1950s Monster B-Movie Reviews (Page 2)

Operatives on a wheel in space have been building a ship to very specific designs. The men in blue will be the crew. They have separate training and are not permitted to eat real food, only food supplement pills. After a short period of involuntary paralysis one crewman is given proper food. He knows what this means and refuses to eat it. The condition could become permanent, so he is sent back to Earth.

A scientist arrives on the wheel and tells General Sam Merritt they will not be going to the Moon, as believed, but to Mars. Three of the trained men are chosen to accompany the General and his son, Captain Barney Merritt. During the journey two of the men are sent outside to repair the topside camera view. A huge asteroid looms towards them and the ship is obliged to take evasive action. Even afterwards they are bombarded by stray fragments, and one of the men is killed. He is given a burial in space by the General.

However, the General has his own problems. He is ill and takes to quoting from the Bible, talking of Man’s blasphemy in entering God’s heaven of space, when they were meant to remain on Earth. The others assume extreme fatigue and mental strain, and that rest will combat the ailment. As they prepare to touch down on Mars, the General mutters that they can’t land, they haven’t got the right. He turns on the thrusters, nearly crashing the ship before his son manages to grab the controls and secure a landing on Mars. General Merritt tries to sabotage the ship by opening the water valves. When, again, his son Barney stops him the general pulls a gun. In a wrestle for possession of the weapon it discharges and General Samuel Merritt is killed. The General’s friend accuses the son of murder, threatening a court martial when they return. The General is buried on Mars and a makeshift marker cross placed.

The water is drained from the heating system of the ship in order for them to survive the year until they are able to take off – when the Earth is in the right position. Then the impossible happens: it snows! Heavily. This solves the water shortage problem. The time for take-off nears and rock sample elements have been collected which will prove that, with care and hard work, Mars can be made fertile. Confirmation comes from a seed planted by the General’s grave, which has sprouted.

A Mars quake and rock fall opens up holes in the ground, affecting the stability of the ship. Short on time now, they have to take a chance and fire the retros, hoping it will level the ship so that they can take off. Eventually, it does. They are on their way home. Sergeant Mahoney decides that the story they will tell back home is the General died ensuring a safe landing on Mars. A fitting end for The Man Who Conquered Space.
 

The effects on this one are a little less convincing than they were on George Pal’s earlier offering, Destination Moon. However, the spaceship interiors and particularly the Mars surface are very well realised. Characterisation is good whilst being understandably dated. Many films from this era had similar characters. Whilst not exactly ciphers, they are somewhat predictable. There is even one joker in the pack, again someone less officious with whom the viewers can more comfortably relate. Essentially though, this is a people story, as any genre should be. Yes, it is about a journey and landing on Mars, but it is more about how the crew is affected by being taken out of their comfort zone. 

(original review Ty Power 2018) 

After four years of planning, a satellite rocket test blows-up and crashes. Two years later a private sector engineer is approached to develop a rocket to go to the moon. The idea is presented to the prospective backers by use of a Woody Woodpecker cartoon which answers all the questions sceptics might have. But what really sells it is the military aspect. It’s implied the Russians are planning their own journey by rocket to the moon. Whoever is the first to establish missiles on the moon will hold the power, as there is no defence of an attack from space. The race is on.

The problems they encounter from the outset are very real ones. They are refused permission to test the atomic engines, and there is an organised ground swelling of propaganda against the project. Therefore, they decide to launch the manned rocket untested, and bring forward the take-off to only 17 hours hence. After their communication and radar expert is rushed to hospital at short notice with appendicitis, a reluctant replacement is found – who only accepts because he thinks the others are all crackpots and it will never get off the ground. Someone arrives with a court order to stop the launch, but the astronauts make it to the ship first.

The crew comprises: General Thayer (Tom Powers) – the idea behind the plan, and co-pilot; Jim Barnes (John Archer) – the businessman financing the project; Doctor Charles Cargraves (Warner Anderson) – designer of the craft, and power expert; and Joe Sweeney (Dick Wesson) – radio/electronics expert.
 

There is real tension in the launch sequence. Initial gravitational force and then weightlessness is handled well; you almost feel it with the crew. Their first view of the Earth from space is a spectacular one – although they point out American cities they can see. It’s the first indication this film was made 19 years before the ‘supposed’ first moon landing. A problem with the antennae means the men are obliged to undergo a space-walk outside of the moving ship. A man is accidentally cast adrift and another uses an oxygen bottle, releasing a little at a time to change his direction, to get him back. The landing on the moon is not without complications, but they arrive safely, and two of them leave the ship to be the first men to set foot on the surface.

