Red-Barracuda The Ape Man is best remembered as another of the multitude of poverty row pictures which have been given historical interest as vehicles for horror acting legend Bela Lugosi. This one was directed by William Beaudine who was nicknamed 'One Shot' on account of his habit of shooting everything once and not presumably being too concerned about the quality of what he put in the can. Like many cheap potboilers that Lugosi and Beaudine worked on, this one was released by the notorious low budget studio Monogram. With all this in mind, it's hardly surprising that this is no classic or under-appreciated gem.Like countless horror films from the period it focuses on a mad scientist. In this case his experiments involve spinal fluid extracted from a gorilla, which he naturally uses on himself which turns him into the title character. In all honesty he looks more like a member of the indie band Oasis than an actual ape man. He is a pretty low budget monster to say the least. Unsurprisingly his sidekick is a gorilla played by that ever present staple of 40's movies, namely a man in an ape suit. This pair of villains goes around murdering poor unfortunates for reasons that I can actually recall but simply cannot be bothered typing out. Needless to say, they find themselves up against that other staple of 40's potboilers – a wisecracking duo of male and female sleuths. They don't provide much successful comedy and Lugosi isn't very scary, so the result is a film that can only be appreciated if you take it with a pinch of salt and can get on-board with its campy nonsense value. It's pretty poor overall, but not exactly painfully so and will offer something to those who like to seek horror movies in the old style.

Spikeopath William Beaudine directs and Bela Lugosi stars in this cheapie horror that finds Lugosi as a mad scientist who has transformed himself into an ape man hybrid. Cue more mad science as Lugosi and his pet gorilla go on a killing spree in search of the spinal fluid that may cure Lugosi of his ills...It's not to be taken seriously, of course, since it's all very goofy and over melodramatic. Lugosi does turn in some genuine moments of acting that hold the attention, whilst an array of energetic characters buzz in and out of the story. The science is nutty and the means and motives of Lugosi's initial experiments are left floating up where Dandelo the cat would eventually wind up. But it's a short piece that doesn't hang around to annoy or dull the senses, it's not very good, but at least it isn't boring with it. 4/10

Leofwine_draca Police detectives and news reporters gradually begin to piece together a puzzle when a man is murdered by what appears to be an ape. The answer lies in the basement of a house inhabited by a ghost hunter, Agatha Brewster (Minerva Urecal), where mad scientist Brewster (Bela Lugosi) has turned into THE APE MAN of the title.. with his back problems and facial hair, Brewster totters on the brink of madness as he whips a murderous gorilla he keeps in a cage. His only salvation lies in the spinal fluid of human beings whom he must kill to get. However, as his friends turn against him, the reporters find the truth and the police close in, Brewster must find a final victim to save himself...This is a real camp classic. Lugosi is the star of the show, putting in an incredibly funny performance as the bearded doctor. In an early scene he walks across his laboratory in a laboriously lurching fashion which makes you reach for the rewind button. There's another scene where he is also being 'cured' by his fluid, and gradually becomes upright, which is also hilarious to watch. By this time, Lugosi's famed accent had been considerably reduced, but he never totally got rid of it. The film is also surprisingly fast paced for the time, and wisely spends most of its short running length in the basement laboratory.There are lots of murders (which are, I guess, the horror part) and even a man in a remarkably fake gorilla suit jumping up and down and going "oop oop". With films of this sort, I usually find myself not paying attention during lengthy scenes where minor characters talk about trivia (to increase the running time, no doubt) but this film has none of that. It's full of action and campness and it is, as to be expected, atrocious, but it's so charming that you can't help but love it.

Rainey Dawn This is not Bela Lugosi's best film but it's not a total snore either - quite a fun little flick. It's worth watching if you like Lugosi, stories surrounding primates or sci-fi films.Lugosi is Dr. James Brewster. Dr. Brewster & Dr. Randall are conducting experiments concerning humans and primates. Dr. Brewster turns himself into an ape man and decides he does not want to live the rest of his life like that - he feels he must be cured at any cost.This movie make a good afternoon film - something to kick back to and enjoy a few giggles with. Quite fun to watch Lugosi as an ape man - he did a pretty good acting job with this character.8/10