Thursday, March 9, 2017

Venus Flytrap, The Mad Botanist of Japan

Oh to be a botanist trapped in the body of a rocket scientist.  Many of us have suffered with this injustice of human existence.  This form of identity disorder can drive an intelligent man mad...or insane.  It happened to Victor Frankenstein (believing he was also God), and it will happen to our scientist in 1970's "Venus Flytrap" (aka "The Revenge of Doctor X").  Oh yes, this masterpiece was written by Ed Wood ("Plan 9 from Outer Space").
Our aforementioned rocket scientist, Dr. Bragan (James Craig) is stressed out.  Sending men into outer-space is just not satisfying him.  At the urging of his Japanese colleague, he accepts an invitation to vacation in Tokyo.  On his way to his Pan Am flight, he stops by a swamp and uproots a Venus Flytrap as a travelling companion.  Ignoring the pretty Asian stewardess, he begins to bond with the thing, like any good botanist would.  Upon landing, he is greeted by a beautiful Geisha girl/lab assistant, Noriko (Atsuko Rome).  She is at his service!  What does Bragan desire to do in Japan?  See Mount Fuji?  Bathe with monks?  No!  Find a deserted mountaintop lab where he can create a brand new species of carnivorous fauna.
Noriko sets him up, and the two go to work.  Bragan needs a carnivorous sea plant to splice with his flytrap.  With the help of several topless Japanese beauties (don't ask, just enjoy), he secures the species.  Now, with some electricity from lightning, a bit of human blood, and vitamins, he creates a monster that desires blood.  This creature, a cross between the Pillsbury Doughboy and the Jolly Green Giant with boxing gloves, soon becomes too big and hungry for Noriko and Bragan to control. Now it is loose on Japan, and the buffet begins.
Will the beautiful Noriko and Dr. Bragan figure a way to stop the bloody rampage of the huge vegetable?  Will the aforementioned topless Japanese beauties be served up as an hors d' oeuvres? Will Dr. Bragan ultimately meet the fate of most mad scientists, and be devoured by the monster? This is a fun one, and is almost a carbon copy of 1931's "Frankenstein," except this one has more topless Japanese babes in it.  For an important cinematic experience, see "Venus Flytrap."

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