Earth comes through on the radio and the men describe their first impressions. They might have detected a trace of uranium, but they have another more immediate problem. Corrections in their landing means they do not have enough power to lift off. So they strip the ship of all unnecessary weight. But it’s not enough. They argue about who is going to stay behind; the new recruit even tries to make the ultimate sacrifice. However, desperation has them devise a cagey plan to lose the extra weight of the spacesuits themselves. The last suit is tied to the line of the expired oxygen tank and dragged out of the airlock – the door closing securely behind. The rocket takes-off successfully. They are going home. ‘This is the End of the Beginning.’
 

The acting is competent enough that the moments of ‘people jeopardy’ carry real weight. You feel for the characters. There is even an everyman for the audience to relate to, in the shape of Joe Sweeney. But it’s the technical side of the production which makes the movie work so well.
 

This film has an impressive pedigree. It was produced by George Pal, who went on to make The War of the Worlds in the same decade and The Time Machine in the 1960s. It’s based on the book by science fiction premiere master writer Robert Heinlein, and so reflects Heinlein’s realism. This is foremost an adventure, but is scientifically correct based on what was known at the time (how quickly times change!). The finned rocketship was to be copied in countless other films that followed. Proof of the confidence in this movie is reflected in the extra money spent on colour film and very high production values. The background artwork by artist and designer Chelsey Bonestell is phenomenally impressive, and the special effects won an Academy Award in the year of the film’s release. This was said to have been America's first major science fiction movie. 

(original review Ty Power 2018) 

Three men are mountain climbing in Trollenberg. One is higher than the other two and shouts down that there is a thick mist and he can’t see a thing. Then he suddenly calls down that someone or something is moving towards him. This is followed by a hideous scream. The body falls past them. The two men grab the rope and begin to haul the inert body back up. One of them sees the man’s face, causing him to let go of the rope in shock and terror. The rope rubs on the rock and frays to breaking point. The body is lost.

In a train carriage is a man travelling alone, and there are two women who are sisters. One seems excitable and at times a little frail. When the guard announces the next stop to be Trollenberg the man, Alan Brooks, says he is getting off. The excitable sister, Anne Pilgrim, claims they have to get of here, too. Even though they are supposed to be travelling straight through to Geneva. She tells her sister, Sarah, they can stay at the Europa Hotel, though she has never heard of or been to the place before. In the car from the station she suddenly asks the driver if there has been an accident with climbers on the mountain. Brooks looks at her strangely. She seems to instinctively know a lot about the place.

Brooks goes to meet his friend the professor at the Observatory, who is studying cosmic rays. The professor tells him there is a cloud over one region of the mountain, and that it never moves. What’s more, it’s radioactive. It turns out a similar phenomenon occurred at the Andes. As there was no evidence it was to blame for people going missing, Brooks was practically accused of making up the whole thing.

The two sisters perform a mind reading act for the entertainment of a handful of people at the hotel. When the object described is a snow globe with a mountain and a hut inside, Anne turns trance-like and describes two climbers in the hut. One of them is compelled to go outside, and when the other wakes there is no sign of him. Brooks telephones the cabin and tells the second man to stay inside. A report from the Observatory states that the radioactive cloud has moved down the mountain to the hut. Brooks phones again to warn the climber but hears the man scream in terror. The cloud moves back to where it had been.

Brooks and a rescue party of locals climb the mountain to the hut, which is locked from the inside. Forcing the door, they find the second climber’s body; the head has been torn off. The Professor tries to instruct the Pilgrim sisters to leave Trollenberg. He tells Sarah that Anne has a telepathy and can pick up other people’s thoughts, but that there is a more powerful and manipulative mind out there which could prove dangerous to Anne. But Anne sneaks away from the place she has been taken to for safety. The rescue party find the missing man’s rucksack. The first man to it finds a severed head inside. The head of the man in the hut. The missing man shows up and attacks him with an ice axe. Another man arriving on the scene also gets attacked.

The aggressor turns up at the hotel looking dazed and uncoordinated. As soon as he sees Anne – who has been brought back down from the Observatory – he tries to attack her with a knife. Brooks gives him a good old bunch of fives. When the man later tries for Anne again he is shot dead. It seems that whatever is on the Trollenberg is afraid of the mental abilities of Anne.

The cloud moves down towards the town. Everyone is evacuated to the Observatory, but they barely make it to the top after the cloud freezes the cable mechanism. Three other clouds converge with the first at the Observatory. Inside each cloud is a gigantic alien eye with far-reaching tentacles. Brooks and others use fire bombs in bottles to throw at the creatures. The weapon against them is heat. As a fire bombing raid is arranged with the air force, the creatures attack through the wall of the Observatory. However, the attack by the air force is successful and the creatures burn.
 

