INVASION OF THE STAR CREATURES (1962)

[The Burgomaster]

I bought a pile of "Midnight Movies" double feature DVDs, and this is one of them.  The other movie on the disc is INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS.

Anyway, INVASION OF THE STAR CREATURES is a cheapo sci-fi comedy written by Jonathan Haze from LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.  The opening credits start out with "R.I. Diculous presents . . . " and the humor stays at this level throughout the movie.

The story is about 2 wacky soldiers (one is sort of a cross between Leo Gorcey and Bud Abbott, the other is sort of a cross between Stan Laurel and Jerry Lewis).  While on a mission in a cave, they discover "Star Creatures" (actors in costumes that look sort of like the Jolly Green Giant, except they have big heads with weeds sticking out of them).  The Star Creatures are commanded by 2 Amazon-like women named (groan) "PUNA" and "TANGA."

The movie also includes a few "inside jokes."  For instance, the army base is called Camp Nicholson, after Jack Nicholson.

This is a good "fill in" movie for when you don't have much time.  It runs only slightly more than an hour and is good for a few bad-movie laughs..

[Scott]

Like the title of that movie and wish it would come on cable, but I have never seen it listed.

[Dave Munger]

I saw Invasion of the Bee Girls one time. It made my tinkler feel kind of funny.

[Chris K.]

The Burgomaster wrote:

> The movie also includes a few "inside jokes."  For instance,
> the army base is called Camp Nicholson, after Jack Nicholson.
 
Actually, considering INVASION OF THE STAR CREATURES was created by the Samuel Z. Arkoff and James H. Nicholson company American International Pictures (A.I.P.), that Camp Nicholson reference is directly aimed towards James H. Nicholson. Plus, also consider the script was written by Jonathan Haze, who would be Roger Corman regular in films like IT CONQUERED THE WORLD (1956), NOT OF THIS EARTH (1958), and THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1960).

And yet, I for one enjoyed the film as I definately got the jokes (i.e., Dr. Puna and Dr. Tanga-suprised the censor boards didn't catch this one back in 1962!) and laughed. INVASION OF THE STAR CREATURES is total camp and literally parodies itself in the vein of slapstick. Yeah, it's low budget, but it was intended to do so for the humor!

[The Burgomaster]

Chris:

I had assumed that the Nicholson reference was to Jack Nicholson, because he had worked with Haze in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS a couple of years earlier.  Also, were Nicholson and Zarkoff even involved with INVASION OF THE STAR CREATURES?  They aren't listed in the credits.  STAR CREATURES was released in 1962.  I thought their association with AIP came a little later, but I could be wrong.

[Phantom187]

Sounds like an interesting movie. I will try to catch this one at ebay.

[Chris K.]

The Burgomaster wrote:

> I had assumed that the Nicholson reference was to Jack
> Nicholson, because he had worked with Haze in LITTLE SHOP OF
> HORRORS a couple of years earlier.  Also, were Nicholson and
> Zarkoff even involved with INVASION OF THE STAR CREATURES?
> They aren't listed in the credits.  STAR CREATURES was released
> in 1962.  I thought their association with AIP came a little
> later, but I could be wrong.

I too has always thought of the Jack Nicholson

As for James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff's involvement with the film, they did fund the film and released it via their American International Pictures. Most of the trailers and advertisements for the film list A.I.P. as the distributor.

Also, INVASION OF THE STARU CREATURES production copyright is titled to 'Alta Vista Productions', which was used in the Roger Corman Edgar Allan Poe films and the Beach Party flicks that were all released by A.I.P.