I really liked this movie, and I think those of us old enough to remember the awful sci-fi films shown on TV on the weekends (in the afternoons and, especially, late at night, when the TV stations figured no one sane or sober was watching) can really appreciate the satire. Dialog isn't the only thing that is parodied, although the purposely stilted, strained dialog here is very funny. I also enjoy the clunky editing - the long close-ups, the awkward reaction shots - as well as the claustrophobic scenery and the props that look like whatever happened to be in someone's garage at the time. The people who made this film have apparently seen and studied many of these old sci-fi/horror films, and have made an affectionate and accurate send-up of the genre. Lack of subtlety was a hallmark of such films, and the makers here get it just right.
129 Reviews
Oh yeah, he's a scientist
conkeestador21 July 2004
`Betty, you know what this meteor could mean to science. It could mean actual advances in the field of science'. I laughed so hard my teeth hurt. Unfortunately, the world is full of knuckle dragging mouth breathers who are not capable of appreciating fine parody. If you are a knuckle dragging mouth breather (or a big Ashton Kutcher fan) you are going to hate this movie.
Be warned, there are gigantic plot holes. The acting is wooden to say the least. The special effects are not at all special and look like they could have been done by a 10 year old. All of the clichés are covered. The woman runs around in high heels and faints at the first sign of danger. There is an evil scientist, aliens (from another planet), a mutant, and a skeleton. And let's not forget Animala (rowrr). Made up of four woodland creatures, she steals the show. In short, it is an incredibly accurate and funny send-up of 50's drive-in movies.
I recommend it to those with a more advanced sense of humor.
Be warned, there are gigantic plot holes. The acting is wooden to say the least. The special effects are not at all special and look like they could have been done by a 10 year old. All of the clichés are covered. The woman runs around in high heels and faints at the first sign of danger. There is an evil scientist, aliens (from another planet), a mutant, and a skeleton. And let's not forget Animala (rowrr). Made up of four woodland creatures, she steals the show. In short, it is an incredibly accurate and funny send-up of 50's drive-in movies.
I recommend it to those with a more advanced sense of humor.
brilliant
cherold22 December 2004
Dead-on spoof of bad b movies is just done so perfectly. Close ups are too close, edits are too slow, minor points are hammered home. It's as though the director has seen every bad movie every made and crammed them all into this one movie. He doesn't go for cheap laughs like technical screwups, it's actually the equivalent of a relatively well made grade z horror movie. It plays it all straight, although the movie will occasionally go ahead and throw in a laugh that's a little too smart for this type of movie.
This movie isn't any funnier than a true bad movie like Plan 9 from Outer Space, but it is more consistently funny. Real bad movies generally have some scenes so badly done that they are hysterical but also scenes that are just mediocre and tedious, but Skeleton keeps that so-awful-it's-wonderful feel throughout.
The director has proved he can create a very smart bad movie. I'll be curious to see what happens when he tries to create a good movie. 7/10
This movie isn't any funnier than a true bad movie like Plan 9 from Outer Space, but it is more consistently funny. Real bad movies generally have some scenes so badly done that they are hysterical but also scenes that are just mediocre and tedious, but Skeleton keeps that so-awful-it's-wonderful feel throughout.
The director has proved he can create a very smart bad movie. I'll be curious to see what happens when he tries to create a good movie. 7/10
Rowr!
bmcdannell19 January 2005
It was my turn to pick up a couple of rental movies last night, and when I saw the cover art, complete with the "Filmed in Skeletorama!" proclamation, I just couldn't resist. Upon my return, the wife sez, "What did you get?" "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" sez I. She looked askance at me. She continued to look askance until about five minutes into the movie, by which time she had resorted to laughing herself to tears. As a quick summary of our take on the movie, the wife, who has never been a cheesy 50s scifi movie fan nor an MST2 or 3K fan, wants to buy a copy for our very own.
I've read most of the comments, and those few who didn't much care for this offering really seem to miss the point. The first thing we wondered was how difficult it must have been for competent, perhaps extremely talented actors to revert to consistently and truly bad acting. Our second thought was that however difficult it was, they must have had a heckuva blast doing it. Some reviewers complained of dull passages and of sections of dialogue that went on too long or were over done. Of course! But if ya didn't get, well, I guess ya just didn't get it.
The faithfulness to the 50s look and feel was wonderfully done, with the only exception - in my opinion - being the skeleton's smart-assishness. Evil creatures in the referenced genre were unfailingly pompous, but they weren't smart-assed. A couple of high points for me that I didn't see anyone mention: the stock nature footage of the squirrels, with the same footage run twice back to back of course; the mutator/caulking gun and the chest-high shots of the skeleton leading Animala and the mad scientist through the canyon all had us in stitches. Special thanks to those responsible for choosing to shoot in Bronson Canyon, which really should be declared the nation's first cheesy historic landmark.
Guess I'd better go now - I'm a bit thirsty (tip tip tip tip tip) and need to tend to my Amish terrarium.
P.S. If you get the DVD, please take the time to view the special features - and also go to the website to check out the memorabilia - it's wonderful!
I've read most of the comments, and those few who didn't much care for this offering really seem to miss the point. The first thing we wondered was how difficult it must have been for competent, perhaps extremely talented actors to revert to consistently and truly bad acting. Our second thought was that however difficult it was, they must have had a heckuva blast doing it. Some reviewers complained of dull passages and of sections of dialogue that went on too long or were over done. Of course! But if ya didn't get, well, I guess ya just didn't get it.