This is another solid home-grown science fiction horror from the 1950s, but with Forrest Tucker in the lead role. Ironically, he’s quite convincing even though Brooks seems to spend most of his time leaning and smoking. Laurence Payne plays Truscott, and there’s an early role for Warren Mitchell as Crevett. In America this film was released under the name The Crawling Eye, which rather gives the game away from the start. The screenplay is by Hammer Films stalwart Jimmy (‘Do you want it Tuesday, or do you want it good?’) Sangster. The plot thread of Anne’s mental abilities isn’t really played through. I would have expected the character to be utilised in the last ditch battle with the creatures, but instead she is just used as an excuse for the creatures to attack and is otherwise forgotten. It doesn’t matter though. This is a very enjoyable film which deserves its cult status. 

(original review Ty Power 2018) 

An army platoon is carrying out radiation detection exercises when they encounter a powerful source. The ground opens up and something unseen escapes. A scientist from a nearby atomic research facility travels to the site to find that an extraordinarily deep fissure has opened in the ground. Two local boys creeping about in the woods at night encounter a frightening presence. One of them suffers first degree burns and ends up in hospital. The scientist goes to the area where the boys were. He finds a hidden dwelling and, inside, an empty radiation container stolen from his own laboratory. The unexplainable fact is there’s not a trace of radiation on or in the pot, and that’s impossible.

Something gets into the radiation lab of the hospital where the boy has just died. Again, uranium is taken, but a doctor sees something terrifying before all of the flesh melts from his face. From a protected room a nurse witnesses the event, but is so traumatised it is considered she will never talk or be the same again. At the site of the fissure two soldiers are killed by the menace. Two scientists and the Atomic Commission investigator consider what they are dealing with. The scientist theorises about an intelligence formed in the Earth’s crust when compressed gases helped form the world.

A volunteer is lowered by winch into the fissure, and sees not only the body of a burnt soldier but something from a nightmare. The volunteer is quickly brought back up and put into a car with the scientist. The military officer orders explosives detonated at the fissure, with instructions above to concrete it over (!). The menace breaks through easily, melting four people in a car nearby. The scientist maps its previous attacks and realises it is making for the Atomic Centre. They try to transport out the cobalt but their adversary is already there. The primal attacker is a huge mass of mud and slime moving quickly to the laboratories. The defenders know it will return to the fissure, so they arrange to quickly evacuate its path of people – who are shepherded to the church in true horror fashion.

There’s no help from the outside, as the radiation of the primordial ooze turns all communication to static. They come to realise if they don’t stop the thing at the fissure it will make for the experimental nuclear station (why didn’t it go there first?). The scientist tests a new process of passing irradiated material through a field which neutralises it. It’s successful but causes an explosion. They have no choice but to try it on the fast-moving mud. A full-scale version of the trial is set-up at the fissure, with the cobalt as the lure. The fissure begins to glow as the mud emerges. The neutralising fields are turned on, producing a high-pitch noise and an explosion. It worked. The sentient energy mud creature is no more.
 

On screen thanks are given to the War Office in the production of the film. It’s a British venture set in Scotland, wherein most of the characters speak with educated middle class accents. This is to all intents and purposes a Quatermass-like story. The science is solid but exaggerated, aside from the science fiction element of the sentient mud (you’ve got to have a monster, after all).

This is a Hammer Films production; subsequently, Hammer would almost exclusively stick to horror once they had huge commercial and critical success with The Curse of Frankenstein, The Horror of Dracula and The Mummy. It’s nice to see Michael Ripper, who was in more Hammer films than any other actor – including Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Of course, many of them were small roles: policeman, innkeeper, villager, etc. Here he plays the army sergeant. While we’re playing ‘Spot the Actor’ the surviving boy is played by Fraser Hines, who would pop up ten years later as Jamie McCrimmon alongside Patrick Troughton in Doctor Who.
 

The latter part of the film has a similar structure to The Monolith Monsters; essentially, a town standing in the way of a seemingly unstoppable horror. In a way, what has been done here is what was more recently achieved in the aforementioned Doctor Who. Robert Holmes’ shop window dummies coming to life, and Stephen Moffat’s Weeping Angels – statues which move when you are not looking at them – are both examples of making the mundane frightening. This is no different, with a primordial ooze (mud) moving with a purpose, pretty much filling the same role. A very solid if not outstanding piece. 

(original review Ty Power 2018)

Doctor Carlo Lombardi, the hypnotist and all-round bad guy in this movie, introduces himself with a voice-over and by staring-out a dog. He has warned that some representation of the occult will happen this night. His parlour trick is to supposedly regress people back to a previous life. He follows strange footprints to a beach house, where he finds two dead bodies. At a carnival, Lombardi keeps a young woman in deep sleep. But she is not a willing subject. He explains, rather arrogantly, that the two men were killed by a creature beyond time, who comes out of the water.  

Doctor Erickson is a psychic researcher. He sees Doris as a friend - unlike Doris herself, who has aspirations for them as a couple. But he has a fascination for Lombardi's test subject, Andrea. Meanwhile, Lombardi regresses her, and the She-Creature rises from the sea to kill a carnival stall-holder who knows too much. Bizarrely, he doesn't even attempt to rise from his bed when a nightmare creature crashes through his door and attacks him. The police can't pin a connection on Lombardi, even though they know he's involved.

