Don Barton's Zaat (1972) turned out to be a real hoot, an aquatic horror flick filmed in Florida that is more Horror of Party Beach than Creature from the Black Lagoon. Featuring an absurd plot that has a disgruntled ex-Nazi scientist turning himself into a giant, walking catfish, the film at times recalls the works of Larry Buchanan (Curse of the Swamp Creature) and Eddie Romero (Beast of Blood), with a monster suit straight out of Sid & Marty Kroft. At 100 minutes it does test the viewer’s patience at times, but there is more than enough wackiness on offer to make this low-budget regional monster mash worth the journey. Beautiful remastered transfer on Film Chest’s Blu-Ray/DVD combo release, which also features a nice assortment of extras (audio commentary, outtakes, trailers, TV spots, etc.). Would make a great double-bill with 1971's Octaman.