The faithfulness to the 50s look and feel was wonderfully done, with the only exception - in my opinion - being the skeleton's smart-assishness. Evil creatures in the referenced genre were unfailingly pompous, but they weren't smart-assed. A couple of high points for me that I didn't see anyone mention: the stock nature footage of the squirrels, with the same footage run twice back to back of course; the mutator/caulking gun and the chest-high shots of the skeleton leading Animala and the mad scientist through the canyon all had us in stitches. Special thanks to those responsible for choosing to shoot in Bronson Canyon, which really should be declared the nation's first cheesy historic landmark.
Guess I'd better go now - I'm a bit thirsty (tip tip tip tip tip) and need to tend to my Amish terrarium.
P.S. If you get the DVD, please take the time to view the special features - and also go to the website to check out the memorabilia - it's wonderful!
Brilliant and terrible at the same time
Dr_Herbert_West8 January 2006
That's what it was supposed to be and that's what it succeeds at. As a die hard fan of B- movies from the 50s, I felt like I could have made this movie, but I wouldn't have done as good a job. With a microbudget and a script written in five days, the filmmakers had all the right ingredients for a delightful send up.
The cheesy dialogue and deliberately awkward moments are true gems and it is obvious that this is a real labor of love, a collaborative effort between a group of friends who just wanted to make something fun.
No pretensions, no car chases, no show-offy special effects, no Hollywood celebrities chewing the scenery and trying to make themselves look sexy all the time. This film is an example of the kind of movies made by fans for the fans, with no kowtowing to political correctness, celebrity egos, or the lowest common denominator.
If you love Ed Wood, Robot Monster and Catwomen on the Moon, this film will split your sides with laughter. If not, I implore you to cast aside Lindsey Lohan and Ashton Kutcher for an afternoon and try something new.
The cheesy dialogue and deliberately awkward moments are true gems and it is obvious that this is a real labor of love, a collaborative effort between a group of friends who just wanted to make something fun.
No pretensions, no car chases, no show-offy special effects, no Hollywood celebrities chewing the scenery and trying to make themselves look sexy all the time. This film is an example of the kind of movies made by fans for the fans, with no kowtowing to political correctness, celebrity egos, or the lowest common denominator.
If you love Ed Wood, Robot Monster and Catwomen on the Moon, this film will split your sides with laughter. If not, I implore you to cast aside Lindsey Lohan and Ashton Kutcher for an afternoon and try something new.
a fun send-up of old SF films
hofnarr16 April 2002
I just saw this film last weekend at the 19th Annual 24 hour Ohio Science Fiction Marathon in Columbus - it was a lot of fun! A very amusing camp send-up of old SF films. I particularly liked Jennifer Blaire as "Animale",who was transmogrified into a sensual woman clad in black from 4 woodland animals - and quite the dancer to boot!
Hugely entertaining film for low-budget classic sci-fi and humor fans
apkat2 August 2004
10/10 rating
Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is a remarkable little film that recreates the look and feel of old low-budget black and white sci fi films, but it has a refreshing spirit all its own that is smart and silly at the same time. You've never seen a film like this before. It's the best new film I've seen in years.
Lost Skeleton is fun in its own right because it takes the archetypes of sci fi and its cliché's and mixes them together to make something that is more entertaining than straight parody.
Those who look at Lost Skeleton as only parody or a recreation of old movies are missing Blamire's unique accomplishment. It's a mixture of late 50's pompousness and innocence with modern perspective and grace.
Done in good taste that reflects the boy-scout best of the 50's genre, the movie is unlike anything else that Hollywood or indies are putting out. It's refreshing, inviting, friendly, goofy, and true to a singular vision.
I've seen it now with four different small audiences, and for the most part everyone has enjoyed it immensely. You need to view this film with a group to get the most out of it--it's easily the most quotable movie I've ever seen. Blamire's sense of those delightfully absurd pitfalls many sci-fi writers have fallen into time and again is uncanny. Halfway between Shakespeare and Ed Wood, almost every line of dialogue is a wooden comic gem laced with a sense of sweetness rather than mean-spiritedness. It's hard to tell where the parody ends and the celebration of these loftily ambitious lines begins.
This makes the film a joy to watch again and again. Blamire is hitting something deeper than a stiff sci-fi parody, and his touch makes this a much greater film than on the surface it has any right to be.
I predict that Lost Skeleton will go the way of Young Frankenstein and establish itself as a comedy classic over the next couple of decades. It's just that good. Perhaps indescribably good, but I did my best.
Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is a remarkable little film that recreates the look and feel of old low-budget black and white sci fi films, but it has a refreshing spirit all its own that is smart and silly at the same time. You've never seen a film like this before. It's the best new film I've seen in years.
Lost Skeleton is fun in its own right because it takes the archetypes of sci fi and its cliché's and mixes them together to make something that is more entertaining than straight parody.
Those who look at Lost Skeleton as only parody or a recreation of old movies are missing Blamire's unique accomplishment. It's a mixture of late 50's pompousness and innocence with modern perspective and grace.
Done in good taste that reflects the boy-scout best of the 50's genre, the movie is unlike anything else that Hollywood or indies are putting out. It's refreshing, inviting, friendly, goofy, and true to a singular vision.
