The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra

Ever wished that someone would keep making those cheesy black and white films about crazy outer space aliens and creepy mutants and stuff like that? Not for everyone, but director Larry Blamire and company have taken all the very best elements of all the great classic sci-fi/horror films from the past and made The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra. Elements from such "classic" faves as Plan 9 From Outer Space are evident for those who know their films. Complete with music cues to let you know when something bad is going to happen, this movie is almost as good as the originals from which it borrows. Each actor delivers the one-liners flawlessly and the characters pause just long enough to give the audience time to realise that whatever they've just said makes no sense whatsoever, à la Ed Wood. By having the characters repetitiously repeat their lines, Lost Skeleton pays homage to Ed Wood and his style of movie-making. The skeleton, complete with visible fishing lines to keep it together and moving, is also reminiscent of Wood's style. The mere fact that a story was written about a skeleton coming back from the dead and taking an alien bride is fantastic. Filmed in black and white, plenty of cheesy music and camera angles make this a great film for a first date. And a second, if there is one after watching this. By combining different elements from both the sci-fi and horror genres, The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is a great homage to the Ed Wood movies that came before. This method of movie making is fascinating, as you never know what you're going to get on camera at the end of the day. Having little to no budget and making a movie for the sheer joy of it is a lost art indeed. Hollywood could learn a lot from these guys. Plus: blooper reel, featurettes, more. (Columbia TriStar)