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Greetings, and welcome to VIEWING THE CLASSICS. Here you'll find capsule reviews of vintage movies from the early days of cinema through the 1970s, with a special emphasis on sci-fi, horror, and mystery movies. Be sure to check out the Pages links, where you can find a Film Index of all my reviews, links to the reviews organized by cast members, directors, and other contributors, and links to my reviews of the films of talented young director Joshua Kennedy.

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Friday, December 29, 2017

Teenagers From Outer Space (1959)

Starring David Love, Dawn Anderson, Bryan Grant, Harvey B. Dunn, Tom Lockyear
Directed by Tom Graeff
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)

Alien invaders plan to breed giant monsters on Earth to feed their race, but a teenage crewman among them rebels and tries to find a way to save humanity from their menace.

This picture has been often ridiculed over the years, for the human characters' espousal of 1950s wholesomeness, the ray gun that turns its victims into skeletons, and the silliness of the Gargon, a lobster turned into a giant menace by rear projection.  That doesn't mean the picture isn't entertaining and it really is a well-assembled achievement by writer/producer/director Tom Graeff, whom IMDB also credits with the film's cinematography, editing, special effects, music coordination, and playing the role of reporter Joe Rogers.  The cast is very earnest and no one really overplays their roles, making the film a delightful watch, and Graeff deserves credit for creating a well-flowing film that never seems like patchwork.  Believe it or not, this was picked up and distributed by Warner Brothers.

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