"Roger Corman, American International Pictures, Paul Blaisdell, Floyd Crosby, Charles B. Griffith, Paul Birch, Beverly Garland, Lon Chaney, Jr., John Carradine, Bronson Canyon...."
If any of these mean anything to you, either singly or in association, you'll consider this film miraculous and heaven-sent. Even if you know nothing about them , you'll find this an extremely witty, insightful, and, above all, reverent homage to 1950's independent monster movie making.
Genre aficionados will be in a state of gleeful disbelief at the amount of cinematic lore screenwriter/director Greene has so craftily woven into this nifty story. However, as mentioned earlier, subject knowledge is not a prerequisite for enjoyment.
All aspects of Attack of the Bat Monsters are first-rate. The cinematography is crisp, the editing seamless (also by Greene), and the locations are evocative. The acting is uniformly fine, with standout performances by Michael Dalmon and Bill Wise. Above all, though, it's the great script and astute direction that make this film.
Do yourself a favor and go out and find Attack of the Bat Monsters. Steal it if necessary. I saw it at the Midnight Marquee Classic Filmfest in Alexandria, VA, back in 2000, and the audience went nuts over it. Certainly the best film I've ever seen about independent film making, and the first to pay tribute to Bronson Canyon (near the Hollywood sign and Griffith Park), the site of literally hundreds of productions since the silent era. And the ultimate irony is that this brilliant tribute to filmmaking on Hollywood's fringe was not even shot in California---it was shot in Texas.
