Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster

Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster (1965) directed by Richard Gaffney, Futurama Entertainment Corp.

...and they shake hands...

Filler, filler, filler. That's the best way to describe this sci-fi turkey. "Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster" or "Duel of the Space Monsters" as it's known in England is your standard sci-fi low budget, exploitation drive in feature filled with aliens, monsters, ray guns and cheesecake. When it features these elements it's fun, when it pads out the movie with pointless shots of travel montages it's not.

Behold, advanced
alien technology!!!

Unlike most sci-fi films at the time there is no narrative at the beginning to set up the premise which surprised me.

Forget it Princess.
If you kiss it, it'll still be a frog.

The film opens with an alien space craft approaching Earth. Onboard are the Princess Marcuzan
(Marilyn Hanold) and the creepy Dr. Nadir (Lou Cutell), together with their intergalactic henchmen on their way to no good. Their ALWAYS up to no good. Damned Aliens!!!

If you all don't behave,
I'll turn this car around!!!

Dr. Nadir (Dictionary definition: Nadir: the lowest point in the fortunes of a person or organization... take what you will out of that!!!) notices a launch of a missile coming from the good planet Earth and immediately destroys it... cuz that's what aliens do.

Somehow the
General disappears!!!

Moving on... back on Earth we follow a car. Filler!!! The viewer is treated to a loooooong travel
montage as the camera pans towards the Florida landscape focusing on iconic NASA landmarks, hotels, diners and just about ANYTHING else to inform the audience that the heroes are heading towards Cape Canaveral.

We're going to Disneyland!!!

Five people are traveling in the back of the car, yes FIVE people,
remember this was back in the day when cars were the sizes of luxury yachts. The  purpose is of course to introduce the main characters as well as the "Frankenstein" in the title. No one seems concerned that the rocket that was recently launched was destroyed by extraterrestrials.

Tonight's Gong Show judges are...

We are introduced to Dr. Adam Steel (James Karen), Karen Grant (Nancy Marshall), General Bowers (David Kerman) and Colonel Frank Saunders (Robert Reilly). This cast of characters are all headed to NASA for a press conference.

I hate it when
mom puts transistors
in the meatloaf!!!

During the interview we learn that astronaut Saunders has been chosen to fly a manned mission to Mars. When asked about his past and why no one has ever heard of him he gives a cold smile and freezes up... literally. Before anyone can suspect something fishy the conference is quickly brought to a close and it is revealed that Frank is a "robit", and that his circuits had shorted during his interview.

It turns out Frank was developed as a substitute for human operators to go on risky ventures involving
space travel. The problem is quickly fixed and he is sent to his ship to make his historic flight.

Gee, Epcot Centre looks
much bigger in the brochures.

Meanwhile up in orbit the aliens detect the launch of Frank's rocket and decide to shoot the craft down. Our hero crash lands in Puerto Rico and the aliens intent on the sinister deeds conveniently land there also.

Dr Evil's newest fembot.

The aliens reveal their master plan. Their homeworld has suffered from "atomic war" and they are the last survivors to escape and now they plan to kidnap Earth's "womens" to use as breeding stock to re-populate their race.

Need I say more?

With that in mind they set out on their dastardly mission fulfilling the movie's obligatory cheesecake scenes. One of the aliens runs into Frank and he shoots our hero in the face with his Wham o Air blaster... I'm not kidding. Behold advanced alien technology!!!

Uh... that's not how
you use a
whoopee cushion.

Frank manages to knock his assailant unconscious but at the price of having half his face blown away , and the movie finally reveals the face of it's Frankenstein.

Mull: Why does Frankenstein
get top billing?

The aliens retrieve their fallen comrade and the Princess, unimpressed with his failure decides to introduce him to the space monster "Mull".

Now you know things are gonna get epic... aaahhh no they won't.

If this guy is a robot, why does he need a helmet?

 Overall this movie is fun if you fast forward through all the filler scenes of the two scientist riding a scooter up and down the streets of Puerto Rico and the attempts at being hip and groovy by adding a pointless pool party. (Makes me wonder if the Wachoski's used the party scene as inspiration for the rave in  their "Matrix" sequel).

Nothing adds tension
than seeing one of our
hero's on a dignified
mode of transportation.

As a kid I didn't realize that military and NASA stock footage was added into these movies in order to pad it out and make it look like a bigger budget picture than it really was. Still there is enough cheese factor here to make it enjoyable.

Morticia meets Fester's Older brother.