MOVIE: The Monolith Monsters (1957)

Spanish DVD artwork

The Monolith Monsters

US 1957, 77m, Universal-International

DVD: Universal (Spanish import)

Rocks from a meteor land in the California desert. Seemingly innocuous, they grow to giant size and take on a murderous life of their own when they come into contact with water, terrorising the residents of San Angelo by extracting the silicon from their bodies and turning them to stone...

I know, killer rocks - whatever next? This isn't as daft as it sounds, though and from an age of bug-eyed monsters and insect life-forms writ large, The Monolith Monsters are perhaps one of the most original and effective creatures of the 50's sci-fi/horror cycle. Their method of reproducing is particularly novel: when they grow too large, they simply topple over and smash into multiple tiny creatures, thus starting the cycle all over again.

Director John Sherwood keeps things condensed nicely in the economical running time, and makes very good use of the local landscape, whilst the familiar Universal backlot provides the town location. The cast of contract players (led by Grant Williams of The Incredible Shrinking Man) fill the usual stock character roles and keep the necessary straight faces, but it's the miniature work and model animation that really help the film pull off its potentially hokey premise. The Monolith Monsters is good fun, well executed.

One thought: Innocuous matter turning nasty when it comes into contact with water - one of Joe Dante and Chris Columbus' influences in Gremlins, perhaps?



Original Theatrical Trailer:

MOVIE: This Island Earth (1955)

Click image for a larger view

This Island Earth

US 1955, 87m, Universal-International

DVD: Universal Pictures (UK), Cert PG

A top scientist is carried by a remotely controlled plane to a gathering of some of the leading lights in their respective scientific fields. It becomes apparent that their hosts may not be of this world, but are their motives sinister or well intentioned?

Although perhaps less celebrated than their classic horror cycle of the 1930's and 40's, Universal-International (as the studio was known from 1946 to 1963) actually gave the world a second cycle of more sci-fi orientated horrors in the 1950's, mostly with involvement from producer William Alland and/or director Jack Arnold, before the studio distributed Hammer's Dracula in 1958 and the horror landscape shifted back to gothic chills.

The best known films from this boom are probably It Came From Outer Space and Creature From The Black Lagoon. The less championed This Island Earth is a more unusual entry and well worthy of investigation. Unlike its monochrome stablemates, it was shot lavishly in Technicolor and widescreen. It's also quite a thoughtful, philosophical piece, and plays with the audience's perceptions of the day. After several years of being told that mankind's deadliest threat would come from outer space, it must have been quite novel then to find this particular group of visitors actually trying to enlist help to save their race from annihilation in an intergalactic war. Whilst they are not an entirely benevolent bunch, the source motivation for their actions is still a noble one.

Perhaps a tad over-talkative in its earthbound sequences, things really hit the high notes once the action shifts to the aliens' home planet of Metaluna, and there's a real visual feast on display. All garish colours and retro-futuristic decor, it's arguably one of the closest film approximations of the sci-fi comics and magazines of the era. Just about any frame from this portion of the film could be a front cover illustration, and special mention should be made here of the art direction of Alexander Golitzen and Richard H. Riedel.

Even with the passing of time and the obvious advances in special effects, there's still much to enjoy in the space battle scenes, flying saucer sequences and space vistas. This Island Earth remains a fun hour-and-a-half, and just the thing for a Saturday morning picture. Sadly, a proposed sequel, Aliens In The Skies was rejected as being too expensive by the then cash-strapped studio...




Original Theatrical Trailer:

MOVIE: The Sentinel (1977)

The Sentinel

USA 1977, 92m, Universal

DVD: MediumRare Entertainment (UK) - Cert 18

Neurotic model Alison Parker (Christina Raines) moves into a surprisingly modestly priced apartment in a New York building, despite the misgivings of her boyfriend Michael (Chris Sarandon). She finds the house populated by a host of seemingly eccentric characters, and a reclusive blind priest (John Carradine) who lives on the top floor. As the behaviour of her neighbours becomes ever more strange, and Christina's nerves go to pieces, it seems that there is more to this building than meets the eye...

Directed by Michael Winner, who also scripted from Jeffrey Konvitz's novel. Although a cinema release, it has more of the feel of a TV movie, and that is meant as a compliment. I've always thought of the 1970's as a high water mark for horror films produced specifically for television, and there's something about the structure and pacing of the film which places it favourably alongside offerings of the period from the likes of Dan Curtis and John Llewellyn Moxey. This actually makes the more graphic scenes in the film slightly unnerving, as they stand out somewhat incongrously from their setting. It's almost like Winner is trying to do a Ken Russell in places.

You can't help but be impressed by the supporting cast. Ava Gardner, Burgess Meredith, Sylvia Miles, Eli Wallach, John Carradine... Further down the cast list, there are early appearances by Jeff Goldblum, Beverly D'Angelo, Tom Berenger and Christopher Walken.

Although Michael Winner arguably became something of a figure of fun later in life (and, to be fair he sent himself up a great deal), it is worth remembering that he was a highly proficient, if not necessarily spectacular director. The Sentinel is probably one of his best works, a good, solid, fun horror movie. If Winner's name wasn't on the credits, one can't help feeling it might be a bit more highly regarded. His commentary on the DVD is an absolute hoot.

 Original UK paperback - I remember my grandmother having this back in the 1970's, but I never got around to reading it myself...

Original Theatrical Trailer:

PICTURE THIS: Poster artwork from The Black Cat (1934)

Click for a larger view. The Black Cat (c) 1934 Universal Pictures Company

A favourite film poster of mine, and a good example of where horror film advertising was at in the 1930's. A genuine original example sold for a whopping $286,800 in 2007. I wonder how much the artist (probably under contract at Universal) got paid for painting it? It's an incredibly striking work, befitting one of Universal's less celebrated, but certainly best chillers from their golden age. Released in the UK originally as The House Of Doom. Fortunately, its original title has now been reinstated.

PICTURE THIS: Lon Chaney Jr. and canine friend - The Wolf Man (1941)

Click the image for a larger view. The Wolf Man (c) 1941 Universal Pictures Company

If a man's best friend is his dog, this picture would suggest that our canine pals are just as happy being friends with a Wolf Man. The dog is Moose, Lon Chaney Junior's own pet, and this shot was taken during production of Chaney's first outing as the cursed Lawrence Talbot.