Editing Reptilicus

{{Short description|1961 Danish monster film}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Reptilicus
| image          = reptilicus-danish.jpg
 
| caption        = Danish theatrical release poster
| director       = '''Danish version:'''<br />[[Poul Bang]]<br />'''English version:'''<br />[[Sidney W. Pink]]
| producer       = 
| writer         = [[Ib Melchior]]<br />Sidney W. Pink
| narrator       = 
| starring       = Carl Ottosen<br />Ann Smyrner<br />Mimi Heinrich<br />Dirch Passer
| music          = [[Sven Gyldmark]]
| cinematography = Aage Wiltrup
| editing        = Sven Methling<br />Edith Nisted Nielsen
| studio         = [[Saga Studios]]
| distributor    = [[American International Pictures]] (USA)<br />[[Saga Studios]] (Denmark)
| released       = {{Film date|1961|02|20}} (Denmark)<br>1962 (United States)
| runtime        = 94 minutes (Denmark), 81 minutes (USA)
| country        = Denmark<br />United States
| language       = Danish<br />English
| budget         = $233,000{{efn|The Danish version cost $133,000,<ref name="Cinescape">{{cite web|author=Newsom, Ted|url=https://cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Books&action=page&type_id=&cat_id=&obj_id=23689|title=Book Feature: ''Reptilicus - The Screenplay''|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051204172144/http://www.cinescape.com/0/editorial.asp?aff_id=0&this_cat=Books&action=page&type_id=&cat_id=&obj_id=23689|archivedate=December 4, 2005|accessdate=June 1, 2022}}</ref> while the American version cost an additional $100,000.<ref name="AIP">Mark McGee, ''Faster and Furiouser: The Revised and Fattened Fable of American International Pictures''</ref>}}
| gross          = $800,000<ref name="Doto">{{cite book|title=Reptilicus the Screenplay|first=Kip|last=Doto|publisher=Bayou Publishing|page=15}}</ref>
}}
'''''Reptilicus''''' is the mutual title of two [[Kaiju|monster film]]s about a giant, prehistoric [[reptile]]. A pair of Danish-American co-productions produced by Cinemagic<ref name="Craig">{{cite book|title=American International Pictures: A Comprehensive Filmography|author=Craig, Rob|date=2019|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|page=304|isbn= 9781476666310}}</ref> and [[Saga Studio]], the Danish-language ''Reptilicus'' was directed by [[Poul Bang]] and released by Saga in Denmark in 1961, while the English-language ''Reptilicus'' was directed and co-written by [[Sidney Pink]] and released by [[American International Pictures]] in the United States in 1962. They've frequently been incorrectly described as two release-versions of the same film.

{{Blockquote|"In every film reference book published over the past four decades, the Danish-American monster-movie ''Reptilicus'' is listed as one film, and one film only. However, in spite of sharing an identical plot, identical sets and locations, a nearly identical cast and crew, as well as overlapping use of some shots, ''Reptilicus'' is in fact two distinct films, shot in separate languages by two directors, very much in the manner of the American/Spanish versions of Universal's 1931 ''Dracula''."|Nicolas Barbano: ''Twice Told Tails – The Two Versions of Reptilicus'' in Video Watchdog #96, 2003<ref>Video Watchdog #96, 2003</ref>}}

== Plot ==
Danish [[miner]] Svend Viltorft digs up a section of a giant reptile's tail from the frozen grounds in [[Sápmi (area)|Lapland]], where he and other miners are drilling. The section is flown to the [[Denmark's Aquarium]] in [[Copenhagen]], where it is preserved in a cold room for scientific study. But due to mishandling, the room is left open and the section begins to thaw, only for scientists to find that it is starting to regenerate.

Professor Otto Martens, who is in charge of the aquarium, dubs the reptilian species "Reptilicus" (upon a reporter's suggestion) and compares its [[Regeneration (biology)|regeneration]] abilities to that of other animals like [[planarian]]s and [[starfish]]s.

Once fully regenerated from the tail section, Reptilicus goes on an unstoppable rampage from the Danish countryside to the panic-stricken streets of Copenhagen (including one of its famous landmarks, [[Langebro]] Bridge). The monster is finally rendered unconscious by a sedative developed by ingenious scientists and shot into its mouth from a [[bazooka]] fired by General Grayson.

However, the film is left open-ended. A final shot shows one of Reptilicus' legs, which had been blown off earlier by the [[Royal Danish Navy|Danish Navy's]] depth charges, beginning to move on its own, raising the possibility that it is starting to regenerate into a new Reptilicus.

