Originally released in 1967 and digitally remastered for 2009, Mad Monster Party is a fun, ridiculous Halloween feature film made in Rankin/Bass's signature Animagic stop-motion style. Although the movie was largely forgotten, Mad Monster Party's influence can be seen in films like Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas and even on television's Sesame Street.
Plot Summary for Mad Monster Party
When Baron von Frankenstein, head of the Worldwide Organization of Monsters, organizes a party at his castle on the Isle of Evil, it's not just to unveil his latest discovery, a formula which can destroy all matter. He's also set to announce his retirement - and his successor. But Frankenstein's decision to name Felix Flankin, a mere human who happens to be his nephew and only living relative, doesn't sit well with the monsters, and when an oblivious Flankin arrives at the island in response to Frankenstein's invitation, he becomes the center of a tangled plot to destroy him.
Characters in Mad Monster Party
Baron von Frankenstein is modeled after and voiced by legendary movie actor Boris Karloff. Frankenstein's voluptuous red-haired assistant, Francesca, is reputed to be based on the Gilligan's Island character Ginger, while protagonist Felix Flankin is simply a nerdy, kind and proper pharmacist suffering from terrible allergies.
The party guest list includes a broad range of horror mainstays, including Dracula, the Creature, the Invisible Man, the Werewolf, the Mummy, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, the Hunchback of Notre Dame and, late in the film, It, a giant ape bearing more than a slight resemblance to King Kong.
Mad Monster Party's Soundtrack
As in other Rankin/Bass animations, music plays a large part in Mad Monster Party. Song and dance routines appear throughout, and while some - like "You're Different," performed by the Monster's Mate - may stretch on a little long, others like "One Step Ahead," showcasing Frankenstein's little monsters, are really fun. The best is a performance by Little Tibia and the Fibias, a skeletal garage band with pageboy haircuts playing "Do the Mummy," a catchy tune that wouldn't be out of place on a Pebbles garage compilation.
The film's main title theme is sung by Ethel Ennis, sounding like something out of a James Bond flick, and a horn-heavy, almost Pink Panther-esque instrumental score provides suspenseful mood to scenes.
Review of Mad Monster Party
Clocking in at 94 minutes, Mad Monster Party is a thoroughly enjoyable and playfully ludicrous monster movie with elements to appeal to both children and adults. In its newly restored form, the film's color and details look so good, it's hard to believe they were done in the late '60s. The attention paid not only to the large cast of characters but to backgrounds and fine details is astounding, and Mad Monster Party laid the groundwork for directors like Tim Burton to later build on. Fans of B-movies, cult horror and the unusual are sure to enjoy it.
Plot Summary for Mad Monster Party
When Baron von Frankenstein, head of the Worldwide Organization of Monsters, organizes a party at his castle on the Isle of Evil, it's not just to unveil his latest discovery, a formula which can destroy all matter. He's also set to announce his retirement - and his successor. But Frankenstein's decision to name Felix Flankin, a mere human who happens to be his nephew and only living relative, doesn't sit well with the monsters, and when an oblivious Flankin arrives at the island in response to Frankenstein's invitation, he becomes the center of a tangled plot to destroy him.
Characters in Mad Monster Party
Baron von Frankenstein is modeled after and voiced by legendary movie actor Boris Karloff. Frankenstein's voluptuous red-haired assistant, Francesca, is reputed to be based on the Gilligan's Island character Ginger, while protagonist Felix Flankin is simply a nerdy, kind and proper pharmacist suffering from terrible allergies.
The party guest list includes a broad range of horror mainstays, including Dracula, the Creature, the Invisible Man, the Werewolf, the Mummy, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, the Hunchback of Notre Dame and, late in the film, It, a giant ape bearing more than a slight resemblance to King Kong.
Mad Monster Party's Soundtrack
As in other Rankin/Bass animations, music plays a large part in Mad Monster Party. Song and dance routines appear throughout, and while some - like "You're Different," performed by the Monster's Mate - may stretch on a little long, others like "One Step Ahead," showcasing Frankenstein's little monsters, are really fun. The best is a performance by Little Tibia and the Fibias, a skeletal garage band with pageboy haircuts playing "Do the Mummy," a catchy tune that wouldn't be out of place on a Pebbles garage compilation.
The film's main title theme is sung by Ethel Ennis, sounding like something out of a James Bond flick, and a horn-heavy, almost Pink Panther-esque instrumental score provides suspenseful mood to scenes.
Review of Mad Monster Party
Clocking in at 94 minutes, Mad Monster Party is a thoroughly enjoyable and playfully ludicrous monster movie with elements to appeal to both children and adults. In its newly restored form, the film's color and details look so good, it's hard to believe they were done in the late '60s. The attention paid not only to the large cast of characters but to backgrounds and fine details is astounding, and Mad Monster Party laid the groundwork for directors like Tim Burton to later build on. Fans of B-movies, cult horror and the unusual are sure to enjoy it.
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