Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Michael O'Keefe I may have been pretty liberal with my rating of this creature feature. Dr. John Basso (Les Tremayne) is a polished stage hypnotist that features his pretty assistant (Pat Delaney), doing experiments in hypnotic regression. When a hideous fish-like creature comes out of the depths of Lake Texhoma to kill Tanglewood Country Club guests; a retired business tycoon is ready to fleece a gullible public that believes in the self-proclaimed clairvoyant, Dr. Brasso.Very low budget, but fun. Rubber suit monster or not, an interesting flick. Beach party scenes featuring singer Scotty McKay lengthens this made-for-television film, which is actually a remake of the 1956 movie THE SHE CREATURE. Other stars: Aaron Kincaid, Neil Fletcher, Suzanne Roy, Roger Ready and Byron Lord.

kevin olzak 1967's "Creature of Destruction" was among Larry Buchanan's 8 Azalea pictures, 7 of which were horror/sci fi, 4 of those remakes of AIP features of the 1950's. Recycled from 1956's "The She-Creature," a topical story of that year thanks to the Bridey Murphy case, incorporating mesmerism with reincarnation and regression, which even Roger Corman tried his hand at with "The Undead." "The She-Creature" was no classic, but featured a fine cast of familiar faces, and a memorable Paul Blaisdell monster that was supposed to look female but didn't, despite the breasts. The original took place at an oceanside park, while this remake is set at a small lakeside resort, filmed at Lake Texoma 75 miles north of Dallas, with each shot looking as though it were done at dusk (one unchanged line of dialogue from the 1956 script reports the Creature leaving saltwater tracks despite now rising from a freshwater lake!). In the top billed hypnotist role essayed by Chester Morris (who had a real affinity for magic), we here have former carnival barker Les Tremayne, whose solid professionalism lent stature to many lower budgeted horrors since his co-starring part as General Mann in 1953's "The War of the Worlds," including 1957's "The Monolith Monsters," 1958's "The Monster of Piedras Blancas," 1959's "The Angry Red Planet," 1962's "The Slime People," and 1974's "Fangs" aka "Snakes" (also shot in Texas). Rather than a recognizable face like John Ashley, Paul Petersen, or Tommy Kirk, we get the eminently forgettable Aron Kincaid, who has been remembered as a veteran of AIP's Beach Party series but only did two, "Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine" and "The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini," understandably mesmerized by Quinn O'Hara's red haired beauty (he did do a pair of rip offs, "Ski Party" and "Beach Ball," guess they got confused). His unspectacular acting career ended with many voiceovers for animated shows and cartoons (as did radio veteran Tremayne). This final AIP credit finds Kincaid unbearably stiff, looking mighty uncomfortable in an air force uniform two sizes too small for him, in a somnambulistic performance entirely post dubbed in inept fashion. And please don't ask about the inexplicable presence of Scotty McKay, possibly a local talent who worked cheap, who belts out two songs (one about Batman!) before the whole mess starts to gel nearly 20 minutes in (incidentally, the five minute pre credits sequence is taken from the climax, which is conspicuously shorter as a result). Non music lovers will be pleased to note that Scotty's performance receives the scorn it deserves when he's bumped off by the Creature. A Texas filmmaker of notorious repute, Buchanan certainly qualifies as a real huckster like Al Adamson, able to churn out numerous titles despite the dearth of talent, perhaps not as laughably incompetent as Ed Wood, but worth their share of laughs in their own right. Of all his genre films for Azalea, "Creature of Destruction" probably ranks as his least interesting, receiving less airplay in its day than any of the other, better remembered titles, particularly the two with John Agar. The wet suit that doubles as the Creature (played by Byron Lord) returned for another go-round in 1969's "It's Alive!" still adorned with fins on the mask, which were missing in its first appearance (played by Bill Thurman) in 1966's "Curse of the Swamp Creature" (at least the monsters in "The Eye Creatures," "Zontar the Thing from Venus," and "In the Year 2889" were unique to them). Come to think of it, one of The Eye Creatures actually showed up in "The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini," but failed to steal the thunder from Boris Karloff. The kind of movie that one used to find at 3AM, a relic of a bygone era, which probably wouldn't pass muster with someone who never discovered it under those conditions.

