1950's-1960s Sci-Fi

[Demoncrat]

The Giant Claw (1957, Fred F Sears)

When two pilots report an unusual sighting whilst flying, the higher ups pour scorn on their findings. More fool them!!
A hoot. If only for the applejack scene hahaha.

[Demoncrat]

Fiend Without A Face (1958, Arthur Crabtree)

Science bad in this belter from Amalgamated. When a Canadian airbase () is "targeted" by unseen forces, it's up to a no nonsense soldier to sort out the wheat from the chaff.

I've always loved this and quite often watch it with Invasion, as they have a few things in common.

[MrBarlow]

Originally Posted by Demoncrat

Fiend Without A Face (1958, Arthur Crabtree)

Science bad in this belter from Amalgamated. When a Canadian airbase () is "targeted" by unseen forces, it's up to a no nonsense soldier to sort out the wheat from the chaff.

I've always loved this and quite often watch it with Invasion, as they have a few things in common.

May not be the best film but certainly good to view once every so often

[Demoncrat]

Tis the Criterion one which at least is UNCUT unlike the other one I bought

Purchase in haste, repent at leisure

[nosferatu42]

Fiend without a face is a favourite of mine, i think the stop motion attack is far better than most of the alien invasion films of the time and i do wonder whether the spinal cord around the neck vibe influenced the facehugger design.

[Demoncrat]

War Between The Planets (1966, Anthony Dawson)

Margheriti strikes again! Essentially a love triangle with some nice minatures, this is one of those "physics be damned" SF capers .
The male lead looks at least 10 years too old to play the part etc.
Hilarious. Isn't that PC either (shock bleedin' horror )
Ahem.

[Justin101]

I went to the Ray Harryhausen exhibition in Edinburgh yesterday, if you can get there before it ends, it's well worth seeing. Full of models from the films he worked on, storyboards he used to plan the animations, and trinkets from his studios.

This short film is part of the show as well, you can watch it in the viewing room at the gallery, but the nice staff member there told us we could watch it on Youtube as the room was quite full, here it is.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Giant Claw (1957)

[MrBarlow]

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers. 1956.

A small town called Santa Mira, a doctor uncovers people behaving strangely and uncovers a alien life force is taking over their bodies.

Although the 70s remake seems more popular, this original version is a classic with Kevin McCarthy as the young doctor who uncovers a alien infestation and strange pods. A film that doesn't need a great deal of special effects but relies more on a slow suspense and a impending fear of doom and gloom from start to finish.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

It Came From Outer Space (1953)

A film which deals with small town paranoia following ridicule and disbelief of those, in this case one man, who claims to have seen an alien space craft in the desert not to mention first contact with it's bug eyed alien occupants.

The desert plays a big part in the film, acting as an environment just as alien and eerie as what is claimed to have landed. The creatures themselves are barely seen but come across as single eyed stout beings (Quite possibly used as a blue print for the Vorlons in Babylon 5). We get plenty of their point of view shots as we see the Earth as they do through a fishy eyed lens.

The films real surprise comes as the aliens are found to be benevolent beings rather than seen as an excuse for a Communist style witch hunt, coming as it does in the period the Cold War was really starting to take hold and change lives forever. In effect it's an allegory for better understanding between races.

Highly recommended. One of the great sci-fi films of the fifties.