JANUA-RAY: THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE CREATURES WHO STOPPED LIVING AND BECAME MIXED-UP ZOMBIES!!? (1964) ***

(Originally posted July 17th, 2007)

This is undeniably Ray Dennis Steckler’s masterpiece.  It’s a nutty horror musical that deserves its cult following.  The plot has Jerry (Steckler using his usual pseudonym Cash Flagg) taking his best girl and foreign friend to a carnival where he falls for one of the strippers.  She lures him into the booth where her sister, the fortune teller hypnotizes Jerry, splashes acid in his face and turns him into a murderous zombie.  In the end, her pit full of zombies escapes and cause carnage at the carnival.  

This is all well and good but to pad the running time, Steckler haphazardly tosses in some awful musical and dancing numbers (one including a tribal dance) that have nothing to do with anything.  The best scenes are the ones in which Steckler (who kinda resembles Nicolas Cage) gets hypnotized with a trippy spinning wheel and goofy sound effects.  The protracted chase on the beach finale doesn’t do it any favors either, but there is enough general goofiness to keep you entertained.  Besides with a title like that what’s not to like?  

Steckler’s usual cohorts Carolyn Brandt and Titus Moody also have small roles.  Laszlo Kovacs and Vilmos Zsigmond were the cinematographers.  Steckler did The Thrill Killers next.  

AKA:  Teenage Psycho Meets Bloody Mary.  AKA:  Diabolical Dr. Voodoo.  AKA:  AKA:  The Incredibly Mixed Up Zombie.

JANUA-RAY NOTES:  

1) Most prints of The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies!!? I have seen (particularly the one shown on Mystery Science Theater 3000) were often muddy and murky, which made the film look like a cross between the Zapruder film and someone’s last known photograph.  Severin’s restoration looks like a million bucks.  

2) The opening title sequence, in which Cash Flagg’s face slowly morphs into an ugly zombie is an all-timer. 

3) I see that Steckler took a page out of Arch Hall, Sr.’s playbook by having posters of his previous films lurking around in the background.  There’s nothing like shameless self-promotion.

4) In my archive review, I refer to the musical and dance numbers as “awful”.  I am happy to say they have grown on me over time.  I still don’t think they are necessarily “good”, but they certainly add to the overall oddball vibe that makes the movie such a unique experience.  

5) Another thing that has grown on me about the movie:  Atlas King’s performance.  I used to think his thick accent and unintelligible ramblings were annoying, but like the various dance numbers, it’s just another bizarre component that makes TISCWSLABMUZ!!? A work of deranged genius.  

6) The hypnotism scenes are genuinely great, and the close-ups of Flagg’s bulging eyeballs are effective.

7) The extended nightmare/freak-out sequence, while primarily only there to pad out the running time, is also really well done.

8) Was Cash Flagg the first person to rock the hoodie look?

9) Not all the musical numbers are bad.  Far and away the best song is “Shook Out of Shape”, which is, as the kids say nowadays, a “banger”.