Click to read the article
The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2004)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:66
Fresh:35
Rotten:31
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: Lost Skeleton is clever at spoofing B-movies, but the joke isn't sustainable for its running time.
Runtime: 90 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: It's 1961 and Dr. Paul Armstrong (Larry Blamire) and his lovely wife Betty (Fay Masterson) head into the mountains in search of a recently fallen meteor containing the rare element atmosphereum.... It's 1961 and Dr. Paul Armstrong (Larry Blamire) and his lovely wife Betty (Fay Masterson) head into the mountains in search of a recently fallen meteor containing the rare element atmosphereum. Paul needs it to help him with his science work, but Betty'd just as soon have a vacation. Also in the area, sinister Dr. Roger Fleming (Brian Howe) asks trusty Ranger Brad (Dan Conroy) the whereabouts of Cadavra Cave, mysterious home to rumors of a legend of the Lost Skeleton." That night, both parties witness what appears to be yet another meteor falling. Immediately after, a local farmer is killed by a horrible, unseen thing. Is there a connection? Indeed there is. The second meteor is actually a disabled alien spaceship with a strange couple from the planet Marva, Krobar (Andrew Parks) and Lattis (Susan McConnell). These aliens discover they also need Atmosphereum to power their really high tech ship, and notice their horrible pet mutant (Darrin Reed), which they travel around with for some reason, has escaped. Unfortunately, Dr. Fleming discovers he also needs the atmosphereum to bring to life the dreaded Lost Skeleton of Cadavra which he finds in the cave. After the aliens disguise themselves as earth people with the aid of their "transmutatron", Dr. Fleming swipes it and morphs four different forest animals into his own ally - the beautiful cat-suited Animala (Jennifer Blaire). Now everyone's after the atmosphereum and the Armstrongs find they have their hands full, capturing the mutant, stopping the evil scientist, and vanquishing the power-mad Skeleton who wants to rule the world. [More]
Starring: Larry Blamire, Fay Masterson, Andrew Parks, Susan McConnell
Starring: Larry Blamire, Fay Masterson, Andrew Parks, Susan McConnell, Brian Howe, Jennifer Blaire, Robert Deveau
Director: Larry Blamire
Director: Larry Blamire
Screenwriter: Larry Blamire
Producer: F. Miguel Valenti
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Reviews for The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra
This homage, affectionate though it is, lacks the additional wit needed to carry a feature-length parody.
In a way, this failure is a product of its success: so adept is Blamire's backhanded homage that it results in a film every bit as gruelling as its antecedents.
The best thing about this knowing send-up of B horror movies is the vintage 1937 Disney animated short that precedes it in theaters.
[The] slavish devotion to the shlock of the '50s that prevents the movie from ever becoming anything more than a bizarre curiosity.
After about 15 minutes of glossy faux-50's style dialogue, I got the joke and just didn't find it funny enough to last 90 minutes.
The film cannot make up its mind. Is it B-movie or a spoof of B-movies?
OK, so they made a movie bad enough to be on Mystery Science Theater 3000. But MST3K was watchable despite its bad films, not because of them.
Watching campy movies can be almost as funny as as watching a well-written comedy. However, watching a movie that intentionally mimics bad filmmaking is excruciating.
Since there's no shortage of enjoyably bad movies out there, why settle for processed cheese when there's real cheddar to be devoured?
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra at IGN
- The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