MartinHafer Considering that this film was made by Larry Buchanan, you can't help but assume it will be a horrible film. After all, Buchanan made a ton of low-budget AND terrible films in his illustrious career. For most, this might be a bad thing, but fans of bad films (like myself) actually seek out his films because they are usually laughably bad.At first, I was concerned however, as the film didn't seem all that bad. Sure, the monster was recycled from several previous cheesy films, but the plot involving the evil hypnotist seemed interesting. However, considering that the film never really connected this mind control with the appearance of the murderous creature, the film sure was confusing...and dopey.Les Tremayne plays the hypnotist/mentalist and he actually seemed like a pretty good actor--but he was unfortunately stuck in a bad film. He had an assistant--a pretty lady who was under his total power. She would travel back in town a describe previous lives she'd lived to amazed audiences of rubes. Later, a doubtful psychic investigator (an air force captain whose hair was too long to be a real military man) tries to break Tremayne's hold on the lady. At the same time, there are a series of silly murders on the nearby beach--though as I said before, there really is no explanation of how the evil Tremayne and the somnabalistic lady are involved.In many ways, the film is like THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH (a truly dreadful film) and the classic silent, THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI. The evil mentalist and his patsy are there--as is the dumb bug-eyed monster (a guy in a diving suit, rubber gloves and a silly mask).What's to like? Well, other than Tremayne and a mildly interesting mentalist concept, nothing. The film is poorly directed and written and just screams "cheese" from start to finish. Only for the lovers of bad cinema.

capkronos At the upscale Tanglewood Beach Resort, a honeymooning couple is found viciously murdered in their room. Or more eloquently put by a copper on the case, "...their neck bones were mutilated to a pulp!" Couldn't have anything to do with the arrival of shady stage hypnotist John Basso (Les Tremayne) and his miserable blonde hottie assistant Doreena (Pat Delaney), could it? Nah! One thing's for sure, pot-bellied resort owner and all around greed-monger Sam Crane (Neil Fletcher) could care less as long as he's getting his piece of the pie. Seeing how popular Basso's act has become, he has decided to promote them and potentially make millions on the side. I mean, who really cares if every once in awhile a couple of necking teens get slaughtered as long as the dough's rolling in? Sam's bland daughter Lynn (Suzanne Roy) is conveniently dating studly "air force parapsychologist" (?) Ted (Aron Kincaid) and he seems to know all about things of the other-worldly nature. He also believes the sudden rash of murders and rubber-lizard-monster-with-ping-pong -ball-eyes-and-over-sized-plastic-fangs sightings may somehow involve the newly hired resort entertainment. And he is correct. It all has something to do with Doreena being the reincarnation of some 17th Century British woman and having a "physical link" to a sea monster. Or something. Lt. Blake (Roger Ready) and company are on the case.This 16mm effort from Texas-based schlockmeister Larry Buchanan (a color remake of 1956's THE SHE CREATURE that was sold directly to TV by AIP) opens with a five minute pre-credit sequence that makes no sense whatsoever and doesn't really improve much from there. The film is not only bogged down by ultra-low production values (flat and too-dark cinematography, continuity errors galore, ragged edited, etc.), but is also far too slow-moving and talky to maintain much interest. Not only that, but there's precious little sea monster action in this one, the monster costume is completely laughable and the lame ass monster attack scenes all take place completely off screen. There's nothing really to recommend about this once, except...For two cheesy Beach Party-style musical/dance numbers that came out of nowhere and keep this from scoring an otherwise well-deserved 1. The lead singer is some surfer-looking guy named Scotty McKay, who sings several songs at a beach dance party. The second one is about Batman and pretty cool. The most hilarious moment however is when Scotty sits down on the beach to sing a depressing song about "lonely people" and then suddenly a bunch of smiling teens jump up and start vigorously dancing! Afterward poor Scotty drives off on his motorcycle and gets mauled to death by the creature and we never hear from him again. Sigh. Horror fans should recognize Tremayne from one of his many horror/sci-fi outings (THE MONOLITH MONSTERS, THE SLIME PEOPLE, etc.) and may also know "Ann McAdams"/Annabelle Weenick (the sanitarium doctor from DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT), who has a supporting role as Sam's wife. And of course "Beach Party" viewers will know Mr. Kincaid. Apparently he tried to sue AIP before finishing out his contract so they forced him in to star in this film.