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''Eegah'' (sometimes stylized as ''Eegah!'' and also known as ''Eegah: The Name Written in Blood'') is a 1962 American
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
directed by Arch Hall Sr. (as Nicholas Merriwether) and starring Arch Hall Jr.,
Marilyn Manning Marilyn may refer to: People * Marilyn (given name) * Marilyn (singer) (born 1962), English singer * Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962), an American actress Places * Marilyn (hill), a type of mountain or hill in the British Isles with a prominence ...
and
Richard Kiel Richard Dawson Kiel (September 13, 1939 – September 10, 2014) was an American actor. Standing tall and often referred to as "the Gentle Giant", he was known for portraying Jaws in '' The Spy Who Loved Me'' (1977) and '' Moonraker'' (197 ...
.Arch Hall, Jr.: Inside the Wild Guitar - Off Beat Magazine
/ref> Often considered to be among the worst films ever made, ''Eegah'' was listed in the 1978 book ''
The Fifty Worst Films of All Time ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...
,'' and was featured in a 1993 episode of ''
Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on WUCW, KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. It then ...
'' and a 2010 episode of ''
Elvira's Movie Macabre ''Elvira's Movie Macabre'' (titled on-screen as ''Movie Macabre with Elvira, Mistress of the Dark'' in its original run), or simply ''Movie Macabre'', is an American Horror host, hosted horror movie television program that originally aired locall ...
''.


Plot

One night after shopping, Roxy Miller (Marilyn Manning) is driving to a party through the California desert when she nearly crashes into Eegah (Richard Kiel), a giant prehistoric
caveman The caveman is a stock character representative of primitive humans in the Paleolithic. The popularization of the type dates to the early 20th century, when Neanderthals were influentially described as " simian" or " ape-like" by Marcellin B ...
. She tells her boyfriend Tom Nelson (Arch Hall Jr.) and her father Robert Miller (Arch Hall Sr.) about the giant. Her father, a writer of adventure books, decides to go into the desert to look for the creature and possibly take a photograph of it. When his helicopter ride fails to show up at his designated pickup time, Tom and Roxy go looking for him on his
dune buggy A dune buggy — also known as a beach buggy — is a recreational off-road vehicle with large wheels, and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes, beaches, off-road or desert recreation. The design is usually a topless vehicle with a rear ...
. Roxy is soon kidnapped by Eegah and taken back to his cave while Tom searches for her. In Eegah's cave, Roxy is reunited with her father, who has been captured as well. He tells her that he has begun to communicate with the caveman and has developed a theory as to the creature's astounding longevity. Eegah begins to expresses what seems to be a romantic interest in Roxy, her father, fearful that the creature may kill them both if he is rebuffed, suggests she put up with as much of it as she can bear. Eegah remains relatively tame, however, and Roxy even ends up giving him a shave, which distracts him long enough until Tom arrives and helps the Millers escape. Enraged, Eegah follows them back to civilization to seek revenge. He goes on a rampage through the town until he finally locates Roxy, and attempts to kidnap her from a party. The police soon arrive and confront Eegah, who is shot and killed.


Cast

* Arch Hall Jr. as Tom Nelson * Marilyn Manning as Roxy Miller *
Richard Kiel Richard Dawson Kiel (September 13, 1939 – September 10, 2014) was an American actor. Standing tall and often referred to as "the Gentle Giant", he was known for portraying Jaws in '' The Spy Who Loved Me'' (1977) and '' Moonraker'' (197 ...
as Eegah * Arch Hall Sr. as Robert Miller * Clay Stearns as Band Member * Bob Davis as George * as Band Member * Ron Shane as Detective * Addalyn Pollitt as George's Wife * Lloyd Williams as Mr. Kruger, Helicopter Pilot *
Ray Dennis Steckler Raymond Dennis Steckler (January 25, 1938 – January 7, 2009), also known by the pseudonym Cash Flagg, was an American film director, Film producer, producer, screenwriter and actor best known as the low-budget auteur of such cult films as ''Th ...
as Mr. Fishman * Bill Rice as Chef * Carolyn Brandt as Fishman's Girl


