I grew up watching the "schlocky" sci-fi movies of the 50s and early 60s. As a kid, I just enjoyed them without caring much about production values, dialogue, or acting. As an adult, I still enjoy them, though for different reasons. I now get a kick out of the bad production values, the corny stilted dialogue, and the wooden acting. They're not masterpieces by any means, but somehow I have to admire them for what they are and for the fact that they were even made.

Anyway, Cadavra is admittedly an homage to the horror films of the 50s. And I feel it captures the genre perfectly. Yes, it is funny, but the humor comes from the fact that it is played straight, and this was the film maker's intent. I laughed out loud at many scenes (mostly involving the aliens' attempts to appear human).

I can understand that this may not be everyone's cup of tea, so to speak. I suspect that some folks won't "get it." All I can say is that I enjoyed it immensely.

The DVD has a few extras, and writer/director/star Paul Blamire summed it up for me in one of the extras. He was talking about Plan Nine from Outer Space and saying that many peoole call this "the worst movie ever made." He said in effect, "How can a movie that is so entertaining be the worst movie ever made?"
Yep, Cadavra is nowhere near the best movie ever made, but it is entertaining and is one of my favorite movies of all time, ranking higher even than Invasion of the Star Creatures. :-)

The 1950s were the Golden Age of schlock sci fi films- ranging from films so bad they've become classics- Plan 9 From Outer Space, and Robot Monster, to some better than expected films like The Brain From Planet Arous, and Them. It's the first set of films that is taken aim at by the film The Lost Skeleton Of Cadavra- replete with actors playing bad actors, who recite intentionally bad dialogue, that's repeated ad nauseam, as well as bad special effects and a determined `humanitarian message'. This spoof of such films was written, directed, and starred in by Larry Blamire.
The best part of this film is that, to enjoy it, one need not be drenched in the films it spoofs- it plays as both a `straight' schlock film, and a satire. Blamire plays Dr. Paul Armstrong, a heroic scientist, in love with science, even as he notes scientists believe in nothing, out to retrieve a meteorite containing `atmosphereum'. Fay Masterson is devoted wife, Betty. Susan McConnell and Andrew Parks are aliens named Lattis and Kro-Bar- descendants not only of nineteen-fifties alien stolidity, but the old Saturday Night Live Coneheads couple, in their forced imitations of human customs. Brian Howe and Jennifer Blaire (Blamire's real life wife) are mad scientist Dr. Roger Fleming and his woman-beast Animala- created using the alien's ray gun- a direct knock off of Plan 9's Vampira.... The schmaltziness, choppy editing, black and white, stock 1950s sci fi score, stock nature film footage of the animals Animala's created from, bad special effects- a miniature rocket ship, bad Geiger counter-like devices, and a cheesy inside to the aliens' rocketship, plus typically inappropriate Cold War-era morality playing, make the film an unexpected delight. Some critics think that camp can only occur unwittingly- such as in the cases of Ed Wood, or the worst of the Roger Corman films- and they may be right. But, The Lost Skeleton Of Cadavra isn't camp- it's satire, and there's a difference- self-awareness. Viewed seriously Plan 9 From Out Of Space may well be `the worst movie ever made'- with classic lines as `You humans are stupid, stupid, stupid!' meant to be social commentary. Fortunately, its unintended camp quotient, and myriad laughs, make it far more enjoyable than many sober, and somber films that reek. The Lost Skeleton Of Cadavra does not have that problem, for it's knowingly being bad. While you may not think a scene or line funny, there's an `insider'-type meta-quality to the film that practically insulates it from any criticism. If you loathe `good' bad films along with `bad' bad films you'll never get this film on any level. If you can discern the difference you cannot help but, at least, love- if not revel in the film. It was even shot in Bronson Canyon, outside Los Angeles, where films like Robot Monster, and many others, were shot.

The film itself is a cult classic. The condition it arrived in was excellent. It arrived quickly.

I can't really add much to the other reviews. It shows that it was written and directed by someone who enjoyed the old monster movies of the 50s. The movie does bear watching more than once, I've caught things I'd missed in previous viewings. It's well worth the money to own.

I don't like to off-handedly rate anything five stars as it cheapens a rating system. So I thought about what I didn't like about this movie. I couldn't think of anything! If you like corny 1950's science fiction, but don't have time to watch a decade's worth of movies, this is the only one you need - it has it all! I've watched this several times alone and with friends, and I laugh out loud as though I was watching it for the first time. A gem! And now, I must Do Science....(watch the movie and you, too, will be talking in style!)