| Track of the Moon Beast | |
| Director: | Richard Ashe |
| Producer: | Ralph T. Desiderio |
| Music: | Robert G. Orpin |
| Cinematography: | R. Kent Evans |
| Studio: | Lizard Productions Inc. |
| Runtime: | 81 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Track of the Moon Beast is a 1976 horror film directed by Richard Ashe and written by Bill Finger and Charles Sinclair. It concerns a mineralogist who is hit in the head by a meteor, which subsequently turns him in to a vicious, reptilian creature during the full moon.[1] [2]
The film takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where mineralogist Paul Carlson (Chase Cordell) is struck by a lunar meteorite while observing a meteor shower. Lodged in his brain, the meteorite causes him to transform into a strong and vicious lizard (the titular "moon beast") whenever the moon comes out. In his lizard form, Paul loses all traces of his human self and goes about killing people at random. While human, Paul is subject to spells of dizziness and nausea, causing his girlfriend Kathy Nolan (Donna Leigh Drake) and friend and former anthropology professor, Johnny "Longbow" Salinas (Gregorio Sala), to become concerned.
Eventually it is shown that Paul is the monster, and deduced that the meteorite fragment in his brain is the cause of his transformations. Plans are made to remove it from his skull, but the NASA brain surgeons realize, after another X-ray and Johnny remembering some Native American legends documenting similar phenomena, that the meteorite has disintegrated and will eventually cause Paul to self-combust. When Paul learns of this, he escapes into the desert on a motorcycle, presumably to kill himself so he will not cause any more harm. When Johnny recalls that Paul's favorite place was always Sandia Crest, Kathy, Johnny, and local law enforcement officers follow him there. Johnny shoots him with an arrow made of the original meteorite, which causes him to explode.
Track of the Moon Beast was produced by Ralph T. Desiderio and written by Bill Finger. It was shot in locations around Albuquerque, New Mexico. Frank Larrabee and his band, who were staying at the same Ramada Inn as the movie crew, performed the song "California Lady" in the movie. The performance was shot at the hotel.
Track of the Moon Beast was made in 1972 (and a copyright notice with that date appears onscreen) with the expectation that it would be released theatrically. It was never picked up by a distributor, however, and finally premiered on television on June 1, 1976. It was first released on DVD in 2001 by American Home Treasures, along with Creature and Snowbeast, in the set Classic Creature Movies II. It has since been packaged with other public domain movies in several DVD releases, including Chilling Classics (Mill Creek Entertainment, 2005), 50 Fright Classics (Emson, 2006), and Drive-In Classics (St. Clair Entertainment Group, 2007).
Critical response has been predominantly negative. John Kenneth Muir considered the film to be "a failure in every way", criticizing its special effects, acting, and story. Muir did note that despite its numerous negative aspects, the movie had a quirky charm to it, similar to that of other low-budget 1970s films such as The Crater Lake Monster and The Giant Spider Invasion. TV Guide panned the film, saying, "Although this premise is ripe with comedic opportunities, the production is hampered by classically inept film-making, and the story unfolds so slowly one begins to think the film is running in reverse. The acting is even worse. Still, horror fanatics might find some interest in Joe Blasko's lizard makeup".[3] Oh the Horror! gave it a negative review, panning the film's execution, dialogue, and script, and deeming the movie "embarrassing" and its ending "ridiculous".[4]
The film is featured in a Season 10 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Fodder for mockery includes, but is not limited to, the "brain-dead" expression of the lead actress, the "horrible" dialogue, and the suggestive name and unctuous nature of the character Johnny Longbow—whom the MST3K characters repeatedly refer to as "Johnny Longbone". An entire host segment with Mike Nelson, in the style of VH1's Behind the Music, is devoted to "The Band That Played 'California Lady'". The scene in which Johnny names ingredients in his stew quickly becomes a running gag, and is one of the writers' favorite moments from the series. Writer Kevin Murphy said that Johnny's world-weary sigh of "onions..." made him one of the "best" characters they had ever encountered. The Track of the Moon Beast episode was included in the 38th MST3K DVD set, released on March 28, 2017.[5]