Revenge of the Creature (1955)

The Creature From the Black Lagoon was such a smash hit that it was inevitable that the studio was going to produce a sequel; this is Universal Studios, after all, who were the king of the Monster movies.  Interestingly, Revenge of the Creature was a rarity (for the time) in that it went into production before the first movie was released.  This is common practice now a days (where studios often have their movies planned out years in advance) but pretty much unheard of in the 1950s.

Revenge of the Creature maybe the most contrived and awkwardly scripted out of all the Universal Monster movies (which is saying quite a lot). For instance, it’s about the twenty minute mark where the heroine, Helen Dobson (Lori Nelson), makes her first appearance and her first lines are awkwardly scripted exposition about the Gill Man (she is being interviewed by a reporter).  Our (sort of) main character, Professor Clete Ferguson (John Agar), doesn’t first appear until about the fifteen minutes in, has a few lines of a dialogue (he learns the Gill Man has been capture and taken to Marine Land) and then doesn’t reappear until about the half hour mark. That’s a considerable chunk of screen time that is devoted to supporting characters. Indeed, a first time viewer might assume that Joe Hayes (John Bromfield) is the main character because not only does he capture the Gill Man, but also awakens the creature from its coma.  Not to mention, he is romantic linked to Helen Dobson; he waves at her while he’s trying to revive the Gill Man in a water tank.  Then Professor Ferguson enters the picture and Joe Hayes is relegated as a romantic rival to Ferguson before being killed off by the Gill Man.  I can only imagine what John Bromfield’s reaction to the script must have been, “Alright I’m the lead character.  I capture the Gill Man.  I get the girl…..wait, who the hell is Professor Ferguson. Where is my character? He just got KILLED! WHAT?!”

 

Maybe Jack Arnold and company were trying to subvert audiences’ expectations by making them believe Joe Hayes was the main character only for Professor Ferguson to take his place.  I don’t know. It’s an odd decision. It also odd how the movie  abandons  the love triangle that it sets up; Professor Ferguson, after having asked Helen out on a date,  is annoyed that Hayes is trying to cut in on his action, but other than this brief scene the two men enjoy a fairly cordial relationship.

The main problem I have with this substitution of leads is that John Bromfield has much stronger screen presence than John Agar and is far more interesting to watch. His Joe Hayes’ is a fairly arrogant character but also exhibits true bravery and compassion; this is best represented in the scene where he revives the comatose Gill Man. The Gill Man could awaken at any moment and possibly kill him, but he carries on with his job.  In the commentary for Revenge of the Creature, Lori Nelson states that she had a huge crush on John Bromfield, which might explain why there is zero chemistry between John Agar and her.  

The best word to describe John Agar is affable; he comes across as being a man who would be more comfortable running a grocery store than being a movie star. He exudes friendliness (his co-stars have nothing but good things to say about him), but is an extremely rigid leading man.  Though, in fairness to John Agar, the script really doesn’t give him much to do.  While he is kind of stiff, at least Agar is putting forth an actual effort.  If you want to see a truly dreary leading man, check out Hugh Marlowe in Earth vs. the Flying Saucers.  After watching that movie, you will appreciate Agar’s jovial performance. The most surprising aspect of Revenge of the Creature is there is no clash of ideology between Ferguson and Hayes. They are essentially the same: both of them put their moves on Helen moments after meeting her; both of them are extremely opportunistic, and neither of them seems to have any qualms about keeping the Gill Man in captivity.  Joe Hayes is, essentially, the human villain of the piece, but Ferguson doesn’t once object to his method. In fact, Ferguson inflicts far more pain on the Gill Man than Hayes ever does; Ferguson shocks the Gill Man with a cattle prod, with Helen’s assistance, in attempt at conditioning the creature to obey verbal commands.  Ferguson expresses regret at having to use the cattle prod, but he continues with the experiment any ways. 

In The Creature From the Black Lagoon, David and Mark were on opposite ends of ideological spectrum and had distinct ideas about the Gill Man. David genuinely wanted to study the Gill Man and its environment, while Mark  only wanted to exploit the creature for financial gain. There is genuine tension between the two characters and it culminates in a fist fight. When Mark shoots a spear gun in David’s direction, we initially believe his trying to kill David, but it turns out that he fired the shot to scare off the Gill Man. I also find it odd that Hayes is killed off so early; the Gill Mans offs him at the end of the second act. Normally, the human villain would get his just comeuppance in the final reel, but nope, Joe Hayes bites it in a fairly anti-climatic manner. 

