Sometimes when you go back and revisit one of your favorite artists or performers earlier work,you're pleasantly surprised,and you gain a greater appreciation for them.I've always championed the special makeup effects work of Rick Baker,who is without a doubt a master of his craft.That being said,this early Baker outing is like an upper decker some drunken wiseass pooped into your toilet's cistern at a party last month,and by now your whole place reeks of its putrefying stench.In Mr. Baker's defense,his creature suit(co-designed by Doug Beswick)isn't the only thing that suck about Octaman.Just about every aspect of this movie sucks.In fact,the only way it could possibly suck MORE is if it was remade these days by Uwe Boll or Rob Zombie.Maybe.
Eyeee eyeeee eyeeee eyeeeeee....Yeah I took the low road here.
A scientific expedition in Mexico(California)led by Kerwin Matthews and Pier Angeli(who overdosed and died during the filming,by the way) uncovers small rubbery mutated octopi specimens in a lake they soon deduct got that way by nuclear waste dumped into the sea which has seeped into nearly all its tributaries by this point.One of their ridiculously corny, stereotypically non-Mexican Mexican guides tells them of stories his grandmother told him of a sea serpent with many arms that terrorized the area for years,then produces a crude drawing he made of the legendary creature.Nevermind the fact that two thirds of their previous group is missing,and one is dead.Nevermind that octopi don't naturally occur in lakes.Come to think of it,throw anything you may already know about anything and strain your eyes to the poorly lit interior shots,and the abysmally lit outdoor shots.You may even thank the film's producers for the vast number of dark shots,having less cheezy garbage to actually see and laugh mockingly at.
How does an Octaman walk around on dry land?Why,his rubbery octaboots,that's how!
When Octaman lumbers on camera,he tends to swing his four tentacled arms(two are attached to his legs,mind you)around listlessly,sometimes pimpslapping fake Mexicans,sometimes into inanimate things on location.Either way,he's obviously pissed that these scientists have tried to octa-nap his little rubber cousins for research purposes,often picking up Pier Angeli and trying to make off into the lake with her,King Kong-style.The actor in the octa-suit probably doesn't enjoy the enormous latex Mardi Gras octa-head Baker designed for it too much.He gets momentarily captured in a net,he downs a tree so the team can't leave the site,he attacks team members on a row boat,he pops out of their Winnebago and slaps them around,he tries to carry off Angeli again,then gets pumped full of bullets,before lumbering listlessly to the edge of the lake and submerging himself.A fake Mexican guide chucks a carved likeness of him into the water and the credits roll finally.Will man's folly create another Octaman?Let's fucking hope not.
Not the greatest makeup work Rick Baker has ever committed to the big screen by a long shot.
Did I say earlier that this movie sucks?I wasn't bullshitting you.Thankfully,Baker's work improved by leaps and bounds,winning him six Oscars.I'd suggest viewing this one for unintentional comedic aspects,but unfortunately,they don't even exist here.Though it received a lot of press in old issues of Famous Monsters which endears it to many horror buffs,I can't in good conscience stamp this turkey with any other rating than:
The late Pier Angeli,as seen in dynamic new Octavision(which only has five lenses...)!
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