A team of scientists sail up the Amazon River to investigate a unique fossil found at a geological dig. The fossil is of a human like webbed hand. Once there they find the men who were left to guard the site killed in a horrific manner. After digging at the site they are unable to find the rest of the skeleton, they decide to go up the Amazon in search of more evidence. Once inside a lagoon, they are assaulted by a “Gill-man” who has a romantic interest in the leading lady (Kay). The “Gill-man” blocks the entrance and abducts Kay. Can they rescue Kay and escape the Black Lagoon?

This is an iconic 1950’s black and white film shot in 3D. The music is over dramatic and sets the “scary” mood of the creature. Two actors played the “Gill-man”, Ricou Browing (in water) and Ben Chapman (on land). If you are fan of good classic sci-fi horror movies, this is the one to see!

Directed: Jack Arnold (It Came From Outer Space, Revenge of the Creature, This Island Earth, Tarantula, the Incredible Shrinking Man, the Space Children)

Staring:
Richard Carlson (the Magnetic Monster, It Came From Outer Space, Riders to the Stars)
Julia Adams (Lost)
Richard Denning (Target Earth, Creature with the Atom Brain, Day the World Ended)

A strange ship lands in Washington with a warning to Earth. Klaatu brings a message about war and nuclear weapons. Of course, he is shot by the army. Now, Klaatu is on the run and in hiding. He befriends a young boy, Bobby, and his mother, Helen. Klaatu seeks out an Einstein like Professor Barnhart to help get his message out. He demonstrates his power by stopping all transportation on Earth (hence the title). Once the army finds Klaatu, he’s on the run again and it’s up to Helen to save the Earth from his giant robot, Gort. Klaatu Barada Nikto!

This is classic science fiction. No cheesy special effects or strange monsters from outer space (except for the robot). Klaatu has odd behavior, but not odd enough to stand out as a space man. The message of the movie is not overwhelming and works well with the story. Excellent acting and very good special effects (for a movie made in 1951).

The movie is based on the story by Harry Bates.

Recommended!

Director: Robert Wise

Starring:
Klaatu: Michael Rennie	(The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936), The Lost World (1960), Batman (1966) as the Sandman, Cyborg 2087 (1966))
Helen Benson: Patricia Neal	(Stranger from Venus (1954))
Tom Stevens: Hugh Marlowe	(World Without End (1956), Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956), Birdman of Alcatraz (1962))
Prof. Jacob Barnhardt:	Sam Jaffe (Gunga Din (1939), Ben-Hur (1959), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Battle Beyond the Stars (1980))
Bobby Benson:	Billy Gray (Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949), Werewolves on Wheels (1971), The Vampyre Wars (1996))
Mrs. Barley:	Frances Bavier
Gort: Lock Martin	(Invaders from Mars (1953), The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957))

Memorable Lines:	“I’m impatient with stupidity.“
	“Klaatu barada nikto!“

Jim Barnes, Dr. Cargraves, General Thayer and Joe Sweeny take a fantastic trip to the moon. After failed attempts to launch a rocket, General Thayer convinces Jim Barnes (head of an airplane manufacture) that the United States must be the first to get to the moon (“The rocket is the absolute necessity. If any other power gets one out into space before we do, we will no longer be the United States, we will be the disunited world.”). With the help of Woody Wood Pecker, Barnes and Thayer convince other industrialist to invest in their adventure.

They build their rocket in White Sands, New Mexico and before anyone can stop them, they launch! After some small mechanical problems and a thrilling space walk the crew almost crashes on the moon. With too much fuel spent on their landing, the adventure begins. How does the heroic crew make it back to Earth?

The special effects aren’t too bad for a movie made in 1950. They simulated G-forces from take off, weightlessness and a spacewalk. The movie did try to keep some scientific facts straight like pauses during communication with Earth, barren airless moon and low gravity on the moon. There are no aliens, Amazon women or rocks with numbers on them.

Co-written by Robert A. Heinlein and loosely based on his novel “Rocketship Galileo”. A fun fact: “Rocketship Galileo” was rejected due to the idea of going to the moon being too far fetched. Other movies based on Heinlein novels are “Puppet Master” and “Starship Troopers”.

This film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and nominated for Best Art Direction – Color.

Memorable line: “No beer, no babes, no baseball.“

Recommended!

Director: Irving Pichel (also the narrator for the Woody Wood Pecker cartoon).
Jim Barnes: John Archer (King of the Zombies, Command & Conquer: Red Alert – Voice)
Dr. Charles Cargraves: Warner Anderson (Song of the Thin Man)
General Thayer: Tom Powers (Angel and the Bad Man, Double Indemnity)
Joe Sweeney: Dick Wesson

Something strange is happening in Santa Mira, Ca. Returning home, Dr. Miles Bennell is confronted by several towns’ people claiming their family isn’t really their family. Later, they change their minds and claim that everything is fine. Mass hysteria is to blame for the behavior, until Dr. Bennell’s friend Jack finds a body in his closet with very little facial features and no finger prints. This “body” strangely resembles Jack. The pod people are on the move and Dr. Bennell and his girlfriend, Becky, are on the run. Don’t fall asleep or the pod people will get you!

For a 1950’s black and white science fiction movie, it has a few chilling scenes. This movie didn’t need elaborate special effects or guys in rubber monster suits. Falling asleep and waking up not yourself can be just as scary has a hockey mask wearing psycho.

Fun Fact: Kevin McCarthy played Dr. Miles Bennell in both 1956 and 1978 versions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers as well as Dr. Bennell in Looney Toons: Back in Action.

Memorable Line: They’re here already! You’re next! You’re next!

Recommended!

Director:
Don Siegel

Staring:
Kevin McCarthy – Dr. Miles Bennell
Dana Wynter – Becky Driscoll

Wikipedia Entry