I've seen it now with four different small audiences, and for the most part everyone has enjoyed it immensely. You need to view this film with a group to get the most out of it--it's easily the most quotable movie I've ever seen. Blamire's sense of those delightfully absurd pitfalls many sci-fi writers have fallen into time and again is uncanny. Halfway between Shakespeare and Ed Wood, almost every line of dialogue is a wooden comic gem laced with a sense of sweetness rather than mean-spiritedness. It's hard to tell where the parody ends and the celebration of these loftily ambitious lines begins.
This makes the film a joy to watch again and again. Blamire is hitting something deeper than a stiff sci-fi parody, and his touch makes this a much greater film than on the surface it has any right to be.
I predict that Lost Skeleton will go the way of Young Frankenstein and establish itself as a comedy classic over the next couple of decades. It's just that good. Perhaps indescribably good, but I did my best.
Cheese For Cheese's Sake
EmperorNortonII6 March 2004
"The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" is a parody of cheesy science fiction B-movies of the '50s, such as "Plan 9 From Outer Space" and "The Day the Earth Stood Still." The story is a crazy mishmash of scientists, aliens, a mutant, a human created from animals, and an evil skeleton. Don't expect a sophisticated story here! This movie was made poorly, but on purpose. It's a bad movie for the sake of being bad! But it's still so bad it's good! The acting isn't up to par either, nor was it meant to be. The makers of this movie know how silly it all is, and embraces the silliness. So if you can appreciate a movie that doesn't take itself too seriously, "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" is one to watch!
say hello to your new master...the skeleton!
knifeintheeye25 March 2006
Odd flick. Quite obviously a spoof of all bad 1950's creature and space movies, so watching it can be arduous at times. However, it's always a fun ride. There are at least two or three very, very funny parts.
This is a very low budget, funny movie, because of the send up of dialogue, rather then jokes and one liners as an example..."I don't know Betty, I guess from now on I should stick to science and leave battling alien mutants to experts." or "My wife sometimes forgets she's not a space alien". The costumes and sets are reminiscent of the low budget movies as well. The costume design on the three headed mutant was mind blowing. I needed to watch the credits just to find out that a MAN was in the mutant suit...the design was that convincing! ONe last quote to leave with..."Well, if I wanted a safe life, I guess I wouldn't have married a man who studies rocks and you know the way I figure, if it's a way to stop my new alien best friend from becoming a widow and married to a skeleton then, count me in Mister Scientist." Fold yourself in the middle and enjoy this movie, just know what you're about to get into before you start watching it.
This is a very low budget, funny movie, because of the send up of dialogue, rather then jokes and one liners as an example..."I don't know Betty, I guess from now on I should stick to science and leave battling alien mutants to experts." or "My wife sometimes forgets she's not a space alien". The costumes and sets are reminiscent of the low budget movies as well. The costume design on the three headed mutant was mind blowing. I needed to watch the credits just to find out that a MAN was in the mutant suit...the design was that convincing! ONe last quote to leave with..."Well, if I wanted a safe life, I guess I wouldn't have married a man who studies rocks and you know the way I figure, if it's a way to stop my new alien best friend from becoming a widow and married to a skeleton then, count me in Mister Scientist." Fold yourself in the middle and enjoy this movie, just know what you're about to get into before you start watching it.
A Slight, Amusing Sci-Fi Parody For Bad Movie Fans
britishdominion6 February 2005
"The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" is an easy film to admire for anyone who loves the junky nature of truly bad 50's B-movies. It's really obvious that actor/writer/director Larry Blamire loves them too - and his silly and sometimes on-the-mark film is perfect proof.
However, it's a lot easier to actually appreciate Blamire's sterling attempt and his passion for the project than it is to groove on the finished product. The actual movie itself is a hit-and-miss affair that occasionally riffs and zings with the most intentionally-hilarious movie language dribble this side of an Ed Wood flick or "Robot Monster". Other times, the film itself is less a parody than a sluggish effort of good intentions but lousy pacing.
All in all, Blamire made HIS low budget work on behalf of the faux-film's. Shot on digital video, the movie actually looks like it was one of those $1.98 cheapie affairs from the early 50s, too. The framing is a little pedestrian (as it should be), and the cheapjack sets and blah costumes are fairly respective of budgeting decisions of the era. The special effects are funny, but as with everything in this film, they seem almost restrained somewhat. The titular Skeleton - in particular - had the comedic potential to be a wisecracking, quotable character; we've built up to his appearance. Instead, he's an ALMOST quotable character, dialed back though still pretty silly with "animated" arms and legs dangling in every direction as he attempts to purvey his evil.
Maybe it's a directorial decision, or a financial one, but the film seems torn between doing all of this with a straight face or making a send-up. Particular performances are very broad, while others are comically held back. There are points in the film where the cast and script could have easily spun out into ironic condescension or Mel Brooks parody of the subject matter, but don't - and so I admit respect is due to Blamire for sticking to his conviction to actually MAKE a bad movie with some low-watt laughs sprinkled throughout and not seceding to an easy yuk. This is not necessarily a "parody" of those sub-run sci-fi flicks that used to run at the neighborhood Bijou, but it's not an out-and-out love letter to them, either - like Joe Dante's "Matinee" was.
