Author: Janne Wass
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The Black Scorpion
Scientists battle giant prehistoric scorpions in Mexico in this 1957 Warner low-budget production. Willis O’Brien’s and Pete Peterson’s magnificent stop motion sequences balance out a poor and drawn-out script. 6/10
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Teenage Monster
A mother protects her teenage son, who has been turned into a murderous monster by the impact of a meteor. In the Wild West. This poorly written 1957 indie wierd western has little going for it, except some good monster makeup by Jack Pierce. 2/10
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The Amazing Colossal Man
After surviving a nuclear explosion, Glenn Langan is moved to a military test site where he continues to grow ever larger. There’s a rugged charm to Bert I. Gordon’s 1957 film that helps counteract the dull script and the poor effects. 5/10
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The Brain from Planet Arous
An evil brain from outer space with designs of world domination takes over the mind of a nuclear scientist. Neatly directed 1957 indie no-budget effort starring John Agar. Very silly and lots of fun. 5/10
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The Body Snatcher
A mad scientists kills wrestlers and turns them into super-monsters. An up-and-coming wrestler agrees to act as bait for the killer, with disastrous results. The first Mexican luchador/monster mashup from 1957 may be the best. 6/10
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The Invisibe Man vs. the Human Fly
Police and scientists turn invisible in order to catch a murderer who shrinks to the size of a fly. So-so special effects and a surprisingly tame script hamper this otherwise passable 1957 Japanese SF movie. 5/10
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From Hell It Came
US scientists battle evil natives and a murderous tree stump on a South Pacific island. The killer tree is the saving grace of Dan Milner’s tedious, talky 1957 no-budget cult classic. 2/10
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Cinco gallinas y el cielo
After accidentally eating experimentally enhanced chickens, residents of Buenos Aires start doing and saying exactly what they want. A pleasant little comedy from 1957, which falls short as a satire. 5/10
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The Unknown Terror
Three explorers search for a lost fiancé in West Indian caves inhabited by fungus monsters created by a mad scientist in Regal’s 1957 low-budget effort. Good visuals and an original idea, but the script is a mess. 4/10
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I Got the “Journalist of the Year” Award
This is very off-topic, but I just wanted to share an update from my day job with my regular readers. Yesterday I was awarded the Topelius Award, given annually to the journalist of the year within Finland’s 6% Swedish language minority.
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The 27th Day
An alien tests humanity by giving five people the means of killing all humans on Earth. The intriguing premise of Columbia’s 1957 film quickly regresses into red scare histrionics. 4/10
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The Cyclops
Susan Winters finds her lost husband in a remote Mexican vally, now radioactively mutated into a giant monster. The first in Bert I. Gordon’s trilogy of giant bald monsters. 4/10
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20 Million Miles to Earth
US astronauts bring back a creature from Venus to Italy, where it breaks loose, grows and runs amok in Rome. Ray Harryhausen’s memorable monster elevates this poorly written 1957 programmer. 6/10
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Super Giant
A superhero from a distant planet is sent to Japan to stop villains who plan to conquer the world with nuclear bombs. Shintoho’s Super Giant is cheap and silly, but introduced Japan’s first live-action superhero. 4/10
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Beginning of the End
Radiation is once again to blame as giant grasshoppers devour Chicago in Bert I. Gordon’s 1957 cult classic. While inept in most departments, it boasts a decent cast and is a lot of fun to watch. 4/10.
Scifist. 