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Track of the Moon Beast

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Track of the Moon Beast
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRichard Ashe
Written by
Produced byRalph T. Desiderio
Starring
  • Chase Cordell
  • Leigh Drake
  • Gregorio Sala
CinematographyR. Kent Evans
Music byRobert G. Orpin
Production
company
Lizard Productions Inc.
Release date
  • June 1, 1976 (1976-06-01) (US)
[1]
Running time
81 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Track of the Moon Beast is a 1976 horror film directed by Richard Ashe and written by Bill Finger and Charles Sinclair. It concerns a mineralogist who is hit in the head by a meteor, which subsequently turns him in to a vicious, reptilian creature during the full moon.[2][3]

Plot

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Track of the Moon Beast

The film takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where mineralogist Paul Carlson (Chase Cordell) is struck by a lunar meteorite while observing a meteor shower. Lodged in his brain, the meteorite causes him to transform into a strong and vicious lizard (the titular "moon beast") whenever the moon comes out. In his lizard form, Paul loses all traces of his human self and goes about killing people at random. While human, Paul is subject to spells of dizziness and nausea, causing his girlfriend Kathy Nolan (Donna Leigh Drake) and friend and former anthropology professor, Johnny "Longbow" Salinas (Gregorio Sala), to become concerned.

Eventually it is shown that Paul is the monster, and deduced that the meteorite fragment in his brain is the cause of his transformations. Plans are made to remove it from his skull, but the NASA brain surgeons realize, after another X-ray and Johnny remembering some Native American legends documenting similar phenomena, that the meteorite has disintegrated and will eventually cause Paul to self-combust. When Paul learns of this, he escapes into the desert on a motorcycle, presumably to kill himself so he will not cause any more harm. When Johnny recalls that Paul's favorite place was always Sandia Crest, Kathy, Johnny, and local law enforcement officers follow him there. Johnny shoots him with an arrow made of the original meteorite, which causes him to explode.

Cast

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  • Chase Cordell as Paul G. Carlson
  • Leigh Drake as Kathy Nolan (as Donna Leigh Drake)
  • Gregorio Sala as Prof. John 'Johnny Longbow' Salinas
  • Patrick Wright as Police Captain McCabe
  • Francine Kessler as Janet Price
  • Timothy Wayne Brown as Dr. Sutton
  • Crawford MacCallum as Dr. Lawrence
  • Jeanne Swain as Caroline Harris
  • Alan Swain as Sid Harris
  • Fred McCaffrey as Dr. Rizzo
  • Tim Butler as Budd Keeler
  • Gary Kanin as The Newscaster
  • Frank Larrabee as Lead Singer
  • Joe Blasco as the Moon Beast

Production

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Track of the Moon Beast was produced by Ralph T. Desiderio and written by Bill Finger.[4] It was shot in locations around Albuquerque, New Mexico.[citation needed] Frank Larrabee and his band, who were staying at the same Ramada Inn as the movie crew, performed the song "California Lady" in the movie.[citation needed] The performance was shot at the hotel.[citation needed]

Release

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Track of the Moon Beast was made in 1972 (and a copyright notice with that date appears onscreen) with the expectation that it would be released theatrically.[1][failed verification] It was never picked up by a distributor, however, and finally premiered on television on June 1, 1976.[1][failed verification] It was first released on DVD in 2001 by American Home Treasures, along with Creature and Snowbeast, in the set Classic Creature Movies II.[5] It has since been packaged with other public domain movies in several DVD releases, including Chilling Classics (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2005),[6] 50 Fright Classics (Emson, 2006),[7] and Drive-In Classics (St. Clair Entertainment Group, 2007).[8]

Reception and legacy

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Critical response has been predominantly negative. John Kenneth Muir considered the film to be "a failure in every way", criticizing its special effects, acting, and story. Muir did note that despite its numerous negative aspects, the movie had a quirky charm to it, similar to that of other low-budget 1970s films such as The Crater Lake Monster and The Giant Spider Invasion.[9] TV Guide panned the film, saying, "Although this premise is ripe with comedic opportunities, the production is hampered by classically inept film-making, and the story unfolds so slowly one begins to think the film is running in reverse. The acting is even worse. Still, horror fanatics might find some interest in Joe Blasko's lizard makeup".[10] Oh the Horror! gave it a negative review, panning the film's execution, dialogue, and script, and deeming the movie "embarrassing" and its ending "ridiculous".[11]

Mystery Science Theater 3000

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The film is featured in a Season 10 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Fodder for mockery includes, but is not limited to, the "brain-dead" expression of the lead actress, the "horrible" dialogue, and the suggestive name and unctuous nature of the character Johnny Longbow—whom the MST3K characters repeatedly refer to as "Johnny Longbone". An entire host segment with Mike Nelson, in the style of VH1's Behind the Music, is devoted to "The Band That Played 'California Lady'". The scene in which Johnny names ingredients in his stew quickly becomes a running gag, and is one of the writers' favorite moments from the series. Writer Kevin Murphy said that Johnny's world-weary sigh of "onions ..." made him one of the "best" characters they had ever encountered.[citation needed] The Track of the Moon Beast episode was included in the 38th MST3K DVD set, released on March 28, 2017.[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Track of the Moon Beast". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  2. ^ Fandor
  3. ^ AllMovie
  4. ^ Miller, Steve (October 6, 2010). 150 Movies You Should Die Before You See. Avon, Massachusetts, US: Adams Media. p. 272. ISBN 9781440509032. OCLC 707351246. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  5. ^ WorldCat staff (2013). Classic creature movies: Creature; Track of the moon beast; Snowbeast. Dublin, Ohio, US: Online Computer Library Center. ISBN 9780779252336. OCLC 49899791. Retrieved March 7, 2013 – via WorldCat.
  6. ^ WorldCat staff (2013). Chilling classics: 50 movie pack. Dublin, Ohio, US: Online Computer Library Center. OCLC 68651302. Retrieved March 7, 2013 – via WorldCat.
  7. ^ WorldCat staff (2013). 50 fright classics. Dublin, Ohio, US: Online Computer Library Center. OCLC 755091585. Retrieved March 7, 2013 – via WorldCat.
  8. ^ WorldCat staff (2013). Drive-in classics. Dublin, Ohio, US: Online Computer Library Center. OCLC 273060485. Retrieved March 7, 2013 – via WorldCat.
  9. ^ Muir 2002, pp. 441–442.
  10. ^ "Track Of The Moonbeast Review". TV Guide.com. TV Guide. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  11. ^ G., Josh. "Horror Reviews - Track of the Moon Beast (1976)". Oh the Horror.com. Josh G. Retrieved 12 November 2014.
  12. ^ MST3K: Volume XXXVIII - DVD :: Shout! Factory

Bibliography

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Mystery Science Theater 3000

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