![](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CQUVBaE1_hU/SOQH7A6xHoI/AAAAAAAABBw/k96wFlPIALE/s200/tentacles.jpg)
Oh, so many reasons to watch Tentacles... not least of which is the presence of Shelley Winters, playing the wonderfully named Tillie Turner. She was such a good swimmer in The Poseidon Adventure (well, until she drowned) that I feel sure I’m in for some stunning aquarobics here as Tillie battles the many-tentacled menace, armed only with a nose-peg and verruca sock.
Then there’s the film’s preponderance of hilarious foreign titles. Yes, “tentacles” is a pretty funny word in English, but just you wait till you see it in Italian (Tentacoli!), French (Tentacules – so classy), Polish (Macki!), Finnish (Lonkerot!) and Norwegian (Blekksprut!). But my favourite has to be the German title, Der Polyp, which isn’t, of course, a direct translation of the word tentacles, but instead refers to the film’s marauding creature – or, as we call it, Shelley Winters.
So what’s holding me back from watching Tentacles? I’ll tell you – it’s the violence. Not the chewed-up humans; I can handle that. It’s the reports that the climax of the film features puppetty killer whales attacking and maiming some not-so-puppetty octopuses. Killing living things for the sake of a monster movie is just not cool, and it’s the one thing I’m squeamish about when it comes to exploitation cinema. Bad killer whale puppets... Go to your rooms!
1 comment:
Wow, it's been years since I've seen this movie, and I certainly don't remember the scene with the octopus. I agree, real life animal violence for the sake of movies is horrible. I think I might not want to re-visit this one. Pretty much what I do remember is... well, I guess going "John Huston was in this?!?" And "Bo Hopkins. Me-ow."
I say just stick with the amusing foreign titles and stick up for your octopi!
However, I do have the soundtrack which is fabulous.
PS-I downloaded that screen cap program and it worked! I mean, I got it to friggin' work! Wow. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I plan on nerding out this weekend with it!
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