Monsters Crash the Pajama Party: Spook Show Spectacular

Monsters Crash the Pajama Party is a one of a kind among the Something Weird library, itself already among the kookiest. Unlike all other SWV DVD's, this whole disc is like one big easter egg. There are four seperate areas which houses all sorts of zany, spookshow related material. Each area contains a couple of easter eggs.There's an enclosed booklet that gives a detailed account of the traveling spookshow era. Also, there's two seperate commentary tracks featuring Dr. Evil and Dr. Jekyl. Both are veterans of the spookshow circuit and give a pretty colorful account of the happenings of the time. Dr Evil has a rather strong Southern drawl.There's a bunch of media related material and how to's on how to stage your own Spook Show. It's interesting to get a taste of the times when you read the detailed intructions. One of the promotions back then was the giving away of a "dead body". Also, the primary means of advertising back then for these shows was radio(along with promo cards in the lobby of movie theaters/intermission ads).Also included are a couple of "3D" glasses to view THE ASYLUM OF THE INSANE. I really do appreciate Something Weird bringing back this piece of obscure cinema/stage history. While not for everyone, this type of simple spook is fun to whip out during Halloween or anytime for a little "scare".

The movie is goofy and silly. The pajamas the girls wear are as scandalous as one piece swim suits and there isnt really any scary parts so it's ok for kids. There are lots of other extras on the disc that make it worth the buy if your into spookshows or midnight movie shows. It's great for background at a Halloween party since it has a section full of music backed homemade Halloween shorts from the days of home video on film.

This DVD provides hours of great spooky entertainment, ideal for Halloween parties or when you are simply in the mood for horror hijinks. Terrific trailers, shorts, ads, 3-D, & a cool feature w/ Richard Carlson certainly provide loads of bang for your buck. It all comes together to provide an excellent example of those live spook shows of yesteryear. The menu, which some have complained about, is a gas. It is set up to lead you through a haunted maze where you don't know what will pop up around the next corner. For me, this is Something Weird's finest hour. Hours of fun are provided with superior quality presentations of dated material. One from the vaults, I must recommend it to all horror fans.

I chose the title of the review based on one thing only: it was the most entertaining line from the entire DVD. I am a big Something Weird fan, and almost always love their work, but this time I have to make an exception. This DVD is really pretty boring, except for the drama of 'Tormented' and the lowbrow comedy of 'Monsters Crash The Pajama Party'. Since 'Monsters Crash The Pajama Party' was selected as the title for the DVD, let's begin there. The story is basically this: five sorority pledges stay in a haunted house and fall victim to the resident mad doctor (we know this because "Mad Doctor" is emblazoned on his lab coat.) There is much wackiness foisted on the audience over the next 30 minutes, including men in gorilla suits, women in chains, a werewolf in polka dotted boxer shorts, a laser cannon that seemingly has no point, and police detectives summoned to investigate it all because of a noise complaint. The film ends in absolute mid-action when a monkey bangs a gong, and it's suddenly over; no climax, no denouement, nothing. The best part of the film are some fairly entertaining credits done with guys in gorilla suits at the opening. It is campy fun that is timed just right at 30 minutes; any more would be pushing the limits. Besides 'Tormented' this is easily the best thing on the DVD.Seemingly out of place to me on the disc is 'Tormented' a feature length psychological drama of love torn asunder in a lighthouse by Bert I. Gordon, who for once uses characters of normal size. 'Tormented' is well made and fairly creepy, and therefore not really in keeping with the rest of the DVD, which is thematically tied to spook shows of the 1920s to 1960s. I like 'Tormented,' and that (plus some funny camp value points from 'Monsters Crash The Pajama Party') is what brought this DVD up to three stars for me.Now that I have discussed the good, let's turn to the bad. In any discussion of the bad features of this DVD, the logical place to start is the index. This DVD has the worst designed, most irritating and utterly pointless index system I have ever seen. Some people seem to like the 'hidden Easter egg' charm of this index, but most people will hate it. Let me explain. The index has no words, merely symbols like a bat or a headstone to select the features. This means that there is absolutely no way to find what you are looking for other than by random chance. To further aggravate the viewer, there are multiple sub-menus of index functions, meaning that the search is even more aggravating than it even sounds. I will never watch this DVD again for that reason alone.There is a short feature, wholly inappropriately titled 'The Asylum of the Insane'. It is in 3-D, and (very cheap) glasses are provided, but it doesn't really matter, as the 3-D does not work on a television, but gave me a big time headache (or perhaps it's the content that did it...) This movie is not terribly horrifying inasmuch as it consists of ten minutes of some kids throwing a football around, an old guy doing yo-yo tricks, and a some teenagers in Halloween masks poking baseball bats and hatchets at the camera. To exacerbate the 'horror', there is the bonus of no sound, so it's really a silent movie of a Saturday afternoon with some adolescent boys. It is the most utterly pointless piece of celluloid ever exposed to the light of day.There are scads of other, unrelated things, like some bad horror shorts from the 1920s to 1960s set to the tune of "Little Jack-o-lantern" sung by 'The Dead Elvi'. There are some amazingly boring audio tracks superimposed over random other things like stills and spook show art (this gets tedious...there are 300 stills in this section), there is a ride through a fun house, something called 'Chased By Monsters', that I never grasped it's reason for existing, and it's all introduced by the amazing 'Hypnoscope,' an effect used much more effectively by Ray Dennis Steckler in 'The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living And Became Mixed Up Zombies.' There is also a documentary named 'Don't Be Afraid', about fearing darkness, but honestly after looking over and over through that stupid menu, I could never find it, so I really can't tell you anything about it.This DVD was supposed to be fun. Instead, all I felt was 'Tormented'.