The only thing that really distinguishes Ferguson from Hayes (other than physical appears) is that Hayes is much more active character. Ferguson and Helen are extremely passive characters. After the Gill Man has killed Joe Hayes and escaped from Marine Land, what do our heroes do? Do they organize a search party for the Gill Man? Do they mourn the loss of a colleague? NOPE!!!! They go on a romantic getaway.   They go for a carefree swim and then, later that night, out dancing! Have they forgotten the Gill Man is still on the loose? This leads to an extremely contrived third act where the Gill Man is magically able to find Helen.  He just happens to emerge right outside the very motel she is staying at. How? Are they telepathically linked? The movie doesn’t indicate so. Later, he breaks into a night club and abducts Helen, while everyone runs out of frame. How was he able to find her? It’s a good thing, for the Gill Man, that they didn’t stray too far from the ocean while going on their romantic getaway.  These are quite possibly the laziest protagonists in 1950s sci-fi.   It’s only after Helen has been abducted by the Gill Man that Ferguson joins in on a search party. 

This scene occurs AFTER the Gill Man has escaped and Joe Hayes has been killed!
OUR PROTAGONISTS, ladies and gentlemen!!!! 

It’s really hard to evaluate Lori Nelson’s acting, because Helen Dobson is purely an eye candy role.  She looks great in bathing suit!!! The only conflict, and characterization, given to her is whether she should continue being an ichthyologist, or if she should get married and have children. I’m sure most modern viewers will cringe at this scene.  It also doesn’t help that Ferguson seems to chide her for wanting a career.  Normally, I wouldn’t fault a movie for delving into a character development, but these characters are simply not that interesting.  In fact, it genuinely surprised me how much screen time is devoted to the Ferguson/Helen romance when the movie’s main selling point is the Gill Man. The movie really drags in the second act and really doesn’t pick up until Helen has been taken by the Gill Man. 

The Gill Man is, by far, the most interesting character in the entire movie, because it is, essentially, the protagonist of the entire series.  In the first movie, it only kills because its territory has been intruded upon by outsiders.  In the second movie, the Gill Man is taken from his naturally habitat and held in captivity (while tourists gawk at it from an observation window).  The Gill Man doesn’t have a moral compass, so it naturally lashes out at those who have wronged him (or get in his way).  Our human protagonists don’t seem to have any qualms about putting the Gill Man on exhibition, and only really view the creature as a test subject.  If Revenge of the Creature were made now a days there would undoubtedly be a subplot about cloning the Gill Man and using it for military purposes.  There would be some military hotshot barking orders at our scientist heroes, while they would insist upon more time (e.g. Jurassic World).  Thankfully, Revenge of the Creature was made in a simpler time (and on a fairly small budget) hence this potential subplot never sees the light of day.

It is interesting how Revenge of the Creature seems to anticipate the Slasher movies of the 1980s.  It maybe an early example of a movie mixing sex and horror; in one scene the Gill Man stalks Helen outside her motel room and stares  at her while she disrobes to take a shower. This is fairly tame by modern standards but was fairly steamy for the time (Lori Nelson plays most of the scene in her undies).  Revenge of the Creature may also be the first “dead teenager” movie; the Gill Man brutally murders two college frat boys that run to the aid of the unconscious Helen. One of them is thrown against a tree – predating Jason Voorhees smashing a female camper against a tree in Friday the 13^th, Part VII: The New Blood. It’s a fairly violent murder scene for 1955. Though, it is awkwardly stage (you can see the wire pulling the stuntman towards the tree).  Why do I watch these movies?  If you ever feel the urge to watch Revenge of the Creature, here is my advice: Watch the first fifteen minutes and then fast forward through all the dull scenes with Professor Ferguson and Helen – it will make for a more fun and interesting movie. 

My rating (just for this review) ** ½  (out of ****)

Credits
Cast:  John Agar (Professor Clete Ferguson), Lori Nelson (Helen Dobson), John Bromfield (Joe Hayes), Nestor Paiva (Lucas), Grandon Rhodes (Jackson Foster), Dave Willock (Lou Gibson), Robert B. Williams (George Johnson), Charles Cane (Captain of Police ), Ricou Browning (The Gill Man – In Water/Lab Technician), Tom Hennesy (The Gill Man – On Land/ Marine Land Diver), Clint Eastwood (Jennings), Brett Halsey (Pete).
Director: Jack Arnold
Screenplay: Martin Berkeley, William Alland (story).
Running Time: 82 min.

