Monster Muck Up

MONSTROID-1980-An American industrialist (Philip Carey) worries that his cement producing water polluting plant in Columbia SA is losing money because the locals say a giant creature is on a killing spree. A local named Vic is stirring up trouble with his anti-American, anti-big business protests which besides including the monster also concern a witch. An American lady reporter (Andrea Hartford) investigates and interviews people while villagers torment a bull during some kind of festival and a young girl gleefully takes pictures. Meanwhile Pete (Anthony Eisley), the plant manager has a bad break up with his white girlfriend Laura (Coral Kassel) who he throws off for local boo Juanita who has been branded as “la bruja”, a witch. A priest (John Carradine), sermonizes and leads a festival procession and troubleshooter Bill Travis (James Mitchum) arrives to sought things out. After Laura has one last bang with Pete, she becomes monster bait. Later they have sonar equipment set up. Horny Pete is suppose to be monitoring it but he’s too busy bedding Juanita and misses the monster attacking a fishing boat. Meanwhile Travis drills the reporter. Pete’s kids get a blurry photo of the creature’s eye and this convinces everyone the monster is real. At night while the priest leads some loco locals to burn the witch, crazy Vic causes an explosion that cripples the plant and kills him. Pete, Travis and Juanita set a trap for the monster and Travis gets waterlogged saving the day but blows up the monster. However the kids’ dog makes a startling surprise in the end.  

The monster makes Reptilicus look good. Credits say based on a true story but there’s no such village in Colombia and most of the story was shot in Mexico.

This low budget production (begun in 1971!) went through many script, cast and title changes (Carradine doesn't interact with any of the other “stars” and scenes with Philip Carey are just him talking on a phone) before being released in it's present form. Director Ken Hartford also made the past up job THE LUCIFIER COMPLEX. It's also been said (by Anthony Eisley in an interview with Tom Weaver) film “doctor” Herbert Strock directed most of the movie with credited director Hartford having very little to do with it.

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