American International Pictures: You're Thoughts on Their Bad Movies

[InformationGeek]

This is the only company that gives me a bad feeling right off the bat about the film when I see their logo.  Why?  The movies under the company's name are a good reason, such as Frogs, Empire of the Ants, The Incredible Melting Man, Squirm, Foxy Brown, Coffy, Blacula, Attack of the Giant Leeches, The Thing With Two Heads, The Food of the Gods, and Earth vs. the Spider.  I mean really, what a lineup of terrible movies (If you like them, that's fine.  It's just that I don't like them).  So, as you can see, you can understand why I am a bit nervous everytime I see that American International was involved in a movie.  Don't get me wrong, they had their classics, like The Raven and The Amityville Horror.  Still, they have horrified me with pretty awful crap.

So, what do you guys think of them?  I know they don't exist anymore and are owned by MGM now, but I want to hear what you think on their movie line up.  Do you think that started bad and ended bad, did alright for their entire life span, or were good about all the time?

[Doc Daneeka]

I'm actually a fan of the later ones myself, Empire of the Ants and Squirm are quite underrated IMO, and the Count Yorga films are classics, especially the second which is one of the best vampire films I've seen. I didn't find Frogs to be the horrible experience most here did. And of course, AIP is responsible for the classic DR. PHIBES duology: Some of Vincent Price's coolest work, and a precursor to today's SaW films (Well, I like them :P)

IMO they did a lot better with quality overall than Hammer did (The Hammer films I've seen have just come across as boring and melodramatic, whereas AIP can be darker and sometimes more fun), and quantity-wise beat Amicus (Though I think Amicus may have been the best of the three I mentioned quality-wise).

[RCMerchant]

I'm the exact opposite of your veiw of them. I LOVE their movies! In the '50's they gave us some GREAT fun B-movies like I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF,INVASION of the SAUCERMEN,the SHE CREATURE,BUCKET of BLOOD....soooo many more!
The 60's had the Price and Poe films,DEMENTIA 13,The WILD ANGELS,QUEEN of BLOOD,TARGETS...!
70's was peak! BLOODY MAMA, BOXCAR BERTHA,The BORN LOSERS,DR.PHIBES,the CONQUERER WORM,COFFY,ABBY,BLACK CEASER,DERANGED!!!! oh my god! So many classics!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgLhy9rMdkM

[Javakoala]

I'm with RC on this. I cut my teeth on these films. Compared to a lot of junk I watch, AIP stuff is practically Oscar worthy.  And Yorga was always my idea of what a vampire should be.  AIP actually ranks above Crown International in my book by virtue of more consistant quality, and I love all the Crown International junk I proudly own.

[JaseSF]

Just seeing the AIP logo or Crown International sends shivers of delight up and down my spine. But I really prefer the early black and white ones from the  50s and 60s. Corman did a lot of goodies there on the ultra cheap. Good Stuff all around!

[the ghoul]

I'm the exact opposite of your veiw of them. I LOVE their movies! In the '50's they gave us some GREAT fun B-movies like I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF,INVASION of the SAUCERMEN,the SHE CREATURE,BUCKET of BLOOD....soooo many more!
The 60's had the Price and Poe films,DEMENTIA 13,The WILD ANGELS,QUEEN of BLOOD,TARGETS...!
70's was peak! BLOODY MAMA, BOXCAR BERTHA,The BORN LOSERS,DR.PHIBES,the CONQUERER WORM,COFFY,ABBY,BLACK CEASER,DERANGED!!!! oh my god! So many classics!

I agree with RC.  I couldn't have said it any better myself.

[peter johnson]

While I also side with RC on AIP -- ROBO-C.H.I.C. sports the AIP logo! (Okay, okay . . . we were cheating.  In our case, it stood for "Action International Pictures" -- cheese on cheese) -- I cannot agree with Mr. Briggs in dissing Hammer -- It may be like the Zappa fan who thinks you just haven't heard the right Zappa album to make you fall in love with him, but I'd say please give some more Hammers a try -- Have you seen "Scream of Fear", for example?  "Pirates of Blood River"?  "Maniac"?  Hammer is a wonderful studio that made wonderfully macabre films.  Some of their films are not as good as others, I will grant, but don't base your opinion of them on only a few of their films when they released dozens and dozens!

peter johnson/denny crane

[Doc Daneeka]

I cannot agree with Mr. Briggs in dissing Hammer -- It may be like the Zappa fan who thinks you just haven't heard the right Zappa album to make you fall in love with him ................ Some of their films are not as good as others, I will grant, but don't base your opinion of them on only a few of their films when they released dozens and dozens!

