Dead Letter Office of Atomic Monsters.com

With regards to Marshall's e mail of "Are You Guy's For Real" (4th letter down), yes Marshall we're for real because we like "REAL" sci fi not that computer generated color crap they're making these days. 50's B/W sci fi is like a good wine "the older the better". And I'll bet one more thing, Marshall isn't all that old so he doesn't know about the Saturday afternoon matinee at the movies when a quarter got ya 4 hours of entertainment...or the Drive In where for a dollar a car load you got to see 2 or 3 movies and had a good chance of being with "Brenda" in the back seat.

I need your help again in locating a film for my collection. I believe it was filmed in England, it was a black and white movie and I think the setting was London just after WWII. Some construction workers found what seemed to be a space craft buried in a very large basement. After the authorities and military finally got into the thing it was discovered there was an alien life form inside and I sort of remember the creatures having large eyes like bees and causing havoc after they got out of their craft. That's about all I can remember can anyone out there help me with
the name of this flick ??

I was flipping through channels and I saw a movie that reminded me of your web site. I don't know what the movie's called but these astronauts were on the moon moving in slow motion like there was no gravity but then one of them stumbles to the ground in regular speed. But the best part was they came to this giant door and it was so heavy, he needed to prop it open. So you know what he used to prop the door open with?...his helmet!

A.M.: I've tried Googling but I can't seem to find it by that description. Does this movie sound familiar to anyone?

There's one thing in Marshall's letter (see 2 letters down) that I'm very neutral about, and that's the whole color vs. black and white argument (whether it's about monster movies or anything else). And when I'm NOT neutral about it, it's usually color that I like. So even though I DO like these earlier movies, black and white isn't really one of my reasons.

A.M.: Excellent point. War of the Worlds and The Angry Red Planet are good examples of atomic-age horror brought to life with the assistance of color. I wonder what a color Invasion of the Saucer Men would have looked like?

I know you posted this over a year ago but i just came across your review on the 1957 sci-fi classic, KRONOS! Awesome page! It's my favorite sci-fi film and probably my second favorite film of all time! I own this film in just about every format available and have the Cacophonic Records sound track LP from 1988. I own this film in VHS (Starlog), Image laserdisc, 16mm flat, 16mm scope and 35mm scope and on DVD. I met Jeff Morrow at the San Jose Science Fiction and Fantasy Symposium back in early 1978! He was most proud of this production! This film gets overlooked, thank you for the review!

Visit me at http://www.myspace.com/scifibob

Are you guys for real? How can you like this boring b/w crap. Color CGI horror movies are SO much better! Nice site, tho.

When we were kids by brothers and I would load up a red wagon with glass bottles and cans and take them to the dump to get money for them. We'd take the 10 cents we got and go to the movies to see a movie serial or a monster movie!

My brother invited my wife and me to dinner Saturday for a private viewing of The Tingler. The "Price" is right for me — free flick, free food. The Tingler was a riot. I loved the scene where Vincent Price puts the tingler back into the dead woman in about 3 seconds - and not a drop of blood. Classic

My favorite quote from Creature with the Atom Brain is by the TV anchor who says the report of zombie attacks is "so incredible that one can lend it little credence." Gotta love the redundancy!

As much as I enjoyed your review, I have one small comment about the "Die-A-Logue." I don't think the line was "researching researcher." I think it went something like this:
"He's a researcher. I found him in the reeds."
"A reed-searching researcher?"
Which is pretty clever wordplay (especially since the line had to be translated from German into English). It sounds almost like a Chico Marx line.

Just thought I would send a reminder for everyone to pick up the new DVD boxed set "Icons of Horror, Sam Katzman." It has four classic films: The Giant Claw, Creature with the Atom Brain, Zombies of Mora Tau and The Werewolf. The prints are beautiful! The black and white really is crisp. How can you go wrong? You have Pierre and his "applejack" in The Giant Claw and great emoting by Steven Ritch as the Werewolf! Also -- zombies! (Zombies are "in" again!) and Richard Denning! Pick it up today! It's available everywhere DVDs are sold!

I particularly enjoyed the way the train when first viewed is a "streamliner," (think the movie Silver Streak ) then changed to a more modern freight diesel, then to a switch engine until bearing down on the bridge in it's Silver Streak form. After the crash it was a Switch Engine again. The boom mike floating into sight after one scene is also fun. Great movie!

Great review — very funny! I saw this picture right after it came out. I was 10 or 11, and loved it. Years later, I talked to (A.R.P. writer, producer) Mr. Sid Pink and he gave me a signed, screenplay reproduction for The Angry Red Planet that I still have today. Again — great review.

