dstillman-89383

IMDb member since March 2017
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    IMDb Member
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Reviews

I Married a Monster from Outer Space
(1958)

A Well done infiltration movie but not the first.
This one is a well written and well acted movie about aliens takin over human bodies to accomplish their goals. Predecessors include "It came from Outer Space" and "lnvasion of the body snatchers". It is sadly sparse in sci-fi elements, besides the aliens and thei ship. The aliens take over a newly husband and though she realizes immediately that he has changed it takes her 27 minutes and most of the rest of the movie to convince anybody else or hatch a plan of action. She should have take part of that time gathering evidence as was done on "War of the Satellites". Yes, the title corny but what else would you call II

King Dinosaur
(1955)

King Lizards not Dinosaurs
It is hard to find anything good about this movie. Actually the acting is good but the script is poor, so that is a wash. The long, boring introduction about the history of spaceflight up to that time may or may not have been accurate or may be future history. Finally the ship takes off and the four, barely introduced astronauts are then seen disembarking on the new planet. Nothing about the flight. There follows a long, uneventful exploration of the area that does not seem alien at all. Nothing at all happens until the the end when they encounter huge lizards which they mistake for dinosaurs. The action shots of the creatures fighting is not stock footage and is clearly the best part of the movie. To be sure, the two movies about spaceflight in 1950 were much better.

The Flame Barrier
(1958)

Another science fiction safari movie
Like "Monster of Green Hell", much of this movie is taken up with a long African safari. The three principal characters argue, struggle and search mainly for a reason to continue. Natives provide it several times just as the party is ready to turn back. The acting is good and the continuing ambivalent relationship between the rich woman and the safari leader continues to warm up. There is no real special effects until they reach the location they sought after. The final scene is the only one that qualifies as science fiction. A good movie but light on science fiction.

The Black Scorpion
(1957)

The Ultimate Creature Feature
This is one of the best of the creature features of the 1950's. It features some spectacular stop action footages of huge insects manacing a scientific search party and of one of them rampaging a small village. There are also some great footages of volcanic activity in the background. The acting is very real and there is a love interest that develops but it doesn't distract or overwhelm the plot. Unlike "Monster of Green Hell" the monsters appear throughout the movie and the story does not wander off topic but continues to build interest clear to the end.

Terror from the Year 5000
(1958)

To use or not to use
Most of this movie is taken up by endless debates among the scientists about how to proceed with the experiments. Also, the romantic episodes are distracting and mean nothing. When they get around to meaningful experiments a subject from the distant somehow manages to arrive on her own. There are many loose ends, unexplained events that were sacrificed to make room for all the soap opera is sequences. The acting is very uneven and the script is tedious. If this is supposed to be a peek into the future gives us more about the futur.Yhis falls far short of expectations.

War of the Satellites
(1958)

A Great Outer Space battle movie.
After numerous space flights end in disaster, it is learned that aliens are responsible for the tragedies, seeking to prevent mankind from exploring outer space. Of course, humanity refuses to be bullied out of outer space exploration. This movie has numerous twists and turns and unexpected events. It also has some of the most advanced techniques, including assembling a specially built craft in space out of parts of two space crafts. Some very interesting special effects introduce some very interesting ideas. There is a great deal of onboard intrigue, but for good reason. The script and character building are excellent and the acting is superb. This is a real spell binder and will have on the edge of your seat.

The Alligator People
(1959)

A New Twist on the Mad Scientist Theme
A newlywed disappears suddenly off a train and his new wife searches for him in a swap. This movie has more twists and turns than Lombard Street in San Francisco. Not only twist, but wrong turns, dead ends and misdirections. Alfred Hitchcock would be pleased. There is a tinge of mad scientist but he is not evil, he just miscalculated. If you like putting jig saw puzzles together, you'll love this one. Another good analogy is the old tv show "Mission Impossible" which first showed you pictures of the players and several of the paraphernalia and you watch as they are one by one woven into the plot. It has incredible moments of horror and some random "fly in the ointment" elements. Not really Sciene fiction, perhaps, but it's definitely not a slasher movie, either.

The Incredible Shrinking Man
(1957)

Talk About Diminishing Returns!
Two unrelated freak occurrences cause a man to slowly shrink smaller and smaller. It is an interesting story but very sad, frustrating and fraught with danger. The acting is first rate and the plot ic unpredictable. Normal things, like the family cat become terrifying. Remember this long before "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids!"

Beginning of the End
(1957)

This one's got a few bugs in it, hundreds actually
A colony of locusts grow to horrendous size and begin rapid reproduction, threatening the Earth's ecosystem and human civilization. It is still another cautionary tale of the dangers of nuclear experimentation. The acting is good, largely doe the talents of Peter Graves and others. The plot moves steadIly and the story is credible. The script is very natural and not cliche. The special effects are limited to locusts crawling all over a miniature building but it looks realistic.

