Village of the Giants (1965)

Undescribable Perfection

best movie i've ever seen.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

I feel I should first mention that I watched the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version of this movie. And after watching it, I am glad I saw that version instead of the original version. The movie is poorly made in every area that you can think of. Though the original version was only eighty minutes long, I could still see even in the MST3K version that the story was ridiculously padded with dance/song numbers and other material that does not advance the plot at all. The special effects are awful as well, so bad that they are not unintentionally amusing at all, instead just embarrassing to witness. Maybe because of the cheap special effects, the story was clearly written to be tongue in cheek, but isn't the least bit amusing. But the worst thing about the movie is that there is not one likable character. The bad teens are bad, and the good teens are stupid and annoying. As you can see, the original version is a movie that is tough to sit through. The constant ribbing of the movie by the MST3K version does make the movie watchable - barely.

BEACH PARTY MEETS COLOSSUS MAN...an uneasy mix indeed. Bert I. Gordon's lame-brained comedy has a group of really goofy teenagers ingesting a goop created by boy genius Ronny Howard, resulting in extraordinary growth. Their brains do not seem to keep pace with their bodies as they're just as idiotic large as they are "normal" sized. Tommy Kirk tries mightily to lasso the giant teens and Toni Basil (as Red) dances a lot. A very young Beau Bridges is the lead teen giant and his performance here is probably best forgotten. The special effects are on par with other Bert I. Gordon productions, which is to say they're dreadful. Johnny Crawford, the Beau Brummels and Freddy "BOOM BOOM" Cannon are in it too. Based on THE FOOD OF THE GODS by HG Wells, a source Gordon would revisit just as badly several years later with his 1975 eco- thriller version.

Village of the GiantsThe important thing about living with gigantic teenagers is not being buried under falling puss from their popped pimples.Fortunately, the overgrown adolescents in this sci-fi comedy are clear-skinned.When a gang of rowdy teens lead by Fred (Beau Bridges) breaks down in a small town, they come across a local youngster, Genius (Ron Howard), who has a substance that causes gigantism in its consumers.Stealing a batch, the gang gobbles it down and grows 30-feet tall.The towering teens then take-over the town and terrorize its citizens.Now, it's up to Genius' sister Nancy (Charla Doherty) and her boyfriend (Tommy Kirk) to administer the antidote before it's too late.With a swinging soundtrack from The Beau Brummels, this low-budget adaptation of an H.G. Wells tale is made marvelous by its over-sized mechanical props.However, one sock hop from these kids and the West Cost crumbles into the Pacific Ocean.Yellow Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.com

As mentioned in the summary line, "Village Of The Giants" has many of the elements of the live action Disney comedies of the early 60's: mildly bemused humor with a 'way out' attitude, safely toned down for the kiddies ("The Barefoot Executive"); teen gang dynamics romance, and dancing ("The Monkey's Uncle"); a magical chemical substance that breaks the laws of physics via cheesy process shots ("Flubber"); a juvenile genius ("The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes") and even Tommy Kirk (ex-Mousketeer and juvenile lead from many of the old Disney movies, by then in exile from The Magic Kingdom). My guess is that Bert I. Gordon, who tried his hand at many different genres (including fantasy, horror, and film noir)(all badly) decided to make a Disney film - only slightly hipper (music by the Beau Brummels, blonds in bikinis, drug jokes, etc) racier by 60's standards) and campier."Village" is intentionally camp and cheesy, all right. And it's even vaguely funny. Not "ha-ha" funny, but pothead funny - if you were stoned or drunk, you might get a mild chuckle out of the proceedings.In its favor, "Giants" features some pretty nice eye candy in the form of the blond girl members of the 'bad' teen gang that comes to town to make trouble for "our" wholesome, law abiding teen gang. (This is speaking as a male, of course). They're pretty hot, if you like the Pam Anderson platinum blond go-go dancer type. They also dance real good. And the Beau Brummels contribute a couple of nice, lively pop songs that are much rawer and funkier than anything you would hear in a Disney film from that time.Against: practically everything else. Beau Bridges eventually matured into a fine actor, but the movie tries to peddle him as a cool guy and a teen idol, which is ridiculous given his mole-like, opaque features, constipated expression and pale, flabby body. He has great hair and complexion, and that's it. Poor Tommy Kirk tries his best to carry the film as the teen 'hero' of the town, but at this point in his career, it was basically over for him. As a result, he tries too way hard and the movie makes him such a goody two shoes that you can't help but cheer when giant Beau backhands him for a loop. The special effects range from barely acceptable (a couple nice shots of the giant kids gathered on a theater stage) to ludicrously bad (the giant mannequin legs that Tommy breaks a chair against). The screenplay is completely brain dead even as it tries to veer from heavy handed irony to action to comedy, managing to be none of those things...not even good camp. I don't want to pick on the supporting cast, though, because the screenplay called for cardboard cutouts to go through the motions and allows none of the 'minor' members of the cast any room for something as evocative as actual 'acting'. BTW, what was the deal with the red headed go-go dancer? Was it supposed to be sexy when she vibrates all over like a blender set on 'puree'? Was she supposed to be shaking her 'bippy'? It wasn't a go-go dance, it was a muscle control exhibition...! Wait, stop, take a breath. (Whoofa, whoofa, whoofa. OMMMMMmmmmmm...)OK, the movie is basically harmless. It's just really stupid, so stupid as to nullify even the 'camp' entertainment value. MST3K covered it in one of their later 'Sci-Fi' channel episodes, which is pretty funny. Go watch that one if you can, or don't. You won't be missing much.