Paul Carlson (Chase Cordell) is a mineralogist working in the hills around Albuquerque, New Mexico. His friend, Johnny Longbow, is a professor of anthropology at the local college. While out in the field Johnny introduces Paul to a couple of his summer students, Bud Keeler (Tim Butler) and Janet Price (Francine Kessler). Also along is a photographer from New York, Kathy Nolan (Donna Leigh Drake). She is working on an expose of the religious customs of the local tribes.
In the meantime, scientists discover that there is a meteor heading for the moon. The impact is supposed to be huge. As a result the scientists expect that a meteor shower will happen on Earth from the fallout. Kathy wants to get pictures of the event. Paul offers to take her to one of his favorite spots so she can get a good view of it. While they are observing the meteor shower a small piece of the meteorite falls and hits Paul in the head. He ends up with a small cut on his head and a shard of the meteorite lodged in his brain.
The next day Paul and Kathy are at an exhibit of NASA moon rocks at the university when he has a reaction to a rock that is similar to the rock that hit him in the desert. That night, when the moon rises, Paul turns into a lizard monster and begins killing people. During the day he returns to his normal self but experiences dizzy spells and headaches. Each night he turns into the Moon Beast and continues to kill. Paul is taken to the hospital to find out what is wrong with him. Eventually they discover that Paul is the monster.
Johnny Longbow figures out that what Paul is experiencing is similar to an old Native American legend about a man who turned into a giant lizard similar to a T-Rex. According to the legend the lizard man eventually spontaneously combusted and burned to death. Johnny and Kathy hope that the doctors can find a way to remove the meteorite before it disintegrates and kills Paul.
“Track of the Moon Beast” was released in 1976 and was directed by Richard Ashe. It is a low budget science fiction horror movie. Originally shot in 1972 the movie wasn’t released until 1976 where it quickly went to television. The film had been more graphic but cuts were made to release it to television. The television cut of the film is the only one that still exists.
The film is now in public domain and as far as I know, does not have a cult following. The reason being, it has bad everything. The script is lame, the acting horrendous and the directing boring. The monster make-up effects are not all that great either and harkens back to 50’s style guy in a suit. That itself is not necessarily bad but the screen time for said creature is minimal and shot so dark it is difficult to see it. What I did see reminded me of the creature from “The Alligator People” 1959, only this one isn’t wearing pants. The Moon Beast was played by the special effects creator Joe Blasco. The movie is mostly slow but with some camp to it.
The band in the film was a local group that hailed from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Frank Larrabee and his group sang the song “California Lady”. It seems they were staying at the same hotel that the filmmakers were at and were talked into performing for the film.
Paul’s “pet” in the film is a komodo dragon.
Movie
California Lady Song