The 27th Day
(1957)

A Very Unique Alien Invasion Movie
An alien gives five people each a device through which they can destroy all or a specified portion of humanity. They have 27 days to use them. If they do, the aliens will colonize the deserted planet. He then commandeers the world's airwaves and informs the planet who they are and that they've given a powerful weapon. Naturally the governments of each one of the five try to gain control of the devices. The premise is naive but the message is a good one. The movie features excellent performances by Gene Barry, Faith Domergue and others. It wanders away from sci-fi for much of the movie as each become fugitives from their own governments. The suspense builds steadily but the ending uses information not provided before so it is sudden and unprepared. I have written another review with spoilers which includes comments about the ending.

The 27th Day
(1957)

A Very Unique Alien Invasion Movie
An alien gives five people each a device through which they can destroy all or a specified portion of humanity. They have 27 days to use them. If they do, the aliens will colonize the deserted planet. He then commandeers the world's airwaves and informs the planet who they are and that they've given a powerful weapon. Naturally the governments of each one of the five try to gain control of the devices. The premise is naive but the message is a good one. The movie features excellent performances by Gene Barry, Faith Domergue and others. It wanders away from sci-fi for much of the movie as each become fugitives from their own governments. The suspense builds steadily but the ending uses information not provided before so it is sudden and unprepared. I have written another review with spoilers which includes comments about the ending.

On the Beach
(1959)

A Sermon Rather than a Movie
This takes place in Australia after a nuclear war has destroyed the entire world and the clouds of radioactivity are slowly closing in on these survivors. A few attempts to avoid the coming disaster fail. One must applaud the writers for finding ways to keep interest but truly this a sermon not theater. There is no plot and no way out. Problem is there actually is hope. First, radioactive clouds do not travel that far and the farther they go the more they lose the heavy, radioactive elements. Furthermore, with high winds caused by the detonations, these heavy elements would travel in patterns similar to ocean currents or the jet streams. Lastly, it is widely known that South America, Africa and other southern locations would be largely be unaffected. Actually the biggest problem is the irradication of mmajor markets and economic chaos. Starvation would likely claim as many or more lives than the bombs themselves. There would likely be small pockets of humanity all over the globe that would struggle to survive. There is where a viable plot and an exciting movie would be. Ah, but those who write these post apocalypse stories were not trying to write a good story, they were delivering a sermon.

Forbidden Planet
(1956)

One of the best outer space exploration movies ever made
Voyagers on a mission to check up on a crew sent to planet Altair 6 several years before are attacked by unseen monsters believed to be left over by the distant past civilization now extinct. The acting is top flight featuring some of the best actors of that era. It features one of the best robots seen in movies or on tv. There other fascinating contraptions and devices as well. The special effects are terrific. The plot moves along swiftly and an early warning against landing on the planet begins the suspense that builds continually to the end. It is truly a first rate movie and one of the best films of any genre of that era.

Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
(1956)

The King of the Monster Movies
This is a truly spectacular movie about a huge prehistoric monster who is awakened by atomic testing. The Japanese were really keen on this issue. Can't say that I blame them. After destroying nearly all of Tokyo (as passionately reported br Raymond Burr) a prominent young inventor is pressured to use his invention, the oxygen destroyer, to destroy Godzilla. In a scene tarnished by bad dubbing, he refuses, but it is not explained why he opposes uses his own invention. It could have been explained that other warlike nations could use it to starve an island nation into surrendering, but it was not offered. The trouble is that the script and the acting during this scene are not convincing. The scene where Godzilla is attacked by this weapon is an amazing scene and nearly makes you feel sorry for Godzilla. One last point: An oxygen destroyer exists and is often used to restock the fish in a lake or river. It is known as rotenone. It is unknown, however, whether it would work in the ocean. Perhaps in a bay or inlet but it is unknown whether it has ever been used there or not or ever could be. Nonetheless, it is a great movie.

The Brain from Planet Arous
(1957)

What Brain and no Braun can do
Gor, a power hungry brainlike creature from a distant planet takes over the body of a scientist to pursue a plan of domination and stages several horrifying disasters to force the nations to surrender to him. Another from his planet comes to Earth to try to apprehend him. Yes, it is a bit unreal and rather campy at times, but there are some terrifying moments too. The special effects are impressive, especially the destruction of the airplane in mid-flight. John Agar's performance as the scientist are harrowing and he really portrays his helplessnes and horror well. As Gor he is the quintessential mad man. A great acting performance. The plot moves along very well and you are kept on the edge of your seat throughout. Joyce Meadows plays the scientist's wife to be with compassion, fear, and helplessness as she watches what is happening to her fiancé. It is an extremely entertaining movie.

The Incredible Petrified World
(1959)

Nothing incredible about this world, more moldy looking than petrified wonders
Four divers are trapped in an underwater cave when the line on their diving bell breaks. This has all the earmarks of a forties serial: threadbare plot, minimal acting, moments of overacting and a very subpar set. It doesn't look real at all. There should have been much more done with the setting. Petrified wood can be spectacular to look at. Even though the title was about the scenery, the movie was more of soap opera between the two girls than about discovery. The addition of an old man was poorly written and not at all developed. This was very disappointing.