Humanoids from the Deep (1980)

Humanoids from the Deep is absolute garbage. It is completely unapologetic for what it is that you will either find it absolutely repugnant, or be greatly amused by it. If you have a weak stomach, then this is definitely not the movie for you.  The plot centers around half man, half fish mutations that terrorize a small fishing community; their M.O. is to kill the men and rape the women. It is, essentially, a sleazier version of The Creature from the Black Lagoon; the humanoids act out what the Gill Man could only imagine. Logically speaking, the storyline makes absolutely no sense, but this is a Roger Corman production, therefore, he had to find a way to shoe horn in gratuitous sex and violence some how. The director, Barbara Peeters, and co-star, Ann Turkel, publicly disowned the movie after witnessing all the additions (nudity and violence) Corman had ordered.

In fact, it is fairly easy to differentiate between the footage shot by Peeters and the footage that was added during post production; in one truly bizarre scene, a couple are camping out on the beach in a tent. It turns out that the male is a ventriloquist and is speaking to his curvaceous girlfriend through his dummy, throwing all sorts of terrible puns her way ("Would you like to see my wood?")  The girlfriend is completely turned on by this and sheds all her clothes, but before they can engage in some sweet whoopee, a humanoid tears through the tent, kills the ventriloquist, and rapes the poor woman.  There are even a few odd cutaway shots of the dummy reacting to the all the mayhem.

What the hell? This was an obvious addition; these characters don't appear in any of the previous scenes, nor does the movie provide us with the follow up. There is no scene in which the main character, Jim Hill, and Dr. Susan Drake stumbles upon their remains, nor do any of the townsfolk inquire about their whereabouts. 

Here are a just a few observations I made about Humanoids from the Deep, both good and bad (SPOILERS):

1) The first death in the movie is a young boy, Jackie; who happens to fall into the water while trying to help his father reel in (what they believe to be) a fish. This directly recalls the death of  young boy, Alex Kinter, in Jaw. However, the difference between the two is that Alex's death in Jaws had a narrative function while Jackie's death is purely for shock value; it doesn't drive the story in any way and is quickly forgotten about.

2)  Humanoids from the Deep seems to take a lot of its cues from Halloween, especially in the use of the POV shot. There are a whole bunch of these scattered throughout the film. The POV shot is first utilized in the film to show that someone/something is spying on the vacuous blonde, Perry Larson (clad in a negligee). This leads to a false scare (one of many); Perry is startled by a noise from outside and goes to investigate (she grabs a two pronged fork for protection), JUST THEN....her boyfriend, Jerry, jumps into the frame. Jerry must have ninja training, because he is able to sneak up behind her without making a noise.  This gag gets repeated later on in the movie, when Perry and Jerry are playing around in the water, and Jerry disappears underneath the waves. Has he been pulled under by the humanoids? Perry begins to worry, but just then he springs up from the water.  Of course, anyone familiar with horror films knows that practical jokers, like Jerry, never make it to the end; after having his cheap laugh, Jerry is grabbed by a humanoid and has half his face torn off. It is a truly grisly end. Perry tries to run for help, but to no avail. However, she survives this traumatic ordeal and is later revealed to be pregnant.

3) The movie's main subplot concerns the building of a cannery in the town that will, supposedly, bring about more jobs to the community. This is greeted with enthusiasm by most of the locals, except Johnny Eagle (Anthony Pena), a Native American, who feels that the cannery is not only a violation of nature, but a treaty that was signed between his people and the white man years ago. He threatens to take legal action on the matter, which doesn't sit well with local fisherman, Hank Slattery (Vic Morrow), and his cronies. Hank tries to strong arm Johnny into changing his mind; even going so far as throwing a Molotov cocktail at Johnny's house. Naturally, it's only a matter of time before Hank meets his comeuppance at the claws of a humanoid. NOPE! In any interesting twist, Hank not only survives the blood fest, but actually redeems himself as well; he risks his life to save a little girl that is in peril. It looks like he's going to come to a bloody end, when a humanoid grabs his ankle and he is saved.....by Johnny Eagle.  In most movies, Hank would prove himself a coward and abandon the little girl, instead he behaves in a rather honorable manner. It's interesting that an exploitation film would actually take the time to give its main (human) villain a character arc.

4) I don't know what it is, but I find Doug McClure to be an extremely likable actor. He is rather credible as Jim Hill,  a local fisherman who is desperately trying to find a solution to the problem at hand. His sincere, straight forward performance gives this movie a huge boost; if Humanoids of the Deep were made today, it would be done in a tongue in cheek manner, with the cast constantly mugging it up for the cameras (see Sharknado). Sure, Humanoids from the Deep has an incredibly ridiculous premise, but having a pro like McClure brings an air of credibility to the proceedings.
McClure was a fixture in cheesy 1970s science fiction movies, appearing in such titles like The Land That Time Forgot, Warlords of Atlantis, and At The Earth's Core. Though, to people in my generation, he is probably best known for his portrayal as Kyle Applegate, the dimwitted mayor, in the TV show, Out of this World. 

