Review of Octaman (1971) by Morgan W — 18 Jun 2012

OCTAMAN [1971]: Within the vast realm of cinema only one type of film encompasses every genre & subgenre all with one common trait. The size of a films fan base is what makes a cult film a cult film. And under the wide umbrella of the Cult label there are an incredible range of films varying from films entrenched in the artistic heights of cinema and all the way down to the bottom of the barrel and even under said barrel. What I'm trying to say is this no matter how bad a film can be manufactured regardless a cult fan base would slowly form around said film. One bad obscure cult gem is the 1971 low budget Monster, Horror, schlock fest of OCTAMAN. Lacking in any real vibe of a decent horror film, like many hilariously dated B to Z-grade Monster films from the 1930's to mid 1980's, OCTAMAN comes across as a good old creaky, camp classic.

For me this is the trash that makes me love cult category all the more (alongside the fine works of art that also inhabit said category). Now on a personal note it was several years ago that I came into the knowledge that this film even existed after first encountered a clip of the film in the 1990 film GREMLINS 2 THE NEW BATCH. It wasn't until on one ill fated YouTube search for bad monster films (in the hope this film would come up) that I made the costly& embarrassing mistake for believing that the infamous 1966 "MANOS" THE HANDS OF FATE that came up in the search was the one in the same film. It wasn't until I had been hypnotised by said films ungodly terribleness that I realised that I wasn't watching the film that I had hoped for. After viewing "MANOS" in its entirety and becoming obsessed with other films of that calibre, I forgot about trying to track down OCTAMAN. After an IMDB search into this film a while back it has taken two years to get around to viewing this Early 1970's monster film. Now just recently I've finally seen the film I wanted to view the most, the unbelievable OCTAMAN.

THE PLOT: According to the opening stock narrator the setting for this film takes place in a Latin American fishing community (which despite what is said is NEVER seen in the entire film). More accurately the films B-Grade events unfold in some remote vegetated area, where a group of stock Marine scientist looking into nuclear radiation in the waterways, discovers a mutant Rubber octopus (living in fresh water). The lead scientists leave the site to go back to their institute to gain more funding (sadly not for this films limited budget) the expeditions funding is cut. So the logical thing to do is seek funding from a former wealthy Sideshow man in the meanwhile the remaining members at the site are attacked by the title monster.

In one brown & silver Motor home (RV for North American readers) the new funder & the scientist return to the site where the carnage is found. Of course the Octaman reappears and starts to attack the group. However the lumpy rubber suit falls for the lead female in this film, in the good old B Grade Monster movie cliché. Which can only mean one thing, destroy the Octaman or try to capture it & study it!

OVERALL THOUGHTS: As you can well imagine this film is just a big pile of campy psychotronic nonsense. For me this film easily falls under the So-Bad-It's- So-Good label of bad filmmaking. Personally on the shear sake of enjoyment I regard this film in the same breath as ROBOT MONSTER [1953], PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE [1959], EEGAH [1962], & TROLL 2 [1990] for the camp value alone. As I pointed out earlier in this review, OCTAMAN is a tried and true generic B Grade Monster film. So generic one scene was even shot in a hollowed B-Grade Site, Bronson Canyon/ Bronson Caves located in Griffith Park L.A, California (which oddly enough in addition to this film is where parts of pre mention ROBOT MONSTER & EEGAH were shot as well).

For me this film is a text book example of low- Budget filmmaking; combined with odd stock footage (including footage of a cheetah for some reason at one point), a decent score, shot in a rural desert and vegetated area, Weak direction and cinematography, alright acting, and the piece de resistance the monster costume. God how I love that goofy rubber suit, I know it was supposed to look scary but hell I keep on chuckling when it appeared on camera. Compared with this monster, Henry the Octopus in THE WIGGLES looks scarier than Octaman. Considering that one young Rick Baker made his first SFX splash in this film is highly shocking. That's right the same Special Effects Guru of the EPIC transformation sequence in AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON [1981] made his debut with this film. However Rick would end up doing the SFX for other notorious ,schlocky 1970's monster films like THE THING WITH TWO HEADS ['72], THE TRACK OF THE MOON BEAST ['76] & THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN ['77] before his future glory.

Sadly as it turns out that OCTAMAN had its own tragedy from what I have read about the film, Actress Pier Angeli died of a drug overdose in the wake of this films completion, tragically just like John "Torgo" Reynolds from "MANOS". However this film has gone down as a cult classic for it being an amazing bad film, even the rubber tentacles of OCTAMAN have waved on T.V cameos within films like FRIGHT NIGHT [1985] & as I have mention GERMLINS 2 used footage of this film as bad movie fodder.

To sum up, this is one of the best bad movies one can hope to encounter on their cinematic voyage into the realm of cult cinema. And you know what I love this film for its weirdness and stupidity, hard to believe that the screenwriter of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON [1954], Harry Essex both wrote & directed this stinker. Let's just face it; they don't make 'em like this anymore. 60%.