The Thing From Another World!

     Based on renowned sci-fi writer John W. Campbell's short story "Who Goes There?",  horror classic "The Thing From Another World" tells the story of a group of scientists and military personnel who discover an alien life form frozen under the ice in the Arctic.  Of course, being scientists, they take the alien back to their base to study.  And of course, the block of ice encasing the alien life form thaws, and the "Thing" sets off on a bloody rampage.

     "The Thing From Another World" was one of the first films to successfully mesh horror with sci-fi, and came at a time when the country was besieged with UFO sightings.  This film would become extremely influential and usher in a slew of UFO pictures, not to mention paving the way for such classics as "The Day The Earth Stood Still" and "War Of The Worlds".  Let's not forget that in 1951 we were in the Cold War, so it's practically impossible not to read the film's subtext as an allegory to our fear of communism.  But most importantly, it's simply a great monster movie.

     "The Thing From Another World" is without a doubt one of the finest sci-fi/horror films ever made.  Its crisp b & w photography, smart dialogue, and top notch acting help seal the deal as well.  It's a nifty and claustrophobic monster mash that offers some low-budget but expertly crafted scares.  It's brilliant use of light and shadow, on top of the special effects, propel this far above the usual shlockfests of 50s sci-fi.  It's an amazing and influential film, and holds up great today- even with today's standards of shock and gore.  It honestly hasn't aged that much.  This fast-paced, brisk little chiller is a perfect flick for a cold, windy October night to curl up on the sofa to.  "The Thing From Another World" stars Kenneth Tobey, Margaret Sheridan, Robert Cornthwaite, and James Arness as the hulking Thing.

Horror Of Dracula

      "Horror Of Dracula", in 1958, was the first of Hammer's Dracula series. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee successfully re-invented the classic monsters from Universal, and although it makes several deviations from the original novel by Bram Stoker and the Bela Lugosi film version, there is something truly riveting about this re-telling.  It's a gorgeously eerie film- it looks sensational.

     Lee inherits the role from Bela Lugosi, and completely makes it his own.  "Horror of Dracula" is a lush, Technicolor take on Stoker's novel that became the first vampire movie to incorporate blood, red eyes, and fangs, actually.  There is an unsettling, eerie vibe in pretty much all of the Hammer productions, especially the Dracula series.  Take for instance Dracula's castle- it's nightmarish, creepy, and just plain weird looking.  It's like something hallucinated in a fever dream.  The sunlight also works well in these movies- it may seem ironic, but those sun-dappled woods for some reason really gets to me. I can't quite put my finger on what exactly it is, but something about these movies creep me out.

      Director Terence Fisher got rid of the cobwebs, howling wolves, and other Gothic trappings of  Browning's "Dracula", and makes a memorable interpretation of the classic tale.  Obviously these movies struck a chord with audiences, or they wouldn't have made so many in the first place.  Christoper Lee makes a fantastic Dracula- with his bloodshot eyes and fangs dripping blood, he is truly startling and somewhat spooky.  I would have to say Christopher Lee's Dracula is probably the most frightening of them all- there is just something about Lee and that damn creepy castle that's chilling.

     Critics were shocked and outraged over the explicit bloodletting, but the movie is quite tame compared with movies of today.   "Horror of Dracula" is considered by many horror fans to be one of the greatest vampire films ever made- and it certainly is one of the most gorgeous to look at.  Lavish all around, considering the lack of a budget they had to work with.

     Anyway, like "The Curse Of Frankenstein", "Horror Of Dracula" is a great start to a memorably campy series of films that are strangely addictive.  Most definitely an acquired taste- some just cannot get into these movies, for whatever reasons.  Personally I cut my teeth on these movies growing up and they made a huge impact on my young, impressionable little head.  Honestly, I remember these being on TV more than the original Universal films.  To me they're a perfect way to spend a rainy afternoon.  I could sit and watch these all day.