But the film's real success is it's near-reverence for its source material. The film's trailer - which got me to see the picture in the theatres in the first place during it's initial run - is about as hysterical a mini-movie as you're ever likely to see... and it's less than two minutes long. The film's opening titles and movie poster design are truly wonderful pieces of ersatz art, and the idea of sticking Ub Iwerks' "Skeleton Frolic" cartoon short in front of the picture is inspired programming and a knowing nod to the film geeks in the audience. The 'scary' music score actually sounds as it should, and the film's running time is brief enough that it doesn't wear out it's welcome or stretch it's one-joke premise too far or too thin.
Budding filmmakers who catch this movie on DVD are encouraged to take some time and watch the film AGAIN with the director's commentary option. Blamire and his crew give a pretty interesting back story to the making of this quaint little no-budgeter that is both informative and inspirational.
"Lost Skeleton" is a gentle, smile-inducing tribute to a by-gone era of movie-making that has it's heart in the right place. If anything, this film is a great jumping-off point for the uninitiated viewer to dip into some of the real so-bad-it's-good cinema of the 1950s, 1960s and even early 1970s that's rolling out onto the DVD format (is everything on DVD now?). Though not entirely successful or able to deliver on it's broad canvas of opportunities, it's a film that's easy to recommend and enjoy for some cheeky, geeky laughs.
However, it's a lot easier to actually appreciate Blamire's sterling attempt and his passion for the project than it is to groove on the finished product. The actual movie itself is a hit-and-miss affair that occasionally riffs and zings with the most intentionally-hilarious movie language dribble this side of an Ed Wood flick or "Robot Monster". Other times, the film itself is less a parody than a sluggish effort of good intentions but lousy pacing.
All in all, Blamire made HIS low budget work on behalf of the faux-film's. Shot on digital video, the movie actually looks like it was one of those $1.98 cheapie affairs from the early 50s, too. The framing is a little pedestrian (as it should be), and the cheapjack sets and blah costumes are fairly respective of budgeting decisions of the era. The special effects are funny, but as with everything in this film, they seem almost restrained somewhat. The titular Skeleton - in particular - had the comedic potential to be a wisecracking, quotable character; we've built up to his appearance. Instead, he's an ALMOST quotable character, dialed back though still pretty silly with "animated" arms and legs dangling in every direction as he attempts to purvey his evil.
Maybe it's a directorial decision, or a financial one, but the film seems torn between doing all of this with a straight face or making a send-up. Particular performances are very broad, while others are comically held back. There are points in the film where the cast and script could have easily spun out into ironic condescension or Mel Brooks parody of the subject matter, but don't - and so I admit respect is due to Blamire for sticking to his conviction to actually MAKE a bad movie with some low-watt laughs sprinkled throughout and not seceding to an easy yuk. This is not necessarily a "parody" of those sub-run sci-fi flicks that used to run at the neighborhood Bijou, but it's not an out-and-out love letter to them, either - like Joe Dante's "Matinee" was.
But the film's real success is it's near-reverence for its source material. The film's trailer - which got me to see the picture in the theatres in the first place during it's initial run - is about as hysterical a mini-movie as you're ever likely to see... and it's less than two minutes long. The film's opening titles and movie poster design are truly wonderful pieces of ersatz art, and the idea of sticking Ub Iwerks' "Skeleton Frolic" cartoon short in front of the picture is inspired programming and a knowing nod to the film geeks in the audience. The 'scary' music score actually sounds as it should, and the film's running time is brief enough that it doesn't wear out it's welcome or stretch it's one-joke premise too far or too thin.
Budding filmmakers who catch this movie on DVD are encouraged to take some time and watch the film AGAIN with the director's commentary option. Blamire and his crew give a pretty interesting back story to the making of this quaint little no-budgeter that is both informative and inspirational.
"Lost Skeleton" is a gentle, smile-inducing tribute to a by-gone era of movie-making that has it's heart in the right place. If anything, this film is a great jumping-off point for the uninitiated viewer to dip into some of the real so-bad-it's-good cinema of the 1950s, 1960s and even early 1970s that's rolling out onto the DVD format (is everything on DVD now?). Though not entirely successful or able to deliver on it's broad canvas of opportunities, it's a film that's easy to recommend and enjoy for some cheeky, geeky laughs.
admirable in its intent; mixed results
Buddy-516 February 2005
Made for an inconceivably paltry $40,000 and change, "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" is a spoof of all those low budget sci-fi monster movies that played on double bills (usually in drive-ins) in the 1950's. Many of those films achieved renewed life on Creature Features-type TV shows during the 1960's and 1970's, and eventually ended up as fodder for ridicule on "Mystery Science Theater 3000." Filmed in glorious black and white, "Skeleton" tells the tale of a scientist and his wife who head to the mountains to locate a recently landed meteorite out of which he hopes to extract a rare and precious element known as "atmosphereum" (though no one can explain, with any degree of specificity, what it is exactly that the precious element does). At the same time, two outer space aliens land in the forest near where the couple is staying and accidentally unleash one of those infamous rubberized mutants into the area, who proceeds to terrorize the local citizenry and carry the heroine off in a gesture of interspecies romantic attachment. Finally, we have the mysterious Lost Skeleton of Cadavra itself which has been left lying dormant in a cave just waiting for someone to bring it the atmosphereum it needs to put some get-up-and-go into it.
Given the sheer silliness of the premise, I wish I could say that I liked "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" more than I did. For one thing, the movie does a beautiful job capturing the look, sound and overall ambiance of the films it is parodying, and, for that, director Larry Blamire and cinematographer Kevin F. Jones deserve hearty praise. In addition to the black and white photography, the film captures with perfect fidelity the atrocious costuming and chintzy special effects that served as the hallmarks of that benighted genre.
