Tag: 1957

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The Monolith Monsters (1957) Movie Review

The Monolith Monsters – ABC Film Challenge – Horror – M – Monolith Monsters – Movie Review

Monolith Monsters

Director: John Sherwood

Writer: Norman Jolley, Robert M Fresco (Screenplay)

Writer: Jack Arnold (Story)

Cast

  • Grant Williams (The Incredible Shrinking Man)
  • Lola Albright (Lord Love a Duck)
  • Les Tremayne (North by Northwest)
  • Trevor Bardette (The Deerslayer)
  • Phil Harvey

Plot: Rocks from a meteor which grow when in contact with water threaten a sleepy Southwestern desert community.

Runtime: 1 Hour 17 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Monolith Monsters starts when a meteor lands in the desert. A local man Ben (Harvey) takes a piece home to study, calling in journalist Dave Miller (Williams). The morning after Ben is fold solid as a rock. Meanwhile, school teacher Cathy Barrett (Albright) sees one of her students find a rock, leading to her home having disastrous effects.

Professor Flanders (Bardette) is called in to help, teaming up with Dave and Cathy to understand what is going on. As the rocks keep growing leaving a path of destruction behind them.

Verdict on The Monolith Monsters

The Monolith Monster is a sci-fi horror that jumps at the chance to use the unknowns from space. It uses the idea of a meteor bringing an unknown substance to the planet, causing destruction. With a race against time to stop it from causing mass destruction on the planet.

In the 1950s one of the biggest fears in the world was threats from space. This uses that idea like many others for the era to bring the horror out. It is created well and comes from one of the more harmless approaches to contact. A growing lifeform. This might not look as breath-taking as flying saucers or enlarged animals. But it does bring a fresh threat that many people would consider.

Final Thoughts – The Monolith Monsters is a fun sci-fi horror movie fitting the era perfectly.

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Movie Review

The Deadly Mantis (1957) Movie Review

The Deadly Mantis – Movie Review

Deadly Mantis

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Martin Berkeley, William Alland (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A giant prehistoric praying mantis, recently freed from the Arctic ice, voraciously preys on American military at the DEW Line and works its way south.

Runtime: 1 Hour 19 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Deadly Mantis starts when a string of unexplainable attacks happen on remote scientific bases. Col Parkman (Stevens) teams up with Dr Jackson (Hopper) to understand what might be behind it.

The small remaining part of the creature shows that they are dealing with some form of insect. After more attacks, they discover what they are facing, a giant mantis travelling from the Arctic to its normal climate. They must figure out how to stop the creature before it causes too much damage.

Verdict on The Deadly Mantis

The Deadly Mantis is a horror sci-fi movie following the military and scientists trying to stop a giant mantis. It has been uncovered in an arctic ice movement and is heading to an area it would naturally call home. However, getting there will see it causing destruction that needs to be stopped.

This movie continues to jump on the unknown threats in the world. We have seen many movies like this over the years and this is no different. It entertains and gets the threat of a giant mantis over. However, how they deal with the creature is the same as every other movie, shoot lots of bullets at it and hope it solves the problem.

Final Thoughts – The Deadly Mantis is a fun little creature feature.

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Movie Review

20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) Movie Review

20 Million Miles to Earth – Movie Review

20 Million Miles to Earth

Director: Nathan Juran

Writer: Robert Creighton Williams, Christophe Knopf (Screenplay)

Writer: Charlott Knight (Story)

Cast

  • William Hopper (The Bad Seed)
  • Joan Taylor (Earth vs the Flying Saucer)
  • Frank Puglia (Down Argentine Way)
  • John Zaremba (Earth vs. the Flying Saucers)

Plot: The first U.S. spaceship to Venus crash-lands off the coast of Sicily on its return trip. A dangerous, lizard-like creature comes with it and quickly grows gigantic.

Runtime: 1 Hour 22 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: 20 Million Miles to Earth starts when a returning spaceship crashes off the coast of Sicily. Col Robert Calder (Hopper) is the only survivor. Marisa Leonardo (Taylor) and Dr Leonardo (Puglia) receive a specimen from the crash.

Marisa and Dr Leonardo look to make sure the creature is safe despite the fact it grows quickly. However, the military is searching for the specimen, wanting it to discover how to survive on Venus.

Verdict on 20 Million Miles to Earth

20 Million Miles to Earth is a vintage horror that was using the unknown of space for horror. We get a new creature to Earth and how it will make a major impact on Earth and not be as welcome as the government would like.

This was one of the movies that worked for the era and is one that has continued to be used throughout film today. It does have the balance between science and military, leading to the battle to do the right thing.

The effects in the movie are strong for the time, as we get to see the increasing size of the creature.

Final Thoughts –20 Million Miles to Earth is a great vintage creature feature.

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Movie Review

The Giant Claw (1957) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Horror – G – The Giant Claw

The Giant Claw Poster

Director: Fred F Sears

Writer: Samuel Newman, Paul Gangelin (Screenplay)

Cast: Jeff Morrow, Mara Corday, Morris Ankrum, Louis Merrill, Edgar Barrier, Robert Shayne

Plot: Global panic ensues when it is revealed that a mysterious UFO is a giant bird that flies at supersonic speed and has no regard for life or architecture.

Runtime: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Giant Claw starts as pilot Mitch MacAfee (Morrow) has an unexplained event in the skies. General Considine (Ankrum) doesn’t believe anything Mitch claims and with no evidence. The incident is brushed aside.

When more attacks happen on other planes, America must search for answers. Mitch works with Sally Caldwell (Corday) in search of answers. Seeing the military turn to weapons, but nothing works against it. The race to stop the bird’s destruction is on now, with the world scared for their lives.

Thoughts on The Giant Claw

The Giant Claw is a vintage creature feature. This time bringing us a giant bird, terrorising the skies around the world. With many of these titles, it is exploring the unknown areas of the world. Turning to military weapons that are ineffective.

For a movie made in the 1950s, this gives us a creature that would terrify us. The idea of a bird that big bringing the world to a standstill would send shockwaves to everyone. Being a creature feature, it gets everything the formula for the era targeted. Making it a safe movie and one that will entertain throughout. Certain effects might make people laugh now, but when this was made. They would have been ground-breaking.

Final Thoughts – The Giant Claw is a great creature feature with a terrifying giant bird.