Tag: William Alland
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The Colossus of New York
What happens when an altruistic scientist’s brain is placed in a monstrous metal body without a heart? The not too surprising answer is to be found in Paramount’s curious but overrated 1958 B-movie. 4/10
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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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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 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
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The Mole People
Archaeologists led by SF staple John Agar are captured by a lost underground civilisation in Universal’s 1956 movie. It’s not without its merits, but hampered by a weak script and a low budget. 4/10
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This Island Earth
With a more adult angle than most fifties SF movies, Universal’s 1955 big-budget splash dazzles both with wonderful visuals and clever ideas. That the screenplay mismanages these ideas prevents its inclusion with the bona fide classics. 7/10
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Creature from the Black Lagoon
Universal’s 1954 aquatic take on King Kong inspired an entire subgenre. Jack Arnold superbly directs this atmospheric story of an Amazon expedition in search of a prehistoric monster merman. But the clichéd script is the real missing link here. 7/10
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It Came from Outer Space
Ray Bradbury’s story is poetically put on screen in this 1953 classic. Richard Carlson stars as a mediator between body-snatching aliens and gun-happy townsfolk. Intelligent, well-filmed and thoughtful, it may be too slow for some tastes. 8/10
Scifist. 