5.0 out of 5 stars Blood (human) thirsty eye-rolling radioactive-waste Party Beach Crashers

Z. · April 23, 2025

This review is only for Party; Corpse later, perhaps, though it does star Roy Scheider.One wonders whether director Del Tenney intended for Party Beach to be, well, camp. Not quite silly but mighty close.The monster suits are about on par with The Slime People (another must-see in this genre). The suit actors really ham it up chasing people hither and thither to obtain f human blood (what else?).Among other inconsistencies, he hero and heroine look more like parents than teens; in fact, they were both in their 30s. Pure sodium stored in a small galvanized garbage can is scooped out with bare hands. The amoeba-protozo-oid radioactive blood-thirsty mutations occasionally roll their eyes at their victims. This is just a sample.In short, Party B is fun. Great light entertainment. Slime People is mostly serious but also absurd without winks-and-nods.Recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars FRIGHT RELEASE CONTRACT MANDATORY!

S. · October 26, 2013

Time to honor cult-schlockmeister Mr. Del Tenney with this excellent double feature release. Both drive-in and theatre management made it mandatory that all patrons had to sign a "Fright Release" form that absolved them from all responsibility for any death by fright during the viewing of this dynamic double feature. These contracts were obviously influenced by Producer-Director Mr. William Castle who utilized similar methods to attract movie goers. Well, really, the only Fright Release needed here would be to absolve the management for any death by laughter, as both films are a complete HOWL! "Horror" was made in 1963 and also has been called the very 1st Horror-Monster Musical. Both films were made in Stamford, Connecticut, and I'm not sure why that fine city hasn't erected a statue honoring Tenney for these Psychotronic Masterpieces! The 1st film involves a ship dumping radioactive waste into the sea and, of course, leading to the birth of some vicious monsters. Now this leads the monsters. which are truly beyond description, to climb on to land and attack the teenage girls. We get a gang of kids dancing on the beach to "The Zombie Stomp", as well as some other fine tunes provided by the rock group the Del-Aires. There are many very lame jokes as well as the dialogue, itself, which is totally inane. For example, "Do you like bathing beauties". "I don't know, I've never bathed one". Things get really serious when the monsters attack and murder over 20 teenage girls at a slumber party. Now, a maid named Eulabelle saves the day by accidently spilling some sodium on a monster which then quickly disintegrates. So now the secret as to how to destroy the monsters is revealed. "Horror" was even used by MST3K in one of it's episodes, so you know that it is indeed a classic! The film even included the very real Charter Oak Motorcycle Club of Riverside, Conn. Moving along to the 2nd film, which was also made in Stamford, Conn., in 1963, is actually the very 1st gothic horror film ever made in Stamford. It is actually pretty good, as well. It is a very early gore movie which stars Mr. Roy Scheider in his film debut. In New England in 1892, a family patriarch has passed away and he leaves very strict demands about how he is to be buried. If not followed, he threatens to return from the grave and exact his revenge by making each family member die in the manner by which they each fear the most. Of course, nobody listens to the father and then murders start to occur one by one in the most horrible ways imaginable! The best death is the maid's, as her head is placed on a platter and found on the dinner table. This laughable early gore film is significant as it's cast also includes Candace Hilligoss, who was the star of the cult-masterpiece "Carnival Of Souls", from 1962. This was the only other movie that she played in. Besides a very good remastered print of each film, which are shown in Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.0 Mono, 1.78:1, there are some excellent special features. These include an audio commentary with Del Tenney for each film, a very interesting interview with Del. a nice photo gallery, and theatrical trailers for each film. The running time for "Horror" is 78 minutes, and the running time for "Curse" is 84 minutes, which add up to a grand total of 162 minutes not including the Special Features. Now there's a deal hard to top! "Horror Of Party Beach" has been a long-time favorite of mine ever since I saw it when I was 15. Mr. Del Tenney passed away on February 21, 2013, at his home in Jupiter, Fla., at the age of 82. Now Just Don't Forget to Sign Your Fright Release Certificate before viewing these films! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! SMRZ!!

5.0 out of 5 stars A great double-dose of drive-in fun on movie night

J.B. · May 26, 2007

I intended to purchase these movies seperately, but if they were offered in a combo, then even better! In the special features there is a photo of a marquee over a cinema complex. These movies actually did show together as a double feature. I will review each movie seperately.....Horror at Beach Party is a great old monster flick. A beach party is put to a halt after a girl is killed by a radioactive monster. Man that beach party was rockin' too. Check out some of those dancers, like the dude dancing in his Euro-underwear, what a fairy. Biker gang leaders danced back then too. And the band was awesome, on rhythm guitar looked like Buddy Holly's little brother. And the lead singer rocked, it's amazing how loud his voice was with no microphone. Come to think of it I didn't see any guitar amps either. Oh well. The monsters came about from a barrel of toxic waste that was dumped overboard and opened on top of a shipwreck. The monsters look a little like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, but with Cookie Monster eyes and these ginat hotdogs shoved in their mouths.They need human blood to survive, but it seems they prefer female blood. That is why the attack all girl slumber parties, and New York girls on a road trip. But never fear, a scientist figures out how to kill them. He ignores the advice of his Aunt Jemimah housekeeper ("It's voodoo, dat's wut it is") and discovers that th emonsters can be killed by sodium. So the climax of the movie is sodium being thrown at mutants and watching them explode. Now I know that if you touch pure sodium it burns, so they must have made grenades or something.Curse of the Living Corpse is a great flick. This is your daddy's slasher flick. A rich dude named Rufus dies and demands certain criteria for his funeral and burial. He was terrified of being alive, so he left instructions that his vault be left unlocked, the torches are always lit, etc. Of course his family ignores all this because they are in a hurry to have the will read. The will says that if his instructions are not followed, he will return and each of them will die in the way they fear most (drowning, fire, etc.) So of course a mysterious figure goes around killing people. There are some greta kills here, like the severed head breakfast platter. The nude drowning scene in the bathtub was probably watched very very closely by the sensors a couple of times. This is as close to a nude scene as you can get without it being a nude scene.The reason I really wanted this movie was because Candace Holligoss was in it. I loved her in Carnival of Souls, and this is her only other movie. I can't believe such a beautiful woman did not make any more films. She is so hot. If you like her, you got to see her in this flick all decked out in her Victorian duds. She doesn't have a very big part, which was a little disappointing for me, but she makes the most of every bit of screen time. I am so used to her being in almost every frame of Carnival of Souls, that it was strange to see her in a movie that did not revolve around her.So anyway, you get two great old movies on one SINGLE sided DVD. Fire up the player, make the popcorn and have a great Saturday night on the couch with your honey!

