What's Up, Hideous Sun Demon

My review was written in September 1989 after a Greenwich Village screening.

This revamped version (with silly voice dubbing) of Robert Clarke's 1959 monster pic packs enough belly laughs to merit midnight bookings, as well as serving to renew interest in the campy original.

Already parodied in the '60s by amateur filmmaker Don Glut, Clarke's "The Hideous Sun Demon" was redubbed in a "Special Edition" prepared between 1983 and 1986 but never released. This 1989 second re-do is in the vein of Woody Allen's famous dub job "What's Up, Tiger Lily?".

In his film, Clarke toplines as a research scientist exposed to radioactive isotopes that cause him to regress into a humanoid reptilian monster when exposed to direct sunlight. Melodramatic plot has him falling in love with statuesque torch singer Nan Peterson, but ultimately destroyed in a cheapie climax reminiscent of Raoul Walsh's classic "White Heat" set atop a vast gasoline storage tower.

Satirist Craig Mitchell makes fun of the cornball story and shoestring-budget footage, emphasizing lots of stiff reaction shots (original was lensed during 12 weekends on a budget undr4 $50,000). New dialog brings out front the sexually risque material of the original (Peterson is an impressive '50s bombshell) while hilariously adding drug references. One side-splitting sequence takes innocent footage of a cute little girl and her mom, turning it into a hip, Cheech & Chong-style drugged-out rap routine.

Jay Leon (uncredited) is hilarious dubbing Clarke's role and providing off-the-wall narration, while Susan Tyrrell is a perfect choice for re-doing Peterson'' role and her "Strange Pursuit" ballad number. Several new b&w insert shots matched to the original are funny, but a color prolog of college kids (including Googy Gress and Mark Holton) watching Clarke's film on the late show is a pointless framing device.

Fans are advised to also check out the original (also distributed by Wade Williams) which feature excellent exterior photography (including work by Vilis Lapienieks) and actually is funnier in its integral nightclub scenes (where Peterson's fake keyboard moves are a hoot) than the new version.