Starring John Agar, Lori Nelson, John Bromfield, Nestor Paiva, Grandon Rhodes
Directed by Jack Arnold
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
After the legendary Gill-Man is captured and put on exhibition in a Florida aquarium, an animal psychologist and his beautiful assistant discover the creature can't be tamed.
This follow-up to the classic Creature From The Black Lagoon can't compete with the original, but Agar brings natural charm to his character in one of his first sci-fi credits, despite his cruel attempts to train the creature with a bull prod. One hopes this was an invention of the screenplay, and not indicative of the methods real animal psychologists used at the time, which makes me shudder if they were. The rest of the picture offers efficient thrills, Nelson is gifted with some meaningful dialogue as the film's leading lady, and Tom Hennesy and Ricou Browning bring the Gill-Man to life as memorably as in the first film. However, for me the Creature was far more effective in his native environment. Paiva is the only actor from the original film to reprise his role, as the charter boat captain Lucas, a rogue more colorful than most of the other characters, and it's a shame he's only around for less than the first half of the picture.
Showing posts with label Jack Arnold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Arnold. Show all posts
Saturday, August 12, 2017
Saturday, August 5, 2017
Monster On The Campus (1958)
Starring Arthur Franz, Joanna Moore, Judson Pratt, Nancy Walters, Troy Donahue
Directed by Jack Arnold
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A professor of science brings a giant prehistoric fish to his university but discovers too late the creature's blood transforms anything that swallows it into a savage beast of the past.
An entertaining sci-fi/horror romp from Universal-International with some worthy creature effects, I've always been fond of this picture, although it's probably one of the lesser regarded films of director Jack Arnold. It's not on the same level as Creature From The Black Lagoon and The Incredible Shrinking Man, but it's a lot of fun, with Franz as the obsessed scientist who cares more about his experiments than his college lectures, Pratt as the no-nonsense police detective who has to start believing in the fantastic, and the always welcome Ross Elliott as his ill-fated partner. Plenty of great Universal cues are tracked into the music score, including a generous sampling from Son Of Frankenstein once a neanderthal man appears on the scene. Although the film's somewhat predictable, it's still enjoyable viewing everytime I revisit it.
Directed by Jack Arnold
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A professor of science brings a giant prehistoric fish to his university but discovers too late the creature's blood transforms anything that swallows it into a savage beast of the past.
An entertaining sci-fi/horror romp from Universal-International with some worthy creature effects, I've always been fond of this picture, although it's probably one of the lesser regarded films of director Jack Arnold. It's not on the same level as Creature From The Black Lagoon and The Incredible Shrinking Man, but it's a lot of fun, with Franz as the obsessed scientist who cares more about his experiments than his college lectures, Pratt as the no-nonsense police detective who has to start believing in the fantastic, and the always welcome Ross Elliott as his ill-fated partner. Plenty of great Universal cues are tracked into the music score, including a generous sampling from Son Of Frankenstein once a neanderthal man appears on the scene. Although the film's somewhat predictable, it's still enjoyable viewing everytime I revisit it.
Monday, July 31, 2017
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
Starring Grant Williams, Randy Stuart, April Kent, Paul Langton, Raymond Bailey
Directed by Jack Arnold
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A man finds himself shrinking smaller and smaller after being exposed to a radioactive mist, and his anger and desperation put a strain on his marriage while he waits for scientists to find a cure.
Screenwriter Richard Matheson adapts his own novel, and in the hands of director Jack Arnold and a talented crew, they deliver an intelligent sci-fi drama with some very memorable visual effects. Some of the shots integrating a tiny Williams into a giant world show their age, but once the story shrinks him down under a foot tall, the combination of rear projection and oversized props is executed very impressively as the film builds to a final climax. This is probably Williams' best role and he does his part to sell the audience on the fantasy the film presents as if it were a real-life drama. However I've always been a little disappointed in the film's metaphysical ending which doesn't seem to reward the audience for their investment in these characters. I understand the reasoning behind it, and wouldn't necessarily have preferred a happy ending, but it just strikes me as a bit insufficient.
Directed by Jack Arnold
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A man finds himself shrinking smaller and smaller after being exposed to a radioactive mist, and his anger and desperation put a strain on his marriage while he waits for scientists to find a cure.
