Movies - The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies

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	Movies - The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies

The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed Up Zombies!!? is a 1964 monster film written and directed by Ray Dennis Steckler. Steckler also starred in the film, billed under the pseudonym "Cash Flagg".

In this film, three friends visit a carnival and stumble into a cult of occultists and disfigured monsters. Produced on a $38,000 budget, much of it takes place at The Pike amusement park in Long Beach, California, which resembles Brooklyn's Coney Island. The film was billed as the first "monster musical" (beating Horror of Party Beach by a mere month in release date).

The Incredibly Strange Creatures was lampooned in 1997 by Mystery Science Theater 3000, and was awarded "first" place in a 2004 made-for-DVD documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made. It is also noted for having, at the time of release, the longest title in film history. (It was overtaken in this feat 1996 by the blaxploitation film parody, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
.) Its DVD release features a humorous and informative commentary track by "drive-in movie critic" Joe Bob Briggs.

Plot

Jerry (Cash Flagg), his girlfriend Angela and his buddy Harold (Atlas King) head out for a day at the carnival. In one venue, a dance number is performed by Marge (Carolyn Brandt), an alcoholic who drinks before and between shows, and her partner, Bill Ward (not the same Bill Ward who is the drummer for Black Sabbath) for a small audience. There Jerry sees stripper Carmelita (Erino Enyo) who hypnotizes him with her icy stare and he is compelled to see her act. Carmelita is the young sister of powerful fortune-teller Estrella (Brett O'Hara), and Estrella turns Jerry into a zombie by hypnotizing him with a spiraling wheel. He then goes on a rampage, killing dancers Marge and Bill. Later, Jerry attempts to strangle his girlfriend Angela as well. It develops that Estrella, with her henchman Ortega (Jack Brady), has been busy turning various patrons into zombies, apparently by throwing acid on their faces. At no point is there any visible motivation for anyone's actions nor any discernible logic to the story line. Interspersed through the film are several amateurish song-and-dance production numbers in the carnival's nightclub, with songs like "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" and "Shook Out of Shape".

Trivia

Flagg originally intended to title the film The Incredibly Strange Creature: Or Why I stopped Living and Became a Mixed-up Zombie, but was threatened with a lawsuit by Columbia Pictures, which was working on Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
.

In some screenings, employees in monster masks, sometimes including Steckler himself, would run into the theater to scare the audience. Allegedly an audience member suffered a heart attack during one such performance.

Much of the movie was filmed in an old, long-empty Masonic temple in Glendale, California, owned by actor Rock Hudson. The nine-story building was a series of makeshift "sound stages" stacked, floor after floor, some big enough to create the midway scenes indoors. This was the "studio" used that year for production of The Creeping Terror
, which is widely regarded as stunningly inept as well. "Film Center Studios" was popular with non-union producers, because they could turn off the elevator to lock out IATSE union agents, who were too old and out of shape to climb to the seventh floor main stage.

During the filming of the movie, Steckler was in terrible need of funds, both for the movie and for rent, food and basic needs. Atlas King, who had grown close to Dennis, gave him three hundred dollars out of his own pocket.

Brett O'Hara, who plays "Madame Estrella", was usually a stand in for Susanne Haworth. Madame Estrella was the only "real" role of her career.

The station wagon Jerry (Cash Flagg/Dennis Steckler) drives in this movie was the Steckler family car.

Sharon Walsh was not originally meant to play Angela. Bonita Jade was given the role, but when it was time for her scene, she said she had to leave to meet her boyfriend, because he was performing and she always went to his gigs. Steckler was furious, and he pulled Sharon out of the chorus line, telling her she was now the female lead. Unfortunately, Sharon had already appeared in several dance numbers during the movie, and they had to "disguise" her with a new hairstyle.

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