Starring Irish McCalla, Tod Griffin, Victor Sen Yung, Rudolph Anders, Gene Roth
Directed by Richard E. Cunha
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A spoiled rich girl and the men traveling with her are shipwrecked on an island where a Nazi scientist is transforming native women into savage monsters.
Another of Richard Cunha's quartet of independent sci-fi/horror films made for the drive-in circuit, it's fun and entertaining despite its flaws. Bookended by obvious stock footage for the hurricane that wrecks McCalla's boat and the volcano that dooms the island, what lies between is low budget but still interesting. McCalla's beauty, the monster makeups, and the cruelty of the Nazi officers are depended on to carry the film, and for me at least, do that successfully. That being said, the white actresses playing the native women stretch credibility, and a sequence where chief villain Anders explains his experiments goes on too long, but he gives a good performance, and Nicholas Carras' ominous score sets the right tone. I found McCalla, Griffin, and Sen Yung likable enough and the fight sequences well choreographed, although Griffin's stunt double quite noticeably looked far older than the actor. Still, the movie projects that 1950s sci-fi atmosphere well enough, and is a treasure for that alone.
Showing posts with label Rudolph Anders. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rudolph Anders. Show all posts
Friday, November 2, 2018
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
The Snow Creature (1954)
Starring Paul Langton, Leslie Denison, Teru Shimada, Rudolph Anders, Bill Phipps
Directed by W. Lee Wilder
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A botanist exploring the mountains of Tibet manages to capture the Abominable Snowman, and takes him back to California for study, but the creature escapes and stalks human victims.
Another of director W. Lee Wilder's collaborations with his son, Myles, who wrote the screenplay, the picture is probably the weakest of their films, despite a promising concept and setup. The major problem is we never get a good look at the creature, who's only seen in long shots, or a clip of him stepping in and out of the shadows, that's repeated ad infinitum throughout the film. Odds are this probably masked the inadequacies of the creature costume, but it results in a film without a major payoff for the audience. The first half of the film in which we follow botanist Langton, whose expedition is taken over by his sherpa Shimada when the man's wife is abducted by the creature, is a bit more interesting than the second half, where authorities search for the creature in the sewers, but both halves suffer from a lack of atmosphere and imagination. Having said all that, I somehow keep coming back to watch this film, so there must be something about it that intrigues me.
Directed by W. Lee Wilder
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A botanist exploring the mountains of Tibet manages to capture the Abominable Snowman, and takes him back to California for study, but the creature escapes and stalks human victims.
Another of director W. Lee Wilder's collaborations with his son, Myles, who wrote the screenplay, the picture is probably the weakest of their films, despite a promising concept and setup. The major problem is we never get a good look at the creature, who's only seen in long shots, or a clip of him stepping in and out of the shadows, that's repeated ad infinitum throughout the film. Odds are this probably masked the inadequacies of the creature costume, but it results in a film without a major payoff for the audience. The first half of the film in which we follow botanist Langton, whose expedition is taken over by his sherpa Shimada when the man's wife is abducted by the creature, is a bit more interesting than the second half, where authorities search for the creature in the sewers, but both halves suffer from a lack of atmosphere and imagination. Having said all that, I somehow keep coming back to watch this film, so there must be something about it that intrigues me.
Monday, February 12, 2018
Phantom From Space (1953)
Starring Ted Cooper, Harry Landers, Jack Daly, Noreen Nash, Rudolph Anders
Directed by W. Lee Wilder
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The police and communications experts join forces in tracking a fugitive, who is in reality a space alien who is invisible when not wearing his spacesuit.
Another collaboration between producer/director W. Lee Wilder and his son Myles who co-wrote the screenplay, the production suffers a bit from its low budget, but the invisibility effects are fairly decent, and I found the story engaging enough. There's not a dynamic lead actor among the cast, the camera setups are fairly static, and at times there's a bit too much expositional dialogue, which are to the film's detriment, but William Lava's music score is a strong asset, and the alien's reveal at the climax doesn't disappoint. This is a better film than Wilder's Killers From Space and The Snow Creature, and the first I can think of that introduced the subject of an invisible alien being.
Directed by W. Lee Wilder
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
The police and communications experts join forces in tracking a fugitive, who is in reality a space alien who is invisible when not wearing his spacesuit.
Another collaboration between producer/director W. Lee Wilder and his son Myles who co-wrote the screenplay, the production suffers a bit from its low budget, but the invisibility effects are fairly decent, and I found the story engaging enough. There's not a dynamic lead actor among the cast, the camera setups are fairly static, and at times there's a bit too much expositional dialogue, which are to the film's detriment, but William Lava's music score is a strong asset, and the alien's reveal at the climax doesn't disappoint. This is a better film than Wilder's Killers From Space and The Snow Creature, and the first I can think of that introduced the subject of an invisible alien being.
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