Well in their defense, and to a bit of shame in my claim, I have only seen Horror of Dracula, The Gorgon, The Phantom of the Opera, and the Creeping Flesh, though aside from Dracula and The Phantom's portrayals and the beginning/end of Dracula, they all seemed pretty similar, and I couldn't find much to like about them. Still, if I can find them, I'll definitely give your suggestions a try.

[peter johnson]

"Scream of Fear", is, simply put, one of the best Halloween pictures ever -- It has elements of "Gaslight", "Diabolique", and a touch of Ingmar Bergman's "The Magician" --
* * *
"Five Million Years to Earth" aka "Quatermass and The Pit" is easily my all-time favorite Science-Fiction film, which also has elements of the Supernatural about it:  Nazi V-weapons, panspermia, Monsters from Mars, posession, the military, ghosts, demons, hob-goblins, nightmares, ESP, Poltergeists, telekenesis, mad science, and The Devil Himself all put in appearances.  I own 2 copies of it & have watched it dozens of times.
* * *
"The Devil Rides Out" -- A highly literate version of Dennis Wheatley's book.  Low-budget special effects may inspire an unintended laugh or 2, but the plot and story drive forward relentlessly.  Charles Grey plays Aleistier Crowley, or someone like him.
* * *
"The Reptile" -- I'll go out on a limb here & call this the best wer-cobra film ever made!!

The Hammer pit is a very deep one indeed -- don't give up on them so quickly, as you may deprive yourself of something you'd really enjoy --

peter johnson/denny crane

[the ghoul]

I cannot agree with Mr. Briggs in dissing Hammer -- It may be like the Zappa fan who thinks you just haven't heard the right Zappa album to make you fall in love with him ................ Some of their films are not as good as others, I will grant, but don't base your opinion of them on only a few of their films when they released dozens and dozens!

Well in their defense, and to a bit of shame in my claim, I have only seen Horror of Dracula, The Gorgon, The Phantom of the Opera, and the Creeping Flesh, though aside from Dracula and The Phantom's portrayals and the beginning/end of Dracula, they all seemed pretty similar, and I couldn't find much to like about them. Still, if I can find them, I'll definitely give your suggestions a try.

You should give a couple of their Peter Cushing Frankenstein films a try.  They stray even further from the original novel than the Universal version did, but they have a very interesting take on Dr. Frankenstein, making him more of an evil character.  The Frankenstein movies are my favorite Hammers

[sandbagger]

"Five Million Years to Earth" aka "Quatermass and The Pit" is easily my all-time favorite Science-Fiction film, which also has elements of the Supernatural about it:  Nazi V-weapons, panspermia, Monsters from Mars, posession, the military, ghosts, demons, hob-goblins, nightmares, ESP, Poltergeists, telekenesis, mad science, and The Devil Himself all put in appearances.  I own 2 copies of it & have watched it dozens of times.

A personal favorite of mine. Love the bit with the hordes of 'grasshoppers' fighting.

[The Burgomaster]

I'm a big fan of AIP.  I've been watching AIP flicks since I was a little kid.  These are good bad movies!

[Allhallowsday]

Gee, most of the films you mentioned I really like (especially COFFY or BLACULA).  Just sat thru THE WILD ANGELS the other night (and though it's certainly problematic) I found it entertaining in a completely self-indulgent way. 

THE AMITYVILLE HORROR is a classic?  In my book, that one doesn't even warrant Clas-SICK status!! 

[lester1/2jr]

I have never seen it but after "young frankenstein" became a hit  AIP put out a movie called "Old Dracula" 

[The Burgomaster]

I have never seen it but after "young frankenstein" became a hit  AIP put out a movie called "Old Dracula" 

I saw OLD DRACULA during its original theatrical run.  It wasn't very good.  I seem to remember that the trailers were narrated by Wolfman Jack.