Category: Monsters
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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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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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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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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.
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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 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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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 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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