croco dopolis
We endured this turkey in its entirety last night after watching "Destination Moon" (1950), so we were certainly in the right frame of mind for a good dose of hokey 1950's "B" sci-fi.
This is a disappointingly dull and uninteresting pot-boiler, obviously intended for no other purpose than being run as a second feature.
I am baffled by the reviews here claiming that this is "ahead of its time" and comparing it with old "Outer Limits" or "Twilight Zone". I have to wonder if I was really watching the same movie.
The acting could have been done as well by wooden cigar-store Indians. The dialog (for the most part) is insipid. The only "special effects" are a shaky and out-of-focus camera on a few shots.
While the director had a great location to work on - a massive old mansion - he failed miserably in using it to his best advantage. He could have used the setting to really ramp up the tension (as was done with "Saltair" in "Carnival of Souls") but instead about half of the movie is shots of the two main characters wandering around and back and forth, seemingly lost on a large estate.
When the best things about a movie are the cars (a 1954 MG TF, a 1962 Plymouth Fury Wagon, and a 1960 Plymouth Taxi Special), and it's NOT a movie about cars, you know it's a loser.
jvance-566-20403
I was about 9 when this came out at the local theatre. I loved SyFy and horror movies and was expecting a good time. I was very disappointed. No monstrous aliens, no spaceships, no planetary surfaces, not even a clearly evil villain to be rattled by. Other than being fascinated by the ostentatious Greystone Mansion and its immaculate landscaping I was totally bored. I don't really think I understood what was going on at all.Decades later it was showing on some late night TV feature so I stuck in a VHS tape and went to bed. At 50+ years of age I found myself much more appreciative of the quality of this production. Though obviously low-budget with non-existent special effects I recognized that the director had created a superb atmosphere of mystery and fear. As a child I wasn't able to get it, but as an adult I most definitely did. (Interestingly, I was still enthralled by the Greystone Mansion. I have a peculiar romantic taste for such construction.)Though it will never be high on anyone's list of best science fiction movies it deserves far better than the short shrift rendered by my 4th grade analysis. I understand that it is now available on DVD and will definitely give it some consideration.
O2D
This movie is only 70 minutes long and at least 35 minutes is people walking alone. There is virtually no story and you will be very confused. Literally everything that happens is in the trailer. A scientist sends a robot to Mars and the Martians destroy it and make clones of his family so they can kill and replace them.How did they know what the scientist and his family looked like? The best thing about this movie is the scientist pulls his gun but doesn't shoot.That's the first scientist in a long time that wasn't a trigger happy sharp shooter. If they had cut out all the time nothing was happening,this could have been a good half hour short movie.Instead it's a brutal example of how long 70 minutes really is.
kalibeans
This was a 60's sci-fi movie that had somehow escaped my radar until today. I'm a particular fan of the genre. I almost did not watch it due to the low 4.8 rating on IMDb. This is one of the rare instances where I'm glad to say I disagree with the general consensus. I can see where the under 40 crowd, used to CGI and faced paced action/thriller type sci-fi movies would be bored with this film. Actually I would consider it a combination paranormal/sci-fi flick. The estate on which the film was made is stunningly beautiful, even in black and white. Not your average backdrop for a science fiction film. The premise is terrifying. There are the obvious flaws of "why in the world would they stay once they've seen what they did?" and other arm-chair quarterbacking thoughts that I'd have done a lot differently in their situation. I think it's difficult for 21st century viewers sometimes to put themselves in a 50's or 60's setting. How could they if they did not live during those times? I found the film to be suspenseful and entertaining. Doubt it will make to anyone's "top 10 film" list, but it was a very pleasant surprise and great way to spend a rainy afternoon. There is something primeval about the plot of the film that is very unnerving and thus makes it so scary. There are no cheesy costumed Martians or monsters to spoil this one. It's all intellectual type fear. Give this one a shot - especially if you are age 50+, you won't be disappointed.
AD