5) The town is holding its annual carnival on the docks and prominently on display is the local beauty queen, Miss Salmon (clad in a bikini), who is accompanied by an annoying radio announcer. The movie constantly keeps cutting to Miss Salmon throughout all the chaos that ensues at the end (the humanoids bust out from under the docks and start attacking the townspeople) that we naturally assume she is a goner, especially when she loses her bikini top while being cornered by one of the monsters. Yet, once again, the movie defies our expectations by having Miss Salmon hurl bricks at the creature's head;  she not only inflicts significant damage on the monster, but escapes as well. It should also noted that Miss Salmon is played by Linda Shayne, who went on to write and co-star in 1983 sex comedy Screwballs. 

6) Humanoids from the Deep has often been labeled misogynistic by critics and its original director. This criticism is quite understandably given the nudity on display and the whole "raping the woman" subplot. While it's interesting to see Miss Salmon using her wits to escape the clutches of the title monster, the scene could still be construed as sexist given the fact that she is topless, which leads to a lot of bouncing while fighting off the creature. It's not exactly a ringing endorsement for feminism! Yet, the film's detractors (there are plenty) often overlook the scene that follows, for it completely subverts the horror conventions of the time.
Jim's wife, Carol, is all alone in the house with their baby, when one of the humanoids appears outside the living room window. Carol grabs the baby and hides it in a safe place; the closet. The only weapon she has at her disposal is a butcher's knife. The monster smashes through the front door and corners Carol in the kitchen.  This type of of scene has been played out many times, even in non-horror movies, and we naturally expect Jim to arrive just in the nick of time to save Carol. In John Carpenter's Halloween, Dr. Loomis arrives just in the nick of time to save Laurie from the death grip of Michael Myers, so it's only a given Jim will barge in the house and blast the monsters into a million pieces.  However, this doesn't happen!  It looks like it is curtains for Carol, when she grabs a bottle of dish soap and squirts it in the monster's eyes. This temporarily blinds the monster and Carol wastes no time hacking it to pieces with the knife. It's an interesting scene, because Carol is an average woman using her intelligence to take down a much stronger foe. Again, if Humanoids were made today, there would  be a scene that establishes Carol as being a complete bad ass, hence her taking down one of the monsters wouldn't be a surprise. Carol, on the other hand, is a house wife protecting her child from an outside menace; she uses whatever is at her disposal to take down the slimy intruder. This moment is even more surprising given the fact that Carol isn't even the main female in the story; that would be Dr. Susan Drake. 

7) My favorite moment in the movie is when townspeople realize that they greatly outnumber the humanoids and begin to turn the tables on their tormentors; in a long, high angle shot, we are shown a humanoid surrounded by group of burly men. After a moment hesitation, they gang up on the monster and kick the living crap out of it. It's a rather amusing moment. It must be said that, for a low budget movie, the make up effects, by Rob Bottin, are extremely well done. The humanoids are genuinely scary at times, especially when they are kept in the shadows.  Rob Bottin would go onto bigger and better things like The Howling and The Thing. 
.

The term "acquired taste" was invented for movies like Humanoids for the Deep. It's really hard to defend a movie like this, but then again, the movie never asks for a defense, it is what it is. It's a cheap piece of exploitation that exists solely to make a quick buck; it has absolutely zero artistic pretenses. It's the cinematic equivalent of junk food, particularly Doritos - it's not good for you and can often make you sick, but it's addictive nonetheless.




Credits
Cast: Doug McClure (Jim Hill), Ann Turkel (Dr. Susan Drake), Vic Morrow (Hank Slattery), Cindy Weintraub (Carol Hill), Anthony Pena (Johnny Eagle), Denise Galik  (Linda Beale), Lynn Theel (Peggy Larson), Meegan King (Jerry Potter), Breckin Costin (Deke Jensen), Linda Shayne (Susan - Miss Salmon), Greg Travis (Mike Michaels), Lisa Glaser (Becky), David Strassman (Billy), Don Maxwell (Dickie Moore), Bruce Monette (Jack Potter).

Director: Barbara Peeters
Screenplay: William Martin (Frederick James).  Story by Frank Arnold & Martin B. Cohen.
Running Time: 80 minutes.