Plan 9 From Outer Space

     In 1959 Ed Wood released a film about aliens from outer space and the living dead here on Earth that was so hilariously amateur and awful, it would go on to become one of the greatest cult classics of all midnight movies.  Universally known as the worst movie ever made, Ed Wood's gloriously terrible "Plan 9 From Outer Space" stars the great Bela Lugosi, (in sadly what would be his last screen appearance), and Vampira- this story of alien graverobbers is one of the all-time greatest of the cheesy sci/fi-horror flicks of the 50s.  Chock full of bloopers, terrible acting, and the same shot of poor Bela used over and over again, it's quite astonishing just how amateur the entire production is- and how these movies ever got released in the first place.  Ed Wood was very imaginative and ambitious, but we all know he wasn't the most talented of directors.  But he had a vision nonetheless, and it's so much fun to watch.  It's a hoot trying to spot all the mistakes in "Plan 9", and it's a camp lovers delight.

     This is one of the most infamous films of the 50s, and definitely one of the most fun to watch today.  The fact that this was Lugosi's last film performance, and the fact that he died three years before the films release, only adds to its cult status.  Wood bravely forged ahead and incorporated the few screen minutes he had of Lugosi already filmed and interspersed them with shots of a not very convincing stand-in, who basically wanders around with his cape pulled up over his face.  It's kinda sad, funny, and eerie all at the same time.  It's perfect viewing for the Halloween season, as it usually pops up somewhere on cable.  "Plan 9 From Outer Space" is most certainly a blast from the past.

   

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN

 

  
     Don't be fooled by the title.  This is one of the best sci-fi/horror films to come out of the 50s- rivaling 1956's "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" as the best, in my opinion.

     Scott Carey and his wife are out enjoying their cabin cruiser one day at sea.  While his wife is momentarily below deck, the small craft passes through a mysterious mist.  Scott is left covered by a strange, glitter-like substance, which eventually disappears.  All seems fine, until a few days later when Scott is accidentally sprayed with an insecticide.  Then, he incredibly begins to realize that his entire body actually seems to be shrinking.    

      "The Incredible Shrinking Man" is an amazingly thought-out movie, and the stunning special effects (for the time) enhance the story greatly.  It also doesn't hurt the fact that it's based on such a well-written story to begin with, and the fact that the author himself adapted the screenplay.  It's not just a bunch of lines delivered with the usual b-movie schlock.  As fantastic as the special effects were for the time, the film is actually just as much a character study.  Grant Williams does a fine job with Scott Carey- it's fascinating to watch him become more and more resourceful in a desperate attempt to save his life and to deal with ordinary, everyday objects (spiders, the cat, etc.) that are now much more dangerous. On top of the repercussions his new fate has on his marriage.  Up until then, there had simply not been a film to deal with the psychology of the over-the-top and fantastic situations portrayed in the movie.  It's just a well-done flick all around.  If you want to see a perfect example of 50s sci-fi/horror, check out "The Incredible Shrinking Man" now!

Invasion Of the Body Snatchers (1956)

     Dr. Miles Bennell returns to his sleepy hometown of Santa Mira, California because of many urgent calls from  his patients to see him immediately.  Upon returning, he finds many reports of patients thinking certain loved ones are not who they're supposed to be,  as if they've been replaced by identical look-alikes.  Has a mass hysteria descended upon the small town, or is something more sinister at work here?

     Hands down the best horror movie of the 50's, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is a thrilling, almost film noir chiller that's packed with action, suspense, and a creeping, subtle terror.  It's an absolute gem of a movie, full of gorgeously crisp black and white photography and delicious 50's atmosphere.  "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" is in my opinion the most original and entertaining of all the paranoid sci/fi-horror films to come out of the 1950's.  The way the story unfolds is chilling, even for 50's standards.   Alien invaders have long been a huge plot element in all kinds or sci/fi and horror movies, but never quite handled so creepily as in this movie.

      "Body Snatchers" has a timeless sense of paranoia, which is why the movie has been remade 3 times.  Made on a low-budget with a very simply plotline, it's still widely considered the supreme sci-fi/horror flick of the 50's.   I can't stop raving about "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"- it's just one of those movies that I can always lose myself in at any given time.  It's frightening, mysterious, suspenseful, and original.  Classic!

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Psycho

     A woman steals $40,000 and flees town.  During a bad thunderstorm, she stops at an out-of-the-way motel to spend the night.  What follows is one of the most infamous scenes in horror history.

