Octopus

[Bruce Appelbaum]

     I found it interesting that TRP makes use of a giant octopus in GR 
     (Grigori).  When I first found the reference, it brought back memories 
     of that classic of modern cinema, "Bride of the Monster" (nee "Bride 
     of the Atom"), a creation of that master of celluloid disaster, Ed 
     Wood.
     
     For those of you with failing memories or a wasted youth not spent 
     watching Creature Features on Saturday night, a brief summary (leaving 
     out many of the subtleties of the plot) is in order.  The film stars 
     Bela Lugosi at the end of his career, (over)playing the mad scientist 
     (also near the end of his career), kicked out of his own country 
     (perhaps Germany?) and ridiculed for his experiments into creating a 
     race of supermen using some flashing lights (very low sfx budget).  He 
     continues his work somewhere in California, near a swamp. 
     
     Bela's sole success is a giant octopus, who resides in the swamp and 
     who feeds on the corpses of Bela's failures.  Bela's trusty mute 
     sidekick Lobo, played with the grace and sensitivity that would be 
     expected from a performance by Swedish wrestler Tor Johnson (of Plan 9 
     from Outer Space fame -- but that's another story), falls for Bela's 
     intended female victim.  Turnabout is fair play, and Lobo subjects 
     Bela to the treatment.  Mirable dictu -- the treatment finally works 
     and Bela becomes a superman, hurling giant papier mache boulders at 
     the hero and his cohorts.
     
     In the battle that follows, Bela falls into the swamp and becomes the 
     last victim of the giant octopus.  Tragically, the octopus is also a 
     victim of the low sfx budget and is totally unconvincing, actually 
     laughable.  In most of his scenes, he is played by stock footage of a 
     real octopus in a tank.  But for the final scene with Bela, the 
     octopus is a rubber model.
     
     Oh yeah, the movie ends with the hero getting girl and they lived 
     happily ever after.  Or something.
     
     I wonder if TRP was influenced at all by Ed Wood's films.  For those 
     of you with morbid curiosities, the film, and other Ed Wood classics 
     (the aforementioned "Plan 9 From Outer Space" -- a tale of invasion by 
     space aliens -- and "Glen or Glenda?" -- the sensitive tale of a cross 
     dresser, played by Ed Wood himself) are available on video.  Their 
     re-release on video was prompted by the recent bioflick "Ed Wood" by 
     Tim Burton, which is a great summary of the guy's life and work.  Not 
     to be missed.