Horror of Party Beach, The (1964)

Horror of Party Beach, The (1964)

“They are the living dead — they’re zombies!”

Synopsis:
After his girlfriend (Marilyn Clarke) is killed by a radioactive sea creature, a scientist (John Scott) works with his mentor (Allan Laurel) and his mentor’s daughter (Alice Lyon) to help destroy the creatures.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Horror
  • Mutant Monsters

Review:
Del Tenney’s low-budget horror flick combines elements of just about every cinematic trope from the ’60s — biker gangs, beach parties, atomic mutations, slumber parties, folk music, and more — in one feature, complete with ludicrously silly rubber creatures from the deep, terrible acting, “teeny boppers” who appear to actually be in their 20s or 30s, laughably unrealistic sequences, a surf music soundtrack by the Del-Aires, and more. Add in the presence of a concerned, overly solicitous African-American maid (Eulabelle Moore) who’s convinced the creatures are the result of voodoo, and the recipe is set for a cliche-filled adventure only worth the time of true bad movie aficianados.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Effective low-budget cinematography
  • Plenty of humorously bad dialogue, costumes, and special effects:

    “Hey, that reminds me — did I bring my hot dog buns?”
    “Then they CAN be killed — with sodium!”

Must See?
No, but it’s certainly worth a look if you enjoy this kind of flick — especially so with MST3K’s commentary. Listed as a Camp Classic in the back of Peary’s book.

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One thought on “Horror of Party Beach, The (1964)

  1. A once-must – but *only* if it’s the MST3K version. The movie alone is pretty bad, and it does knowingly revel somewhat in its badness as it follows the ‘rules’ of bad movies. But the MST3K riff gives it the lift it screams out for…with such memorable comebacks as “You have defeated us, sir – you and your noble band of choreographers.” and “This better be a *strip* folk song!” Of course, you and your friends can make your own MST3K version in the privacy of your own living room…and, of course, I would encourage you to do so.

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