The problem, however, is that once the style has been established, Blamire, as the film's writer, doesn't seem to know quite what to do with it. Although the deliberately flat and corny dialogue and the arch mannerisms of the actors are amusing for awhile, after about the first fifteen minutes or so, we get the point and want the film to move on. We laugh the first time we hear the scientist declare generically, "I've come out here to do science," but after about the third time around, the joke loses its freshness. The film also does an effective job satirizing gender roles in the 1950's as well as the preposterous way in which sci-fi movies from that time period used generic-sounding terms to make themselves appear to be scientifically literate. Again, all that is funny at first, but it wears thin very quickly. Indeed, from past experience we've discovered that this sort of movie genre parody seems to work best in small doses; when it is dragged out to the extent of a full length feature film, it overstays its welcome.
This is not to denigrate the actors who have a blast hamming it up for the camera, and I do really appreciate what it is the makers of "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" are trying to do. The problem is that it's never very easy to make good movies out of bad, and this film, once the novelty of it has worn off, becomes just about as unendurable as the movies it is parodying. Perhaps the filmmakers fell victim to that old conundrum of trying to make fun of something that is already laughable to begin with.
Any moviemaker who can produce something even halfway decent out of little more than baling wire and a shoestring budget deserves our admiration and support. Thus, the makers of "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" at least get points for trying, if not for succeeding in their endeavor.
Given the sheer silliness of the premise, I wish I could say that I liked "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" more than I did. For one thing, the movie does a beautiful job capturing the look, sound and overall ambiance of the films it is parodying, and, for that, director Larry Blamire and cinematographer Kevin F. Jones deserve hearty praise. In addition to the black and white photography, the film captures with perfect fidelity the atrocious costuming and chintzy special effects that served as the hallmarks of that benighted genre.
The problem, however, is that once the style has been established, Blamire, as the film's writer, doesn't seem to know quite what to do with it. Although the deliberately flat and corny dialogue and the arch mannerisms of the actors are amusing for awhile, after about the first fifteen minutes or so, we get the point and want the film to move on. We laugh the first time we hear the scientist declare generically, "I've come out here to do science," but after about the third time around, the joke loses its freshness. The film also does an effective job satirizing gender roles in the 1950's as well as the preposterous way in which sci-fi movies from that time period used generic-sounding terms to make themselves appear to be scientifically literate. Again, all that is funny at first, but it wears thin very quickly. Indeed, from past experience we've discovered that this sort of movie genre parody seems to work best in small doses; when it is dragged out to the extent of a full length feature film, it overstays its welcome.
This is not to denigrate the actors who have a blast hamming it up for the camera, and I do really appreciate what it is the makers of "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" are trying to do. The problem is that it's never very easy to make good movies out of bad, and this film, once the novelty of it has worn off, becomes just about as unendurable as the movies it is parodying. Perhaps the filmmakers fell victim to that old conundrum of trying to make fun of something that is already laughable to begin with.
Any moviemaker who can produce something even halfway decent out of little more than baling wire and a shoestring budget deserves our admiration and support. Thus, the makers of "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" at least get points for trying, if not for succeeding in their endeavor.
An extremely creative and wonderfully funny movie...
ksm517461 August 2009
Return to the black and white, sci-fi monster, "B" movies of the 1950's and 1960's in a way that will keep you laughing at the things that gave you the willies when you were a kid. Remember "Robot Monster", "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers", "First Man Into Space", "Zombies of Mora Tau", "The Day the Earth Stood Still", "Terror from the Year 5000", "Teenagers from Space", "Donovan's Brain", "Night of the Living Dead", etc.? A little bit of all of them are in this movie. Perhaps not directly, but their influence is there just the same. This is an extremely creative and wonderfully funny movie. Amazingly, it was written in only five days, and was filmed in just ten and a half days, on a budget of less than $100,000. (According to the star and director.) The cast were all friends and included some, who had no serious prior acting experience. I would not call this a hammed-up, campy, spoof. The movie stays very true to the style of the sci-fi monster, "B" movies of the past that it mimics, and does so in a way that also brings out the humor that was always there.
Oh, dear, I've had too much cheese!
siderite21 July 2005
Let's face it, chances are you will not like the movie. If you are an avid fan of B class horror movies and beyond (up to Z ) and you consider old vampire movies funny, they you will have a great time. If not, you will probably not taste the humor or recognize the references.
Imagine a script where two aliens loose a mutant on Earth, a scientist that studies rocks (and his beautiful wife!), and a "doctor" that wants to find and resurrect the lost skeleton of someone named Cadavra, then rule the world. Add to that a few animals transformed into a woman called Animala (yes, a many to one relation) and the cheesiest dialogs you ever imagined. Also bad props like spaceships constructed at the local welder and plastic suits for monsters shine brilliantly in a move shot in black and white.
I've never seen so much cheese in a movie. And I liked it :)
Imagine a script where two aliens loose a mutant on Earth, a scientist that studies rocks (and his beautiful wife!), and a "doctor" that wants to find and resurrect the lost skeleton of someone named Cadavra, then rule the world. Add to that a few animals transformed into a woman called Animala (yes, a many to one relation) and the cheesiest dialogs you ever imagined. Also bad props like spaceships constructed at the local welder and plastic suits for monsters shine brilliantly in a move shot in black and white.
