Search - Terror in the Midnight Sun / Invasion of the Animal People (Special Edition) on DVD

Lesson: Do Not Let Jerry Warren Touch Your Movie!

Robert I. Hedges | 09/15/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great double feature from the great folks at Something Weird. The premise here is that it is a double feature of essentially the same movie. The first film, "Terror in the Midnight Sun" was Sweden's first, and to date, last giant creature monster movie, and was originally titled "Rymd: Invasion i Lappland". It stars American skater Barbara Wilson as the love interest of a young scientist. It features one of the silliest giant furry creatures with tusks I have ever seen, who inexplicably is brought to Earth by two aliens in a purpose made meteor. After laying waste to half of a Lapp village, the creature has a run in with some primitive Lapp villagers who are none too amused. Their aggression causes the hasty retreat of the meteor (and proves that the director knows how to make the film run backwards.) It is a harmless and pleasant Swedish monster movie romance, and I thoroughly enjoyed it for the cheese value.

Cranking up the cheese-o-meter is the second feature, "Invasion of the Animal People" by famous (OK, infamous) director Jerry Warren ("Wild World of Batwoman", "Frankenstein Island") who, true to form, re-edits this fine Swedish horror film into a total mess that is virtually incomprehensible, and features new footage of always charismatic John Carradine and Katherine "Batwoman" Victor. This time Carradine is a narrator and gets to ramble on about scientific sounding things that have no basis in the real world (or in this film, for that matter.) I enjoyed comparing the two versions of the film, but must admit that I laughed more at the "Invasion of the Animal People" simply because it makes close to zero sense, which, of course, is why I love Jerry Warren. It is absolutely delightful to savor the ludicrousness of this work of genius.

Up to that point I was going to give the DVD five stars, but for once the extras take it down a notch. First there is an episode of "13 Demon Street" starring a depressed looking Lon Chaney, Jr. It is interesting only in that it has Swedish subtitles, but is otherwise snore inducing. There are several Swedish movie trailers that have some adult content that spoils an otherwise family suitable DVD. Their worst offense is being boring. And finally there is an absolutely terrifying and genuinely sick short called "Lapland Reindeer Ritual", which started off very normally as a documentary on reindeer herding, but ends up with the most horrifying and genuinely disturbing (not to mention disgusting) scene that I have ever witnessed. Next time someone offers to explain the customary method of fattening reindeer up for market, say "No!" as loud as you can, put your fingers in your ears, and leave the room rapidly, singing a you go, to positively insure you will not learn how this is done. Trust me.
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Be affraid the next time you see a shooting star!

AFP | 07/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Actually a comet, Invasion of the Animal People May be one of the rarest horror movies I know about, not many people know about this film. But it wasn't a dissapointment, I was so intrigued with this monster that it never at a point got boring to watch. The story is strange and abit too hard to explain, lets just say some comets hit the earth and 2 very unlucky people have found themselves in a total mess in danger of their lives they once took advantage of, it all started with an argument that lead the "couple" going seperate ways but ended up in cabin that wasn't in such a safe area, that's when the monster attacks the cabin. Might I add the monster in this film is about 10 feet tall, well thats what they made it out to be, the actor had to go on standing-sticks to make him get a better effect and they obviously used small props such as tiny houses and tee-pees for him to destroy and make him look like a giant, in a nut shell, just get this movie for the fun of it. I am very sorry I did not see Terror in the Midnight Sun but it sounds very interesting."

Geologists Beware!!

Robert I. Hedges | 08/22/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In this superb 1962 sci-fi classic,John Carradine stars as a geologist investigating a meteor which proves to be a downed spacecraft and then has a rude awakening!!John Carradine does a wonderful acting job in this film.He rules!!"

Something Weird never disappoints

i am the magma | Austin, TX USA | 03/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"another great dvd package from something weird. it was quite amazing to see the contrast between the two versions of this admittedly rather mundane lapland-ish monster film. mundane, but most defintely worth looking at as it's pretty unique. lots and lots of skiing. an epically bad "special effects" shot. great shower scene by the erstwhile heroine. as usual, SW throws in some nice extras including one of the most unsettling things i've ever seen - a unique method of lapland-ian reindeer neutering that defies description."