Author: Janne Wass
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The Unearthly
John Carradine, Tor Johnson and Allison Hayes star in Boris Petroff’s 1957 glandular horror film. A belated call-back to the mad scientist films of the 40’s, it’s cheap and derivative, but campy fun. 3/10
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The Land Unknown
A team of explorers get stranded in a lost world of dinosaurs in Universal’s flawed 1957 movie. Great sets and atmosphere and a decent cast aren’t enough to lift it above a bogged-down script and bad special effects. 5/10
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The Night the World Exploded
Scientists battle a novel element which theatens to blow the Earth to pieces in this 1957 Columbia cheapo. Dryly acted and clunkily written, but with an original enough idea to keep it going. 4/10
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The Giant Claw
In essence, The Giant Claw from 1957 is a decent monster movie programmer. The ludicrous monster ruins the film – but it is also the only thing that qualifies this movie for the status of a cult classic. 5/10
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Invasion of the Saucer Men
Two teens run over a little green man. When the authorities refuse to believe them, they take on the alien invasion by themselves. AIP’s comedy from 1957 has a clever premise, but is marred by a messy script. 5/10
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New look on the blog!
My old blog theme has apparently been abandoned by Wordpress, and this apparently resulted in a bug, which prevented me from using the Wordpress block editor. Thus, I have switched the theme. Please give me feedback in the comments!
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I Was a Teenage Werewolf
A mad scientist regresses a troubled teen into his primal state: a werewolf. AIP’s iconic low-budget horror was the frst starring role of Michael Landon. Beneath the cheeky facade, serious themes are explored. 5/10
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The Monster That Challenged the World
Giant slugs terrorize a small town near a US air force base in this 1957 production. Rounded characters, a well-written script and a good titular monster help lift this Gramercy film a cut above the average. 6/10
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The 10 Weirdest Pre-1950 SF Movies
Science fiction has never been averse to the strange and bizarre, but some movies baffle even the most hardened SF fan. The latter part of the 20th century hosts some of the most famous examples, but here we highlight some lesser known gems released before 1950.
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The Vampire
A doctor accidentally takes a pill which turns him into a vampire at night, and starts killing people. This 1957 low-budget production is surprisingly engaging thanks to a well-crafted script and good performances. 7/10
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The Man Without a Body
A dying businessman wants to replace his brain with that of Nostradamus, but Nostradamus has other plans. Low-budget SF legend W. Lee Wilder directed this unintentionally hilarious 1957 British clunker. 4/10
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Monster from Green Hell
US scientists trek through Africa, tracking down giant wasps in this 1957 Al Zimbalist schlocker. Over a third of the picture consists of stock footage, and what is left has few redeeming qualities. 2/10
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Quatermass 2
Professor Quatermass investigates alien body snatchers that have secretly taken over the British government in this 1957 sequel. The script is original but sprawling, and lacks the original’s claustrophobic horror 6/10.
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The Curse of Frankenstein
In 1957 Hammer rejuvenated the horror genre with an emphasis on blood and gore in bright colours. Somewhat flat and derivative story-wise, the film is more interesting for its legacy than for its qualities. 7/10
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The Deadly Mantis
The title of Nathan Juran’s 1957 Them! imitation is self-explanatory. Despite a decent monster and some glimpses of Universal class, this William Alland production is derivative and soulless. 4/10
Scifist. 