I've never seen so much cheese in a movie. And I liked it :)
Don't inflict this one on yourself!
mkilby4723 March 2007
This film is supposed to spoof B-movies from the 50's, but it goes far beyond that. The filmmaker's stated intention was to make the movie as flat and as dull as the movies of which it is supposed to be a parody. The result is truly awful: painfully boring and simply tedious to sit through. Watching 'Cadavra' on DVD provides the minor benefit of being able to listen to the commentary about how they filmed things, and other mildly interesting details about locations and antecedents, but without the commentary, it is a pure waste of time. That's all anybody really needs to say about it. I can't imagine why anyone would think that it is worthwhile to make a monument to 'trash', simply by constructing an even bigger pile. It would have been a cute joke as a 10 to 15 minute short subject, but dragging it on for over an hour just makes it painful (something like this commentary: I could have stated my point in about 75 words, but the IMDb places a lower limit of 200 words for film comments.) This movie was a waste of material from the start, it's a shame to have to waste any additional time to warn people about it.
Unbelievably funny
brutalbeaver21 June 2005
It seems the film was made to make Ed Wood's work look talented and thoughtful by comparison. It worked! This film does such a good job of spoofing old fashioned inept sci-fi craptaculars that it's almost as funny as watching the real thing. It's a nice change of pace to see the occasional film that doesn't take itself too seriously, and I doubt this film would take itself anywhere. Remarkably hokey and irreverent. I can't imagine anyone actually referring to "science so often in one script, but it works. The special (as in short-bus special) effects were great. I swear if I hadn't known better I almost would have mistaken it for a B-movie thriller from the 1960s.
Not for everyone, but I loved it.
runemesa4 July 2004
I knew this was going to be very much an homage/parody-type of movie, but I still expected to be disappointed, overall; however, I was not. I was amazed at how authentic the cast and crew was about this film.
I presume most people won't like this movie because most people would not know how to appreciate it.
The dialogue in the movie is very well-done, as well as overdone, but that was just fine with me, because I understand the homagesness (I know that's not a real word, but I don't know how to say "dedication to honouring the silliness of old b-movie cheesiness").
I must admit that another portion of this film that totally captivated me was Jennifer Blaire (Animala), but I know I'd still adore the movie, even if she was not part of it.
I've only seen one other movie in my life that seemed to have the same kind of dedication to the "legend" or "spirit" of old, no-budget sci-fi movies, which is "Invasion", but that movie was not as dedicated. "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" had the B&W applied to it, and there was no cussing or violence either. Even though I'm a horror movie fan and violence really never bugs me, I didn't miss it while watching this movie, because this movie was so darn dedicated (how many times have I used that word so far?). These kind of movies are either hit-or-miss; I've seen a few movies in the 90's that tried to do the same thing, and they were ultra-terrible. You just need to have the right-minded folks at the keyboard and behind and in front of the camera, and "Lost Skeleton" has it.
I presume most people won't like this movie because most people would not know how to appreciate it.
The dialogue in the movie is very well-done, as well as overdone, but that was just fine with me, because I understand the homagesness (I know that's not a real word, but I don't know how to say "dedication to honouring the silliness of old b-movie cheesiness").
I must admit that another portion of this film that totally captivated me was Jennifer Blaire (Animala), but I know I'd still adore the movie, even if she was not part of it.
I've only seen one other movie in my life that seemed to have the same kind of dedication to the "legend" or "spirit" of old, no-budget sci-fi movies, which is "Invasion", but that movie was not as dedicated. "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" had the B&W applied to it, and there was no cussing or violence either. Even though I'm a horror movie fan and violence really never bugs me, I didn't miss it while watching this movie, because this movie was so darn dedicated (how many times have I used that word so far?). These kind of movies are either hit-or-miss; I've seen a few movies in the 90's that tried to do the same thing, and they were ultra-terrible. You just need to have the right-minded folks at the keyboard and behind and in front of the camera, and "Lost Skeleton" has it.
Decent spoof of Drive-In fare!
shepardjessica26 July 2004
This is a fairly decent attempt at satirizing 50's drive-in horror film, but a little "too" tongue-in-check to be totally effective. I don't think the director should have played the lead role since it seems to have distracted him a bit. The women, however, are terrific in this spoof. Jill Masterson, beautiful and obviously talented (from Eyes Wide Shut), and the director's real-life wife who plays Animala are perfectly in tune with the style of the piece. Some of the others overdo it.
A 6 out of 10. Best performance = Jill Masterson. This was a great idea that should be attempted more often since those flicks of the late 50's and early 60's are sadly under-appreciated.
A 6 out of 10. Best performance = Jill Masterson. This was a great idea that should be attempted more often since those flicks of the late 50's and early 60's are sadly under-appreciated.
"I Sleep Now"
crazystan31 October 2004
Lost Skeleton of Cadavra manages to make fun of and pay homage to those classic 50-60's horror movies. All the characters are great and each have there own line that will last a life time. I know there are a few lines I will use all the time. "I am a scientist, I don't believe in anything". My favorite character was the aliens, so over exaggerated and just great. I don't want to give too much away since this movie is just a classic. The Skeleton is great too since its such a smart ass. Animala and ranger Brad are funny too. All the characters are just so well done, getting the painfully dull expressions and almost nervous laughter. The movie is mostly genius. It acceded my expectations and more. Just go see it, you wont regret it.
