The Tentacle's Claw 2012 - REVIEW

I was never much into the 50's style Scifi films. Maybe it just wasn't my era or maybe it was just that I'd already been spoiled by the advancements in the film industry, I don't know. But I have seen many of them, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Blob, Godzilla, etc. and I always found them interesting and entertaining but not really something that I'd go back and watch over and over.

The Tentacle's Claw is the story of one man's quest to use the power of mind control to take over the world, and the one woman who could stop him. Dr. Demonious Horlack (Jim Parsons) has set up his laboratory of horrors in a quiet, seaside town. The former Nazi scientist has devised a way to control simple creatures using the power of the mind. With the help of his assistant Gunda (Geri Lynn Mackey), he has gained power over a giant cephalopod, and is using the creature as his personal assassin. Fortunately for the people of the planet, there is a schoolteacher, Marie LeMay (Tara Manuel), living in the same town. As the traumatic tentacle attacks start to take their gruesome toll, Marie begins to unlock innate, psychic abilities. Her brain scientist boyfriend, Professor Dick Goodwin (Mark Smallwood), helps her recognize the potential she has deep within the recesses of her mind. The stage is set for an epic, psychic showdown. But can she prevail...

I'm not sure what director Michael Rigler (who was also the writer) told his cast before shooting but it must've been something along the lines of "Have you ever seen the old school, tongue-in-cheek, B-movie style creature features? I want that but waaaaaaay over the top!" Why do I think this? Because every single actor in this film played it that way. It was fantastic! All the over the top facial expressions and raised eyebrows. The long drawn out dramatic pauses. Manuel nailed her part of the damsel in distressed turned would be heroine. Parsons was insanely funny, especially in the delivery of lines like "Your dick can't hear you." Bahahahaha! I caught myself laughing out loud on several occasions. Smallwood was great as well. He had that classic role of the sensitive yet chauvinistic wanna save the day man and played it very well. I was surprised when I went over to the IMDb page and saw that this is a first film for a lot of the players involved. So, my hats off to you.

What I really liked most about this one is that it never in any way shape or form took itself seriously. Rigler did exactly what he intended to do and that was to respectfully poke fun at the creature features of old. It's very well written and extremely enjoyable and I had totally misjudged this film. It's a microbudget film shot entirely in Corner Brook, New Foundland using locals. I'd like to think that people who have a sense of humor and actually take it at face value will get enjoyment out of it but there are those people out there that will watch it and over think it and then say it's just bad and it'll be because they just don't get it. Horror, no... not at all. Gory, no... not at all. But if you're looking for a fun, quirky film to make you giggle, this is definitely it. Visit The Tentacle's Claw website and Facebook page for more information.