An evil mastermind kills a scientist and steals his plans for a mechanical man. After failing to claim the plans the evil mastermind escapes the police. Once free the fiend kidnaps the inventor’s niece who possessed the plans. The criminal builds the mechanical man and terrorizes the dead inventor’s family. Only another mechanical man can save them.
I realize my review of this movie is a little choppy. Unfortunately the movie itself was incomplete. Over half of the footage is missing from the original. What remains intact is some of the middle and the ending conflict between the two monstrosities. For silent film made in 1921 the special effects are quite good. The mechanical men were very well done. Even the chase scene with the mechanical man chasing down the car was impressive. In its entirety, the movie would have been a masterpiece.
It is the future! In the year 2019 the government manipulates the media to further its own agenda. Worse, reality shows have the highest ratings on television. The number one reality show is the Running Man. Criminals have to complete a treacherous obstacle course to gain their freedom. While they run the course they are being stalked by trained killers for the fun and enjoyment of the television audience.
It is the present! The government manipulates the media and reality shows seems to be on every channel. The crazier the concept the more popular it is. I think if Fox Network could clear the concept with the courts, they would air a real version of the Running Man. It’s a sad state we are in when our entertainment is almost a mirror of an apocalyptic 80’s movie with corny dialog based on a book written by Stephen King’s alternate personality Richard Bachman. Time to turn off the TV.
BTW, I loved the movie.
The Running Man stars Arnold “The Governator” Schwarzenegger and Richard Dawson (Hogan’s Heroes and Family Feud).
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)
Dr. Robert Morgan, played by Vincent Price, is the last human alive after a mysterious plague sweeps away humanity. Now only the undead is left to roam the earth. Morgan must spend his days alone preparing for the night, hunting the creatures and disposing of them in “the pit”. At night the undead rise to beat on his door while memories taunt him of loved ones lost. Is he truly the last man on earth or are there others?
The movie is narrated by Vincent Price which gives it a sense of loneliness and solitude. This is an important aspect of the movie and is played out very well by Price. The black and white format gives the film an eerie feeling deepening the feeling of isolation of the main character.
This movie is based on the novel “I Am Legend” by Richard Matheson. “Omega Man”, staring Charlton Heston, and “I Am Legend”, staring Will Smith, are both based on the same book, but not remakes of the 1964 version.
Recommended!
The movie is now in public domain and can be viewed online here: Internet Archive
Directed: Ubaldo Ragona
Stared: Vincent Price (The Fly, The Raven, Edward Scissorhands and the music video Thriller).
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))
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
Something has crashed in the Arctic! Air Force Captain Hendry, his facetious crew and a reporter, Scotty, are sent to help a small expedition investigate it. At the crash site, they find a strange circular ship flash frozen in the ice. They fail to “blow” the ship out of the ice, but were able to recover the sole occupant still frozen solid. Back at the camp, the “alien” is accidentally unfrozen by one of the crew members and decides to have dinner, human is on the menu. Dinner fights back.
This is a fun classic black and white movie with little special effects. The cast and crew must have had fun making the movie; it comes out in their performance. The alien makes an appearance in the last part of the movie and only has less than 10 minutes of screen time. It’s worth the wait.
This film was very loosely based on the short story “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell. It was later remade by John Carpenter which follows the original short story more closely.
Recommended!
Director: Christian Nyby
Staring: Kenneth Tobey (Captain Hendry) Margaret Sheridan (Nikki) James Arness (The Thing)