In front of guests at Doris's house, Lombardi - with Doctor Erickson being invited to prove him a charlatan - hypnotises and regresses his subject, Andrea. In the time of King James Stewart, she speaks as a lady who was called Elizabeth. However, he takes her back further, and a spiritual form which cannot be seen, rises. She has been taken back to the 'beginning' and is barely breathing. The She-Creature, invisible at first, rises from the sea and looms-up behind Doctor Erickson. However, the creature does not attack him, and disappears as Andrea wakes.
 

Although in thrall of Lombardi, Andrea hates the man and threatens to kill him. The experts are convinced it's nothing but a parlour trick. But Lombardi becomes famous to most, infamous to others. There is another killing at the beach but, again, no one can directly pin it on the hypnotist. Andrea finds the strength to resist Lombardi with the love of Doctor Erickson. By hypnotising the dog, Lombardi plans on having it kill Erickson, but Andrea confronts the dog and seeing something in her manner, the dog backs off.

There is another, final, demonstration. Telling Erickson that Andrea is recovering, he actually sends her deeper into regression. The She-Creature emerges from the sea again and kills the police detective. At the house, it kills Doris's father, but it refuses to kill Doctor Erickson - instead killing Lombardi. Erickson admits to himself for the first time that the creature is Andrea. The She-Creature returns to the sea where it is shot at, even though invisible now. Andrea herself recovers and will forever be free from the menace of the She-Creature. Presumably, now she and Erickson will have time to partake of some rumpy-pumpy.

The She-Creature is one of many excursions by executive producer Samuel Z. Arkoff into the realms of monster b-movies. The script - such as it is - was written by his brother-in-law, Lou Rusoff. The Creature costume (worn by Paul Blaisdell) is not exactly terrifying, but it is further let down by the fact that all of the actual killings take place off-screen. Thus, it is reduced to looming-up behind someone, or waving its 'arms' menacingly. The costume was used again the following year for Voodoo Woman. 

Another problem is repeated scenes. Lombardi puts on a show in the same house more than once, the She-Creature emerges from and returns to the sea several times, and Doris half-heartedly attempts to seduce Erickson at every opportunity. Even the plot strand of Doris's father making money out of Lombardi's success can't hide the truth. The DVD film print is quite dark, but maybe this was achieved purposefully to cover the limitations of the Creature. I should also mention Marla English played Andrea, as she's halfway down the main list of credits in the film. For all of you animal lovers out there, the dog King was played by Spike. It's also interesting that Peter Lorre and David Carradine were offered a part in this movie, but turned it down - probably after seeing the script!

(original review Ty Power 2020)  

Professor Jarrod is an expert wax sculptor who runs an exhibition of the macabre. His financial partner wants to pull out of the venture, so Jarrod arranges for an interested businessman to buy-in. But his current partner can't wait the required three months for the money, so he sets light to the place for the insurance pay out. Jarrod tries to stop him but, after a fight, finds himself trapped in the building attempting to save his life's work. He is assumed dead; however, Jarrod returns as a crippled, twisted representation of his former self, and kills the arsonist by making it look like suicide. When he kills the man's lady friend, he is seen by her room mate. Later, miraculously looking fine except for being wheelchair-bound and possessing gnarled, useless hands, Jarrod opens a new House of Wax under another name. The Chamber of Horrors depicts lifelike figures of recent violence. The unsuspecting earlier witness is invited to model for a cast, until she notices that a figure looks a little too like her murdered friend...

This is undoubtedly a superb film for it's time (1953), which still stands up well today. The fight sequence between Jarrod and his former partner is a little over-dramatic, but what film wasn't in that era? The performances are solid (Vincent Price was no less than excellent is nearly every part he played), there's no padding, and the plot makes for an enjoyable 84 minutes. There's even an Intermission inserted into the middle of the film, and it's still there now. Originally, House of Wax was screened in 3-D, hence the nonsensical lingering on the man with the bat and attached elasticated ball at the opening of the new museum. As a point of interest, Charles Bronson plays Igor, Jarrod's deaf-mute assistant.

You could pick holes in House of Wax if you really wanted to. There are a few quirky or silly comments, and the epilogue is entirely superfluous to requirements. Also, near the conclusion, all the police rush from the station to the museum, leaving a drunken criminal behind by himself. Nevertheless, this is a great film, and I find a modern remake by a Hollywood incapable these days of inventing a new story to be completely unnecessary.

Extras on this DVD include Round the Clock Premiere, in which black and white footage of personalities of the time visiting the screenings is seen. It's amazing how some so-called starlets react the moment they realise a camera is on them (cue tilting of head and fluttering eyelashes). Also included on this single disc is the 1933 film Mystery of the Wax Museum, starring King Kong's Fay Wray, upon which House of Wax is based. It's valid only as an interesting reference; it's a perfectly fine movie, almost scene for scene the same as House, but has not had the picture or sound cleaned-up. At least this 1953 Vincent Price version doesn't have the feel of a Chicago gangster flick. 

( Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2005 )  

The hidden tomb of the Egyptian Princess Ananka is discovered by John Banning, his father and his uncle. However, John cannot enter the tomb because of his injured leg. His father suffers a seizure inside and blabbers insanely about a mummy and the theft of the Scroll of Life. His father is eventually institutionalised, but even here he is not safe because an Egyptian who had warned them not to enter the tomb has animated Kharis, protector and ultimately avenger of the tomb's desecrators...

This 1959 film was Hammer's third major monster movie, after The Curse of Frankenstein and the excellent Horror of  Dracula. At only 60 minutes, this example must have been the shortest  of their releases. That's not necessarily a bad thing; the script is short and to the point, and even caters for a flashback to the princess's pilgrimage, death and laying to rest. Some, however, may argue this particular scene is a little long, as it utilises a large percentage of the over-all running time.

Christopher Lee (who else?) is seen as Kharis performing the rituals and sealing the tomb. It transpires that Kharis was in love with Ananka and secretly desecrates the tomb himself in an attempt to revive her using the Scroll of Life. For the crime he is bandaged-up and stuffed in a cupboard for all eternity, guarding her resting place and ready to punish other desecrators.

Lee is simply superb as the mummy of the title, emerging from a bog after an accident in transportation, and staggering/lurching menacingly but unsteadily, obviously not used to this walking lark. His performance as the Mummy is very convincing, considering he never utters a single word (a little difficult, I should imagine, having had his tongue cut out). A marvelous acting performance, displaying certain emotions with only his eyes.

The scene where he breaks into a cell in the sanatorium from outside has the appearance of being well-choreographed. It's quick and brutal. The camera stops short of showing the mummy get a leg-up the wall to the high window, which would have been so humorous I'd have paid good money to see it. I think this is the most convincing look and portrayal I've seen of a cinematic mummy. The Mummy/Mummy Returns of more recent years has no style in comparison.

As I’ve watched this film several times over the  years, and reviewed the last DVD release way back in 2004, let’s concentrate on the special features. This time around we get a three-disc release. As I was only sent the two DVDs for review, I can only comment on those. However, I do believe everything which is on the DVDs is also incorporated on a Blu ray disc. On Disc 1 there is the original UK theatrical release of the film in the new aspect ratio of 1:66:1. There is an alternate full frame version with an aspect ratio of 1:37:1. There is also a new commentary by Marcus Hearn and  Jonathan Rigby, who are Hammer experts/historians.

Disc 2 holds some very nice extras: Unwrapping the  Mummy – The Making of a Hammer Classic, is an entertaining new documentary. The Hammer Rep Company, describes the bit players who returned time and again (my favourites are Patrick Troughton and the unsung hero Michael Ripper, who appeared in more than thirty Hammer flicks). The House of Horror: Memories of Bray is another new documentary following the rise and fall of Bray Studios (this is the extras highlight for me; 45 minutes, and the family atmosphere just shines through). The World of Hammer Episode: Hammer Stars – Peter Cushing (I love Cushing, but this is just a load of clips; buy the films  instead). There is a stills gallery; an industry promo reel, restored to HD; and a ROM PDF booklet by Hammer archivist Robert J. E. Simpson.

So, there is plenty to please the enthusiast. If you have the old DVD, that might suffice; but if you’re thinking about purchasing it for the  first time – or you’re a Hammer fanatic – don’t hesitate, as this is one of Hammer’s strong releases. Go into a shop and say, “I want my Mummy.”

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2013)   

Psychologist John Holden arrives in England from America, only to be informed that his contact, Professor Harrington has been killed in an accident. As part of his investigation into the occult, Harrington had been about to expose the eminent Doctor Karswell as a Devil-worshipping back magic cultist. Harrington’s daughter, Joanna, is convinced that Karswell had her father killed by summoning a demon. A practical man, Holden is wholly unconvinced. However, he does intend to continue Harrington’s work, and that includes looking into the affairs of Doctor Karswell. Unsurprisingly, he is warned off, but Holden is not easily scared. That is until he is passed a paper depicting runic symbols and told he only has three days to live. As the deadline fast  approaches, he is finally forced to concede there are more things in hell and earth... But is there a way out...?

Fully restored, and for the first time on DVD, comes this black and white classic from the 1950’s. Jacques Tourneur’s film must have made quite an  impression upon its first release, because it still resonates with intensity today.

The appearance of the demon is almost secondary to everything that comes before and after. Not many movies around this time played the supernatural story for real, with scientists, psychologists, hypnotism, and a strict, learned approach. Consequentially, it works very well as a psychological thriller, throwing ambiguity into the mix, and a sense of impending doom - of time running out.

