They deliberately strand their vessel on the beach of a nearby tropical island and meet the random and even weirder inhabitants. Corman even throws in a seemingly endless scene in which Mary-Belle performs an entire song to lull the crew of a rival ship into a false sense of security…Įventually the smugglers get rid of enough of the Cuban nationals to throw the treasury over board and plan to go back for it later. Clocking in at just over an hour long, this epic still feels far too sprawling. It does seem glaringly obvious that at times Corman drops his no filler approach to the early part of the story and shamelessly starts padding out the running time. Unfortunately in-between it’s appearances we are left with the increasingly irritating characters as they stumble around from one predicament to another. Looking like a large cucumber with tennis balls for eyes, this fabulous creature instantly steals the show. For now.Īs soon as they set sail and Capetto has put his dubious plan into action (taking the life of his first victim with a toilet plunger!), it isn’t long before we are treated to our first glimpse of the sea monster in all its incompetent glory. The cast are clearly enjoying themselves and their enthusiasm proves quite infectious. Not that this has ever hindered Corman before!Īs soon as we are introduced to the characters as they gather on the boat to set off on their misadventure, the film takes a slight detour and decides to have fun with the oddball mismatched smugglers and show that despite the fact the script was obviously thrown together, Corman still has the ability to create interesting quirky characters and audacious situations. The acting is typically and wildly uneven and some of the cast simply give the bare minimum of effort, if even that. Corman ensures the story saunters along at a rather brisk pace – there is no room for frills or filler in what initially starts off as a strong and snappy, if a little obvious, plot. Underground groups meet to plan smuggling trips off the island. Humorous animated titles explain the situation with Cuba and how a revolution has established a new government. Meanwhile a hard-boiled, noirish voice-over courtesy of our downbeat Agent, fills us in on his secret mission complete with sharp, witty and knowing dialogue. All this before the credits even put in an appearance. When he gives them the slip, he reads the note and eats it before putting on a fake beard and sunglasses and heads to a bar to meet another agent. Automatic intrigue ahoy, as Sparks Moran aka Agent XK150 has a note handed to him by a shoe shiner who then gets shot dead by two thugs who chase after him. Corman was never one to allow the inconvenience of a low budget or limiting time constraints to cripple his creativity or motivation.Ĭreature from the Haunted Sea begins with a bang and hits the ground running, opening with a bravura chase sequence, infectious jazz score and undeniable beatnik sensibility. And the fact that it shows, is not necessarily a bad thing. Creature from the Haunted Sea was shot with left over cast members from The Last Woman on Earth and completed in a matter of days. Corman went to Puerto Rico to film two movies, but those familiar with the highly prolific director may not be surprised to hear that he made time to write and direct a third film during his stay on the island. Dearest Reader, I give you Roger Corman’s sublimely ridiculous, Creature from the Haunted Sea!Ĭreature from the Haunted Sea belongs to a group of Corman films collectively referred to as the ‘Puerto Rico Trilogy.’ The other two are The Last Woman on Earth and Battle of Blood Island. The stage is set for shenanigans on the high seas, quirky beatnik characters, shoestring budgets, ludicrous acting and one of the best bargain-basement monsters ever committed to celluloid. What Capetto doesn’t count on is an actual sea monster turning up to throw a major spanner in the works. (Beach Dickerson) and ‘mysterious’ deckhand Sparks Moran, who is actually an undercover secret agent (Robert Towne). Capetto is joined by his faithful, if rather dim-witted motley crew: Mary-Belle Monahan (Betsy Jones-Moreland), her woefully inept and highly unhinged brother Happy Jack (Robert Bean), small-time hoodlum and animal impersonator extraordinaire Pete Peterson Jnr. He then plots to kill the men and blame their deaths on a legendary sea monster. He agrees to help General Tostada and a group of exiled Cuban nationals escape on his boat with a sizeable portion of the Cuban treasury. Bogart-like crook Renzo Capetto (Antony Carbone) seizes the opportunity to get his hands on some dosh when Cuba has a revolution.
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