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.
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.