EL MONSTRO DEL MAR (2010)

Streaming on Tubi!
Directed by Stuart Simpson
Written by Stuart Simpson
Starring Norman Yemm, Nelli Scarlet, Kyrie Capri, Karli Madden, Kate Watts, Scott Brennan, Steven Stagg, David Gannon
Find out more about this film here!

Retro-goth chicks and tentacle monsters. If those two things don’t float your Titanic, maybe this one ain’t for you. Being a lover of goth chicks, I found myself getting into EL MONSTRO DEL MAR despite its faults. The story of three fun loving bad girls who get nasty when a squid-like monster crashes their party isn’t the densest of plots, but it will titillate and entertain those who like their horror on the trashy side.

Our trio of vixens look like they stepped straight from Meyer’s classic FASTER PUSSYCAT, KILL KILL with retro clothing and attitude galore. These bad girls establish that they are not to be taken for softies in the opening minutes as they murder two numbskulls who attempt to help them out with some roadside assistance. Though it does establish their bad girl status, it does make it difficult to care about these dolls that kick the ass of or cuss out anyone who gets in the way of their free-wheelin’ lifestyle. Sure the attitude is fun to watch, but most of the successful films of this sort show a less brazen and more likable side for the viewer to identify with. Because these girls are all attitude all the time, I found the constant bravado to be a bit distancing (coincidentally similar to the ultra-machismo male action films exude and take a lot of flack for).

The effects in EL MONSTRO DEL MAR are low fi but imaginative. One might be able to tell that these tentacles are just sock puppets with teeth, but Stuart Simpson pulls them off making the monster seem massive and deadly without being as laughable as the 50’s and 60’s style monster flicks this film lauds. The over-the-top gore is straight from the grind house and it ain’t chinsy on the red stuff. Much of the appeal of this film lies in the filmmakers’ appreciation to everything from Meyer’s and John Water’s best films to the Atomic Age beach monster movies of old.

EL MOSNTRO DEL MAR homages some great cinema with style. So despite some cardboard line deliveries and performances and lack a lot of depth of character, the film never fails to entertain. Especially if your tastes go toward the more gritty, tattooed stylings of its bad girl leads.

Check out the trailer here!!