Very well executed

the audience applauded

Best movie of this year hands down!

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

'Night of the Ghouls' is a sequel to 1955 film 'Bride of the Monster' and its actions take place in the same old mansion where Dr. Vornoff created his atomic beasts. This time, though, the house is totally different and it lays near the graveyard and not in the swamp. Tor Johnson is reprising his role as Lobo and Paul Marco again is mumbling cowardly police officer Kelton. Besides those two, only recurring character is Police Captain Robbins played by Johnny Carpenter. In the 'Bride' Robbins' part was played by Harvey Dunn who this time had small role as a driver frightened by the ghost. There are some other actors who appeared in both films but in different roles. These inconsistencies between the two films, and inside the 'Night' make 'Night of the Ghouls' possibly the worst direct sequel ever. Thanks to the quirks of Ed Wood the film is still watchable entertainment, but not for anyone.But real star of this 'masterpiece' is not the director nor any of the main characters but the wooden panel door that appeared in police station and in Dr. Acula's home. Awesome.

He's baaaack! Ed Wood that is with his latest attempt at creativity. Kenne Duncan takes over Bela Lugosi territory with his role as fake psychic Dr. Acula (!) who has moved into Lugosi's old house from "Bride of the Monster" as part of his efforts to scam the locals with his promise of bring back the dead. Valda Hansen (aka Vampira) is missing her dark haired Morticia Addams disguise, playing "the white ghost", stalking around the woods near the mansion, while Jeannie Stevens is billed as "the black ghost" who looks closer to Hansen's character from "Plan Nine From Outer Space". In fact, this is sort of a sequel to "Bride" and "Plan Nine", combining both of those brilliant cinematic classics, with Tor Johnson repeating his role of Lobo from "Bride of the Monster" (and nobody recognizing him as the dumb detective who turned into one of the phantoms in "Plan Nine"), scarred with the help of some dried oatmeal. From both films, Paul Marco is back as Policeman Kelton, the dumbest cop on screen since the Keystones and James Burke's continuously typecast detective. It's very apparent that Dr. Acula would have been Lugosi's role (and probably a twin brother of his "Bride of the Monster" character) had he not died several years before. While the dialog is certainly dreadful, it isn't as unintentionally funny as any of Woods' previous efforts. There are certainly some humorous moments (such as the weird way the fake séance is presented), and Hansen's trick with her hands is also quite eerie. Then, there's the opening scene with Stevens' attack of two teenagers making out on a darkened road, funny with the young girl slapping her boyfriend after allowing him to passionately kiss her, then running out of the car only to encounter Stevens. This insinuates that the "black ghost" is some kind of vampire (and certainly not a ghost) with an exotically made-up look that makes her appear like some sort of Maria Montez like princess. Marcelle Hemphill has an amusing supporting part as a very old lady getting her late husband's approval for her upcoming marriage to a very young man. (Like one of Woods' earlier films, this insinuates "Jail Bait"...) There are certainly lots of moments one will find amusing, but it lacks the camp punch of "Glen or Glenda" and the other Woods films I mentioned, and having only had a brief preview before going back into the vault (since Woods couldn't pay the lab bill), it also becomes his last real Hollywood release, with all of his future films of the sex market rather than main-stream (or middle stream in Woods' case) of this one.

This movie is even worse than Plan 9 From Outer Space. On an episode of Seinfeld, Jerry mentions that Plan 9 was the worse movie ever made. This movie is the worse movie ever made by far. This movie was never mentioned in the Johnny Depp movie, Ed Wood. I have seen Plan 9 and although it is bad, it isn't as bad as this movie. As a matter of fact, all of Ed Wood's movies were bad but some not as bad as others. The Bride of the Monster, although just as bad, was watchable. Funny how you can become famous for being the worse as well as the best at something. At least Ed Wood had a dream of becoming a movie maker. Good or bad he made that dream come true.

I know what you're thinking. This is an Ed Wood movie so it can't be that good. Yeah, well, it ain't that bad either. An elderly couple show up at the police station frightened out of their wits having claimed to see a ghost near an old house in the woods once owned by a deranged scientist. The police feel they need to check it out so they send in one of their officers who specializes in ghosts (don't all police squads have a ghost unit?). Another officer is sent who is very possibly the worst cop in the history of cinema. He fires his gun at anything that frightens him in the least. He's played by Ed Wood regular, Paul Marco, played with not one ounce of common sense or normalcy. Anyway, the two cops investigate the house and see it's just a front for the new owner, named Dr. Ackula (I'm not kidding), to run a profitable scam that involves talking to peoples dead relatives. One of Dr. Acula's goons to do his dirty work is played by Tor Johnson who is always a welcome sight in a movie like this. Criswell narrates the film but really is unnecessary to the story, although it kind of adds to the campiness. It is rumored that this movie sat in the can for almost two decades because Ed Wood couldn't afford to have the film developed. If you liked "Plan 9 from outer space" you'll probably at least find this film moderately amusing.