Production

Following the financial success of his first venture into the drive-in/juvenile delinquency genre, '' The Choppers'', Arch Hall Sr. was able to fund ''Eegah'', a starring vehicle for his son, Arch Hall Jr., who had some success with songwriter
Alan O'Day Alan Earle O'Day (October 3, 1940 – May 17, 2013) was an American singer-songwriter, best known for writing and singing "Undercover Angel (song), Undercover Angel," a million-selling Gold-certified American No. 1 hit in 1977. He also wrote son ...
on the
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
/
surf rock Surf music (also known as surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California. It was especially popular from 1958 to 1964 in two major forms. The first is inst ...
scene in Los Angeles. Hall Sr. co-wrote the film with Bob Wehling, directed the picture under the pseudonym Nicholas Merriweather, and co-starred opposite his son under the name William Watters. While the library music used to underscore the picture was supplied by André Brummer (under the name Henri Price), an uncredited O'Day ended up being the music editor on ''Eegah''. Hall Sr. looked to create an
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
-style screen persona for his son and made sure that ''Eegah'' was peppered with various rock and roll songs (including two songs he wrote called "Vicky" and "Valerie"). The film attempts elements of traditional schlock-horror and youth-comedy genres and anticipates the 1960s "
beach party ''Beach Party'' is a 1963 American film and the first of seven beach party films from American International Pictures (AIP) aimed at a teen audience.Smith, Gary A. Smith (2009) ''The American International Pictures Video Guide'', McFarland ...
"
genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...
. One of the members of the rock and roll band shown in the film was Deke Lussier, who, as , later became a highly respected songwriter and
record producer A record producer or music producer is a music creating project's overall supervisor whose responsibilities can involve a range of creative and technical leadership roles. Typically the job involves hands-on oversight of recording sessions; ensu ...
at
Motown Records Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
. Hall Sr.'s company, Fairway-International Pictures, located in Burbank, California, was also Hall's place of residence and doubled for a number of locations in the picture, including the Millers' apartment. Assistant cameraman
Ray Dennis Steckler Raymond Dennis Steckler (January 25, 1938 – January 7, 2009), also known by the pseudonym Cash Flagg, was an American film director, Film producer, producer, screenwriter and actor best known as the low-budget auteur of such cult films as ''Th ...
appears in the picture as Mr. Fischer, the man at the hotel who is thrown at the pool near the end of the picture. Steckler, who had previously moved to Hollywood to become a cameraman, made his directing debut the next year in the Arch Hall Jr. vehicle ''
Wild Guitar ''Wild Guitar'' is a 1962 American comedy-drama musical film directed by Ray Dennis Steckler and starring Arch Hall Jr., Arch Hall Sr. (credited as William Watters), Ray Dennis Steckler (credited as Cash Flagg), and Nancy Czar. The screenplay ...
''. Steckler's first independent feature, '' The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!?'', was later distributed by Fairway-International.


