Category: Monsters
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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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How to Make a Monster
A makeup artist manipulates his actors to kill the studio brass that is shutting down horror movie production. AIP’s third and last teenage monster movie is a self-aware pastiche. The script makes no sense, but it is an entertaining romp. 5/10
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The Fly
What caused Mrs. Delambre to kill her husband in a steel press? And why is she obsessed with flies? Vincent Price ponders these questions in Fox’s 1958 classic, a traditional mad scientist tale, but enhanced by an unusually engaging script. 7/10
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The H-Man
The Tokyo police are flabbergasted when gangsters start melting. Ishiro Honda mixes the police procedural with gooey body horror in this 1958 cult classic. Fun effects and good atmosphere counteract a plodding and confusing script. 6/10
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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 Colossal Beast
The Amazing Colossal Man is back! However, in this 1958 sequel his greatest adversaries are the tight shooting budget, the lacklustre script, the indifferent acting, and the fact that not even director Bert I. Gordon seemed to care. 3/10
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Fiend Without a Face
When the invisible brain monsters finally become visible in the film’s last 10 minutes, this British 1958 effort becomes one of the most memorable monster movies of the 50s. Unfortunately, the rest of the picture is hardly worth remembering. 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
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Womaneater
A scientist feeds women to a woman-eating tree, which gives him a serum that can bring back the dead. This British 1958 quota quickie is plodding and illogical, but kept afloat, barely, by its silly premise and decent acting. 2/10.
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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 Abominable Snowman
Peter Cushing searches for the Yeti in the Himalayas, but instead finds the dark soul of Man. Hammer puts a fresh, philosophical spin on the snowman in this excellent 1957 effort, that is unfortunately a bit too talky. 7/10
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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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Terror from the Year 5000
Between romantic rivalries, scientists conjure forth a monstrous woman from the year 5200. AIP’s 1958 curio is cheaply made and poorly directed, but does have a quirky originality and some intreresting ideas. 5/10
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The Monolith Monsters
Meteor fragments that start growing into the size of skyscrapers and topple over threaten a small Southwest US town. Universal’s 1957 effort is one of the better late 50s B SF movies. 6/10
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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
