Mad Monster Party

A lot of movies that are fondly remembered from childhood don't stand the test of time. "Mad Monster Party" is definitely an exception to that rule! This film shows Rankin-Bass at their best. The puppets are charming, the production values are high (including fantastic '60s music), and the humour has a universal appeal. I watched it recently with my 40-year-old brother and 4-year-old niece. We all enjoyed it thoroughly. For kids, it is choc full of monsters and hilarious pratfalls. Adults can appreciate the film's double entendres and the way in which it gently pokes fun at many of the cliches of the horror genre.
"Mad Monster Party" is the perfect family film. After languishing in obscurity for years, it deserves to take its place as a classic of the Halloween season.

My 8 year old daughter and I are HUGE Rankin/Bass "claymation" fans, so we went into watching "Mad Monster Party" with an open mind (she really liked Nightmare Before Xmas, by the way, so we're even open to "dark-type" pictures).
Since there are may reviews below I will outline the positive and negatives:

POSITIVES: 1) Very well-done claymations (as always with Rankin/Bass). DVD is colorful and clear. 2) Fun to see your favorite Halloween characters in claymation form.

NEGATIVES: 1) One reviewer below described the ending as "nihilistic" (*SPOILER HERE*) I couldn't have thought of a better word - was it necessary to have the entire group of monsters blown up and just about every character killed? The reviewers below all say how they watched and loved this movie as children, yet I can't help but feel like this was originally marketed towards adults (yet the plot itself is too childish and boring for adults). Wouldn't it have been cuter and funnier to have the monsters all come together in some fashion and work things out? If not, then maybe the story line should have been darker throughout. You watch the picture thinking it's for children and then that ending makes you feel like you've been robbed and you should have shut it off before your 3-6 year old wound up crying (luckily my daughter handled it well). It was even a little too sexual for kids with that Francesca character. 2) I'm sorry but the plot and the "lines", the "jokes" etc. were just too boring for me, I actually fell asleep twice watching this. I honestly think this 95 minute flick could have been condensed into a 45-60 minute "TV special" (although again, I would have pleaded for a more enjoyable ending.

Sorry Mad Monster Party fans, I love Halloween as much if not more than Christmas, but Rudolph and his Misfit toys (even their other Xmas productions) blow this movie away!

I can see why it wasn't a holiday special for children, like Rudolph and Frosty. :) ...a little adult humor in there. But the monsters are funny. :)

The Mad Monster Party was an annual television event anticipated by my siblings and I; always aired around Halloween. When television lost its innocence (along with our country), it was no longer aired annually. A signal that we'd have to grow up.

Even now, the catfights between the Phyllis Diller character and Francesca are wickedly fun. The 'Peter Lorre' characater's head rolling across the table still cracks me up. And, who can resist the skeleton band performing "They Did the Mummy"?! No one can boogie like the Diller. She and Karloff are the Ginger and Fred of Animagic.

Great fun. It's silly to compare its animation to today's. Apples and oranges, I say. It is what it was. And what it was (and is) is great fun. Still magical.

"C'mon Phyllis, Let's do the Mummy!"

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This video ranks 5 stars primarily for nostalgic reasons. If you saw this wacky animated Halloween special on TV any time during your childhood, you will remember the voices of Phyliss Diller and Boris Karloff, the classic monsters, sexy Franceska and the dancing/singing skeleton band in funny Rankin/Bass animated form. You will also remember the corny humor.

For those who have never seen or even heard of "Mad Monster Party", if you saw Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas you will see, and hopefully appreciate, how very "Pre-Burtonesque" this animated feature is.

Reviewers can debate the quality of the animation or the sound or any technical imperfections this movie may have (remember folks..it was 1967), but one thing is for sure, it's a cult classic that kids and adults will still enjoy.

The DVD image restoration shows improvement but it's too bad the sound wasn't enhanced. The accompanying booklet is also a nice addition to this classic.