The villain of the piece, Karswell, is gentlemanly, as most great perpetrators are; he is even seen entertaining local children as a clown of sorts on the grounds of his large estate. The plot motors along, using audience shocking sound and vision tricks of the trade that have become almost commonplace now.

The disc carries the original uncut UK film (95 minutes), and also the cut US version (82 minutes) which debuted under the title Curse of the Demon in 1958 as a double-bill alongside Revenge of Frankenstein. There is also a stills gallery. Unfortunately, I can’t comment on the packaging as I only received the disc itself. Only a small percentage of the horror and science fiction output of the 1950s worked; those that did became film classics, and Night of the Demon is most assuredly one of them. 

(Review originally written by Ty Power for reviewgraveyard 2010)  

When contact is lost with Midwich, a high-ranking military man drives to the village to discover what has happened to his friends the professor and his wife. It seems the entire population, both humans and animals, have simply passed-out. No one can enter the outskirts without suffering the same fate. After several hours the people begin to regain consciousness with no knowledge of what has taken place. When the professor's wife learns she is pregnant she is delighted, but then it is revealed that every woman young enough has conceived. They all give birth to strange and highly-developed babies. As young children they are extremely advanced and possess mental abilities such as mind reading and compelling individuals against their will. It seems that colonies of similar children have been born in other countries, and such were their powers that the authorities were obliged to destroy entire regions to wipe them out. Can the professor reach them on a personal level or will he be forced to take similar action...

Village of the Damned is based on the excellent Midwich Cuckoos book by John Wyndham, and is equally entertaining in its interpretation. George Sanders plays the professor with a calm and methodical assuredness, and Barbara Shelley avoids the normal penchant of this time for dramatic and hysterical overacting. There's a feeling here that every scene is important or even critical to the whole, and the film succeeds by having the first major event happen before the titles even appear and then lifting the closing credits immediately after the climax. In other words, Village of the Damned starts, tells the story concisely, and then finishes, with no sign of padding anywhere in the script. Quite simply it's a masterpiece.

A couple of minor points: Why is the church bell tolling 11:00 am when there's nobody conscious to ring it? And where did they find such a brilliant dog (played by Bruno!), who made all the right actions and reactions without looking in any way excited or directed? I remember reading once somewhere that there was a curious debate over whether the children's eyes lit-up when they took over someone's mind (apparently, they do in one version of this film but not in another). Well, I can tell you that here they shine in all their glory.

As a huge fan of John Carpenter's work you might expect me to say that his remake of Village of the Damned (starring Christopher Reeve in his last role before his accident) is everything this original is not. That's not the case. Carpenter's film was only made because he was offered the money; a purely business enterprise, which is okay, but you have to wonder why anyone bothers to remake a classic film when it can only be worse (Assault on Precinct 13, anyone?). 9

In Children of the Damned, a series of intelligence tests carried out on children across the country reveal one such subject to be outstandingly gifted. When other countries perform similar tests five more similarly talented children are revealed. They are brought to London for further study, but when a government man plans to spirit the English boy away for experimentation the six children group together in an abandoned church. Two men arrive to recapture the children but are attacked with resonating harmonics. The world powers realise the danger of children who know each other's minds, and if they can't possess them as a weapon for their respective countries then they are prepared to destroy them. Then a professor discovers via a blood sample that the children are human, perhaps advanced by evolution a million years.

Based loosely on the situations created for John Wyndham's The Midwich Cuckoos, comes this original sequel to Village of the Damned. This time we have a United Nations of representative children, with Paul, Mi Ling, Nina, Ago, Rashid and Mark harking from different countries which see the potential for their use as weapons. It's very much the same idea as Village, with the youngsters grouping together for strength and support. However, this time there's little sense of the eeriness and fear felt by others in their presence. Also, because there are no UFO  Ed Straker-like silver-blond wigs there's no feeling of the children being a strange breed of their own.

Children in itself is an eminently watchable film without a great deal really happening during its running time, the conclusion reminding me of many a 1950s B-movie cold war solution of blowing-up what you don't understand. The first film is the classic, but it certainly makes sense to package these together. Bizarrely, the only extra on these discs is a James Dean Collection trailer (eh?!), but don't let that deter you from buying what amounts to a fabulous couple of films. 7 

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2006)

In Gargoyles' Revenge, 16th century Romanian villagers go after the last gargoyle. A priest shoots it with a crossbow arrow anointed with the blood of Christ (from the priest), and it's sealed beneath the ground with a huge boulder and an incantation. We then jump forward to the present as two American FBI agents (Ty "Griff" Griffin and Christina Durant) are making a kidnap exchange. A gunman is chased to a rooftop where he simply disappears leaving only blood and money. Meanwhile a church is undergoing study and modernisation. An ancient painting depicting the gargoyle hunt is discovered hidden behind another. A recent earthquake has revealed a giant cavern beneath the graveyard. Inside are dozens of eggs waiting to hatch. The gargoyle is free and it wants the crossbow...
 

