More on The Beast of Yucca Flats

By Doug Gibson

When I first reviewed this film, I admit I trashed it. And it is a clunky, badly acted, ridiculously scripted ("FLAG ON THE MOON!") Z-grade flick. But you know what ... it's a cult film, and like my co-blogger Steve Stones says, "these ugly-puppy cult films start to look better after a while..."

My first review: http://p9crotd.blogspot.com/2008/06/review-beast-of-yucca-flats.html

Well, I guess I've seen Beast of Yucca Flats 10 times now, and the last time I watched it, a couple of weeks ago on UEN's Sci-Fi Friday, darn it, I have to admit I like this film. Who cannot love Tor Johnson lumbering through the California desert, even a Tor only a few years from death, weighing 400 pounds and sweating profusely.

The film involves Tor as a defecting Russian scientist, Dr. Joseph Javorsky, ready to meet with Cold War officials. (Some prints have a prologue of Tor killing a naked woman. It makes no sense and was probably inserted so the desperate producers could pitch the film to grindhouse theaters) As Tor arrives near "Yucca Flats" we see a scene with Ed Wood actor Conrad Brooks. (somehow I just bet Ed visited the shoot) Russian agents attack Tor and there's a lame shootout and car chase. Then an A bomb explodes, killing everyone but Tor, who is driven crazy.

The rest of the film involves Tor lumbering through the desert terrain killing a couple of people and chasing two boys who ditched their parents while fixing a flat. Two of the MOST INEPT highway patrolmen in film history try and catch Tor, but almost kill the boys' father instead, who is searching for them. Legend has it that the mom and boys are the wife and sons of director Coleman Francis, who narrates and has a cameo as a lazy filling station attendant. (Francis, by the way, has the distinction of having ALL of his films spoofed by MST3K)

I won't give the ending away. Beast of Yucca Flats was shot silent with very bad voice-over narration by Francis and recorded "dialogue" that is always spoken when you can't see the actors' faces. Director Francis actually tries to be arty sometimes. One scene in particular shows a worried mom through a car window from the opposite side. Fellini he isn't.

I guess I'm warming to this film because I have seen it so many times. I can laugh at it, spot Tor Johnson, Conrad Brooks and Coleman Francis and just enjoy the 55-minute film. As is the case with these films, the story behind the film is entertaining as well. The "publicity" for Beast of Yucca Flats was Ted Carcharas. He couldn't find any takers of the Tony Cardoza-produced film. So, the producers rented a theater in San Diego, Calif., and showed Beast of Yucca Flats themselves. Surprisingly, they attracted big crowds for a few days!

Eventually, Beast of Yucca Flats eventually was distributed as a "third feature" in drive-in theaters and all-night grindhouse theaters. The 1961 film was still being booked in theaters well into the 1970s. It's likely this deformed puppy of a cult film made a profit since its negative cost was only about $20,000. The film is in the public domain now as well as spoofed on MST3K. You can see both versions for free on the Internet, although you usually have to pay to find the version with nudity in the prologue. Some versions will snip the nudity and only show the incomprehensible murder in the prologue. Other versions completely omit the prologue.

Director Francis had a sad future after Beast of Yucca Flats. He virtually died a bum. Cult director Ray Dennis Steckler, who recently died, discovered Francis, an alcoholic, living on the streets in the late 1960s and gave him a part in his 1969 cult film noir flick, Body Fever. That's just the kind of nice guy Steckler was.

RIP: Ray Dennis Steckler

Ray Dennis Steckler died on Jan. 7 at the age of 70 (almost 71). Active almost to the last, the famed cult film director had a few words to say in November at a tribute in Los Angeles to Academy Award-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond. Steckler gave him his start, as well as dozens of others. Steckler, like all true cultists, stayed obscure and more or less free of great wealth.
(The photo to the left is from his MySpace page)

I enjoyed reading his interviews and articles published in Cult Movies magazine. He was funny, humble and unique. I loved the quote, "What they have I don't need," in describing former associates now well off who were afraid to return his friendly phone calls.

Steckler also had a sense of humor when dealing with the mockers, including the MST3K crowd who wittily mocked "Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies." He took it in stride, likely just happy to see his best-known film on TV. (One thing I love about ISCWSLABMUZ is that much of it was filmed at the old Pike amusement park in my hometown, Long Beach, Calif.) Steckler was a serious craftsman, who late in life took many of his features and condensed them into hour B&W features. Those efforts, including his series of shorts, "The Lemon Grove Kids ..." underscored his love of the old, forgotten C-film genre. Steckler loved the Bowery Boys, the old PRC and Monogram films and particularly, the hour-long cowboy films of that genre.