== Cast ==
* [[Carl Ottosen]] as General Mark Grayson
* [[Ann Smyrner]] as Lise Martens
* [[Mimi Heinrich]] as Karen Martens
* [[Asbjørn Andersen (actor)|Asbjørn Andersen]] as Professor Otto Martens
* Bodil Miller as Connie Miller (Danish version)
* Marla Behrens as Connie Miller (American version)
* [[Bent Mejding]] as Svend Viltorft
* [[Povl Wøldike]] as Dr. Peter Dalby
* [[Dirch Passer]] as Peterson (Dirk Mikkelsen in the Danish version)
* Ole Wisborg as Captain Brandt
* [[Mogens Brandt]] as Police Chief Hassing
* [[Kjeld Petersen]] as Police Officer Olsen
* Alfred Wilken	as Commander Vanggaard
* Poul Thomsen as Captain Naval
* [[Claus Toksvig]] as himself	
* [[Birthe Wilke]] as herself
* [[Alex Suhr]] as Alex
* [[Bent Vejlby]] as Brandt's Driver
* [[Børge Møller Grimstrup]] as Farmer
* Dirk Melchior as Farmer Eaten by Reptilicus

== Production ==
Production of the two films started in July 1960. They were shot simultaneously, one directed by Danish director [[Poul Bang]] and filmed in Danish language, the other directed by American producer-director Sidney Pink and filmed in English language with an almost identical cast. Pink and Bang took turns throughout each shooting day, so that Pink would direct and film a shot in English, after which Bang would direct and film the same shot in Danish.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Filmland Events|newspaper= The Los Angeles Times|location= Los Angeles, California|date= July 20, 1960}}</ref>

The only difference in the cast of the two films is UNESCO representative Connie Miller, played by Danish actress [[Bodil Miller]] in Bang's Danish-language film and, because the latter could not speak English, by German actress Marla Behrens in Pink's English-language film. Filming took place in several locations in [[Denmark]], including [[Sjælland]] (especially  [[Copenhagen]]) and [[Jylland]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Reptilicus (1961) – Filming Locations – IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056405/locations?ref_=tt_dt_dt |website=IMDb.com |access-date=25 August 2014}}</ref>

The Danish-language film directed by Poul Bang was completed swiftly and released in Denmark on February 25, 1961.

Following delivery of his negative to [[American International Pictures]], Pink's film was deemed virtually unreleasable and had to be extensively reworked by the film's Danish-American screenwriter, [[Ib Melchior]]. This included altering footage to show Reptilicus vomiting acid saliva; the Danish actors' voices (speaking English with Danish accents) were dubbed over by mainly American actors (and in several cases by Melchior himself).

Pink was angry at the changes and wound up in a legal dispute with AIP.<ref name="AIP" /> After Pink and others viewed Melchior's new version, however, the lawsuit was dropped<ref name="White2013">{{cite book |first=Mike |last=White |title=Cinema Detours |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jm0wBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA135 |year=2013 |publisher=Lulu.com |isbn=978-1-300-98117-6 |pages=135–}}</ref> and it is this version that was finally released in the [[United States]] in 1962.<ref name="Reptilicus 1961 – Trivia – IMDb">{{cite web |title=Reptilicus (1961) – Trivia – IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056405/trivia?ref_=tt_trv_trv |website=IMDb.com |access-date=25 August 2014}}</ref>

===Pink & Denmark===
[[Sidney Pink]] produced four films in Denmark: ''[[The Greeneyed Elephant]]'', ''[[Journey to the Seventh Planet]]'' and the two ''Reptilicus''-films. Following his return to Hollywood, he praised Denmark and Danish filmmaking, including the Danish miniatures, saying that "Danish miniature work has surpassed that of Japan, up to generally acknowledged to be the finest in the world. Facilities in Denmark, by Hollywood standards, are notably lacking; but fine craftsmen who put everything together by hand are not concerned with the time it takes, (and) are excellent". Pink also said "the Scandinavian countries have never truly been exploited by Hollywood filmmakers, so the settings have remained unusually fresh ground for motion pictures. ''Reptilicus'' at Saga Studios in Copenhagen made "at a cost of $380,000 ({{Inflation|US|380000|1960|fmt=eq}}), about a third of what it probably would have cost if made in the U. S."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://archive.org/stream/variety220-1960-11/variety220-1960-11_djvu.txt |title=Dane's Miniature Work the Bestest|author=<!--Not stated--> |date=November 1, 1960 |website=Variety |access-date=September 2, 2022}}</ref> Pink attempted to produce a remake of the film in 2001, due to the box office success of ''[[Godzilla (1998 film)|Godzilla]]'' in 1998, before his death in 2002.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nixon |first1=Rob |title=Reptilicus |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/88001/reptilicus#articles-reviews?articleId=1311641 |website=Turner Classic Movies |publisher=Turner Classic Movies, Inc. |access-date=2024-09-13 |date=2017-04-20}}</ref>

