REPLIGATOR (1996)
Label: Whacked MoviesDuration: 84 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Director: Bret McCormick
Cast: Gunnar Hansen, Brinke Stevens, Keith Kjornes, T.J. Meyers, Carl Merritt
Synopsis: An army experiment gone awry turns burly brutes into gorgeous nymphets who morph into gators when they reach orgasm. This crazy, erotic sci-fi romp tells the story of a top secret military experiment that turns burly soldiers into sexy nymphomaniac babes who turn into gators when they reach orgasm! The film stars Gunnar Hansen (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and scream queen Brinke Stevens who reveals her finest assets. A cult classic ripe for rediscovery, Repligator offers non-stop fun and plenty of topless babes.
There's not a lot I can add to that synopsis. If I did you just might go cross-eyed trying to make sense of it all and I certainly couldn't. In fact, that's probably why they stuffed it with glorious amounts of naked woman, just to turn the thinking part of the brain off so you could just enjoy how deliciously campy and fun this cornball b-movie is. It stars Gunnar Hansen (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) as Dr. Kildare and 80's scream queen Brink Stevens (The Slumber Party Massacre) as Dr. Goodbody, oh the names in this movie are something else. Both are scientist working for the military industrial complex. Goodbody has tapped into the horny thoughts of men and Kildare has invented a frikkin' laser beam that turns hard-nosed male soldiers into horny babes, now tell me what's not to love about that? There is however one very unfortunate side effect to all of this, once these horny babes are sexed-up they turn into alligator-women - that's right - glorious no budget alligators!
So, yeah this is a pretty awful film but it's certainly entertaining in an eye-rolling sorta way, the comedy is juvenile and the sci-fi techno babble is mind certainly ridiculous but these guys did something that's rarely done well, they made a bad movie by design and it actually worked, for me anyway.
The special effects are laugh-out-loud bad but the cast are just awful enough in that special way to make the screwball script work it's schlocky magic. Imagine if Frank Henelotter (Frankenhooker) penned a retro science fiction script and Jim Wynorski (Chopping Mall) directed it with Roger Corman producing, the bad movie making firing on all cylinders right there! To give credit were credit is due the film was actually written by Keith Kjorned and produced/directed by Texas b-movie auteur Bret McCormick and while I enjoyed this one I have so very little interest in watching any of his other films. I get the feeling this was sort like capturing lightning in a bottle and for others it might just be a jar full of piss.
The DVD from Whacked Movie features a a cool Behind the Scenes Featurette documenting the fun/problems of working on a low budget productions plus an Interview with Director, Bret McCormick who speaks about Roger Corman's influence on his career.
This is not quite a broad recommend to everyone because you have to seriously love bad cinema to get through it but if what you've read so far intrigues you seek it out. 2 Outta 5
