Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		2.5
Audio		2.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.0

Monster a Go-Go Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 15, 2021

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Weird Wisconsin: The Bill Rebane Collection.

Somewhat hilariously considering the geographical focus of this collection, I have previously disclosed that I discovered some time ago that undeniably weird Wisconsin is evidently the presumed center of the universe. That is a conclusion I not so coincidentally came to after I married a woman from that state, but it's a sentiment which has been regularly reinforced by a truly gobsmacking number of Wisconsin set films that have crossed my path in various ways in the time since I said "I do". There have also been an unusually high number of Wisconsin-centered or actually filmed titles that have as a matter of fact entered my queue to write about over the years, and though not part of my official reviewing duties, two wildly disparate films, American Movie and Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox, actually have a more or less direct connection to the tiny town my wife grew up in, Menomonee Falls. As if to make the circle complete, one of American Movie's aspiring filmmakers shows up as a talking head in the documentary about Bill Rebane included in this set. That documentary starts off with a kind of joke where a critic is asked to sum up the impact of "someone like Bill Rebane", to which the critic may understandably respond, "Who is Bill Rebane?" For those who are either unacquainted with this kind of delirious "regional" filmmaker, or in fact for those who have already fallen under the sway of "classics" (?) like Monster A Go-Go!, this new collection from Arrow provides a nice selection of Rebane's work, with the typically broad and deep assortment of supplementary material that has become Arrow's stock in trade.

Despite a certain crustiness that he displays in the "straight shooter" interviews included as supplements with this set, Bill Rebane seems to have also had an almost sweet "stick-to-it-iveness" that helped him overcome all sorts of obstacles, and there's probably no finer case in point than one of the films many associate with him, Monster A Go-Go! . Now some curmudgeons may suggest that Rebane might have been better off in the long run not to have had such persistence, since this film is often listed as among the worst ever made, which of course will only make it "must see viewing" for some. The film's tortured production history is recounted in some detail in some of the supplements included in this set, and so won't be repeated here, other than to say that some may feel Rebane (or subsequent director Herschell Gordon Lewis) may have heard about that little issue one Ed Wood had with having to body double a deceased Bela Lugosi in Plan 9 from Outer Space, and then offered an ostensible "hold my beer" as a cinematic response. It perhaps suffices to mention that there is absolutely no continuity of either actors, characters and/or narrative in this unabashedly gonzo feature, which is ostensibly about either an astronaut replaced by a monster, or an astronaut who turned into a monster, or just a monster, in this low budget movie equivalent of a "pick your own adventure" outing.

Monster a Go-Go Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Monster A Go-Go! is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. The hardback book included with this limited edition contains both an initial overall disclaimer about video quality, along with subsequent detailed information on the transfer, as follows:

All the films included in this collection have been restored by Arrow Films from the best available materials. While every effort has been made to deliver the best possible presentations, the results inevitably vary according to the condition of the source materials, some of which were in poor shape.

We hope that this does not affect your enjoyment of the films.

Monster a Go-Go is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 with mono audio. A 16mm print was scanned in 2K resolution at Company 3. The film was graded on Digital Vision's Nucoda Film Master and restored at R3Store Studios in London. The mono mix was remastered from the print's soundtrack at Deluxe Audio Services.

As can probably be gleaned pretty easily by cycling through the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review, the source 16mm print element has definitely seen better days, and whatever restoration gauntlet it was put through has not been able to ameliorate let alone eliminate some pretty bad damage, including lots of rather large and long lasting scratches, nicks, dirt, emulsion bubbling, and other issues. There are also noticeable variances in clarity and detail which I have a hunch are at least somewhat attributable to the different production years. Contrast is also inconsistent, but generally fine and probably more solid than might be expected given the overall appearance of things.

Monster a Go-Go Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

If you've ever seen Monster a Go-Go, you may recall that its audio has always been on the more than shoddy side, and this presentation's DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track can't really make things materially improved. There are still huge spikes in amplitude and clarity (some scenes sound positively muffled), but Rebane's narration comes through loudly and clearly. Optional English subtitles help to dispel any uncertainty about what's being said, though in a film this generally incomprehensible, maybe it's best not to understand what's being said.

Monster a Go-Go Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Monster A Go-Go! and Invasion from Inner Earth share the same disc, which offers the following supplements:

• Straight Shooter: Bill Rebane on Monster a Go-Go! (HD; 10:46)


• Straight Shooter: Bill Rebane on Invasion from Inner Earth (HD; 9:58)


• Kim Newman on Bill Rebane (HD; 15:07) is another enjoyable talk by Newman, who provides background and context.


• Short Films

  Twist Craze (HD; 8:49) is a 1961 documentary about the then au courant dance phenomenon.

  
  

  Dance Craze (HD; 14:41) is Rebane's 1962 follow up to Twist Craze.

  
  

  Kidnap Extortion (HD; 14:28) is a fictional short involving a bank robbery. This is billed as an "industrial", which may beg the question as to exactly what industry was being promoted.

• Posters & Stills (HD; 3:40)

Monster a Go-Go Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Monster a Go-Go is one of those films that has to be seen to be believed, and even then some viewers may insist they've been slipped a potent hallucinogen and it was all just a mystifying trip. Arrow's release does what it can with substandard video and audio elements, and the supplementary package is very enjoyable, for those who are considering a purchase.