Screenwriter Richard Matheson adapts his own novel, and in the hands of director Jack Arnold and a talented crew, they deliver an intelligent sci-fi drama with some very memorable visual effects. Some of the shots integrating a tiny Williams into a giant world show their age, but once the story shrinks him down under a foot tall, the combination of rear projection and oversized props is executed very impressively as the film builds to a final climax. This is probably Williams' best role and he does his part to sell the audience on the fantasy the film presents as if it were a real-life drama. However I've always been a little disappointed in the film's metaphysical ending which doesn't seem to reward the audience for their investment in these characters. I understand the reasoning behind it, and wouldn't necessarily have preferred a happy ending, but it just strikes me as a bit insufficient.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954)
Starring Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Richard Denning, Antonio Moreno, Nestor Paiva
Directed by Jack Arnold
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An expedition on the Amazon river in search of an ancient fossil comes across a missing link between man and fish whose attacks turn deadly.
One of Universal Picture's "classic monsters," although he came decades after Dracula, Frankenstein, and the rest, the Creature From The Black Lagoon makes a memorable debut in this picture, well-directed by Arnold. The highlight of the film is the impressive creature makeup which looks great whether the beast is swimming underwater or stalking its victims on land, but the production also boasts a strong cast, and impressive underwater photography. It's a genuine sci-fi classic which proved popular enough to spawn two sequels.
Directed by Jack Arnold
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An expedition on the Amazon river in search of an ancient fossil comes across a missing link between man and fish whose attacks turn deadly.
One of Universal Picture's "classic monsters," although he came decades after Dracula, Frankenstein, and the rest, the Creature From The Black Lagoon makes a memorable debut in this picture, well-directed by Arnold. The highlight of the film is the impressive creature makeup which looks great whether the beast is swimming underwater or stalking its victims on land, but the production also boasts a strong cast, and impressive underwater photography. It's a genuine sci-fi classic which proved popular enough to spawn two sequels.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Tarantula (1955)
Starring John Agar, Mara Corday, Leo G. Carroll, Nestor Paiva, Ross Elliott
Directed by Jack Arnold
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A scientist experimenting with a radioactive nutrient unwittingly lets a tarantula he's treated escape from his lab, and it grows into a huge menace that threatens the community nearby.
One of the best monster movies of its kind, director Jack Arnold's follow-up to It Came From Outer Space and Creature From The Black Lagoon is an involving sci-fi thriller with special effects that still look seamless, great makeup effects for the unfortunate human beings that have been injected with the nutrient, and a stalwart performance by familiar '50s leading man John Agar. Although the picture's somewhat derivative of Them!, which set the gold standard for "giant bug" movies when released the previous year, it holds up on its own terms, and is a personal favorite of mine among Arnold's and Agar's credits.
Directed by Jack Arnold
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A scientist experimenting with a radioactive nutrient unwittingly lets a tarantula he's treated escape from his lab, and it grows into a huge menace that threatens the community nearby.
One of the best monster movies of its kind, director Jack Arnold's follow-up to It Came From Outer Space and Creature From The Black Lagoon is an involving sci-fi thriller with special effects that still look seamless, great makeup effects for the unfortunate human beings that have been injected with the nutrient, and a stalwart performance by familiar '50s leading man John Agar. Although the picture's somewhat derivative of Them!, which set the gold standard for "giant bug" movies when released the previous year, it holds up on its own terms, and is a personal favorite of mine among Arnold's and Agar's credits.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
It Came From Outer Space (1953)
Starring Richard Carlson, Barbara Rush, Charles Drake, Joe Sawyer, Russell Johnson
Directed by Jack Arnold
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An astronomer witnesses an alien spaceship landing on Earth, but after it's buried in an avalanche, no one will believe him, even after he encounters the aliens themselves.
The first of many forays into science fiction by Universal Pictures in the 1950s, this film gets that series of pictures off to a spectacular start, tapping into the fear of the unknown that was prevalent then with a quality story from sci-fi great Ray Bradbury. Featuring grotesque alien makeups, a wonderfully eerie music score, and a strong lead performance by Carlson, it's a durable classic intelligently directed by Arnold, and still relevant today.
Directed by Jack Arnold
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
An astronomer witnesses an alien spaceship landing on Earth, but after it's buried in an avalanche, no one will believe him, even after he encounters the aliens themselves.
The first of many forays into science fiction by Universal Pictures in the 1950s, this film gets that series of pictures off to a spectacular start, tapping into the fear of the unknown that was prevalent then with a quality story from sci-fi great Ray Bradbury. Featuring grotesque alien makeups, a wonderfully eerie music score, and a strong lead performance by Carlson, it's a durable classic intelligently directed by Arnold, and still relevant today.
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