Octaman (1971)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Stars swashbuckler Mathews and Mediterranean movie-starlet Angeli as the principals of an expedition into Mexico whose radiation tests prelude the discovery of a mutated octopus-human creature who they've upset when they disturbed its young.Jeff Morrow has a small supporting role early in the picture, before the film rapidly unravels into farce with the absurd octopus-man (something akin to the Creature from the Black Lagoon) preying on members of the expedition seemingly at-will. Naturally, tensions between the personalities fray with the typical preserve versus destroy interests in conflict, which basically leads to more cannon fodder for the Octaman.Micro-budget sci-fi looks about ten years older than it is (1971), features truly inane dialogue and offers very little to recommend except some unintentional laughs. Sadly though, it's also memorable as Pier Angeli's disappointing film epitaph.

A team of researchers discovers a strange mutation or man and octopus who proceeds to terrorize them.Early on we learn that the "octopus is supposed to be the most intelligent species in the ocean". Does this tell us more about the octopus or the scientist? I am pretty sure the octopus is not particularly bright, and this statement completely ignores dolphins, manatees, porpoises, whales, and others.But what do you expect? They show the octopus suit during the opening credits and then show it repeatedly throughout the film. The creature is hardly believable, and it is more than obvious his lower arms raise up when his top arms do (via a string). Now, conventional wisdom tells us that if you have a cheesy monster, you keep him off the screen as much as possible. Instead, they flaunt him. Foolish or brilliant? This film is like the Amazon River of liquid cheese.If nothing else makes this film stand out, it should be said that legendary, Oscar-winning effects man Rick Baker made the Octaman costume.

Octaman (1972) is an awesome Sci-Fi / Horror / Thriller Monster Film. This is my favorite Throwback imitation to "Creature From The Black Lagoon" (1954) Rana is my second favorite. There was another called "The Monster Of Piedras Blancas" (1958) that one was good for the 50's but I don't think that was as good as Octaman & "Rana: The Legend Of Shadow Lake" (1975). It was good but those two were both much better I thought. Blancas was pretty gory for the 50's with the decapitated head thing. It was Probably one of my favorite out of the 50's Lagoon Spin-Off's but overall Octaman was a lot better of a Spin-Off & so was Rana. Anyway Harry Essex wrote the script & Directed Octaman. He Also actually wrote the script for the original "Creature From The Black Lagoon" (1954) as well which had big mainstream success. I guess he decided he wanted to do a 70's Version of Black Lagoon thus Octaman was born. The Costume was designed & created greatly by Rick Baker & Doug Beswick I thought. The eyes look so realistic & also move. He has four tentacles as arms the other four are his legs & are stuck together. Even the second row of arms move & Read Morgan was in that costume & only had two arms so Baker especially & Beswick did a great job. It was also a lot gorier then Rana which is why I like it better. Also not to mention I like Octopy better then Frogs so. This one was just great. For u B & Z Grade Sci-Fi & Horror Film Buffs u will love it! I don't wanna ruin the movie if u live in the Pittsburgh area u can catch Octaman on television on The It's Alive Show on channel 21 WBGN - TV Sat. Dec. 10, 2005 at 11pm. Here is their home page & enjoy! http://www.theitsaliveshow.com/

Far-out retread into "Creature from the Black Lagoon" territory, this time with a giant rubber octopus-man emerging from a river to terrorize a hapless film crew--err, scientific expedition. It's no coincidence that the screenplay was done by the same guy who wrote the original "...Black Lagoon", the whole movie is a throwback to 50s sci-fi, when radiation had the strange ability to instantly send ordinary creatures through mutations that would normally take about seventeen generations to accomplish."Octaman" is in that same shameless spirit, this time molding the aesthetic into a distinctly 70s-era production. The results are fairly laughable, although that may have been what the filmmakers were intending all along. The "octaman" (and his ordinary-sized cohorts) simply must be seen to be (dis)believed. Of course nobody thought this movie was going to be brilliant when it was made, it was produced in an era when cheapie horror films were readily produced as part of the drive-in/grindhouse circuit. "Octaman" fits that bill quite nicely, and only bogs down in the talky sections of the film. As long as the rubber arms are a-wavin', it's a real hoot.