Jan-Gel, the Beast from the East (1999)
* 1/2 (out of 4)
Very low-budget film from director Conrad Brooks who plays a hunter named Conrad Brooks who comes to a small town to try and destroy a beast that has gone on a killing rampage. It turns out that this creature was on its way to a lab after being discovered frozen but the 50,000-year-old creature thawed out and now it's killing. JAN-GEL, THE BEAST FROM THE EAST isn't a film that's going to be recommended for everyone but I think fans of Brooks (or his Ed Wood movies) or those who enjoy "C" horror films might get a few kicks out of it. This film is about as innocent as you're going to get because there's no gore, no violence, no nudity and nothing offensive at all. It's clear that Brooks just gathered up some buddies to have fun and pay homage to an early time in horror when you didn't have such graphic or adult natured stuff. When viewing the film on this level it does offer up a few laughs and I especially liked the caveman type monster. There's a scene where he kills a snake that just keeps going and going and going that you can't help but laugh at how silly it is. It was also fun seeing Brooks who was making a pretty strong comeback in these low-budget movies around this period (and it's going to date).
