The Beast of Yucca Flats

Leading role notwithstanding, Tor Johnson gets not a single line in this curiosity of an exploitation film. In fact, no one has any lines, because none were recorded. Most probably, the extremely low budget - $34,000 according to Bill Warren - did not allow the usage of sound equipment. What we get instead is a continuous canned music score (not a bad one, really) with frequent narration and occasional inserted bits of dialogue. The overall effect, as we watch various characters wander around the Nevada hills, is closer to that of an extended music video than to a movie. The Beat Poet narration and off-kilter editing unintentionally provoke comparisons with Dementia. The shocking bad taste of the opening scene (gratuitous nudity, a hint at necrophilia) invokes something from the seamy 1950s underground.

Fans and critics from far and wide often hail Yucca Flats as the worst movie ever made. To John Stanley, it is "one of the poorest excuses for a movie that exists" and "makes Ed Wood look great." To VideoHound, "Anyone who thinks Tor's roles from Plan 9 from Outer Space and Bride of the Monster were masterpieces of bad acting needs to check this dog out." To Bill Warren, "absolutely nothing whatsoever works."

Goldweber, David Elroy (2012-06-14). Claws & Saucers: Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Film: A Complete Guide: 1902-1982 (Kindle Locations 5500-5520). David E. Goldweber. Kindle Edition.