Plot: What’s it about?
In The Beast That Killed Women, we learn that even nudist camps have a dark side, when a young woman and her husband trek to a nudist camp, with no idea what terror awaits them. No, not really saggy old woman or overly horny men, I mean more imminent terror, as is true danger. The carefree and fun nature of this naked paradise is about to be torn asunder, as a strange beast starts to run amok. This gorilla like creature seeks out the lovely ladies and soon, the camp is pushed to the limits of human survival. The police soon show up and start the investigation, but even they are unable to put an end to this madness. But it seems as if some hope is present, as a beautiful female officer agrees to serve as bait, which will allow the authorities to catch the beast in the act, lock him up, and return the camp to normal. In The Monster of Camp Sunshine, we watch as the gardener of a nudist camp turns into a hideous creep, although not by his own choice. You see, he drank from a river to quench his thirst, but he didn’t know a scientist had dumped some chemicals in, which would later turn the poor sap into a creature no one likes. This monster is so powerful and destructive, it might take the entire military to take him down!
If you’re a fan of madcap nudists, then this new double feature from Something Weird Video (via Image Entertainment) is one you won’t want to miss. Both of these films involve nudist colonies and that means tons of naked chicks, but what fun would that be without some cool twist tossed in? In the case of these two efforts, the twist comes in the form of deranged monsters, who rampage through the camps and raise all sorts of heck. So just when you start to relax and take in all the flesh on showcase, some ape or mutated gardener starts to wreak havoc. Of course, these movies appeal to a certain audience, so those averse to nude ladies and unusual naked moments need to keep off this double feature, to be sure. But fans of nudie cuties and other harmless sexual exploitation flicks should have a lot to like here, especially since the disc holds two movies and a ton of supplements to boot. The films are fun to watch, but don’t have much aside from mass nakedness and funny lines, so gauge your expectations as such. I wouldn’t call these classics by any means, but fans of this kind of stuff shouldn’t hesitate, as the double value is more than enough cause for a solid recommendation, at least in my opinion.
Video: How does it look?
Although both full frame transfers don’t measure up to more refined releases, I think fans of these movies will be pleased here. I don’t think celebrations will be thrown, but the image is good and looks better than many of these kind of pictures. The transfer for “The Beast” is very clean and looks sharper than expected, but a ton of edge enhancement lessens the score. I can overlook it in cases like this, but there’s so much of it, I have to knock the score down a shade. The colors and contrast seem very much in order however, which is a plus of course. The transfer for “The Monster” is a nice black & white treatment, but again, a lot of edge enhancement is visible and that lessens the good times involved. But the transfers are very clean and look better than I ever expected, so I am giving this release a passing grade, solid work indeed.
Audio: How does it sound?
These insane nudie flicks don’t need much audio punch, so the included mono tracks prove to be more than adequate. Of course, these aren’t the cleanest or crispest tracks out there, but it all sounds good and I wasn’t let down much. You have to consider the age and nature of the materials here, which is why I am more lenient in my score in this section. The wacky music and hilarious dialogue all comes across is more than decent form, which is more than enough in this case. I doubt this stuff could be improved much without expensive restoration work, so I’ll take these tracks and be pleased to own the movies themselves.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As with all of Something Weird Video’s double features, this disc allows for the whole drive-in experience, complete with intermission shorts and the like. This release also includes a wealth of nudie flick trailers, as well as six bonus short films that deal with naked women, very cool extras indeed. The usual radio spots and selection of exploitation artwork are also included, but the sole film specific bonus is the trailer for The Beast Who Killed Women.
