**1/2 – This 2004 black and white film written, directed, produced and starring a fellow named Larry Blamire is less a spoof of 1950’s sci-fi/horror B-movies than it is a faithful recreation of one. That being the case, a viewer’s appreciation for this film will be largely dependent upon their appreciation for said genre. After years of watching (or at least attempting to watch) the uncut original versions of movies that were riffed on by the show “Mystery Science Theater 3000” I have come to the eventual conclusion that my appreciation for the genre is a lot more linked to the MST3K riffing than it is to the actual films themselves. However, I do have some fondness for those movies that have cheesy effects, big rubber monsters, wooden acting, stilted dialogue, plots that make no sense, and extreme scientific speciousness. And, quite purposefully, “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” has all of these things, and very accurately mimics those old films. It doesn’t go for campy spoof at all, instead relying on attempts to recreate the atmosphere, characters and situations that made 50s B-movies occasionally hilarious. To that end, though, the film is only marginally successful in creating comedy. But you can tell that the small cast and crew truly love the genre and made a genuine effort to recapture those days, so I have trouble being too hard on this one.
The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra
**1/2 – This 2004 black and white film written, directed, produced and starring a fellow named Larry Blamire is less a spoof of 1950’s sci-fi/horror B-movies than it is a faithful recreation of one. That being the case, a viewer’s appreciation for this film will be largely dependent upon their appreciation for said genre. After years of watching (or at least attempting to watch) the uncut original versions of movies that were riffed on by the show “Mystery Science Theater 3000” I have come to the eventual conclusion that my appreciation for the genre is a lot more linked to the MST3K riffing than it is to the actual films themselves. However, I do have some fondness for those movies that have cheesy effects, big rubber monsters, wooden acting, stilted dialogue, plots that make no sense, and extreme scientific speciousness. And, quite purposefully, “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” has all of these things, and very accurately mimics those old films. It doesn’t go for campy spoof at all, instead relying on attempts to recreate the atmosphere, characters and situations that made 50s B-movies occasionally hilarious. To that end, though, the film is only marginally successful in creating comedy. But you can tell that the small cast and crew truly love the genre and made a genuine effort to recapture those days, so I have trouble being too hard on this one.
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