I wish I had met the man. His interviews in 'zines and in Sinister Cinema DVD extras reveal a talented actor and filmmaker with the certain uniqueness that leaves a legitimate cult legacy. He was also cool. Who can forget the words in "Wild Guitar," from Steckler's "Cash Flagg" character "Steak": "This is Daisy, she's gonna teach you how to swing." You have to see and hear it to do it justice. Steckler was a trooper too. He directed that film as well, indulged his cinema love by using Bowery Boys-type characters and survived broken teeth when a punch from star Arch Hall Jr. was too realistic.

I'm glad that Steckler's films "Wild Guitar," Incredibly Strange Creatures..." and "Rat Pfink a Boo Boo" made it on Turner Classic Movies the last couple years of his life. He deserved the recognition. It's time to get more Steckler on TCM Underground. My vote would be for "Body Fever," Steckler's film-noir classic in which he and ex-wife Carolyn Brandt are perfect in their roles as private eye and jailbait thief. Other candidates include "The Thrill Killers," "Blood Shack" and "The Hollywood Strangler Meets the Skid Row Slasher." The Independent Film Channel could also benefit with some Steckler films on its roster.

So, RIP Ray Dennis Steckler, I hope you have had plenty of time to catch up with Liz Renay, Titus Moede, Forrest J. Ackerman, Coleman Francis, Arch Hall Sr., John Andrews and other cult icons long gone from Earth who once crossed your path.

-- Doug Gibson

Review: Incredibly Strange Creatures ...

Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies, 1963, director Ray Dennis Steckler, Starring Cash Flagg (Steckler), Carolyn Brandt. Color, 82 minutes. (Also know as The Teenage Psycho Meets Bloody Mary.) Schlock-meter rating: 6 stars out of 10.

I'll say this much: Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies is a GREAT title. And for that director/star Steckler gets three stars right off the bat. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is very confusing, and only the carnival scenes somewhat save this semi-bore, and very non-scary, monster musical with strippers who are very clothed.

A word about the carnival. It looks a lot like the old Pike in Long Beach, Calif., a wonderful amusement place by the beach that was torn down more than 25 years ago. If any web surfers reading this can verify this, I d love to know.

The plot is very tangled and poorly developed, but here goes. An ugly gypsy fortune teller (who looks a lot like a tired Liz Taylor with a big mole) turns a bunch of hapless fortune seekers into scarred, drugged-out zombies who have an urge to kill. (Why do zombies always have an urge to kill in films? by the way.) No reason is ever given as to why the gypsy wants these zombies around. One night free spirit, cool young guy (Steckler), who looks a bit like a homely Nicholas Cage, goes to the carnival with his rich-girl lady (Brandt). They have a spat when he eyes a comely dancer, and she stalks off.

Steckler goes after the dancer, and falls into the clutches of the evil fortune teller. He spends the rest of the film wandering around in a daze, occasionally killing and once trying to kill his girl. Later the zombies revolt and wreck havoc around the carnival. Steckler is pursued to the beach, where he meets his fate. Steckler is nota bad actor. He later was very good in a private eye flick he directed, Super Cool. He also made some great C films, including the spoofs Rat Pfink a Boo Boo and The Lemon Grove Kids series, as well as genuinly nervy psycho killer film called The Thrill Killers.

But this film is too undisciplined to take seriously. Several times scenes don't seem to mesh with the plot and often there is no explanation for why anything is occurring. The viewer is never told how the evil gypsy controls minds. She mumbles in dreams and we see a bad imitation of the Twilight Zone spiral (was this film shot originally in 3D?). In theaters ushers were forced to dress up like zombies and run through the theaters. Steckler's then-wife, Carolyn Brandt, who often starred in his films, plays a sexy carny dancer.

It was advertised as a monster musical and as a result, we're forced to watch a lot of bad singing and dancing. The acting is overall poor. The best part of the film is the weird carny world where so much of the action occurs. The film captures the seedy side of small-time carnival life a generation ago. Unfortunately, the limitations of the filmmakers and likely, a very tiny budget, produce what s mostly a talky bore. But still a great title! I must mention that Steckler, in interviews I have read and watched, seems like a good guy, modest and candid.

-- Doug Gibson