I must say, I expected the worst here... and didn't get it. It's not exactly Shakespeare, and it is leagues below the likes of The Exorcist and Halloween in terms of style and content, but it is a fun fantasy-horror (very much in the vein of Hammer) which rattles along at a fair pace. Just don't expect too much from it.
 

The cavern of eggs is straight out of Alien (even the same design), and the expression on the faces of those using machine guns against the newly hatched gargoyles is completely blank (no determination, no fear, nothing) making it all too plain to the viewer that the special effects were added later.
 

The male FBI agent is somewhat smarmy and self-assured (what do you mean, no wonder he's got my name!?), but maybe that's just how the character is written. One other point of interest: I wonder how many people have noticed that most of the character names are connected with horror or fantasy - Griffin, Soren, Durant, Lex, Aslan, Gogol, Gregor, Boris and Yuri.
 

In Deadly Swarm, Jacob Schroeder, a bio-prospector working for an American pharmaceutical company, tracks a medical breakthrough to a small Indian village deep in the Mexican jungle. Forcing the locals to reveal its location, he comes away with a huge nest of deadly wasps known as "black fire". He pays a truck driver to smuggle the cargo over the border, but when the vehicle turns over the massive cloud of killers is freed. In a nearby Mexican town entomologist Daniel Lang is working to reduce an outbreak of malaria. The mayor tells him his work is done, but he is recruited by the sheriff to examine the body of the truck driver. A series of deaths and the knowledge that human hosts can be used to lay eggs, means the race is on to track the swarm and kill the queen. But Lang and the sheriff haven't reckoned on the ruthless determination of Schroeder...
 

Before watching this film I was immediately reminded of my review of The Swarm (people still occasionally mention it to me now). So, I was expecting a lot of running around, screaming and windmilling of arms. Thankfully it didn't happen. Yes, it was mainly cheap effects-driven, with lots of black dots whizzing around in the air, but at least they tried to build a believable story around the b-movie scenario.
 

I would say that the character of the female reporter is completely superfluous to events, and seems to exist only to look good; and like many horror stories this one reduces its effectiveness by eluding to the past, in this case with the ancient journal kept by the priest which is a centuries old hand-written account of the swarm.
 

In Snakehead Terror, we are told over the opening credits about a new species of fish discovered called Snakehead. It is viscous and has no predator. Eventually the authorities were forced to poison Cultus Lake and kill them all to prevent the possibility of any spreading elsewhere. Now, when a few mutilated bodies turn up (including his daughter's boyfriend) the sheriff tries to get the lake closed to tourists. But local business is bad, culminating in human growth hormones being dumped in the lake to increase the size of the fish. The surviving Snakeheads are multiplying at a phenomenal rate and are mutating into monsters which leave the lake to look for prey...
 

Fans of Babylon 5 and The X-Files might recognise Bruce Boxleitner and William B. Davis, and there's no prizes for guessing who plays the hero and who the villain. Judging by the synopsis above (pretty much Piranha/Alligator/Lake Placid) this one has got to be cringeworthy, yes. You might think so but it's rather fun in its own way.
 

Unfortunately, these people will always step over the line. There's the Jaws-like music, and then one depiction of a Snakehead. I have to tell you first that the fish creatures are very well realised... all except one. A glove puppet fish has hold of the daughter's arm and instead of chewing it off like you might expect, simply hangs on long enough for the girl to dangle it in front of a boat's propeller. There are no ill after-affects, not even a bite mark.
 

Anchor Bay, who always seem to care about their releases, have made a shrewd move here. What do you do when you have three average creature flicks to put out? Why, you simply package them together as a box set to make it a more attractive purchase. None of these films will rock the genre, but together they're worth twenty quid of anyone's money.

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2006)

A breed of cockroaches is spreading a disease which is killing the children of Manhattan. Entomologist Susan Tyler and partner Peter Mann create a genetic variant known as the Judas Breed to kill off the disease carriers; however, instead of having a limited lifespan as expected, they mutate over time into something quite different and infinitely more dangerous. Now they are the size of people, fly, and can mimic the look of a human - potentially their greatest predator and certainly their greatest prey. Genetic engineering has changed evolutionary dominance. Whilst Susan is taken by one of the creatures, Peter descends into the bowels of the city, with only a city cop as guide, in an attempt to put things right. But they aren’t the only ones to have put themselves in danger...

