Mark Turner
I'd seen THE CREEPING TERROR included in numerous box sets of trash drive in/exploitation/horror films including some I own but never really got around to watching it. When I heard Synapse was releasing this film it got my curiosity up. With the real film I'm not sure that's a good thing, with the semi-documentary of the making of the film it was interesting.The original film tells the story of a young couple on their way home from their honeymoon. Martin is a sheriff who is soon faced with trying to battle an outer space alien intent on devouring the occupants of the town he protects. Simple enough story, terrible presentation. To begin with the monster itself looks exactly like what it is, a carpet covered framework that inspires more laughs or head scratching than actual terror. Then there is the acting, if you can call it that. In the end the movie looks like it's trying to vie for worst film ever and making Ed Wood look great. The film is presented in blu-ray format though and being included with the main film makes it something to examine after watching that.Now, THE CREEP BEHIND THE CAMERA. What we have here is part documentary part biographical film, a combination to tell the story of the man behind THE CREEPING TERROR, Art "A.J." Nelson aka Vic Savage. And what a story it is.Nelson was at best a con man and at worst one of the most inept movie directors to ever put story to film. He was a sleaze of the highest order, a liar who felt that no matter what he said people would buy it, a man who lied to himself as much as he did to others. He romances a young woman and gets her to leave her home only to abuse her and sleep with other women in front of her.As the story progresses Nelson continues to tell people he wants to make the greatest movie monster film ever made with the most terrifying monster on screen filmed to date. But he squanders the money investors provide and gives them back footage which is unintelligible and nonsensical with things that don't match from one scene to the next. Though it all he believes he is making something special.A tyrannical director prone to yelling and attacking his crew, he forces the men inside the monster costume to work under deplorable conditions to the point they pass out from the heat inside of it. He short changes the effects manager who takes the costume back and then steals if from him. He hires "actresses" based on their willingness to go to bed with him rather than ability. His abuses of both those around him and of his own body end up coming back to haunt him.Rather than a rags to riches movie about how a poor boy makes good in Hollywood we're instead presented with a tale of poor boy gets money and goes from bad to worse. The fact that Nelson has no more than two titles with his name attached on IMDb says a lot. His story offers little for make you feel sympathy for him but tons for those whose lives he touched.The film is well made with a great combination of interviews mixed with actors portraying the events that took place. Josh Phillips as Nelson does a great job to the point you end up wanting to punch him once the final credits roll. Jodi Lynn Thomas as his long suffering wife who must learn to stand up for herself does a great job here as well. The end result is a movie that surpasses the original film by miles.Even the extras that Synapse has included here are better than the movie Nelson shot. Extras include a 2k restoration of the original film, audio commentary with director Pete Schuerann, producer Nancy Theken and stars Phillips and Thomas, a making of featurette, HOW TO BUILD A CARPET MONSTER, BREAKING DOWN ART'S DEATH SCENE, MONSTER MOVIE HOMAGES, "One Mick to Another" with Byrd Holland and Allan Silliphant, deleted scenes, an alternate endings, Screamfest Black Carpet Q&A with Frank Conniff, the original theatrical trailer and THE CREEPING TERROR Screamfest promotional trailer.While the original film might provide a night of laughs the new movie will offer something completely different. It will entertain and frighten at the same time. And it will leave you wondering how anyone could have believed the tales that Nelson told.
eastcoastband
I saw the Creeping Terror years ago... who knew all this crazy stuff went on behind the scenes?! Josh Phillips as Vic Savage makes on of the all time great despicable characters of all time. It's quite a roller-coaster ride! I got to see it in Montreal as part of Fantasia Fest and the audience loved it. I'm pretty sure it went on to LA too. Great music score and photography. The story, which kind of goes all over the place, follows this scumbag AJ Nelson from some goofy bingo hall all the way to Hollywood. When there he abuses his sweet wife (wonderfully played by Jodi Lynn Thomas) in all manner imaginable. Then he makes the Creeping Terror. The whole thing is a great look at how the Hollywood system attracts the worst sort, and how they can convince people they know what they are doing even though the writing is clearly on the wall. I really, really recommend this film!