Reception and legacy

Often considered to be one of the worst films ever made, the film has a rare approval rating of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, with 8 critical reviews. The first real notoriety the film had past its initial release was being included in the 1978 book ''The Fifty Worst Films of All Time''. In his ''Classic Movie Guide'', film critic
Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic, film historian, and author. He is known for his book of film capsule reviews, '' Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide'', published from 1969 to 2014. Maltin was the film criti ...
awarded the film a "bomb", his lowest rating possible, calling it "A staple at 'All-Time Worst Film' festivals". Writing in
DVD Talk DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman. History Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
, critic Ian Jane described the film as "terrible in all the right ways" and "about as bottom of the barrel as they come". The film is listed in
Golden Raspberry Award The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic failures. Co-founded by University of California, Los Angeles, UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John ...
founder
John Wilson John Wilson may refer to: Academics * John Wilson (historian) (1799–1870), author of ''Our Israelitish Origin'' (1840), a founding text of British Israelism * John Wilson (agriculturalist) (1812–1888), British agriculturalist * John Matthias ...
's book ''
The Official Razzie Movie Guide ''The Official Razzie Movie Guide: Enjoying the Best of Hollywood's Worst'' is a 2005 book about the booby prize award show the Golden Raspberry Awards (Razzies), written by John J. B. Wilson, founder of the awards ceremony. The book was publishe ...
'' as one of the "100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made." In 1993, ''Eegah!'' was featured on Comedy Central's cult television series ''
Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on WUCW, KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. It then ...
'' and became a fan favorite. In the published episode guide to the series, ''The Mystery Science Theater 3000 Amazing Colossal Episode Guide'' (), the cast considers the shaving scene from ''Eegah'', in which Eegah lolls his tongue around and laps up shaving cream, to be one of the most disgusting things they have witnessed during their time on the show. The writers also speculate that some kind of romantic relationship existed between Arch Hall Sr. and his on-screen daughter Marilyn Manning, due to the uncomfortably non-familial chemistry in their scenes together. One of the film's more inept moments became a running joke on the show: Hall Sr.'s line "Watch out for snakes!" is blurted out despite a lack of any visual source for the dialog. In 2009, ''Eegah!'' was featured in a season five episode of the television series '' Cinema Insomnia''.


Home media

The film is in the public domain and has been released on home video a number of times, both as stand-alone versions and as part of multi-film collections. The ''MST3K'' version of the movie was released on DVD in March 2000 by
Rhino Home Video Rhino Entertainment Company (formerly Rhino Records Inc.) is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus. History Founded ...
. As of January 2010, the DVD was out of print, and as of July 2011, it was no longer available on the official ''MST3K'' website. It was reissued on DVD by
Shout Factory Shout! Factory, LLC, doing business as Shout! Studios (formerly doing business as Shout! Factory, its current legal name), is an American home video and music distributor founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases, issued i ...
on May 22, 2018, as part of ''The Singles Collection''. MST3K launched "The Gizmoplex" to the public on May 8, 2022, a new headquarters for all things
Mystery Science Theater 3000 ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (abbreviated as ''MST3K'') is an American science fiction comedy television series created by Joel Hodgson. The show premiered on WUCW, KTMA-TV (now WUCW) in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on November 24, 1988. It then ...
related, and "Eegah" is available for purchase in digital streaming form directly from their new website at gizmoplex.com. As of 2024, it is available to watch for free with ads on YouTube. The ''Cinema Insomnia'' episode featuring the film was released on DVD by Apprehensive Films on April 13, 2009. On November 1, 2019, The Film Detective announced a new 4K restoration of ''Eegah'' would be released on DVD and Blu-ray on November 26, 2019, with the Blu-ray being a limited edition of only 1,500 copies in collaboration with Shout! Factory, Something Weird Video, and Cinema Preservation Alliance. Special features included subtitles, the complete MST3K version of the movie, an interview with MST3K creator
Joel Hodgson Joel Hodgson (born February 20, 1960) is an American writer, comedian, and television actor. He is best known for creating ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (''MST3K'') and starring in it; he played the character Joel Robinson. In 2007, ''MST3K'' ...
, and an interview with star Arch Hall Jr.Trailers From Hell
/ref>


See also

*
List of American films of 1962 A list of American films released in 1962. '' Lawrence of Arabia'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures that celebrated their 50th Anniversaries. __TOC__ Top-grossing films (U.S.) source: https:/ ...


References


External links

* * * * {{Internet Archive film, id=Eegah, name=Eegah 1962 films 1962 horror films 1962 independent films 1960s English-language films Films shot in Los Angeles American independent films 1960s monster movies Films about cavemen Films about father–daughter relationships 1960s American films English-language independent films English-language horror films English-language science fiction horror films Mystery Science Theater 3000