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[tab title="Movie Review"]

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For fans of ‘50s retro sci-fi silliness, there is no better Blu-ray/DVD combo release to own right now than Shout! Factory’s double feature re-release of the black-and-white 1953 opus The Neanderthal Man paired with long-out-of-print 1956 extravaganza The Beast of Hollow Mountain. Now, before you go running to your local blu-ray dealer you should be warned that both of these films – while entirely watchable – are low, low, super low budgetary affairs for the matinee popcorn munching crowd.

Both films have long been neglected and, as presented here in all their cheesy glory, it is easy to see why. These are not brilliant films at all. Even if The Beast of Hollow Mountain is the precursor to the better 1969 cowboys-and-dinosaurs helmed The Valley of Gwangi, it is still a flawed film when compared to other creature feature films from the era. But who cares?! These two films – regardless of their budgetary limitations – are lots of goofy fun.

Based on an original idea by the legendary special effects wizard Willis O’Brien, The Beast of Hollow Mountain plays – for about 50 minutes – like a straight Mexican-themed western. And then, when an American rancher (Guy Madison) dares to disturb an impenetrable swamp and woe another rancher’s woman, a Tyrannosaurus Rex shows up and all hell breaks loose. Cowboys and cattle die in this classic of stop-motion effects.

In the hair-raising The Neanderthal Man, Professor Cliff Groves (Robert Shayne) first attacks his housekeeper with a self-created serum and then – because he is a mad scientist – tries it on himself and turns into man’s own past as a Neanderthal. The household cat becomes a loose saber-tooth tiger running loose through the Sierra Mountains. Insanity follows as does the death count. As far as ridiculousness goes, The Neanderthal Man takes the cake and buries its face in it. And it is all the more awesome because of it.

B-movie lovers and fans of scenery chewing should rejoice. Our particular brand of cinematic madness is rewarded doubly with Shout! Factory’s double creature feature combo of The Beast of Hollow Mountain and The Neanderthal Man. Scoop this release now and maybe, if we are lucky enough, more double creature feature madness from Scream Factory will follow.[/tab]

[tab title="Blu-ray Review”]

Blu-ray Details:

Available on Blu-ray - January 28, 2014
Screen Formats: Beast - 2.33:1; Neandethal - 1.35:1
Subtitles: Beast - None; Neanderthal - None
Audio: Beast - English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono; Neanderthal - English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Discs: 50GB Blu-ray Disc; Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Region Encoding: A

Shout! Factory is to be commended for retrieving these relics from the dustbin of history, and for presenting them here in excellent condition. Neither film is visually flawless, with The Neanderthal Man in particular prone to some minor wear and abrasions in the picture from time to time. Overall, though, these are outstanding prints, and considering that they were originally drive-in fare, they probably look and sound as good, if not better, than they did upon original release.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• No

Special Features:

These are forgotten gems…even the filmmakers have forgotten them. There are no supplemental materials.[/tab]

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