Scott_Mercer
I just experienced The Creep Behind The Camera last night at ScreamfestLA at the Chinese Theater.The people behind the film's camera did an amazing job, providing a fully satisfying film experience, while creating a brand new genre.It is not really a docudrama. That would imply a drama informed by real events. TCBTC was that, but it also contained interview segments. It felt more like a mockumentary, though all of the events portrayed were real, and the interview segments were of real people describing real events. Like all of the best documentaries, the reaction of the viewer is, "if you submitted this script to someone as fiction, they would reject it as too unbelievable."It is unbelievable. This is the story of one Arthur J. Nelson, aka Vic Savage, aka any number of other names, whose sole legacy as a filmmaker is the deservedly reviled film The Creeping Terror from 1963, promoted by Nelson himself as "the best monster movie ever made."I had first become aware of the film while reading the book The Golden Turkey Awards by the brothers Medved, during the early 1980's. Alas, the home video revolution had at that point not coughed up a copy of said film, and it would be another 20 years before I finally viewed it on DVD.Up until this point, I had dismissed The Creeping Terror as the feckless celluloid leavings of a pitiable, gormless incompetent. Now I understand that it is the motion picture equivalent of a John Wayne Gacy clown painting; the disturbing vision of a twisted, evil psychopath.The Creep Behind The Camera reveals the devastating landscape of psychic terror left behind by Nelson, a sociopath and huckster. His list of crimes as showcased in the film is long and horrific. Beating his wife, burning her hand on a stove for no damn good reason, addicted to any number of toxic substances, standing in front of a full-length mirror naked, while wearing a German helmet and a fake Hitler mustache, and proclaiming, "I am God!" Yeah. That happened.And finally, as is heavily implied in the film, for the most devastating action of all, Nelson created child pornography, perhaps explaining that the making of The Creeping Terror was really nothing but a convenient excuse for him being in the possession of filmmaking equipment in his house. Sure, perhaps he wanted to be a star, and make a movie, but in the end, his only concern was swindling as much money out of as many people as possible. As the film documents, he extracted payment from people for the "honor" being in it, as well as squeezing generous actor William Thourlby (who also has a large part in the film and ended up rescuing it from the garbage heap) for a somewhat large chunk of the budget.Nelson is long dead, and as contended by MST3K's Frank Coniff during the Q&A session after last night's screaming (ha, screening), they probably won't have to worry about anyone bringing defamation charges against them for this film.Except maybe for Charles Manson.According to the film, Charles Manson was actually employed on The Creeping Terror and procured stolen cars for use in one of the scenes. I am NOT BUYING this. History tells us that Manson was in jail in 1963, when The Creeping Terror was filmed. But, cool story, bro. (To be fair, the film was largely shot at the Spahn Movie Ranch. Manson did live there...but not until 1968.) Because he was not even present, Charles Manson could very well file suit under defamation for being associated with Art Nelson! That's how dirty bad Nelson is.Director Pete Schuerman does a spectacular job evoking a 1950's/1960's setting on what was likely a very small budget.Lead actor Josh Phillips is mesmerizing as Art Nelson. Also a tough acting assignment to portray a leading character who has NO sympathy whatsoever and is basically a heavily damaged, completely irredeemable human being. Jodi Thomas, playing Art Nelson's child bride, Lois, is equally laudable as the battered, tortured object of Nelson's psychoses, who finally, ultimately, gets her revenge on her torturer.A somewhat satisfying ending, as Nelson ends up in jail. He does get out of jail, but dies a penniless, unknown drunk. And minor character Charles Manson goes on to do...other things.If you have any chance to do so, please check out The Creep Behind The Camera.
