Category: Aliens
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Monsters and Moon Landings: the Lost Filipino Sci-Fi Films
The Philippines was a major producer of sci-fi movies in the 50s, but few of the films have ever been seen by modern film scholars and fans, since most of them have been lost, and few have aired on TV. Here we take a look at the six first, lost,…
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The Cosmic Man
Alien John Carradine lands his space ship in Bronson Canyon and causes a war of words between a military man and a scientist about what to do with the visitor. A cheaply produced 1959 programmer, this talky cold war parable has a baffling script, but is mostly harmless. 4/10
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Toto in the Moon
Achille just wants to write science fiction stories, but American scientists want to send him into space and are thwarted by communists and alien clones. Italian comedy legend Totò heads this sloppily written 1958 sci-fi spoof, more interesting for its call sheet than its plot. 4/10
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Missile to the Moon
A scatterbrained 1958 retread of Cat Women of the Moon, Richard Cunha’s cardboard rocket takes us to yet another civilisation inhabited by perky beauty pageant winners and their evil queen. A so-bad-it’s-good classic. 3/10
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I Married a Monster from Outer Space
Aliens body-snatch the men of a small town so they can mate with Earth women and save their dying race. Despite it’s silly title and premise, this 1958 Paramount production is a surprisingly intelligent, well-filmed and atmospheric alien invasion thriller with a risqué sociological subtext. 7/10
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The Trollenberg Terror
Aliens hiding in the mist surrounding the Swiss Alps terrorize a small ski resort in this 1958 British low-budget cult classic. Despite Les Bowie’s variable effects and Jimmy Sangsters occasionally wobbly script, this is a fairly effective and atmopsheric little horror thriller. 6/10
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Queen of Outer Space
Four astronauts crash land on the female-only planet of Venus and join Zsa Zsa Gabor in her revolt against the evil queen. Allied Artists’ 1958 colour Z-movie is an attempt at a spoof, but it is impossible to distinguish from the films it tries to make fun of. 2/10
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Night of the Blood Beast
The crew of a small observation station are besieged by an alien monster while trying to care for a seemingly undead astronaut that has been impregnated with alien babies. Gene Corman’s first SF movie has a novel idea and competent direction, but is done in by its low budget and…
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The Astounding She-Monster
A busty radioactive alien woman terrorizes a geologist, a socialite and three gangsters in a mountain cabin. Ronald Ashcroft’s 1957/1958 no-budget picture is inept in all departments, and provides audiences with little else than a chance to laugh at how bad it is. The poster is awesome, though. 1/10
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It! The Terror from Beyond Space
A mission to Mars returns to Earth with a monstrous stowaway aboard the space rocket. United Artists’ 1958 proto-slasher is clunky and occasionally hilarious, but Jerome Bixby’s tight script builds up some real tension, and gets a few points for originality. 6/10.
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The Space Children
Children help an alien brain with telekinetic powers to sabotage the launch of a nuclear satellite. Jack Arnold’s kiddie-friendly pacifist message film from 1958 is intriguing and fresh in its earnestness, but bogged down by a thin and redundant script. 5/10
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Space Master X-7
A mystery woman unwittingly spreads a flesh-eating fungus spore from Mars across the US, and G-men race to stop her. This 1958 Dragnet-styled thriller is a competent low-budget potboiler, but fails because the plot needs the smart heroes to act like idiots. Plus the relentless narration.
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War of the Satellites
A body-snatching alien infiltrates the international space program with intents at sabotage. Good low-budget effects and acting, but a dull script makes this one of Roger Corman’s lesser SF efforts. 4/10
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Attack of the 50 Foot Woman
A scorned heiress is abducted by a UFO and grows to gigantic proportions, while her cheating husband tries to murder her so he can run off with the town floozy. Nathan Juran’s 1958 cult classic is bad in many ways, but its themes continue to fascinate. 6/10
Scifist. 