Tubi Thursday: Teenage Caveman (1958)

 The late Roger Corman made so many Films as both a Director and Producer that I've yet to see them all.

Well, I wanted a quick Film to squeeze into my Schedule, so let's check out...

A young man- Robert Vaughn, who is 26- lives in a Tribe with a bunch of Cavemen (and Women).

However, he's questioning all of the rules.

Don't go past this place?  Why not?
Don't explore?  Why not?
Buy a second shoulder strap or just abandon this top?  Why?!?

This puts him into conflict with his Parents- he's a Nepo Caveman Baby TBF- and some of the other Cavemen.

He 'breaks the law' by exploring and one of the men dies...when he just can't grab a damn stick and sinks in a river.

What will this lead to?

In spite of being given a Wife, he still has to explore.

He confronts the strange creature he saw earlier, while the Tribe comes for him.
A Deus Ex Caveman drops a rock on the creature...

...and it turns out to be a survivor of the Nuclear War.

Yes, they weren't the Caveman you thought they were- they were the survivors of a Nuclear War that reset.

Only a beast (that was actually a man) was keeping them from leaving.

Wait- did Roger Corman make The Village in 1958?!?!?!?!?

***What a twist!***

This is a famously bad Film.  Robert Vaughn hated it.  MST3K covered it in 1991.

I don't...hate it?

It's not great.  I think the Title does it a disservice because Vaughn was one of those guys that looked mature early, so him just 9 years too old to be a 'Teenager' does look worse than it is.

Blame AIP- they changed the Title to sell it to 'the kids these days' (over 60 years ago).

I'm not going to tell you that this Film is amazing.  The semi-Remake sure isn't.  If anything, THAT Film is more dated.

It is pretty cheesy.  The dinosaur effects are laughable and/or Stock Footage.  The way they show Vaughn 'hunt' (he throws something off camera and picks up a stuffed animal) is silly.

The Ending is pretty clever, even if it is heavier handed than that Rockbiter fellow.

That said, there were some good things...

A Film that is really famous for being bad.  That said- it is a bit heavy-handed and slow-paced, but not terrible.  *shrugs*