== Release ==
=== Theatrical release ===
[[File:REPTILICUS (3).JPG|right|thumb|170px|American theatrical release poster by [[Reynold Brown]].]]
The  Danish-language ''Reptilicus'' directed by Poul Bang was released in Denmark on February 25, 1961. The English-language ''Reptilicus'' directed by Sidney Pink and reworked by Ib Melchior was released in the US in late 1962.

=== Home media ===
Poul Bang's Danish-language ''Reptilicus'' was released in Denmark on Betamax and VHS from Video Action as ''Rædselsuhyret'', on VHS from Video International as ''Dus med uhyret'', in 1994 on VHS from [[Sandrew Metronome]] as ''Reptilicus'', and in 2002 on DVD from [[Sandrew Metronome]] as ''Reptilicus''. In 2019, the Swedish company Studio S released Poul Bang's ''Reptilicus'' on a DVD that as a bonus feature included Sidney Pink's English-language ''Reptilicus'' (both films in incorrect 4:3-ratio).

Sidney Pink's English-language ''Reptilicus'' was released on [[VHS]] in 1994 by [[Orion Home Video]], and on [[DVD]] on April 1, 2003, by [[MGM Home Entertainment]] under the ''[[Midnite Movies]]'' banner.<ref name="allmoviedvd">{{cite web |title=Reptilicus (1962) – Sidney Pink |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/reptilicus-v107627/releases |website=AllMovie.com |publisher=Allmovie |access-date=12 October 2017}}</ref> In June 2015, it was released in the [[Blu-ray]] format by [[Scream Factory]] as a [[double feature]] with the 1977 film ''[[Tentacles (film)|Tentacles]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gallman |first=Brett |date=4 July 2015 |title=Horror Reviews – Reptilicus (1961) |url=http://www.oh-the-horror.com/page.php?id=1739 |publisher=Oh! The Horror |access-date=21 July 2016}}</ref> In July 2024, it was released as 4K Blu-ray from [[Vinegar Syndrome]], with Poul Bang's Danish-language ''Reptilicus'' included among several bonus-features in this three-disc set.

==Critical response==
=== Danish-language version===
Upon its theatrical release in 1961, Poul Bang's Danish-language ''Reptilicus'' received negative reviews by the Danish film critics. However, as Denmark's only giant monster film, it has since achieved a [[Cult film|cult following]] in its home country.<ref name="Dansk Filmskat">{{cite web |title=Monsterfiasko blev kult |website=Dansk Filmskat |url=http://danskfilmskat-magasinet.dk/magasinet/bagom/reptilicus-monsterfiasko/ |language=da |access-date=February 25, 2018 |archive-date=August 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811154137/http://danskfilmskat-magasinet.dk/magasinet/bagom/reptilicus-monsterfiasko/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Film critic [[Glenn Erickson]] described the monster as "a wiggly marionette that moved like something from [[Kukla, Fran and Ollie]]," that the film's "dubbing was terrible and the optical effects so distractingly bad that I couldn't help but roll my eyes," that the film includes "a jaw-droppingly dreadful musical number, in which bumbling aquarium janitor Mikkelsen / Petersen (Dirch Passer) romps in a park with a bunch of barely-interested kids, singing a horrible song about a loveable monster," and that the film "comes in dead last in the list of movies where giant monsters attack cities."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Erickson |first1=Glenn |title=Reptilicus |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s321reptilicus.html |website=DVD Savant |publisher=Glenn Erickson |access-date=2023-09-25}}</ref> Describing the film as a "hilarious sci-fi mess," critic Hans Wollstein further noted in [[AllMovie]] that it "contains filmdom's perhaps least convincing monster and some of the worst performances imaginable," that "Ottosen's wooden performance is second only to that of Bodil Miller, a former Universal starlet who appears here for no apparent reason," and "a low point of the film is pop star Birthe Wilke's rendition of a ditty, 'Tivoli Nights', to a visibly dazed audience."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wollstein |first1=Hans |title=Reptilicus (1961) |url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/reptilicus-vm1066067 |website=AllMovie |publisher=Netaktion LLC |access-date=2023-09-25}}</ref>

