DVD REVIEW: REVENGE OF THE CREATURE

Shane | 20 December 2018 | Reply

DVD REVIEW: REVENGE OF THE CREATURE
Shock Entertainment
September 2018
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar
6 ½ /10

The best way to succinctly review this film (also known as Return Of The Creature and Return Of The Creature From The Black Lagoon), made in 1955 by director Jack Arnold and starring John Agar and Lori Nelson [and with a blink-and -you’ll-miss-it walk on part by a very young Clint Eastwood] is to say that it is EXACTLY as ridiculous and dated as you expect it will be.

But is that such a terrible thing? In the 1950s the Amazon remained largely uncharted, the cold war rained tension down upon everyone, and drive-in theatres and the new breed of young person – the teen-ager – demanded independence and their own, modern entertainment.

This tale of scientists capturing a “Gill Man” and trying to train him in an Oceanarium as if he were a dolphin tells us a lot about 1950’s mores – and we’re not only referring to the ridiculously outdated sexual stereotypes of the day.

Whilst the cover blurb promising “all new Thrills! Shock! Suspense!” may be overstating the case, it was probably pretty ground breaking for its time. Also worth noting is that the Gill Man looks suspiciously like a 1970’s Doctor Who monster, so in that way was very much ahead of its time…