ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE/VILLAGE OF THE GIANTS (DVD/DOUBLE FEATURE) DVD

Attack of the Puppet People
Attack of the Puppet People is one of the few "mad scientist" opuses of the 1950s to be motivated by loneliness rather than megalomania. John Hoyt plays Franz, a seedy European doll-maker who harbors a crush on his secretary Sally (June Kenney). When Sally makes plans to marry Franz' top employee Bob (John Agar), strange things begin to happen. Before long, both Bob and Sally have been shrunken to doll-size by Franz, who keeps a retinue of living "puppet people" to avoid being left alone. Eventually, the little ones rebel against their addlepated but basically harmless keeper, though there's never any "attack" per se. Most of the acting is amateurish, with the exception of the always reliable John Hoyt; the special effects are somewhat better, but still nothing to write home about. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Village of the Giants
Based on the same H.G. Wells story as his later Food of the Gods, this silly but good-looking fantasy from Bert I. Gordon is among his more entertaining films. The young Ron Howard plays Genius, who develops a substance which causes animals to grow to monstrous size. After eight kids (led by Beau Bridges and Tisha Sterling) crash their car in the mud, they dance and get drunk, then steal some food containing the growth-gunk, causing them to attain huge physical size as well. It's up to the good teens of the town (including Tommy Kirk, Johnny Crawford from The Rifleman, and "Mickey" crooner Toni Basil) to set things right. That involves a gas-like antidote and a lot of subpar musical numbers from the likes of Freddy Cannon and the Beau Brummels. Joseph Turkel and Rance Howard are also in the cast, and a jokey ending features a number of midgets including Felix Silla, best known as Cousin Itt on TV's The Addams Family. The first in a projected 13-picture production deal with Joseph E. Levine, Gordon followed this with the William Castle-inspired Picture Mommy Dead. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Cast John Agar as Bob Westley Michael Mark as Emil Jack Kosslyn as Sgt. Paterson Laurie Mitchell as Georgia Scott Peters as Mac Susan Gordon as Agnes June Jocelyn as Brownie Leader Jean Moorhead as Janet Hank Patterson as Doorman Hal Bogart as Mailman Troy Patterson as Elevator Operator Bill Giorgio as Janitor Mark Lowell as Salesman Tommy Kirk as Mike Johnny Crawford as Horsey Beau Bridges as Fred Ronny Howard as Genius Joy Harmon as Merrie Tisha Sterling as Jean Tim Rooney as Pete Bob Random as Rick Charla Doherty as Nancy Kevin O'Neal as Harry Gale Gilmore as Elsa Toni Basil as Red Hank Jones as Chuck Jim Begg as Fatso Vicki London as Georgette Joe Turkel as Sheriff

Crew Franz Bachelin - Art Director Toni Basil - Choreography Leah Rhoads - Costume Designer Frank Richardson - Costume Designer Bert I. Gordon - Director John A. Bushelman - Editor Jack Nitzsche - Composer (Music Score) Jack Nitzsche - Musical Direction/Supervision Wally Westmore - Makeup Paul Vogel - Cinematographer Bert I. Gordon - Producer Robert R. Benton - Set Designer Bert I. Gordon - Special Effects Flora Gordon - Special Effects Alan Caillou - Screenwriter H.G. Wells - Short Story Author Franz Bachelin - Art Director Toni Basil - Choreography Leah Rhoads - Costume Designer Frank Richardson - Costume Designer Bert I. Gordon - Director John A. Bushelman - Editor Jack Nitzsche - Composer (Music Score) Jack Nitzsche - Musical Direction/Supervision Wally Westmore - Makeup Paul Vogel - Cinematographer Bert I. Gordon - Producer Robert R. Benton - Set Designer Bert I. Gordon - Special Effects Flora Gordon - Special Effects Alan Caillou - Screenwriter H.G. Wells - Short Story Author

Attack of the Puppet People
(not reviewed)
 

Village of the Giants
Make no mistake about it, Village of the Giants is a bad movie -- but most viewers will have a lot more fun watching Giants than they will watching many much better films. By this point in his career, director/producer Bert I. Gordon had already gained a reputation for "big" pictures -- big in the sense that animals, insects or people tended to grow to monstrous size when he was at the helm. Where he got the inspired (so to speak) idea to combine this sci-fi staple with a musical teen-age beach-style movie is anybody's guess, but the result is every bit as dreadful as it sounds -- and that's all to the good. The plot makes absolutely no sense (even giving it significant latitude as an ostensible sci-fi movie), with the townspeople taking the appearance of gigantic animals and insects in stride as if it were an everyday occurrence. The dialogue is so painful that it produces groans that cascade into laughter. And despite a cast (Ronny Howard, Tommy Kirk, Beau Bridges) that has more going for it than many other films of this level, the acting is amateurish. Gordon's direction is poor, and his special effects are delightfully cheesy. Some of the musical numbers are legitimately fun; others fun despite themselves. And the rain-and-mud dance that starts things off must be seen to be believed -- but that pretty much sums up all of Giants. A bad film in all departments, but very much a hoot. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: French, Spanish Sound Processing: DD1: Dolby Digital Mono Additional Features: Original theatrical trailer Screen format: full screen English: Mono French and Spanish subtitles DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: NR DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 2 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 160 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- Attack of the Puppet People 1. Logo/Title/Credits [1:52] 2. New Girl Friday [6:26] 3. Dead Letter Dept. [6:31] 4. The Good Ol' Days [4:17] 5. Shortcut Romance [7:08] 6. Who's That Doll? [4:46] 7. Shiny Little People [4:16] 8. A Demonstration [2:16] 9. New to the Family [1:13] 10. Calling for Help [6:35] 11. Dolly Detective [8:34] 12. "Bow Out Together" [4:47] 13. All Dolled Up [4:07] 14. Final Performance [3:33] 15. Doggie Treats [4:37] 16. "I'll Be Alone"/End [5:07] Side #2 -- Village of the Giants 1. Logo/Main Title [2:01] 2. Mud Wrestling [4:02] 3. The Boy Genius [5:15] 4. The Money to be Made [1:48] 5. The Beau Brummels [7:28] 6. Sweet-Talkers [5:06] 7. Big Bird Picnic [4:29] 8. Itsy-Bitsy Spider [2:19] 9. The Break-In [5:48] 10. A Big Old Dare [6:02] 11. Jolly Mean Giants [6:18] 12. "Sheriff on Toast" [2:22] 13. Gulliver's Hostage [8:26] 14. The Goliath Solution [5:49] 15. That Shrinking Feeling [7:41] 16. Where's the Goo/Credits [3:57]