===English-language version===
Released in 1962, almost two years later than Poul Bang's Danish-language ''Reptilicus'', Sidney Pink's English-language ''Reptilicus'' received mostly negative reviews from American critics. On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 25% based on {{nowrap|eight reviews}}, with a [[weighted average]] rating of 3.9/10.<ref name="rottomatoes">{{cite web |title=Reptilicus (1963) – Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/reptilicus/ |website=Rotten Tomatoes.com |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=12 October 2017}}</ref> Author and film critic [[Leonard Maltin]] awarded the film a BOMB, his lowest rating for a film. In his review of the film, Maltin wrote that the film was "only good for laughs as [the] script hits every conceivable monster-movie cliché, right to the final shot".<ref name="Maltin2015">{{cite book |first=Leonard |last=Maltin |title=Turner Classic Movies Presents Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide: From the Silent Era Through 1965: Third Edition |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fttJBgAAQBAJ |date=29 September 2015 |publisher=Penguin Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-698-19729-9 |page=568}}</ref> ''[[TV Guide]]'' gave the film one out of a possible four stars, calling it "a fair-to-poor monster film".<ref name="tvguide">{{cite web |title=Reptilicus – Movie Reviews and Movie Ratings |url= https://www.tvguide.com/movies/reptilicus/2030125765/ |website=TV Guide.com |publisher=TV Guide |access-date=17 January 2024}}</ref>

Writing in [[DVD Talk]] about Scream Factory's Blu-ray release, Kurt Dahlke reported that "''Reptilicus'' seems aimed squarely at the monster kids in the audience," that no viewers "will concern themselves with the plot," and that "Special Effects are not this movie's strong point, but they are its selling point," with a monster that "often slithers about slowly, like an arthritic hand-puppet."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dahlke |first1=Kurt |title=Tentacles / Reptilicus |url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review/68056 |website=DVD Talk |publisher=DVDTalk.com |access-date=2023-09-25}}</ref> Reviewing the same release, Matt Brunson from ''[[Creative Loafing]]'' also gave the film a negative review: "The effects used to create Reptilicus (a puppet, basically) are no worse than those seen in many of the era's films (it still beats the oversized bird in ''[[The Giant Claw]]'', for starters), but the effects employed when the creature does something like munch on humans or shoot acidic green slime from its mouth manage to travel beyond atrocious. [...] Awkward dubbing of foreign actors, special effects that look like they cost a buck fifty, laughably earnest dialogue, wince-inducing comic relief from a dim-witted character — if ever a movie was made that deserved to be showcased on the cult series ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' it's this one".<ref name="dvdreview">{{cite web |last1=Brunson |first1=Matt |title=Chappie, Reptilicus, Spirited Away, The Sunshine Boys among new home entertainment titles |url=https://clclt.com/charlotte/chappie-reptilicus-spirited-away-the-sunshine-boys-among-new-home-entertainment-titles/Content?oid=3615417 |website=Creative Loafing.com |publisher=Matt Brunson |access-date=12 October 2017}}</ref>

===Comparisons===
Kip Doto's book ''Reptilicus: The Screenplay'' (1999) was the first publication to attempt a listing of the main differences between Poul Bang's Danish-language ''Reptilicus'' and Sidney Pink's English-language ''Reptilicus''. This was followed by a critical comparison of the two films in Video Watchdog #96, 2003, noting that "almost every time the camera placement and editing differs between the two films, Pink emerges as a better filmmaker than Poul Bang. Pink's camera tends to be part of the drama, while Bang's camera is a distant, bored observer, typical of Danish cinema at that time.".

== Novel, comic book and stage adaptations ==
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Reptilicuscomic.jpg|thumb|Reptilicus attacks a hunter in the jungle. From issue #2 of the ''Reptilicus'' comic published by [[Charlton Comics]]. When the copyright expired, Charlton revamped the character into Reptisaurus.]] -->

A [[novelization]] of the film was released in paperback at the time of its original release (''Reptilicus'' by Dean Owen (real name: Dudley Dean McGaughey) (Monarch Books 1961)).<ref name="Reptilicus 1961 – Trivia – IMDb" />

In 1961, [[Charlton Comics]] produced a comic book based on the film. ''Reptilicus'' lasted two issues.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comics.org/series/11480/covers/ |title=GCD :: Covers :: Reptilicus |work=comics.org}}</ref> After the license had lapsed, Charlton modified the creature's look and renamed it Reptisaurus. The series was renamed ''Reptisaurus the Terrible'' and would continue from issue #3 before being cancelled with issue #8 in 1962.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comics.org/series/1485/covers/ |title=GCD :: Covers :: Reptisaurus |work=comics.org}}</ref> This was followed by a one-shot called ''Reptisaurus Special Edition'' in 1963.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.comics.org/series/65/covers/ |title=GCD :: Covers :: Reptisaurus Special Edition |work=comics.org}}</ref> Reptisaurus also made a cameo in the 12th issue of another Charlton giant monster comic, ''[[Gorgo (film)#Novel and comic book adaptations|Gorgo]]''.

