Gripping story with well-crafted characters

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

This film surprised me - better than I ever expected it to be. Something about it reminds me a little bit of Jekyll & Hyde and to a lesser degree The Wolf Man... I can't place my finger on it but I think it was the chase scenes. The Manster may not be quite as good as the 2 films I mentioned but it's almost to the level of them - quite a good film.A mad scientist is interviewed about his amazing experiments. The scientist feels the reporter would make the perfect subject for his most diabolical of experiments which turns the reporter into a two-headed creature - a killer.This one is a little bit above average on the 1950's horror b-films - they really went all out for the film. As one reviewer said "This is a film waiting to be re-discovered".5/10

"The Manster" is the sort of movie that only Elvira, Joe Bob Briggs, or the "MST3K" crew could present. I saw the Mistress of the Dark's presentation. While watching there were some things that I noticed:*There's a white person cast as a Japanese.*The discussions between the reporter and scientist border on a bromance.*The song played on the instrument in that one scene sounds like a blues song.And then of course the eye reminded me of "Army of Darkness". As for Elvira, she learns that her green card has expired - she apparently comes from Transylvania - and she's facing deportation. But of course she never stops offering pun-filled commentary on the movie. It's the average so-bad-it's-good flick featuring dated gender relations. Always fun to watch.Elvira should sing a blues song about B movies, complete with puns.

A Japanese scientist named Dr. Suzuki is doing human experiments on "volunteers"- mostly from his family- in attempt to chemically recreate the conditions that will precipitate an evolutionary mutation...then keeps them locked up in his lab when they become mutant freaks or monsters. He even kills and burns his own brother- a yeti looking thing- after he escapes one night.When Larry, an American foreign correspondent, comes to investigate the Doctor's work, he gets drugged. While he is passed out, the Doctor injects him with an enzyme that will cause him to mutate, both physically and psychologically- changing him into a psychopathic "manster".His hand first turns into a monster hand, and he starts to get the overwhelming urge to kill people.After murdering a monk, Larry starts to go crazy. He leaves his wife, stops working and starts acting all erratic. This makes his editor suspicious- especially after he sees Larry with a set of Buddhist prayer beads.After randomly murdering a few more people, things get progressively worse for Larry. An eye starts to form on his shoulder. And this soon sprouts into a second beastial head.Monster Larry is now forced to go on the lam, with the cops chasing him- and that's pretty much how the rest of the movie goes. The film inevitably concludes with a final rager and showdown, with a slight twist.In the end, I was personally left with one question: how come every mother*cker in Tokyo- other than whores and beat cops- is f*cking white!? You'd think Japan was an American imperialized colony based on watching this film!!! The film is nicely shot- particularly that last scene with the volcano smoking in the background- and it does touch upon a few interesting concepts. But overall it's a pretty mediocre film (ruined slightly by it's moralistic explanatory endnote). I mean, the whole thing makes the Japanese look like monsters or idiots worthy of death. While the Americans act like they are their saviours- taking a position of moral authority (both thematically, and in the work-related positions they hold), and using that to dominate their Japanese inferiors.This film is most notable for the homage it receives from Sam Raimi in Army of Darkness- when Ash gets an eye on his shoulder; Evil Ash's head pops out and the two eventually split apart. 4 out of 10.

A lusciously lurid monster movie that takes the "split" personality genre to its logical conclusion. An American/Japanese ultra low budget production that delivers the goods with excessive amounts of sex, violence and atmospheric sets that betray its limits.Young movie goers today will probably find much to giggle about but undoubtedly some of the laughter will be of a defensive nature. Because there is truly some disturbing images and subversive things going on here.The mad lab scenes are impressively expressionistic and effective as are the monstrosities created by the nutty professor. There are many silly films of this nature in that era from quick buck makers. This is not one of them. A surreal treat, overlooked, and under-appreciated.