Although I received this disc considerably late from the marketing company - via the all powerful  editor, my review has admittedly been a long time coming. I wanted to give this Blu-ray Special Edition disc the time and effort it deserves. I am a committed follower of the work of Mexican director Guillermo del Toro. Ever since John Carpenter went into semi-retirement, del Toro has been the new kid on the block, as far as I’m concerned, and probably the best inventive talent behind the  camera. Although the great Carpenter does have a tendency to raise his head every so often to show who’s boss (not that he’d ever say it). Similarly, I just hope that del Toro doesn’t listen to people like me and think that anything he turns out will turn to gold. It hasn’t happened yet; we’ve had a number of Spanish language films (Cronos, The Devil’s Backbone, and the fantastic Pan’s Labyrinth), and those made for the Hollywood market (Blade  II, Hellboy, and Hellboy 2).

Mimic, released in 1997, was  del  Toro’s first film for an English-speaking American audience. Fan forums have often quoted the man as disliking the film because of certain cuts enforced on him by the film company. His take on the subject on the Extras is that he could have walked away from the project, but felt the cuts were not too detrimental to the overall structure of the film. Having said that, he is much more enthusiastic about this Director’s Cut. It’s amazing how re-arranging a few scenes and cutting (or extending) in different places can strengthen a movie, and that’s exactly what’s happened here. I would say the opening scenes are stylishly eerie, while the middle section just manages to avoid cliche. The main scenes once the players are underground are extremely well-handled, building both character and suspense, and the creatures are strengthened by the fact they are always half in darkness. By no means is this the best of del Toro’s output, but it’s a highly entertaining viewing experience in its own right.

What makes this Blu-ray extra special is the abundance of extra features. There is a Video Prologue with Guillermo Del Toro; a director’s Audio Commentary; Reclaiming Mimic Featurette; The Creatures of Mimic Featurette; a Shooting Mimic Featurette; Deleted Scenes; Storyboard Animatics; a Gag Reel, and Trailer.

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2011)

In the small rural town of Midwich a dark shadow passes overhead and very soon all the inhabitants – including the animals – lose consciousness. The police and army are obliged to set up a barrier to prevent any outsider succumbing to the same phenomenon. When the people come-to it is discovered that all of the women are pregnant. A representative from the government persuades the frightened budding new mums to keep them. When they are all born on the same night, it becomes obvious that these are not normal children. All are white-haired, have psychic or telekinetic powers and are very advanced in terms of intelligence. When they become dangerous, the whole town is in fear. Only a humble schoolteacher seeks to block them from his  mind. But is it enough...?

The arrival of a John Carpenter film is always a cause for celebration in my opinion. Being a big fan, I consider most of his projects to be timeless classics. This one is a little different. It’s a needless remake of the 1960 black and white classic, which is itself based on the John Wyndham novel, The Midwich Cuckoos. I always wonder at the curious need Hollywood has to update perfectly good old films. It only displays a blatant lack of ideas. I can only assume it’s a purely money-making exercise, with the motive being to entertain a new generation of short-sighted people who won’t watch anything unless it’s in colour.

Which brings me neatly to Carpenter’s own reason for making this movie. He’s readily admitted that he only did it for the money; he was approached and offered the dosh, so he took it. That’s why this isn’t a Carpenter project in the normal sense. It’s not written or produced by him, and so wouldn’t be as close to his heart – or ours as fans. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t put his own trademark stamp on the movie. Certain direction techniques are noticeable so that the remake is faithful whilst being brought into the – then – correct decade, with a little more impact for the deaths or injuries. Of course, where Carpenter makes his greatest impact is in the music score, which he handled with Dave Davies. Accompanying the closing credits you’ll hear the full main theme. Great stuff.

The film is quite slow for the first ten minutes or so, with the  quaint little town being portrayed as peace and harmony personified. A  little too twee, perhaps. Things quickly pick up though; the phenomenon which makes everyone pass out, and the subsequent consequences are well-handled. The appearance of the children’s eyes is enhanced and exaggerated, not only lighting up but even intensifying and turning a different colour. A little heart is written into the plot by having one of the boys act human in certain regards –  unlike the others. This leaves the ending open to interpretation and a possible sequel which never happened – at least for this one. There was a sequel to the original, called Children of the Damned.

Kirstie Alley, of Cheers, plays a government scientist who tries to study the situation but quickly gets well out of her depth. Mark Hamill (Star Wars’ Luke Skywalker, and animated Batman’s The Joker) is the local priest. However, this film will probably be most remembered as being the last full film for Superman’s Christopher Reeve, before his ultimately fatal horse riding accident.

So, if you haven’t seen the original you’ll probably enjoy this, even if it doesn’t knock your socks off. If, like me, you have seen the  original – or, even better, read the book – you’ll almost certainly just think ‘why?’ There is only a trailer on offer here; that’s more than a little disappointing, as John Carpenter’s commentaries are some of the most informative and entertaining (not to mention self-deprecating) I’ve heard. But as I don’t think he sees this as one of his personal pet projects, I suppose it’s not surprising. 

(Review originally written by Ty Power for sci-fi-online 2015)