• Invisible atomic monsters attack a U.S. Armed Forces base and the local residents.

    The screenplay by Herbert J. Leder was based upon Amelia Reynolds Long's 1930 short story "The Thought Monster", originally published in the March 1930 issue of Weird Tales magazine. Forrest J. Ackerman represented Long and brokered the sale of her story to the film's producers. Having not read the original story, I wonder what changes were made. Presumably a 1930 story would not have atomic power be such a central focus as its 1958 variation.

    The stop-motion, while somewhat cheesy, is quite effective at bringing the creature to life. It also happens to make the film quite memorable, because it is likely the only film of its kind using such effects. This creature is not one of Ray Harryhausen's lumbering beasts!