Category: Aliens
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The Flame Barrier
The search for yet another lost husband in the Mexican jungles leads to a crashed satellite inhabited by a murderous alien blob. Gramercy’s 1958 SF jungle adventure has a good idea but lacks both script and interest. 2/10
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The Strange World of Planet X
Scientists accidentally blow a hole in the ionosphere, resulting in visiting aliens and giant bugs. This 1958 UK low-budget production has some good ideas, but is hampered by equally bad ones. 4/10
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The Mysterians
Aliens land in Japan, and demand to mate with Earth women. The united military might of Earth engage in battle with the aliens. Ishiro Honda’s 1957 epic is a visual feast, but unfortunately thin on plot. 6/10
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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 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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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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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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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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Kronos
A giant alien machine descends to Earth and proceeds to drain the planet of energy in this 1957 Fox B-movie. The script is creaky, but this is a fairly original and well designed low-budget effort from the mind of Irving Block. 6/10
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Plan 9 from Outer Space
Ed Wood’s 1957 Magnum Opus is the epitomy of the so-bad-it’s-good movie. Far from the worst picture if all time, this is one of the most entertaining films in movie history, and unmistakingly a work of an auteur. 7/10
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Not of This Earth
An alien infiltrates Earth in order to collect blood for his race that is dying from anemia in Roger Corman’s well-crafted but somewhat uninspired urban thriller from 1957. 6/10
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Jungle Hell
UFO’s hover over Sabu & friends as they investigate the mystery of radioactive rocks found in India, among an endless stream of stock footage elephants. This 1956 curio was cobbled together from a failed TV pilot. 1/10
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Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
Columbia’s 1956 classic is the epitome of the 50’s UFO movie. The script is clichéd and the production cheap, but Ray Harryhausen’s animation and the taut direction make this a fun, highly intertaining saucer ride. 7/10
Scifist. 