Fyn film...

F.b. · April 19, 2019

Not so scary anymore. A pity it's been edited.

Del Tenney Double Feature NTSC DVD

J. · October 22, 2013

Director Del Tenney is an overlooked movie maker that should be revisited & looked upon as a pioneer of the low budget, Fun, horror / schlock film making school that also gave us the maestro of the quick buck, but don't suck features, Roger Corman. Tenney's two movies here, The Horror Of Party Beach & The Curse Of The Living Corpse are just as entertaining today as they surely would have been back in the Sixties. Great transfers of both movies to DVD, in their original wide screen aspect ratios. The black & white film stock looks crisp & sharp & the sound quality on both movies is clean & highly audible for the age. Extras are very good, including an interview with Del Tenney. If you enjoy Fun old school monster movies & early Giallos then this set of two is most definitely for you. Fantastic price deal & nice overal packaging. Great set & thank you Mr. Del Tenney.

Les 2 films méritent la même note de 3. ...

R.C. · June 15, 2018

Les 2 films méritent la même note de 3. J'ai quand même préféré le suspense de The Curse of the Living Corpse.

See the fifties get the sixties treatment with a seventies flair for the gruesome!!

Z. · October 18, 2014

So, you want to be perpetually entertained, occasionally laugh, admire some marvellous dialogue, see abrupt moments of surprisingly graphic maulings, see body-count soar to modern degrees, see deft close-ups of shimmying body parts to music that can peel paint off a firebird, see very impressive cinematography of the monochrome variety of actors lunging in close-up or lit beautifully by darkest night lights, be immersed in the schlock flavours of the sixties up to your guitar twanging neck?!Although the correct ratio is not quite attained, being widescreen but sometimes too close to actors for comfort, the images are very good, so too is the audio. Though still bearing some minor moments of damage the prints are actually solid & blacks mostly stay that way. A modest interview with Del Tenney is short but enlightening. No doubt he added much in the commentaries. He also knew how to stretch a budget, see The Flesh Eaters for even more quality surprising amusement, horror, sci-fi & grandstanding villainy!The Horror of Party Beach has gained an often infamous reputation, being equated with Ed Wood (which is no bad thing). Probably obvious by now but it is wise not to miss the simple fact that it is designed as a parody of sorts, pretty much tongue in cheek, of the beach party flicks rather than one of their looney bretheren. In short order, cliches are attacked with gusto and there is a sense of the fifties sci-fi being brought into the realm of a rampaging later seventies flick when violence erupts. It doesn't play as comedy, but actually has a fun darkness to its identity. It reminded readily of Humanoids from the Deep had it been played partly as a musical, and the accumulating substantial bodycount of random daft american youths is an amusing hallmark of the film. Much fun is had, the monsters deliberately ludicrous, or at least cumbersome but dangerously prolific.Curse of the Living Corpse shows up the basic origins of Del Tenney's style or approach to film making. As he came from a theatrical background, he preferred good solid actors, often stage actors that can act in the grand manner if necessary, on cue. This occurs here in a period piece. But don't think Hammer gloss or anything remotely stiff as a board from italy. This is more like Romero Night of the Living Dead or Carnival of Souls with a brighter cinematography. The acting is mannered, often monologue or fruity dialogue that can be stilted in the wrong hands is actually rendered with aplomb. However here again Tenney has a faint tongue in cheek homage and partial parody, of old dark house movies from the 30's. The nearest flavour today would be films by Larry Blamire, which are more deliberately comedic, entering into surrealism. So again, prepare to see hidden panels, wicked horse riding, bogs, a contested Will, premature burials, random inventive murders, a black cloaken one who resembles Vince Price from his wax museum days...Perhaps a little slow for some, but as with other titles by the Tenney chap who often writes, directs and produces, sudden stylised violence can recall even giallo or more elaborate thrillers with ten times the budget. Importantly, Roy Scheider, yes he from Jaws and Marathon Man, is as ever engaging as a key player, as a fine drunken sot & ne'er do well. Most involved act their bestest stage performances, which either appeals on a mild guignol level, or drives people to drink.Expect then deft, fine camera-work, amusing almost playful angle of approach, to the older subject matter, this is a bargain double of the highest degree. Be prepared to be pleasantly surprised and actually to enjoy the whole caboodle of schlock via thoughtful bouts of b-movie conventions given a thorough shake of the bikini & bustier both.

the good advice given in this film is

B.W. · January 15, 2015

hilarious 60s drive-in b movie. i'm sure the monsters are men in suits!!! the good advice given in this film is: if you want to keep a monster out of your bedroom,prop a bucket on the top of the door!!