Michael_Elliott Mad Monster Party? (1967)** 1/2 (out of 4)Animated film has Dr. Frankenstein (Boris Karloff) inviting all sorts of monsters to his house as well as his young nephew. What people don't know is that the doctor plans on retiring and wants his rather dorky nephew to take over for him. This animated feature is certainly a favorite to many who grew up with it and I understand what they'd enjoy. I'm sure being a kid who loved monsters this here would be terrific because there are simply so many on hand. The problem I've always had with this film is that I think it would have been better served as a television special that way it wouldn't come with a 96-minute running time, which in my opinion is just way too long and it really sucks the story dry. I say this because the idea of a monster (Dracula) revolting against Dr. Frankenstein isn't exactly the greatest story idea ever made and this is clear because the film just starts to run out of gas because it doesn't have anything there to work with. The film is certainly creative and it appears that the filmmakers were fans of the genre. I think the best character is a clear homage to Peter Lorre and I thought this one was delightful whenever he was on the screen. The Frankenstein doctor is also memorable thanks in large part to the vocal performance by Boris Karloff. The monsters are another major plus as we've got all the big guys here including Dracula, the Mummy, Frankenstein's monster, the hunchback, the creature, Jekyll and Hyde and countless others. I really thought all the monsters looked fantastic and there's no question that their look will put a smile on the face of monster fans.

zetes I grew up with the Rankin & Bass Christmas specials (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman) and some of their feature films (The Last Unicorn, The Hobbit), and I always enjoyed them. I had always been interested in seeing their Halloween movie, Mad Monster Party. Unfortunately, it's kind of a dud. Perhaps their cheapy stop motion just cannot sustain a feature film. It gets old pretty quick here (really, I think it's cheaper than something like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, although it's probably been quite a while since I've last seen that). The story revolves around Dr. Frankenstein, who holds the position of master of the board of monsters. He wants to give up his position to his nephew Felix, which draws the ire and jealousy of the other monsters, who then try to dispatch him. Felix is a hopeless clutz, but with the help of Frankenstein's sexy assistant Francesca, perhaps he can survive the monsters' attacks. Boris Karloff voices Dr. Frankenstein. Gale Garnett does Francesca and Allen Swift does Felix and all of the monster characters (his Jimmy Stewart impression for Felix is particularly grating), with the one exception of the Bride of Frankenstein, who is voiced by Phyllis Diller. Diller's presence is particularly painful. Instead of making the Bride look like the iconic one from James Whale's 1935 film (there may have been rights issues, judging from their depiction of the Creature from the Black Lagoon), they just make her a Phyllis Diller puppet, complete with Phyllis Diller's terrible comedy. I would die a happy man if I never heard puns as bad as the ones so frequently used in this film.

MartinHafer I hadn't seen this since I was a kid back in the 1960s. I remember enjoying it and I decided to see it again for old times sake. Well, this is a great example of the phrase "you can't go back", as now I couldn't stand the film. It surprised me, as some other Rankin-Bass productions from my childhood STILL make me smile. Whenever "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" or "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" come on TV, I still watch and enjoy them--perhaps not quite as much as when I was little, but still quite a lot. Even the poor Rankin-Bass specials (you know, the lame-o ones no one ever liked) are better than this. I'd love to see "Rudolph's Shiny New Year" or "The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town " 100 times than see "Mad Monster Party" even once more!So what is it about this DVD release did I dislike? Well, first, unlike the wonderful voice talent for the best Rankin-Bass animated films, this one (aside from Boris Karloff) had voices that just seemed like cheap knockoffs of people such as Peter Lorre. Kids nowadays have no idea who Lorre was and adults will realize that it's a really crappy impersonation--as are most of the rest. The other problem is that the film is just boring and really irritating when it comes to the plot and dialog. Even kids now will probably be bored to tears by the thing...even if it does have monsters. And, since it is about double the length of a typical film by these folks, the time just seems to drag. By the end, I just wanted all the monsters and the Doctor's nephew to just go away...go away and die (permanently--after all, some were already dead).Tough to take and not nearly the quality of the better Rankin-Bass productions.

JoeKarlosi I used to really like this kiddie monster mash when I was a kid, as it was always shown on TV around Halloween. These days it doesn't seem quite as wondrous to me but it's still some fun. It's an animated comedy from Rankin & Bass (the "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" people) which utilizes puppets, as Baron Von Frankenstein (voiced by Boris Karloff) unites all his famous monster friends together for a reunion -- The Monster and His Mate, Dracula, the Werewolf, The Invisible Man, The Mummy, Jekyll & Hyde, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Creature. This would have been better if it wasn't so long (95 minutes) but it's a treat getting to see Karloff involved at the height of Monstermania, and for me it's Phyllis Diller as (the voice of) the monster's mate who steals the show. She tells many cheesy bad jokes but always ends them with her trademark "ah-ha haa!" Some good songs here too (especially "It's the Mummy", as sung by a rock band consisting of guitar-playing skeletons with Beatle-like wigs). **1/2 out of ****