I sleep now
I sleep now
A Decent Attempt At Making A Bad Movie On Purpose
hokeybutt4 March 2005
THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA (3 outta 5 stars) Black and white low budget homage to really bad 1950s science fiction/ horror films. Wait! Wait! It's not as awful as you'd think! Granted, it's very difficult to make a watchable movie when you are trying to make it "bad" on purpose. It is so much more fun to watch an *actual* bad movie from the 50s than to watch post-modern semi-talents try to imitate them, nudging and winking at the camera the whole time. But I will admit that this movie is much better than other attempts I've seen. The cast is not completely free of that "nudge, wink" syndrome (though they claim otherwise) but, for the most part, their characterizations are well-conceived. The actors playing aliens Kro-Bar and Lattis and human/animal hybrid "Animala" are particularly good. You could swear their characters actually ARE in a badly-acted movie from the era. The other performers are generally less successful. The plot is complete nonsense... aliens crashland on earth and lose their pet mutant. In their search they cross paths with skeptical human scientists as well as the re-birth of a crazed mind-controlling skeleton. Extremely bad special effects (of course)... though the movie itself does a fairly good job of reproducing the retro black and white style. Can be lots of fun if you are in the mood for something like this.
A hilarious genre spoof!
Nightman8519 July 2006
You don't have to be brilliant to know that it's much easier to make a bad movie than a good one, you also don't have to be a genius to see that sometimes bad movies are just more entertaining.
Scientist and his wife are having a strange weekend, what with aliens dropping in for dinner along with a half-animal woman, an evil scientist, a rubber mutant from space, and a very crabby skeleton.
The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is a sharp-witted send up of all those wonderfully cheesy horror/sci-fi flicks of the '50's. This spoof has all the elements - lame FX, a silly plot, corny dialog, wooden acting, heck it's even shot in black and white. What really makes this movie great though is just how much unexpected humor erupts from all of this. The actions of the 'aliens' attempting to act human, the laughably awful voice-over for the 'lost' skeleton, and of course Animala's antics. Yet at the same time the movie never goes over board with its jokes.
A great spoof all the way, with plenty of finely tuned comedy (and more catch phrases than you can imagine) The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is a heart-felt tribute to the films that are so bad...they're good.
*** 1/2 out of ****
Scientist and his wife are having a strange weekend, what with aliens dropping in for dinner along with a half-animal woman, an evil scientist, a rubber mutant from space, and a very crabby skeleton.
The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is a sharp-witted send up of all those wonderfully cheesy horror/sci-fi flicks of the '50's. This spoof has all the elements - lame FX, a silly plot, corny dialog, wooden acting, heck it's even shot in black and white. What really makes this movie great though is just how much unexpected humor erupts from all of this. The actions of the 'aliens' attempting to act human, the laughably awful voice-over for the 'lost' skeleton, and of course Animala's antics. Yet at the same time the movie never goes over board with its jokes.
A great spoof all the way, with plenty of finely tuned comedy (and more catch phrases than you can imagine) The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is a heart-felt tribute to the films that are so bad...they're good.
*** 1/2 out of ****
A throw back to the Golden Age of B-movies.
ultramatt2000-19 February 2009
It was the late Charlton Heston from THE OMEGA MAN, who said, "They don't make pictures the way they used to." Well with Hollywood cooking up multi-million dollar movies, that happen to be sequels, remakes and adaptations of comics, TV shows and cartoons, anime, and animated CGI features, all which end up being stuffed down our throats, it is time to take a breathe of fresh air and watch independent movies or movies made in a retro manner, like this one. I am a big fan of B-movies and 50's sci-fi schlock. This one is an homage to classic films like PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, DEVIL GIRLS FROM MARS and ROBOT MONSTER. The film is deliberately supposed to funny and silly, so the film-maker can give his tip of the hat to the veterans of these sort of films. There some scenes that are very funny. Where the bad-guy gets killed by the skeleton and the skeleton says something like "I never liked you." How can you hold a straight face to the battle with the cheesy monster and the skeleton? It looks like as if they were dancing. Bottom line: It is imaginative and I highly recommend it.
It Wasn't Even Good Schlock
jpeterb70116 March 2006
I often get kidded for my choice of Monster Movies - Zombies of Mora Tora, Terrors of Spider Island, Queen of the Zombies, etc, so I like Schlock. There is the nostalgia I feel when I see the movies I used to take seriously as an adolescent. I used to think Batman was a drama too! I enjoy watching them today with like-minded people. We make fun of them and have a great time doing it.
But this movie contained none of the nostalgia that I was accustomed to. Mostly because it was made in 2001, not 1961.
It also just plain didn't work. Its like they TRIED to make a stupid movie. They succeeded. It was so stupid I couldn't watch it.
The other types of movies I mentioned worked because they were made as serious movies, at least for kids, and adults get a kick out of watching because of all the mistakes in them. This piece of schlock is one scene of DELIBERATE moronic humor after another.
For example, the constant references to science and scientists are a way to get us to laugh at an intentional mistake. Sorry, the repetition is exhausting after awhile.
Anyway, Lost Skeletons of Cadavra could have been a good spoof on 1950's monster movies. But it was a huge disappointment.
But this movie contained none of the nostalgia that I was accustomed to. Mostly because it was made in 2001, not 1961.
