Village of the Giants

Starring:Tommy Kirk, Johnny Crawford, Beau Bridges, Ron Howard, Joy Harmon, Robert Random, Tisha Sterling, Charla Doherty, Tim Rooney, Kevin O'Neil, Gail Gilmore, Toni Basil, Hank Jones, Jim Begg, Vicki London, Joe Turkel, Freddy Cannon, Mike Clifford, Debi Storm, Rance Howard
Director: Bert I. Gordon
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Description

ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE: Original Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Size matters.......2006-11-25

When you think of the great directors of American cinema, the name Bert I. Gordon does not come to mind. A creator of cheesy science fiction B-movies, many of his films dealt with giant animals (grasshoppers in The Beginning of the End, ants in Empire of the Ants, etc.) or people (like with War of the Colossal Beast). With Village of the Giants, he revisits this theme with a twist; Attack of the Puppet People, however, depicts the reverse idea.

In Attack of the Puppet People, June Kenny plays a new secretary for a kindly old dollmaker who somehow has created a shrinking machine. He is sort of like a psychotically delusional Mr. Rogers who seems really nice but hates having people leave him, to the point where he shrinks them to doll-size and puts them into suspended animation. Despite the title, the "puppet people" don't do any real attacking; instead, they are merely intent on getting restored to their proper sizes. With low budget actors and effects, this film is far from great but does have its moments.

Village of the Giants, however, features some big name actors in early roles, most notably Ronny (Ron) Howard and Beau Bridges. Veering away from the more "serious" films, this movie is more comedy that horror. Howard is a preadolescent genius who accidentally creates a growth formula, which is stolen and ingested by Bridges and his friends. After becoming giants, they become the ultimate teen rebels and try to enforce laws against adults. The effects may be poor, but the movie itself is an amiable bit of a fluff, more interested in showing teenage girls jiggle to nice but forgettable tunes than with any sort of coherent plot.

I've always had an affection for Village of the Giants since seeing it as a small kid (and not since). Like some of the sillier Disney films (particularly the early Kurt Russell sci-fi comedies), they don't get better as you get older. They may be deeply flawed movies, but I still enjoyed them for what they were, so I am giving them a low four stars; it may be more than they truly merit, but with these sorts of movies, fun always trumps quality.

Average customer rating:

Main Title Music re-used in Tarentinos Grindhouse "Death Proof"
A 1950s Drive-in Movie Style Film
Village Idiots
it took a village to raise these damn idiots
Hokey,silly film,but still fun to watch!

Village of the Giants
Starring: Tommy Kirk , Johnny Crawford , Beau Bridges , Ron Howard , and Joy Harmon
Director: Bert I. Gordon
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Sci-Fi | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

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Reptilicus

ASIN: B00005AUK5
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Amazon.com

The moment Village of the Giants opens, with sensual shots of slow-motion frugging, we know we've happened upon some Bad Teens. In search of kicks, the Bad Teens head into the village of Hainesville, populated by Good Teens, most of whom seem to be in their early 30s. The fun begins when a lovable tyke named Genius (an 11-year-old Ron Howard, by far the most assured actor in the cast) whips up some "goo," which makes anything that eats it grow really big and develop a rakish disregard for scale. Soon these wild Bad Teens, led by a deeply embarrassed Beau Bridges and wearing their rebellious cardigans and Sansabelt pants, get their hands on the stuff. They take over the town and celebrate with some giant slow-motion dancing, complete with lots and lots of footage of giant slow-motion cleavage to make sure we've taken in the full horror of the situation. There is not one disappointing moment in this entire movie: Just when you think it can't possibly get any more ludicrous, it comes through and surprises you with a giant spider in the basement or a plan to distract the teens with yet more sexy dancing. Absolutely not to be missed. --Ali Davis

Customer Reviews:

Main Title Music re-used in Tarentinos Grindhouse "Death Proof".......2007-05-13

The awsome main title music by Jack Nitsche has be re-used by Quentin Tarentino in his film Death Proof but its called The Last Race

A 1950s Drive-in Movie Style Film.......2007-03-27

Although this movie was made in 1965, it feels more like a 1950s 'drive-in movie!' The story is so totally ridiculous that it comes off as a genuine fun movie. It is also interesting to see some quite big-name stars as teens (e.g. Beau Bridges, who didn't even get a listing on the DVD cover!) or children (Ron Howard, then known as Ronny Howard). If you want some very light, comical entertainment with nothing that would offend most traditional values families, this is one movie to watch.

