. It takes true trash cinema devotion to satirize the clunky visuals, banal dialogue, logic gaps and pseudoscientific silliness of a bygone era's schlockiest obscurities quite so accurately, complete with one-beat-tardy editorial rhythms. Still, at times this homage replicates its predecessors' amateur longeurs all too well --midsection pacing could be amped a bit.
Yet there's no
denying the parodic bull's-eye scored overall, with first-time feature helmer
Blamire particularly inspired as the most pseudo-clueless among variably
poker-faced thesp contribs, Masterson following close behind. Lensing &
production design likewise astutely mimic now-campy drive-in norms; f/x are
requisitely cheesy, melodramatic score duly pastiched from archaic music
library sources.
Camera (B&W, video), Kevin Jones; editor, Bill Bryn Russell; music, Valentino Production; set designers, Cortney Skinner, Joey Saccadonuts; costumes, Skinner, Emily Rapley; sound, Frederick Critchlow; assistant director, Julian Forbes. Reviewed on videocassette , San Fran., Oct. 8, 2001. (Mill Valley Film Festival.) Running time: 94 MIN.