“The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” harkens back to the days of ‘revolutionary’ independent filmmakers like Ed Wood and Phil Tucker. Those of us who recognize the names immediately start thinking about cult classic ‘bad’ movies like “Plan Nine from Outer Space”, “Glen or Glenda” and “Robot Monster.” There are more to be sure, but these in particular are gems in the sea of ‘bad’ movies made during the 1950’s. In a way, I guess you can say “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” is a tribute to the ‘vision’ of these filmmakers. Shot in glorious Black and White, “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” has a simple plot that even a college student can understand. In it we follow the exploits of one Dr. Paul Armstrong (Larry Blamire) and his wife Betty (Faye Masterson) as they attempt to locate a meteor that has crashed on Earth. However, little do they know that an alien spaceship has also landed, and said aliens Kro-Bar (Andrew Parks) and Lattis (Susan McConnell) are also on the lookout for the meteor.

You see, it is made of the rare element ‘atmosphereum’, which they need to power their ship. Of course, as any good alien would do, they had their pet monster along for the spaceship ride, and as luck would have it the creature gets loose and must be captured.

Of course, writer/director/ actor Larry Blamire isn’t content to just stop there. Enter the evil Dr. Roger Fleming (Brian Howe), who has his own mission to accomplish. He is in the nearby Cadavra Caves attempting to resurrect… oddly enough… a lost skeleton. What does this have to do with the rest of the plot? Well, it seems the good doctor… or should I say the BAD doctor… needs the rare element ‘atmosphereum’ to do so. Of course, every villainous doctor needs a henchman, so he creates one (using the alien’s ray gun) out of forest animals. Only in this case, it turns out to be more of a henchwoman (Jennifer Blaire). Her name? Sigh. Animala…

Keeping in the tradition of the films it is attempting to celebrate, “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” is a mix of bad acting, horrendous dialogue and laughable special effects. For the most part Blamire succeeds with this little tribute, but only those of us who relish the past visions of a man in a gorilla suit wearing a diving helmet or spaceships hung by wires will totally appreciate the film in its entirety. Some of the humor will be lost on those uninitiated to the world of 1950’s cult classic films.

There are only two areas where I feel “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” misses the mark, especially for connoisseurs of Ed Wood’s or Phil Tucker’s films. When these directors made their movies, they didn’t set out to make bad ones. They had a certain earnestness, naiveté and belief that they could, without any kind of budget, create great films. Blamire set out to make a ‘bad’ movie, and when you do that, it is nearly impossible to capture the essence of those director’s visions. It gets very close, but no cigar.

The other nitpick I have is a personal one. That is the decision to use the word ‘Cadavra’ in the title. That has caused no end of misspellings on the part of critics everywhere. I myself have to look at the DVD cover every single time I type it. I simply cannot remember from one time to the next whether it is Cadavra or Cadavara and it’s been a nightmare keeping it straight.

That said, I couldn’t wait to watch Sony / Columbia Tristar’s DVD release of “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra”, not just so I could finally see the film, but could admire all of the extra features. For a movie that had a very limited release, I was shocked at what was included. There are two commentaries available, the first by Blamire and some of the cast. The second one also features Blamire, but with various members of the crew. The first is the best one, and though there are people talking all over the place, it is at times quite funny. The commentary with the crew is far more technical, but it is interesting to hear what these guys had to go through to re-create the style of movies shot without a budget.

There is also a brief featurette on the making of the movie that despite its length, offers up some humorous interviews and the like. You’ll also find a Q&A session that was held with the cast after a screening of the film. If you can put up with the handheld video camera look, this is worth watching. I was glad to see a blooper reel, as I always am, and though it was also pretty short is really funny. I loved that it was in color more than anything else, as it gave me the opportunity to see what the sets and costumes really looked like.

In keeping with the theme of the film, there is a great cartoon, “The Skeleton Frolic” as well as a collection of stills promoting all the great memorabilia that the movie might have generated had it really been made back in the 1950’s.

The DVD for “The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra” is a great disc and one I highly recommend for fans of filmmakers like Wood and Tucker.

Directed by: Larry Blamire
Starring: Fay Masterson, Andrew Parks, Susan McConnell, Brian Howe, Jennifer Blaire, Larry Blamire, Dan Conroy, Robert Deveau
Extras: Acclaimed Retro Style Trailer, Skeleton Frolic Cartoon, Cast & Crew Commentary Tracks, Q&A at the American Cinematheque, “Obey the Lost Skeleton” Featurette, Blooper Reel (In Color!), And Virtual Skelectables
Specifications: Widescreen (1.85:1), Dolby Digital Mono
Studio: Sony / Columbia Tristar
Release Date: 6/22/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: PG (Brief Mild Language)
Website

We'll give The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra a B.