R.I.P. Michael Madsen, one of his last film's for this week's movie:
Monster Mash (2024) is free to watch with ads on Tubi and Plex. The Asylum released the film in theaters and for streaming on March 29, 2024. Described as "The greatest monster of all time, built from all the others!"
SYNOPSIS: A dying Dr. Frankenstein is determined to meld the world's strongest monsters into a singular, unstoppable creation. Now the monsters—including Dracula, Werewolf, and the Invisible Man—must work together to stop him before it’s too late.
Directed by Jose Prendes, and stars Michael Madsen (Dr. Frankenstein), Ethan Daniel Corbett (Count Dracula), Emma Reinagel (Elisabeta Dracula), Erik Celso Mann (Boris aka Frankenstein's Monster), Adam Slemon (Ramses the Mummy), Gabriel Pranter (Hawley Griffin aka Invisible Man), Kevin Hummel (Charles Conliff the Werewolf), Maddie Lane (Vivian), Anna DeRusso (Pia), Michelle Bauer (Browning), Bix Krieger (Mila Severin).
The soundtrack score was composed by Harry Manfredini (Friday the 13th franchise). Director Jose Prendes has stated that the film was shot in just six days.
Official Trailer:
Movie Clips:
Movie Scenes | Moveclips | YouTube Playlist:
Behind The Screams:
A Life in Horror with Director Jose Prendes Interview:
Interview with the Movie Cast:
Exclusive Interview with the Cast and Director from the film:
Soundtrack:
Jack-O's Review: "The actor who played Dracula was the only good thing about the film. Michael Madsen is not really trying, he just basically sits in his laboratory the whole film and does not appear in the final bad CGI effects battle at the end. I liked the makeup/costumes of Dracula, Mummy, Werewolf, Invisible Man and Frankenstein's Monster, they look like they're supposed to look. It feels like the old Universal monster films (but not as good) with it's own made up monster lore. No gore, not scary, silly acting and dialogue-heavy. It's got a James Bond style opening and a Fright Break warning screen before the climax." ★ @trickhorrortreater
More Reviews:
"One important detail that you need to know before watching this low-budget entertainer is that it’s produced by The Asylum, the notorious studio that is famous (or rather infamous) for belting out cheap-looking genre parodies. Some of the Asylum’s classic 'mockbusters' include Snakes on a Train and the Sharknado series. Despite some decent makeup work and Madsen carrying the movie on his beaten shoulders, the editing of Monster Mash is all over the place and the dialogues heavy on painful exposition. And yet it has enough heart to become an underrated Halloween B-movie in the future, walking a step ahead of most of the other lacklustre Asylum productions." ★★★ HorrorScreamsVideoVault.co.uk
"It's certainly no graveyard smash. Its an asylum movie featuring all the universal monsters teaming up to fight Dr Frankenstein so I can't call it good by any means but I wouldnt be mad if they made more I kind of had fun with it." ★★★ Jc Du Plessis at Letterboxd.com
"You kind of wish this worked – it has tana leaves in and a few speeches about monsters banding together are almost sweet – but it has all the Asylum shortcuts … a miscast top-billed name who barely interacts with the rest of the film, make-weight supporting players who just aren’t up to their roles (in a pinch, Hummel is the best of the bunch), a lot of dreary padding, and a lack of anything like atmosphere or excitement. Slow-talking, thin-lipped, uncloaked Corbett looks as if he were trying for the role of the MC in Cabaret rather than playing Lord of the Vampires – he’s one of the least impressive Draculas on record." JohnnyAlucard.com.com
"Most monster bashes since Abbott and Costello have been silly comedies or Halloween shows. The title here, clearly referencing Bobby Darin’s hit 1962 song, makes you think are in for another comedy treatment. Oddly enough, Monster Mash takes itself seriously and works. The film places the monsters in a plot and gives reasonable reasons for them to all come together and form a team united against a particular threat – I far enjoyed this more modest original than the ludicrously over-budgeted Van Helsing. The film also includes a Fright Break, a gimmick borrowed from William Castle and his promotion for Homicidal (1961). The results are quite impressive...The one piece of casting that does not work at all is Michael Madsen as Dr Frankenstein...Madsen looks less like a mad scientist and more like an aging Mafia thug playing macho, delivering all the dialogue in his characteristic raspy voice...Other than that, Monster Mash is a charming delight." ★★★ MoriaReviews.com
Monster Mash isn't bad...A tripod keeps the camera steady. Sets are lit with actual electrical equipment, not available light sources. Shots also appear appropriately blocked as opposed to grabbing footage with run-and-gun carelessness. And although they're not fantastic, monster makeups are on par with work that was acceptable on syndicated TV like Psi-Factor and Poltergeist: The Legacy. Don't misunderstand. Monster Mash is still a movie whose stiff dialogue and cut-rate production value keep it ready-made for RiffTrax. It's just that whenever The Asylum logo appears at the start of a film, your standards hit the floor so hard, they fall unconscious. At least, they should. Once they're flattened down there, or if your better sense falls unconscious too, their movies become watchable, occasionally even entertaining in an "I'd better get stoned before muscling through the remaining hour of this" manner." Review Score: 50 CultureCrypt.com
"...Of course, it is low budget and Michael Madsen is broke but that notwithstanding this is terrible. It has not redeeming features. The acting is terrible. The script is weary. The effects are poor. The direction amateurish. The lighting and cinematography lack any kind of subtlety. It really is is first class horse you know what. So why not give it one? Well at least they tried. Making coherent and professional movies on this budget must be difficult and almost impossible to get In cinemas. Doesn't stop it being rubbish though." 2/10 stevelivesey-37183 at IMDb.com
YouTube Reviews:
Stills:
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