Mad Monster Party (original and remake) Discussion

[Flanger-Hanger]

It's the Silliest Party of the Year... and you're all invited!

When Dr Frankenstein decides to retire from the monster-making business, he calls an international roster of monsters to a creepy convention to elect his successor. Everyone is there including Dracula, The Werewolf, The Creature, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and many more. But Frankenstein's title is not all that is at stake. The famous doctor has also discovered the secret of total destruction that must not fall into the wrong hands!

MAD MONSTER PARTY is the first of a run of animated hits (FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, LITTLE DRUMMER BOY, THE HOBBIT) by dreamweavers Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin. The film's jokes are of the utmost wit and reference movies ranging from DRACULA to THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. Furthermore, watching MAD MONSTER PARTY reveals its influence on later 20th-century filmmakers; it was an obvious blueprint for Henry Selick's collaborations with Tim Burton--the two animated opuses JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH and THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.


Yes Mad Monster Party seems like an awsome film. I came close to buying it yestarday but someone misplaced the DVD so even though the store claimed it was in stock I couldn't actually find it. Anyway, I did download the soundtrack which is best discribed as "groovy" and features all the songs from the movie plus score selections. If you can actually find the CD it also includes a 16 page booklet with concept art and other info.

What I have seen on youtube is fantsitc, crazy and absolutely lovable. All these crazy characters making bad puns and singing just seems great to me. I don't care if Lenord Maltin only gives it 2/4 I still really want to see this film and I'm sure I'll like it. Especially since the DVD includes a book on the making of the film and loby card reproductions.

Has anyone seen this film before? What are your thoughts on it?

For those of you who still can't realy grasp what this movie is like, here is the Original theatrical Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5fe7D14Jp8

Also anounced a few years ago was a live-action remake that was going to be done by Warner Brothers. A press release said it would come out after Christmas 2005. Obviously it hasn't but it's IMDB page still exists:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473058/

I doubt it will be released in 2008 unless someone out there knows what's really goning on. [/i]

[lord-of-sith]

I had never heard about this before opening this thread. But, having watched some of the clips, it definatley looks like something I would really enjoy and defiantley want to see!

[Flanger-Hanger]

Ya, it's too bad most stores don't bother to carry it. But I'm glad to hear your intrest in it!

It used to get TV exposure all the time but that just ins't the case anymore sadly. The theatrical distribution wasn't very good either.

[gardener14]

Ya, it's too bad most stores don't bother to carry it. But I'm glad to hear your intrest in it!

It was part of a prominant display of Halloween related dvds at Walmart stores this past October (that's huge exposure in the retailing world). That's how I first saw it and first heard of it. I didn't buy it at that time, but I'm very interested in seeing it. I'll buy it online soon. I love finding Rankin/Bass productions that I haven't seen yet.

[Flanger-Hanger]

I looked up Mad Monster Party on walmart's website and found nothing. strange.

[gardener14]

Hmm...That's strange it's not on their site because it was in the stores. I kept looking at it each time I shopped. Each display consisted of about probably 20-25 Halloween themed movies. I assumed every Walmart had the same display because the three stores in my areas did and the displays were identical.

[slave2moonlight]

Got this one on DVD a few years back. Hadn't really seen it before then, but I was aware of it because they would run it on TCM or AMC from time to time, and I'm a big Rankin/Bass holiday fan (and this had a Halloweenish feel to it because it was about the classic monsters). I did have to warm up to it a bit though, because it's one of their most dated works I think. Well, in comparison to their holiday themed stuff which is what I prefer from them. Anyway, I really grew to love it and it's also a great movie to fall asleep to for some reason, ha. Not that it's dull, because it isn't. I also have the prequel, which was animated in 2D-style and made a few years later. It's about "the Monster" marrying the Bride. That one is called "Mad Mad Mad Monsters." Not sure if I got the number of Mads right. It was a TV special, while "Mad Monster Party" was a big-screen release. Rankin/Bass's other bigscreen animagic release was "Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July." It's been a while since I read about these, but if memory serves, despite the success of the Rankin/Bass holiday TV specials, their bigscreen films did not draw enough of an audience. It's a shame!

[Flanger-Hanger]

They were poorly distributed too, only running as "kiddie" afternoon screenings.

[Flanger-Hanger]

O.k. I saw it yesterday and here are my thoughts.

First off IT WAS GREAT! This is easily my favorite Rankin/Bass production that I have seen so far. It had all the right ingredients, from bad puns to wonderful character and set design and even a joke for the adults (watch the movie and you'll know what I'm talking about.)

Although the movie has a 94 minute running time, I never thought the film was being dragged out (maybe padded out with songs, which are all wonderful and catchy anyway so you don't care) and the plot develops nicely. the ending had too many "twists" to make it good, but I wasn't expecting the last of the three. I hope for the remake they fix it up.

If the remake gets done, I have no idea who I would cast for the roles or who should direct because with this kind of material it can be both too scary for kids and not "mature" enough for adults. Tim Burton maybe, but I'm afraid he would try to copy the original too much. If they drop most of the songs they should at least keep the opening one. I'm also worried this will/would end up being an awful remake along the lines of "The Year Without A Santa Claus" remake, so I hope they won't be involved in this project.

Anyway, the original was wonderful and that's all that matters.

[slave2moonlight]

Actually, when the live-action version was mentioned here, the first thing I thought of was the Year Without a Santa Claus remake. I wouldn't be surprised if the Mad Monster Party one is still made, but I totally expect it to be from the same folks and made for TV and all.