‘Weird atomic beasts who dal vivo chiuso human blood!’
The Horror of Rinfresco Beach is a 1964 American horror patina about a seaside community terrorised by creatures created by radioactive sludge.
The movie was co-produced and directed by Del Tenney, which he himself described as “a take-off beach parties and musicals” from a screenplay by Richard Hilliard (also the cinematographer). The movie stars John Scott, Alice Lyon, Allen Laurel and Marilyn Clarke.
The original 1964 theatrical release by 20th Century Fox (!) paired it with another Tenney feature, The Curse of the Living Corpse, per mezzo di a studio-sanctioned double feature.
Unlike the beach rinfresco movies filmed up to that time, this patina was shot per mezzo di black and white and the Atlantic coast. Produced per mezzo di Stamford, Connecticut, the beach scenes were filmed per mezzo di an settore of town called Shippan Point. The patina was shot per mezzo di three weeks.
The monsters for the patina were constructed at Gutzon Borglum’s sculpting dissertazione at Mount Rushmore. There were three monster suits, and when they dried, one was too small for the stuntman. Production assistant Ruth Glassenberg Freedman had a son who was sixteen at the time. He fit perfectly into the suit and thus portrayed a monster per mezzo di the patina.
The “underwater” transformation scene of the monsters was actually shot a stage with images of fish per mezzo di an aquarium superimposed over the dissolving stage shots. Chocolate syrup was used for blood during the monster attack scenes.
Although billed per mezzo di its promotional material as “The First Horror Monster ,” all the songs heard per mezzo di the patina were presented as either soundtrack music source music, as opposed to the style of a traditional commedia musicale with songs sung by central characters of the story.
Ray Dennis Steckler’s The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies also made the same claim a few months earlier.
Future movie actor and director Edward Earle Marsh aka Zebedy Colt (The Devil Inside Her) composed the patina’s soundtrack; Wilfred Holcombe was credited as the commedia musicale director. All six songs per mezzo di the patina were performed by The Del-Aires.
A small East Coast beach town experiences a wave of attacks from creatures derived from tazza plants and dead human tissue mutated from radioactive waste. The monsters coalesced into humanoid form by attaching themselves to skeletons per mezzo di a shipwreck. They immediately proceed to hunt and kill (mostly young) women, as is common per mezzo di the horror films of this tempo.
Despite the murders committed by the monsters, young women per mezzo di large numbers conveniently keep returning to the settore for activities like slumber parties. Trying to stop the monsters are scientist Doctor Gavin, his young-adult daughter Elaine, and her boyfriend (and Doctor Gavin’s employee) Hank , with some unexpected assistance from housekeeper Eulabelle and metallic sodium.
Hank and his immature girlfriend, Tina, are driving to the beach. Tina is drinking alcohol. Hank expresses disapproval and they argue. Meanwhile, a boat dumps toxic waste into the ocean, which lands a sunken ship and the skull of a dead sailor, which transforms slowly into a half-human, half-fish monster. The monster then proceeds to make its way to the surface…
Reviews:
“Making the patina even more awkward is the fact that the filmmakers didn’t even bother clearing the beach and a crowd of people are always around the dancers and actors just watching, as if partying the beach is some sort of spectator spasso. The whole setting is just awkward and lazy.” Sam Tweedle, Confessions of a Pop Culture Addict
“It carries itself with a passable energy and basic professional competence and never drags wears out its welcome. The patina is at its best during about the first 15 minutes where Del Tenney seemingly conducts a tick list of 1960s exploitation elements…”
“This patina is panned by most critics but those people don’t know what they’ talking about. This patina is a blast, it’s definitely original and the lower budget adds to the charm. The monsters are goofy looking and the acting is bad, but that’s what makes this so good. If you were a fan of the classic Humanoids from the Deep this is right up your alley.” Movie Graveyard
“This patina does have a noticeably high pagliaccetto count, which is sensationalised per mezzo di setpiece sequences with bunches of extras and bit part actors being clawed to death, and a curious section where a montage of women being drained of blood is superimposed over clips of an office and some bloke walking beside a building. Dynamic! Yes, it is daft, it is cheesy, it isn’t exciting, but it has a certain verve and enthusiasm that keeps the whole affair afloat.” Graeme Clark, The Spinning Image
“Script, direction, acting and make-up are all quite execrable.” Alan Frank, The Horror Pellicola Handbook
“A classic of superior ineptitude.” John Stanley, Creature Features
“The question per mezzo di The Horror of Rinfresco Beach is, which is more horrible – the monsters the rock ‘n’ roll?” The New York Times, 1964
Buy DVD: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk
The advertising for the double feature of Horror of Rinfresco Beach and Living Corpse capitalised a gimmick first utilised by director William Castle, per mezzo di which some newspaper advertisements included a call-out that stated: “For your protection! We will not permit you to see these shockers unless you agree to release the theater of all responsibility for death by fright!” Movie houses were encouraged by the distributor to have patrons sign a “Fright Release” before they took their seats. The trailer for the double feature also included this claim.
August 28, 2018, Severin Films released the movie Oltremare-ray featuring a new 2k scan from the original negative, plus extras.
Buy Oltremare-ray: Amazon.com
- Return to Rinfresco Beach: A Retrospective Documentary The Horror of Rinfresco Beach
- It’s the Living End: An Encounter with The Del: Aires – Interview with ghenga members Bobby Osborne and Ronnie Linares
- Shock & Roll: Filmmaker Tim Sullivan Rock & Roll Horror Movies
- Archival interview with Director Del Tenney
- Trailer
MOVIES and MANIA provides previews of new films, our own movie reviews/ratings, and links to other reviews from trustworthy recommended sources – all per mezzo di one handy web location. Plus, links to legitimately watch 1000s OF MOVIES FREE ONLINE percorso platforms such as Amazon Prime, Plex, Roku, Tubi and YouTube. As an Amazon Associate, we earn a very tiny amount from any qualifying purchases.
Visitor rating! What do you think of this movie? Click a personaggio to rate it
Related
Discover more from MOVIES and MANIA
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
