Description

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND THE MONSTERS is a treasure of dark fantasy. If K. Gordon Murray had released only this one film during his entire career, his status as cult film god would be secured. As it is, this amazing, stupefying film stands as the shining jewel in Murray’s crown as “King of the Kiddie Matinee”.

Of course, much credit must be given to the original production. CAPERUCITA Y PULGARCITO CONTRA LOS MONSTRUOS is more bizarre, imaginative, harrowing and grotesque than any other film ever made expressly for children. The hybrid of wacky fairy tale and gothic horror movie has never been done as successfully as in this stunning film. Played almost entirely like a horror film, with scenes that still shock and unnerve today, this amazingly grim fairy tale must have scared the pants off of little Mexican kids during its original release.

As Murray saw fit to release this unique bizarrity in the United States, adding his own trademark touches, we have a masterpiece twice over.

The very opening of this film is hair-raising, as scary shots of a fog-bound haunted forest play while a clearly nervous narrator speaks of the evil forces that rule the world.

The almost entirely studio-bound production has an eerie, claustrophobic look which greatly enhances its gloomy ambience.

The assortment of monsters here is a veritible catalog of monster movie icons: witch, carrot monster, Frankenstein monster, ogre, vampire, robot, skeletons, man-eating plant, dragon, animal people.

These monsters range from cartoony to highly effective, and some are surely straight out of Mexican horror film productions. The Frankenstein monster is pretty cool, as is the Vampire, and the animal people, although obviously just out-of-work wrestlers in expressionist fright masks, are quite disturbing.

Atrocities include hanging, attempted drowning, torture, attempted poisoning, bondage, occult rituals, prayers to the devil, etc.

Among myriad disturbing sequences is one in which the Queen of Badness turns all of the villagers into squeaking white rats and goofy howling chimps.

One might call this film the ultimate evil fairy tale, a macabre, grotesque thrill-ride for traumatized, dysfunctional kiddies in possibly the most odd permutation of genres ever concocted.

As if the original film wasn’t dark and wacky enough, Murray’s consciously creepy dubbing makes LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND THE MONSTERS a hair-raising apocalypse milestone for children of all ages.

The songs themselves are absolutely mind-boggling; out-of-tune, out-of-sync, and with surreal lyrics.

Little Red Riding Hood, Stinky the Skunk and the Ferocious Wolf all reprise their roles from the two earlier Red films; here, Wolfie’s transformation from beast to society’s scapegoat is complete; from being evil, he becomes the pawn of evil!

LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND THE MONSTERS is an indelible experience, an over-the-top abomination without peer. We can only be thankful that Murray saw fit to bring this horror film for kiddies to our shores; it changed the complexion of the American cultural landscape forever.

COMMENTS:
* Possibly to minimize the horror-film aspects of this hard-sell product, more likely to cash in on the popularity of the then-new TV series THE MUNSTERS, Murray sent out some prints of this heinous mindbender with the alternate title of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD MEETS THE FUNNY FUNNY MUNSTERS.

* The Queen of Badness’s killer robot is the same costume used in THE ROBOT VS THE AZTEC MUMMY.

* According to AFI, LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AND THE MONSTERS had its US premiere in Maryland on February 2, 1965.

* (effective 05-01-03) After a very brief window of availability, this long-sought K. Gordon Murray title is once again out of print, due to international copyright issues. Used video tapes of this title may be found on online video dealers and auction sites. Stay tuned for further developments!

-Rob Craig