Yes, in the post “Nightmare Before Christmas” age, “Mad Monster Party” still stands as an infectious 95 minutes of gothic pleasure. I hadn’t seen the film since I was a kid and before watching this gorgeous DVD provided by Anchor Bay Entertainment, friend to film buffs everywhere, I was a little worried that it wasn’t going to be all that I remembered it being and that would hurt. I remember it being the best thing ever as a kid when Tom Hatten would show it on “The Family Film Festival”, but then Tom could have been hypnotizing me with those Popeye drawings he always did during the show. If that was the case, I was ready to be pissed.
But my worries were all for not. Tom wasn’t trying to pull a whammy on me…”Mad Monster Party” still rules and I have to say that it’s even better now that I’m an old man. Produced by Rankin/Bass, “Mad Monster Party” is like the stop-motion animated royal rumble of monster movies. All the major creeps are represented as Baron Von Frankenstein (voiced by Boris Karloff) calls them all to a remote island to celebrate his retirement. Count Dracula, the Mummy, the Wolfman, the Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and others show up to party down. They show up to try and take over Baron Von Frankenstein’s operations too before they’re handed over to his nerdy nephew Felix, but there’s a lot of partying down along the way, featuring plenty of catchy tunes that will bury their way into your brain so that you’ll find yourself unconsciously humming them in the dentist’s office like a freak.
Along with the full-frame presentation of “Mad Monster Party”, struck from the original 35mm negative, the DVD also features production and poster art galleries, a theatrical trailer and an outstanding 23-page booklet detailing the history of the film. Anchor Bay never ceases to amaze me, nor will “Mad Monster Party” ever fail to put a devilish grin on your face.
