Creeping Terror, The (1964)

Written by the director of a 3-D softcore porno, directed by a conman and starring its own investors (parts in the film were actually “sold” to gullible Hollywood hopefuls), this creature feature has little enough going for it even before the monster appears on the screen.

A newlywed sheriff tries to stop a shambling monster that has emerged from a spaceship to eat the citizens of an American town.

Described by the Golden Turkey Awards as “a man-eating carpet from outer space”, the monster is just that – a carpet draped over several students, whose feet we can see at the bottom of the screen.

The opening sequence sets the tone: bad acting, bad lighting and bad cinematography topped off with mismatched stock-footage and stale narration.

Director Art J Nelson (who also plays the lead under the alias ‘Vic Savage’) lost the original soundtrack in post-production. Unable to get all of the cast back together for dubbing, he brought in a local newsreader to narrate the picture, leading to several scenes where conversations between characters are paraphrased in voice-over.

Any movie where a girl wears a bikini for a picnic in the woods isn’t aiming for High Art, but that doesn’t excuse the level of technical incompetence on display here. Along with all the visible ropes, wires and crewmembers, we’re also treated to the sight of the cameraman’s cigarette smoke drifting into shot following an onscreen death, making you wonder what Nelson actually did.

Martin Gordon
Vic Savage (Art J Nelson)
Brett Gordon
Shannon O’Neil
Dr Bradford
William Thourlby
Col. James Caldwell
John Caresio
Barney the Deputy
Brendon Boone
Sheriff
Byrd Holland
Grandpa Brown
Jack King
Bobby
Pierre Kopp

Director
Vic Savage (Art J Nelson)