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THE BEAST WITH A MILLION EYES (1955)
Another example of what the American Releasing Corporation used to palm off on the general public as “a film”. In an almost textbook example of a fifties science fiction tale, an invading alien that calls itself “a strong mind” tries to take over the world, but is defeated by the power of love, religion and the American way.
First, however, the alien stages an attack via its ability to control those with weak minds and wills: animals; people with brain damage; women…
#1 by Thomas on February 22, 2009 - 4:40 am
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I’m trying to think of instances I’ve seen of Australian Aliens, but aside from the remarkably fertile field of children’s television sci-fi not much is coming up. I suppose there was Undead, but there the aliens never really landed so much as hovered above sheepishly exposing themselves.
Thank you for the review, and also for the little history lesson. The neatest thing about these sorts of films always seems to be the meeting of dazzling intellectual ambition with a complete lack of talent, money or interest, which is at the same time a pity since, just like the last film you reviewed, this is a pretty good idea for a movie.
#2 by lyzard on February 22, 2009 - 4:48 am
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Well, there is Rolf de Heer’s Incident At Raven’s Gate, although again, that’s pretty ambiguous about what’s actually going on. We seem to tend more towards home-grown horrors, whether natural or supernatural.
Oh, and yes, it’s a great idea; and if it had come along three or four years later, might have given rise to one of the better AIP films, instead of one where you really have to pan for the gold dust.
#3 by Blake Matthews on February 22, 2009 - 2:24 pm
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I remember reading about this in “Space Monsters” by Seymour Simon. He didn’t mention however, the dearth of a monster in the movie, and thus made the movie actually seem interesting to me.
#4 by Blake Matthews on February 22, 2009 - 2:55 pm
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Oh, Liz, I thought you were going to do “Food of the Gods”, as that movie had a rat monster and a scantily-clad woman on the cover (plus you reviewed its sequel already).
#5 by lyzard on February 22, 2009 - 3:15 pm
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And Belinda Belaski as the Obligatory Pregnant Woman Who Goes Into Labour At Just The Wrong Time.
See, the trouble with this as a topic is that there’s far too much choice (I’m giving my colleagues the benefit of the doubt here and assuming that’s why they’re all so late). So I reverted to my perpetual instinct of in order from the beginning.
#6 by Joshua on February 22, 2009 - 3:39 pm
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If the alien spaceship really was a 50’s-era percolator, I would pay whatever the asking price was to have one.
#7 by lyzard on February 22, 2009 - 3:44 pm
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Oh, HELL, yeah!! (Why do I suspect that was the extent of the on-set catering?)
#8 by The Beerman on February 23, 2009 - 4:55 am
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I think finding the percolator would be the easy part — finding the empty K-Ration cans and a half-dozen spent .50 caliber shells to complete the ensemble however…
#9 by Brett Wood on February 24, 2009 - 11:06 am
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Too bad it didn’t occur to Corman that if he cranked out a script about an evil petting zoo he could have reused some of the cast. Oh what could have been…
But hey, we got a monster.
#10 by supersonic on February 26, 2009 - 10:27 pm
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You’ve stretched the ratio of quality-of-review to quality-of-film even further than usual this time.
#11 by lyzard on February 27, 2009 - 2:05 pm
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Well, length-of-review, anyway. It was a bit of a shock when I glanced down and saw I was on the eleventh page of text. But I had a lovely relaxing wet Saturday, just blathering on.
#12 by lyzard on February 27, 2009 - 2:09 pm
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Enid Blyton’s 1984.
#13 by supersonic on February 27, 2009 - 4:00 pm
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A lovely wet saturday? The kind with a nice water-splashing and volleyball party?
(hm, I notice you edited that post to add extra modesty.)
#14 by lyzard on February 27, 2009 - 4:48 pm
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No, chiefly because I was posting 7.30 am this Saturday and didn’t say quite what I meant.
(And no, not THAT kind of wet Saturday!)
#15 by supersonic on February 27, 2009 - 4:50 pm
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Your subconscious let the truth slip out!
#16 by Brett Wood on February 28, 2009 - 6:13 pm
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The secret life of Scientists isn’t what I thought it was…
#17 by MatthewF on March 3, 2009 - 4:46 am
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I can’t help but wonder what Arkoff or Corman would have thought had you told them at the time that people would be watching these movies in 55 years time. I wonder if they would have tried harder? I mean what if in 2065 b-movie reviewers are discussing the merits, or lack of, of Aztex Rex?
#18 by The Rev. D.D. on March 3, 2009 - 10:14 am
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Then we will know that humanity is truly lost…and better off as Morlock chow.