MST3K

For the episode, see MST3K 1101 - Reptilicus.

Reptilicus is 1962 Danish-American giant monster film produced by American International Pictures and Saga Studio. Separate versions were released in Denmark and in the United States.

Plot[]

Danish miners dig up a section of a giant reptile's tail from the frozen grounds in Lapland, where they are drilling. The section is flown to the Danish Aquarium in Copenhagen, where it is preserved in a cold room for scientific study. But due to careless mishandling, the room is left open and the section begins to thaw. The scientists soon discover that it is starting to regenerate.

Professor Otto Martens, who is in charge of the Aquarium, dubs the reptilian species "Reptilicus" (upon a reporter's suggestion) and compares its regeneration abilities to that of other animals like earthworms and starfish.

Once fully regenerated from the tail section, Reptilicus goes on an unstoppable rampage from the Danish countryside to the panic-stricken streets of Copenhagen (including one of its famous landmarks, Langebro Bridge), before finally being killed with poison by scientists and military officers.

The monster's foot is not destroyed and sinks to the bottom of the sea, with the possibility that the foot could regenerate.

Cast[]

  • Carl Ottosen - General Mark Grayson
  • Ann Smyrner - Lise Martens
  • Mimi Heinrich - Karen Martens
  • Asbjørn Andersen - Professor Otto Martens
  • Marla Behrens - Connie Miller
  • Bent Mejding - Svend Viltorft
  • Povl Wøldike - Dr. Peter Dalby
  • Dirch Passer - Petersen
  • Ole Wisborg - Captain Einer Brandt

Notes[]

  • This is Denmark's first and (so far) only monster movie, and has developed a cult following in its home country. Inspired by the American remake of Godzilla in 1998, producer Sidney Pink attempted to produce a remake of Reptilicus in 2001 before his death in 2002.
  • Filming took place in several locations in Denmark, including Copenhagen, Sjælland, and Jylland.[1]
  • Reptilicus was produced in two distinct versions. The English-language version (used on MST3K) was directed by producer/co-writer Sidney W. Pink and the Danish-language version by Poul Bang. Only a few scenes (mostly effects shots) appear in both films.
    • The English-language version was shot first, with Pink directing his version of a particular scene, and the Danish-language version then being shot, directed by Bang.
    • The casts of the two films are virtually identical, with the only major difference being the role of Connie Miller, played by German actress Marla Behrens in the English-language film and by Bodil Miller in the Danish.
    • Despite the English-language version being the lead production, the Danish-language version was released more than a year earlier, on February 20, 1961.
    • The English-language version was held off due to significant re-editing by American International Pictures, overseen by co-screenwriter Ib Melchior.
    • In addition to the edits, all voices were re-dubbed by American actors[2] due to Sam Arkoff's belief that audiences would laugh at the Danish actors' "sing-song Scandinavian accents". Melchior himself dubbed several voices, including a reporter, a police officer and a mayor.
    • Sidney Pink objected to the changes and threatened to sue, but relented after he and other industry professionals viewed the new version.
  • Reptilicus is considered to be a Kaiju film, a genre featuring giant monsters, usually attacking major cities and engaging the military and other monsters in battle. Most kaiju films come from Japan (where the name originates), but Reptilicus, like Gorgo, is generally accepted as fitting the genre.
  • A novelization of Reptilicus written by Dean Owen was released in paperback at the time of the film's original release. It was peppered with gratuitous sexual content that was not relevant to the film's story. Director/screenwriter Sidney Pink was so enraged by these additions that he sued the publisher, Monarch Books.
  • In 1961, Charlton Comics produced a comic book based on the film.[3] Reptilicus lasted two issues. After the rights had lapsed, Charlton modified the creature's look and renamed it (and the comic) Reptisaurus.
  • Because Dirch Passer was hugely popular as a comedic actor at the time this was filmed, the producers at one point were going to call the film Dirch and the Dragon.
  • Many of the elements in the script for this film were originally intended for The Volcano Monsters, a proposed re-editing, also written by Ib Melchior, of Godzilla Raids Again.
  • In the scene where Reptilicus eats a farmer, one of the farmer's sons is played by Ib Melchior's then-12-year-old son, Dirk Melchior.
  • Nora Hayden originally was slated to play Lise. However, she quit the project when she discovered that she would only receive second billing.
  • Argentinian music group Los Twist composed a song about this movie for their album La máquina del tiempo.
    Bronze

    Reptilicus?

  • A clip of the movie was featured in the South Park episode "Cancelled".
  • There is an inside joke among toy collectors about the LJN Toys' Dungeons and Dragons "goofy-looking" Bronze Dragon figure from the 1980s and its resemblance to Reptilicus.

MST3K Connections[]

Critical Responses[]

The film received mostly negative reviews from American critics, it currently has a 25% "Rotten" rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 8 critical reviews and also a score of 25% from users.[4]

References[]

  1. Reptilicus (1961) - Filming Locations - IMDb. IMDb.com. Retrieved on 25 August 2014.
  2. Reptilicus (1961) - Trivia - IMDb. IMDb.com. Retrieved on 25 August 2014.
  3. Reptilicus at Comic Book Plus
  4. Reptilicus - Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes.com.