It also just plain didn't work. Its like they TRIED to make a stupid movie. They succeeded. It was so stupid I couldn't watch it.
The other types of movies I mentioned worked because they were made as serious movies, at least for kids, and adults get a kick out of watching because of all the mistakes in them. This piece of schlock is one scene of DELIBERATE moronic humor after another.
For example, the constant references to science and scientists are a way to get us to laugh at an intentional mistake. Sorry, the repetition is exhausting after awhile.
Anyway, Lost Skeletons of Cadavra could have been a good spoof on 1950's monster movies. But it was a huge disappointment.
Excellent
onethumb-15 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This send up of old 50's sci-fi movies hit the bullseye.
I haven't laughed this hard in a long time.
The writer/director and cast nailed their portrayals.
The dialog was a hoot.
This is destined to be a new cult classic. If you're a fan of old B movies, then this is for you. The framing of shots, the locations, and even the fact that you can see the pants legs and boots of the mutant as well as the wires in some shots of the skeleton make this a great film for the whole family. Shot in black and white in 10 days with a script that took 5 days to write makes it true to that old tradition in more ways than one. In the extras is a cast Q&A session during one screening. The audio is poor and some comments are hard to follow but the worst are subtitled. In any case, it gives you insight into the motivations behind making the movie. A film by fans for fans.
I haven't laughed this hard in a long time.
The writer/director and cast nailed their portrayals.
The dialog was a hoot.
This is destined to be a new cult classic. If you're a fan of old B movies, then this is for you. The framing of shots, the locations, and even the fact that you can see the pants legs and boots of the mutant as well as the wires in some shots of the skeleton make this a great film for the whole family. Shot in black and white in 10 days with a script that took 5 days to write makes it true to that old tradition in more ways than one. In the extras is a cast Q&A session during one screening. The audio is poor and some comments are hard to follow but the worst are subtitled. In any case, it gives you insight into the motivations behind making the movie. A film by fans for fans.
Yeah actually got a couple of good laughs out of this
hoytyhoyty19 September 2014
This kind of comedy can fall terribly flat, but they've managed to just about pull this one off.
I think it's because somebody with a genuine comic gift wrote the lines, and then the director squeezed jesssst about the right note out of the actors.
The entire thing is delivered deadpan, which impressed me - I'm a huge fan of Get Smart, as an epitome of Straight-man comedy.
There were a few flat-spots, but the creators did the right thing: they pressed on with great speed, so you didn't get bored. If something wasn't particularly funny, who cares? It was gone and replaced by something else 5 minutes later.
All the cast members executed their particular slot just nicely I thought, and brought their silly voice, their swoonyness, their eyebrow stare, their wooden language, their ability to bend in the middle, or their sexy dance-moves to the party.
Some of the stuff the .... shall we say 'furry creature' (and not spoil)... pulled off gave me the loudest laughs, but there were other great moments too, and some beautiful quotes.
Lightweight stuff, perfect for an afternoon... or a stoner party! Now get me my Amish Terarium!
I think it's because somebody with a genuine comic gift wrote the lines, and then the director squeezed jesssst about the right note out of the actors.
The entire thing is delivered deadpan, which impressed me - I'm a huge fan of Get Smart, as an epitome of Straight-man comedy.
There were a few flat-spots, but the creators did the right thing: they pressed on with great speed, so you didn't get bored. If something wasn't particularly funny, who cares? It was gone and replaced by something else 5 minutes later.
All the cast members executed their particular slot just nicely I thought, and brought their silly voice, their swoonyness, their eyebrow stare, their wooden language, their ability to bend in the middle, or their sexy dance-moves to the party.
Some of the stuff the .... shall we say 'furry creature' (and not spoil)... pulled off gave me the loudest laughs, but there were other great moments too, and some beautiful quotes.
Lightweight stuff, perfect for an afternoon... or a stoner party! Now get me my Amish Terarium!
Owie, ouch, ow, awful
carpevis31 October 2005
This film is the cinematographic equivalent to a 20 car freeway pile-up. I'd rather sit through reruns of Mars Attacks!! While it was obviously supposed to be an homage to the old 50's B-movie sci-fi flicks ala Ed Woods (Stilted dialog, plastic acting, really, really bad costuming), It failed on almost every point. The different is that in the old B-movies, the actors were bad unintentionally. In this case, the acting was obviously bad ON PURPOSE.
The story-line was promising (for a B-movie) and the awful special effects were right down there with the worst of them in keeping with a decent homage to the worst of the worst, but the forced bad acting really undermined the whole movie. It would have been much better if the actors played it straight instead of playing it up.
It could have been done much better to make it a proper tribute to the genre. And because of that, it was really, really bad. Any movie that has the line "We gave up messes eons ago" should be avoided at all costs. Watch it if you feel the need to atone for any specific cinematic sins, but for generalized masochistic viewing , I recommend Mars Attacks!! At least that's in color.
The story-line was promising (for a B-movie) and the awful special effects were right down there with the worst of them in keeping with a decent homage to the worst of the worst, but the forced bad acting really undermined the whole movie. It would have been much better if the actors played it straight instead of playing it up.
It could have been done much better to make it a proper tribute to the genre. And because of that, it was really, really bad. Any movie that has the line "We gave up messes eons ago" should be avoided at all costs. Watch it if you feel the need to atone for any specific cinematic sins, but for generalized masochistic viewing , I recommend Mars Attacks!! At least that's in color.
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