Fire Maidens from Outer Space
(1956)

At least they didn't go to the moon or Mars again!
A group of five explorers travel a recently discovered 13th moon of Jupiter. We now know of 29. When they arrive they are enlisted in the colony's struggle against monsters who are threatening the colony. However the plot gets lost shortly after that.

There really is nothing good to say for this movie. Only watching it on MST3K made it at all bearable. The script is corny, trite, and adolescent. Obviously the young women were the real reason for making this film-their looks, not their acting. Nobody else is much better. They were probably promised a percentage of the profits, meaning they were paid nothing.

The ship's command capsule looks more like a boiler room than a space ship and the crew has no spacesuits. Really? Also, the plan is to reach the 13th moon of Jupiter in three weeks. Not even in three years even now can the moon system of Jupiter be reached. Furthermore, the colony is claimed to be descendants of the lost continent of Atlantis and has one man and his daughters with no explanation of how they got to this moon of Jupiter which was only recently discovered.

Take my word for it, if you choose to watch this turkey, watch it on MST3K. Their comments and antics are hilarious.

20 Million Miles to Earth
(1957)

Quick, take it back!
Astronauts return from Venus with an embryo that hatches a large creature which terrorizes a local community. The creature is chased from one location to another. It is an unremarkable creature that jumps and runs and nothing more. No one gets killed or injured. It is a B grade movie at best.

The Atomic Submarine
(1959)

Wow! Submarines and Aliens! The best of both worlds!
Disturbances are discovered underneath the arctic circle and several submarines are lost there. A specially equipped submarine is dispatched to discover the reason for the problem and dispose of it. They soon come to the conclusion that they are battling an extraterrestrial threat. It is the best possible combination of two of the most exciting sub genres--submarine warfare and alien invasion. The acting is terrific and the script is excellent. The special effects are terrific especially the undersea encounters. The suspense builds continually and the plot moves quickly, including the subplots of which there are several. For everyone who likes submarine movies and alien invasion sagas this is a must see.

1984
(1956)

Maybe it should be renamed 2084
In this cinematic version of George Orwell's dystopia, 1984, Winston Smith attempts to mount an insurrection against a totalitarian regime that is known as "Big Brother". Most of the events are portrayed fairly well but this Winston doesn't seem like the book's character and it is not explained why Winston joined the rebellion. Several elements are conspicuously absent, namely the "two minutes hate" and the people who are immune to Big Brother's mind control, the "proles". I really do believe that if there hadn't been the book first, this movie would not have gotten off the ground. It doesn't tell the story well at all.

It Conquered the World
(1956)

How Jabba the Hut nearly conquered a small part of the world
A disgruntled scientist guides an alien to Earth, unaware that the being has plans for world domination. It has a very long and boring opening and plot development but even so the characters are not well developed. The only good acting is by Peter Graves. The alien creature looks like a villain out of Star Wars. The plot is totally threadbare and even the script doesn't rescue the movie. The special effects are virtually nonexistent so they can't save this picture either. It is a quintessential b grade movie, actually more like b-. Only Graves' ending lines give any credibility to the story and/or movie.

Uchûjin Tôkyô ni arawaru
(1956)

Not exactly a 5-"star" movie
Aliens who look starfish with a giant eye in their middle arrive to try to warn the Earth about the dangers of test detonations. One of them agrees to assume the form of a popular singing star to try to communicate with them. It's a decent story despite the ridiculous form of the aliens. The dubbing is not bad for Japanese language films. Acting is good but the script is corny. All in all, this a very forgettable movie.

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers
(1956)

A very good early alien invasion movie
A prominent scientist is contacted by aliens requesting an urgent meeting. When the meeting results in armed confrontation because the message was not understood, the aliens demand immediate surrender of all nations on Earth. The scientist must find a way to battle the technologically superior aliens. The acting of the scientist and his wife are excellent and their performances riveting. The story is a good one and there are many plot twists. The script is excellent and the saucers move and attack very well. On board the saucers are robots which move and react just you'd expect them but they are not the pilots of the crafts. It is definitely well worth watching.

Forbidden Planet
(1956)

One of the best outer space exploration movies ever made
Voyagers on a mission to check up on a crew sent to planet Altair 6 several years before are attacked by unseen monsters believed to be left over by the distant past civilization now extinct. The acting is top flight featuring some of the best actors of that era. It features one of the best robots seen in movies or on tv. There other fascinating contraptions and devices as well. The special effects are terrific. The plot moves along swiftly and an early warning against landing on the planet begins the suspense that builds continually to the end. It is truly a first rate movie and one of the best films of any genre of that era.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers
(1956)

The original science fiction thriller, better than the 1978 remake.
Large green pods appear and duplicate and replace people while they sleep. It is a terrifying story full of mind bending plot twists and turns. It features stunning performances by Kevin McCarthy and Dana Wynter. The script is superb and the plot moves along swiftly and suspense builds to a fever pitch drawing you deeper and deeper into the apparent alien plot. It allows your imagination to run by not presenting everything visually. You see no aliens but you know they are there somewhere. A true science fiction classic.

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