In 2012, ''Scary Monsters Magazine'' reprinted the ''Reptisaurus the Terrible'' series as a black and white collection called ''Scarysaurus the Scary''.<ref>{{cite web |title=SCARYSAURUS #1 – Reprint Book |url=http://www.creepyclassics.com/product.sc?productId=6330 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119224924/http://www.creepyclassics.com/product.sc?productId=6330 |archive-date=19 January 2013 |work=creepyclassics.com}}</ref>

In 2020, PS Artbooks published the two issues of ''Reptilicus'' as a bonus in the first two volumes of their ''[[Kona, Monarch of Monster Isle]]'' trade paperback series.

On April 25, 2010, ''Reptilicus'' was performed as an experimental stage play at Skuespilhusets Portscene in central [[Copenhagen]], a co-production between Eventministeriet and [[CPH PIX]]. Titled ''Reptilicus Live'', this adaptation was directed by Line Paulsen with all roles performed by Troels Thorsen, Johannes Lilleøre, Martin Greis, Jeanette Lindbæk Larsen and Signe Egholm Olsen, plus an uncredited puppeteer portraying the monster by moving a [[Shadow play|shadow puppet]]. Theatre critic Jens Østergaard wrote in KultuNaut, April 26, 2010: "Not since ''Turbotown'' in Turbinehallerne has the audience cheered and laughed so enthusiastically at one of the [[Royal Danish Theatre|Royal Theatre]]'s stages. ''Reptilicus'' is wacky and brilliant entertainment, performed with great love for the old Danish monster movie."<ref>[https://www.linepaulsen.com/reptilicus Stage director's Reptilicus-webpage at www.linepaulsen.com]</ref>

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Dudley Dean McGaughy (as "Dean Owen"): ''Reptilicus'' (Monarch Books, 1961)
* [[Sidney W. Pink]]: ''So You Want to Make Movies'' (Pineapple Press, 1989)
* Kip Doto (ed): ''Reptilicus - The Screenplay '' (Bayou Publishing, 1999)
* [[Robert Skotak]]: ''Ib Melchior – Man of Imagination'' (Midnight Marquee Press, 2000)
* Nicolas Barbano: ''Twice Told Tails – The Two Versions of Reptilicus'', in ''[[Video Watchdog]]'' #96 (2003)
* [[Ib Melchior]]: ''Six Cult Films from the Sixties'' (BearManor Media, 2010)

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0056405|title=Reptilicus}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090225121654/http://www.bellabio.dk/?p=133 Reptilicus original Danish movie trailer] at bellabio.dk
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|reptilicus}}
* {{official website|http://www.mgm.com/#/our-titles/1623/Reptilicus/}}

{{Sidney W. Pink}}

[[Category:1961 films]]
[[Category:1961 horror films]]
[[Category:1960s American films]]
[[Category:1960s Danish-language films]]
[[Category:1960s English-language films]]
[[Category:1960s monster movies]]
[[Category:1960s multilingual films]]
[[Category:1960s science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:American International Pictures films]]
[[Category:American monster movies]]
[[Category:American multilingual films]]
[[Category:American natural horror films]]
[[Category:American science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:Charlton Comics titles]]
[[Category:Comics based on films]]
[[Category:Danish multilingual films]]
[[Category:Danish science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:Films about dinosaurs]]
[[Category:Films about dragons]]
[[Category:Films about father–daughter relationships]]
[[Category:Films adapted into comics]]
[[Category:Films directed by Poul Bang]]
[[Category:Films produced by Sidney W. Pink]]
[[Category:Films scored by Sven Gyldmark]]
[[Category:Films set in the Baltic Sea]]
[[Category:Films set in Copenhagen]]
[[Category:Films shot in Copenhagen]]
[[Category:Giant monster films]]
[[Category:Kaiju films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:Films set in aquariums]]
[[Category:Mystery Science Theater 3000]]