"Monsters Crash the Pajama Party," well, this DVD is something else alright. It's a celebration of the good ol' days of Halloween and spook shows. The main feature "Monsters Crash The Pajama Party" is about 25 minutes or so long and is ridiculously cheesy. The other feature promoted on the cover is "Asylum of the Insane" which is a 10-15 minute clip of 70s kids wearing weird monster masks and stabbing at the camera with various objects. Let's be real here: the 3D sucks though.There's also a THIRD feature, the 1960 film "Tormented" that is hidden on this disc. It's longer than the main presentation and actually, a legit movie.Included on this disc is also tons and tons of special features, including various clips of random "spooky" stuff, a ride through a 1960s carnival "haunted attraction" and a long detailed essay on how to put on your own spook show. One of the best features is old, rare footage from the 20s, 30s, and 40s of short films, as well as "soundies," which were musical numbers from various television programs and promotions at the time.The DVD itself is the best part. NOTHING is labeled and all this stuff is hidden. Part of the fun is clicking on various things in the menu and seeing what comes up.Is it hokey? Yes. Is it fun? Yes. Is it safe for the kids? Yes, yes and yes. It's a great trip down memory lane.

El Dvd definitvo para poner durante las fiestas de Halloween! o simplemente si estas en el mood de algo campy y clásico.

As I look at the reviews posted by the less than satisfied customers, I can't help but laugh. What where you all expecting?"Monsters Crash the Pajama Party: Spook Show Spectacular" was an interactive movie from 1965; before VHS existed. In those days, and many before it, there were events called "The Midnight Spook Show". While the film would play, actors dressed as monsters and characters from the film would appear and interact with the audience. It was the gimmick of the times that hasn't translated to the modern age of cinema; for better or for worse. Unless you attended one of these Spook Shows, you wouldn't figure out what was going on whilst watching it. That being said, it wouldn't have made "Monsters Crash the Pajama Party" any better. It's a bad movie plain and simple, but that's not the point of this DVD.The special features and Easter eggs are the highlight of the DVD and the main reason to own it. I, like most, have never heard of "Monsters Crash the Pajama Party" and for good reason. I first learned about it in the 3rd season of Cinemassare's "Monster Madness" and it perfectly summed up what's so great about this little DVD. It's a tribute and collection of vintage Halloween everything; a Spook Show Museum one could say. So when people complain about it, I am genuinely curious to know how they discovered it. Did they just happen to look at it and buy it without looking it up? Even if you did a Google search, the DVD section of its wiki page is made mostly of James Rolfe's take on it. A little research beforehand people?This is a great DVD that's perfect for Halloween and a blast to go treasure hunting through the unmarked menus (which many dislike). That being said, there are a couple things about the DVD I'm a little disappointed by. This appears to be a reprint as there are changes from the 2007 originals. Instead of two pairs of white 3D glasses, there is now only one with pointlessly added colour. And they still don't have the temples making them impossible to wear. Great job guys. It also doesn't have the original booklet. Though that is disappointing, I think most of it was added in electronically on the main menu. I prefer physical stuff but at least I have something. On a final note, the DVD cover is no longer the same. Though Amazon shows the old one, on the DVD I received t no longer has the "Bonus" and ghost with the "100% Spooky" sign in the bottom left. And the DVD logo is no longer on the bottom which is actually a good thing.Many people have complained that the unmarked menus and overall content is a mess and a joke. I for one love this kind of chaos and the old fashion cheesiness. James Rolfe said it best, "It's a haunted box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get."

A definite must for anyone who enjoys shlock! There are so many Easter Eggs on this dvd that a single viewing won't let you see everything. Great for any Halloween party and just as great for something to throw on during a rainy day. The terrible 3D effects make it even better!

My son was so happy to get this for Christmas because he thought you couldn't get it any more. He's really looking for to watching it.

Jam Packed!