               "Psycho" is pure movie-making genius.  Hitchcock's masterpiece is a brilliant exercise in music, cinematography, editing, acting, and directing. I can only imagine sitting in an unsuspecting audience in 1960, completely unaware of what was about to happen on the screen. NOTHING had ever been done like this movie before, especially the infamous 'shower scene'.  With the heroine of the film brutally butchered during the first 30 minutes, Hitchcock suddenly and shockingly announced that from now on, all bets were off.  Horror was no longer safe.  Anything could happen. "Psycho" undoubtedly paved the way for the likes of "Night of the Living Dead","The Texas Chainsaw Massacre", and "Halloween", and so many others.  It's so engrained into our culture now that you don't even have to have seen the movie to know the story.  (Although I would have to say you have no business watching movies if you don't...)  You can even buy a shower curtain with "Mother" weilding a knife on it, it's so well-known.          
      Anthony Perkins made such an impact as Norman Bates, that he never was able to escape the role.  He was forever known as Norman.  Can you think of any other memorable role of Anthony Perkins?  He is simply too good in the role.  His Bates is truly spooky- and he cast the mold for Michael Myers, Hannibal Lecter, and such.  "Psycho" was the first true slasher, inventing a genre and changing the face of horror movies forever.  It's Hitchcock's scariest moments on celluloid I think, besides "The Birds".  And still holds up magnificently, especially next to some of the pale remakes bombarding us today.  It's still crisp and fresh.  I can't imagine anybody not having seen this classic example of tension and suspense. And if you haven't, what are you waiting for?  This is one of the greatest of many great Hitchcock movies, and the grandfather (or should I say mother?) of all slashers.  Words really can't do the movie justice, though.  Just watch the movie.  You'll see what I'm talking about.

Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?

  Two aging Hollywood sisters live together in a dark, spooky mansion.  One, a former child-star who's career never amounted to anything afterwards, takes care of her invalid sister who was a much bigger star in her day.  Now bitter rivals, the invalid sister, (Joan Crawford), is at the mercy of her angry sister, (Bette Davis), who's slowly unraveling into insanity...

     The Grand Dame of Cinema Schlock- "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?" will never cease to amaze, fascinate, and entertain.  This movie not only gave Bette Davis and Joan Crawford a much-needed comeback, but also kicked off a wave of movies that would become known as 'horror hag'.  Just take an aging Hollywood star, put her in a cheaply made horror movie, and presto!  Audiences flocked to these kind of flicks, and today they are all bona-fide classics of high camp.

      Now, "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?" is actually a great movie- Bette and Joan are certainly a formidable match onscreen.  The pairing of these two giant Hollywood icons alone would have cemented its legendary status.  But besides that, we are treated to a genuinely creepy and unsettling look at old Hollwood, ala "Sunset Boulevard".  Way more than just a cheap horror film, "WEHTBJ" is a riveting psychological study of 'stars' in Hollywood, and how desperate they will become to keep those stars shining.  It's cheaply made, but rather creative and very influential.

      Bette Davis and Joan Crawford simply could not be replaced in this movie- they are absolutely pitch perfect.  Bette scowls, brays, shrieks, and howls- she is truly a tour-de-force in acting here.  There is a reason why she's called one of our greatest actresses of all time.   As great as Bette is,  Joan equally holds her own here. We immediately sympathize with Blanche, and we're with her all the way.  Considering the myth of their supposed 'feud', it certainly makes watching this movie all the more fascinating. You can practically feel the underlying tension ooze off the screen, what with the legendary rumours of their hatred for one another.  Whether any of this is true or not, it certainly adds to the movie.

     This movie was a huge hit when released in 1962- and made such an impact that there is now a licensed action figure set of the two stars.  It's a horror classic, and one of the biggest and most memorable films of the 60s. The character of Baby Jane ranked #44 on the American Film Institute's list of the 50 Best Villains of American Cinema. "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" inspired a slew of knock-off imitations and drag queens around the world as well.  It also resurrected the careers of Miss Davis and Miss Crawford.  And we'll forever have the charms of "But ya are, Blanche, ya are in that chair!"