Bride of the Monster (1955)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Spencer S

  
  I feel jipped. No really, it's like I've been bamboozled here! Where is the true travesty of an Ed Wood production? I was expecting some serious miscare, intent to harm when it came to the work of the "worst director of all time" as purported by the Golden Turkey… More
  I feel jipped. No really, it's like I've been bamboozled here! Where is the true travesty of an Ed Wood production? I was expecting some serious miscare, intent to harm when it came to the work of the "worst director of all time" as purported by the Golden Turkey Awards of the early eighties. This, Wood's largest budgeted film, has the same capacities as any other 50's sci-fi horror film, certainly not as awful as repeatedly reported. Sure, it blatantly shows flaws in the lack of passable special effects, stock footage of a crocodile and a giant octopus from previous films of the studio, and the horrific acting that comes from shooting every scene once, whether it be a simple exchange or the climax of the film. Still, much of this felt nostalgic and easy to follow, like the horror classics that proceeded it, but there's always something just a bit off with the acting, especially the relationship between the Monster and his creator. The doctor is portrayed by the aged Bela Lugosi, by then a morphine addict and faded star compared to Boris Karloff. He brings the same insanity and chaotic charisma of his Dracula persona to the Hungarian accent tinged character of Dr. Eric Vornoff, a ruthless man attempting to breed atomic men to rule the world. He is aided by a monster, played by wrestler Tor Johnson. Tor, I am sorry, but you cannot act. I say this with utmost sympathy, because the way you portray that gentle giant is petulant and ignorant to the craft that is acting, or the species that is human. Loretta King, a backer of the film, is strikingly stiff, and the cameo by Dolores Fuller feels bland and porous. Most of the beginning is simple dialogue and this makes the rush of information near the end a bit auto-climactic. Still, it's an Ed Wood, so at least you're enjoying the hilarity involved.

• AJ V

  
  If you're interested in Wood's work, you should see this one too, it has Lugosi and the giant octopus. The plot isn't great, but it's still a fun movie in Wood's "b-movie" style.

• Phil H

  
  The best bit about this film are the superb 'death' sequences and fabulous acting haha the plastic octopus cut with real footage is classic and Lugosi is quite memorable with his speeches of evil hehe The plot is rather basic and the effects are even more pathetic than… More
  The best bit about this film are the superb 'death' sequences and fabulous acting haha the plastic octopus cut with real footage is classic and Lugosi is quite memorable with his speeches of evil hehe The plot is rather basic and the effects are even more pathetic than 'Plan 9' but its still really enjoyable to watch, Bela is the main attraction here for sure, its all based around him, his dialog is actually good in places as he over acts with great enthusiasm and heart, the look of his lab and old creaky house isn't too bad either...it just adds to the old black n white horror feel :) This is probably second best behind 'Plan 9' with its kooky feel and mad scientist character, the film isn't as badly edited as 'Plan 9' but there's still some genius directing going on, love the old house in the stormy pouring rain.

• Cindy I

  
  Hard to rate this one. It's terrible...after all it's directed by Ed Wood. But it's also so campy and lame that it's hysterical...because it's directed by Ed Wood. OK, I'll split the difference.

• Randy T

  
  How does one rate a movie that is sooooo bad that it's good?

• Steve B

  
  Rates a 3 on the ED WOOD SCALE, which falls somewhere between 0 and 2 in the real world. You really just have to know what you're in for when you sit down for an evening of Ed Wood.

• Michael G

  
  Horrible but grossly entertaining.

• Eric B

  
  I just saw this film on TCM, and didn't find it as much of a "howler" as I expected. Surprised that it was made before "Plan 9," because it seemed much better made. The main two laughable elements are Tor Johnson's ridiculous zombie routine and the… More
  I just saw this film on TCM, and didn't find it as much of a "howler" as I expected. Surprised that it was made before "Plan 9," because it seemed much better made. The main two laughable elements are Tor Johnson's ridiculous zombie routine and the totally unconvincing rubber octopus (why didn't Wood just order a few fake tentacles capable of being curled into shapes, and then combine the stock underwater footage with surface shots of the tentacles dragging someone under?), but the direction and scoring are reasonably competent. And Lugosi gets a few good moments, such as his big "I haff no hooome" speech and the hypnotism scenes. Is this really so much worse than countless other no-budget horror/monster films of the era? In the "knocked-over tombstone" category, watch for the fight scene in the lab where Johnson blocks himself from being pushed through a doorway, and the flimsy set walls shake around him.

• Matthew Y

  
  There are bad movies and then there are great bad movies. Ed Wood was the king of making great bad movies. Many people say that the secret ingredient in Ed Wood's films was the love and devotion that he put into them. That may be true but what really makes a bad movie great is… More
  There are bad movies and then there are great bad movies. Ed Wood was the king of making great bad movies. Many people say that the secret ingredient in Ed Wood's films was the love and devotion that he put into them. That may be true but what really makes a bad movie great is when you can watch it and be completely excited to watch it scene for scene and line for line. Bride of the Monster is awesomely bad and a real delight of bad cinema its every bit as good/bad as Plan Nine From Outer Space just not as famous. Bela Legosi's octopus fight sequence and his atomic supermen speak highlight this quintessential film for bad movie fans.

• Henrik S

  
  I have seen this at some point and remember it being awful, not even in a good way. Lugosi really managed to take a class plunge in his late films.

• Doctor S

  
  'Bride of the Monster' Should Get An Annulment Need I say it? Terrible movie. But not without entertainment value! That's the magic of Ed Wood Jr. The infamous rubber octopus is a hoot, and I also enjoyed the car that unintentionally nearly gets stuck in the mud of… More
  'Bride of the Monster' Should Get An Annulment Need I say it? Terrible movie. But not without entertainment value! That's the magic of Ed Wood Jr. The infamous rubber octopus is a hoot, and I also enjoyed the car that unintentionally nearly gets stuck in the mud of the swamp, and the completely irrelevant visit by a monster-hunting foreigner to the police station. Bela Lugosi plans on creating a race of "superhumans" to take over the earth, but when his device finally works upon himself, the result is about 6 inches growth. Ooooooo, suuuuuperhuuuuuuman!

• Stefan P

  
  A masterpiece. Ed Wood really knows how to do bad movies. "Bad" sounds way too positive though, it's so worthless that it becomes funny.

• Quinto W

  
  An Edward D. Wood Jr. film that not only it isn't completely bad (isn't this a yuxtaposition), but it's actually entertaining for it's better merits.

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