Village Idiots.......2004-04-07

Film notable for featuring a pre-teen Ron Howard (at the height of his "Opie" fame)and a young adult Beau Bridges (son of Lloyed, older brother of Jeff, THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS). Howard as "Genius" (a child-scientific-chemistry-wiz)develops a potion to make humans and animals grow to titanic proportions. A bunch of delinquent teens (headed by Bridges) get a hold of the "Food of the Gods" (the H.G. Wells story upon which it is based) and terrorize the town. It is up to the local "good teens" (headed by Tommy Kirk of Disney fame: i.e. OLD YELLER, THE SHAGGY DOG) to stop them. The plot is basically very sophomoric with some social commentary of delinquent teens of the period, mixing the mentality and look of the "beach party" movies with very light sci-fi. The only thing missing is Frankie, Annette and Eric Von Zipper. The cheesy special effects fits the mentality of the film. One aspect of this are the giant animals superimposed on the screen with the human counterparts and a hilarious sequence in which Beau Bridges giant legs are being attacked by various characters: it looks totally fake and unrealistic. The film is fairly entertaining and their is a provacative sequence after the "delinquent teens" take the potion. As they grow, their clothes don't grow along with them (at least the filmakers showed some plausibility and logic in the film). Then they make some "revealing" makeshift clothing, and before they terrorize the town, they "go-go" dance in front of everyone. Overall, a brainless and harmless film with some some future stars in the cast. Note: Look for actress Joy Harmon in the cast as one of the delinquent teens. She was in the famous car-washing sequence in COOL HAND LUKE. Also, look for actor Johnny Crawford in the cast as one of the good teens. He was in tv's THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB, THE RIFLEMAN and cult film, THE GREAT TEXAS DYNAMITE CHASE.

it took a village to raise these damn idiots.......2004-01-15

Beau Bridges leads a less than all-star cast of misfits in this flick that mixes H.G. Welles's "Food of the Gods" with the AIP bikini-beach movies. When Bridges and company (a group of like-minded delinquents) get into a fender-bender outside the mythical town of Haynesville, they decide to head in and party. These aren't the sort of kids to let a smashed car get between them and fun. Unbeknownst to them, a young kid named "Genius" and played by an Opie-era Ron Howard, toils away in his lab (beakers, Bunsen burners and all) on whatever young geniuses toil on, and accicentally creates the mysterious "goo". Whatever eats the goo grows to forced-perspective style gigantic size. (They test the stuff out on a couple of giant geese which promptly become the main course at a town BBQ; faster than you can say "shouldn't we test this stuff on laboratory convicts, Haynesville are munching on mutated foie gras.) Realizing the possibilities of the goo, Bridges and Co. steal the goo. Running out of ideas, they eat the goo and become the giants of the title - swelling out of their clothes in a scene that has become the stuff of MST3K. Exerting their will on the town, Bridges's gang enslave those who live there - forcing the diminutive population into serving them tons of fried chicken and cola. It's up to Genius and Tommy Kirk (who plays the guy putting the moves on Genius's big sister) to save the day. Will he succeed and cut Bridges down to size, or will Haynesville remain beholden to a gang of 90-foot teenagers in home made bikinis (made out of theater curtains?

Okay, you're thinking - who cares? As 60's fun, "Village" has less entertainment than say "Ghost in the Invisible Bikini" but doesn't go out for easy laughs. Most of the time you'll be watching the screen thinking "no way!" It's a thin flick with some re-play value (watching the younger Beau Bridges act horribly; watching Ron Howard in the script's least important role, knowing the bigger and better things he went onto) but would have done better with the Harvey Lembeck treatment. Also, watch out for a fiery-haired dancer played by Toni Basil of "Oh Micky" fame, and Joy Harmon, the car-wash girl from "Cool Hand Luke", as a fellow giant who thought she was big enough to begin with.

The DVD transfer isn't anything special - let's face it, this isn't the flick you got a DVD player for. There are no extras (this flick wasn't made with a "making of" documentary in mind) but the menu hearkens back to the go-go `60s and highlights that this is a fun light flick.

Hokey,silly film,but still fun to watch!.......2004-01-04

If you like bad movies with cheap effects and a poorly written script and plus,like to see what Ron Howard did after The Andy Griffith Show(as well as Beau Bridges;among others),then by all means check this out!! If you'd like to see what MST3K did to this,then find someone that may have a copy..Either way,you'll laugh!! Recommended....

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