War of the Colossal Beast

Plot

Upon hearing of several recent robberies of food delivery trucks in Mexico, Joyce Manning (Sally Fraser), Army officer Lt. Col. Glenn Manning's sister, becomes convinced that her brother (Dean Parkin) survived his fall from the Boulder Dam (as seen in The Amazing Colossal Man). Along with Army officer Major Mark Baird (Roger Pace) and scientist Dr. Carmichael (Russ Bender), she goes to Mexico to look for her brother.

Manning had, in fact, survived his fall, but was left disfigured and nearly mindless. Manning is captured, drugged by the Army, taken back to the United States, but again escapes and goes on a rampage through Los Angeles and Hollywood. Eventually, Joyce makes him come to his senses. Realizing what he has done, Manning kills himself by electrocution on high-voltage power lines near the Griffith Observatory.

Production

War of the Colossal Beast was produced, directed and written by Bert I. Gordon and co-produced with Samuel Z. Arkoff. Although most of it is shot in black-and-white, the ending was shot in color for the electrocution scene and doctored black-and-white. The producers decided to use the very heavy make-up on Dean Parkin as a way to disguise the fact that a different actor was playing Col. Manning, especially since a dream sequence flashing back to the original film featured Glenn Langan, the star of the earlier film.

Reception

War of the Colossal Beast was originally double billed with Attack of the Puppet People. Film historians Kim R. Holston and Tom Winchester noted that the film was "... a low-budget ship with Bert Gordon at the helm, so the special effects are unsurprisingly average; one always knows the 'giant' was filmed separately and mixed in with other shots." Film reviewer Leonard Maltin was more succinct, "Forget it."

Mystery Science Theater 3000

War of the Colossal Beast was featured in season 3, episode 19 of the Mystery Science Theater 3000. The Amazing Colossal Man was also shown in season 3. Mike Nelson again portrayed the film's title character. As opposed to his first encounter with Joel and the Bots, he shows more gentleness to them after seeing the transmission picked up by his "goofy dental work", but is still somewhat adamant when he tells them why Bert I. Gordon did not pick him for the sequel.