If you were really into goof and corn in 1954-55 (and at the time we thought that was the greatest) we couldn't wait for Saturday to roll around and hope we had a dime in our pockets — yes a dime — to walk to the Essex walk-in theater in Miami Florida to watch The Batman Serial, made in 1943, starring Lewis Wilson as Batman, Douglas Croft as Robin, and William Austin as Alfred. It was made in a 15-part serial, but they just played it over and over, one serial a week. After it was over, a guy would come out on stage (theaters had them back then) and we would all compete in a yo-yo contest for a chance to win a new Duncan yo-yo. Oh yes...and if you had an extra 20 cents you got a cold drink and a small popcorn. Cool or what??

Nothing clever or witty here — that's your department. Actually, it's the
department of whoever created this masterpiece:

At last, I feel I truly understand the spirit of Thanksgiving. You have
warmed my heart and renewed my faith in America. I will never repay you.

I just thought I would drop a line to you and all your ATOMIC MONSTER fans to let them know about Godzillaondvd.com. They are releasing all of the original movies that Toho produced, and have put them together with lots of great extras. All the movies also come with the original Japanese cuts with subtitles, movie posters, and extensive background information on the directors, actors, F/X people, etc.

If you're a sucker for bad movies that include the big green guy (even the most die hard fan has to admit the cheesy evolution of Godzilla films granted this monster eternal B movie status), you've got to buy these.

They have already released:
Gojira (U.S. Title — Godzilla: King of the Monsters)
Godzilla Raids Again (U.S. Title — Gigantis the Fire Monster)
Mothra vs. Godzilla (U.S. Title — Godzilla vs. the Thing)
Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster
Invasion of Astro Monster (U.S. Title — Godzilla vs. Monster Zero)

They have a couple more on the way in September 07:
All Monsters Attack (U.S. Title — Son of Godzilla)
Terror of Mechagodzilla

I've watched them all over the last few weeks...fantastic! Thank you
Toho for your weird 50's and 60's science fiction!

I just wanted to drop a line about the passing of Kerwin Matthews. He seemed like a really nice guy. Some people in the arts have a life long affect on one's life. I was very sad to hear of his passing.

One of my fondest memories growing up was seeing The 7th Voyage of Sinbad at the show when I was 7 years old. He carried the movie with great interaction with the creatures and a very good voice. I can still see my brothers and I waiting in line to get in. One of the joys was looking at the lobby cards and seeing all of those "neat guys." Voyage left quite an impression on my young self. I feel the same way about this movie as Ray Harryhausen felt about seeing King Kong at the movies! I fell in love with movies that day. I think I saw it 3 times in a couple of weeks back then. What a great acting job he did in the film! He also had very good screen presence. To this day, it is one of my favorite movies. I can watch it over and over. Thanks Captain Sinbad, for the fondest of memories!

A.M.: Just a couple of quick notes, Creepy Classics is reporting that Columbia has scheduled Sept. 11, 2007 as a release date for a DVD set featuring THE WEREWOLF, ZOMBIES OF MORA TAU, MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (the serial), CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN and THE GIANT CLAW. No official price structure or title yet.

On a personal note: Yesterday (Father's Day), I took my two and a half-year-old daughter to the amusement park for her first "dark ride" experience on the scary and cheesy "Whacky Shack!" Despite my most encouraging, "Isn't this fun? It's scary but it's fun, right?" she wanted off. It could have been the twisting corridors with psychodelic, glow in the dark paint or the loud buzzers or nearly being "hit" by a runaway bus or the giant rats. But like any great dark ride, later she could laugh about it and wanted to ride it again!*

I could see how you might get these two brunette B-beauties confused but it was actually Mara (October 1958 Playmate) who starred with the prehistoric bird "as big as a battleship" while the lovely Joan Taylor screamed her way through Earth vs. the Flying Saucers.

I saw this when I was a small child — 6 or 7 perhaps. Almost 50 years later, your review brought it all back. (Sigh) I had hoped that I was through with therapy.

From: Kent

Would it be possible to create The Giant Claw using CG effects? Most assuredly! Would it still be The Giant Claw we all know and love? No, it would be just like what Hollywood did to King Kong or Godzilla. Just because you can doesn't mean you should. I am not one of those fifties junkies that would rather lose a finger then see a remake. I paid good money to see both King Kong and Godzilla and in doing so have probably egged on some producer to try a remake of Them. CG seems to ruin a remake. This is due to the effects driving the movie not the characters or the plot or even the setting. Hollywood does not seem able to balance the effects with the rest of the plotline. It appears that suspending disbelief is a lost art form with the movies now taking away what we fear the most by making the unknowable known. Fifties science fiction was a mixture of being awed by the effects and a willingness to overlook the shortcomings of those films. To suspend disbelief takes an interaction between the movie and the audience—we used to call this "imagination." Hollywood doesn't ask anything of its audience, except the price of a ticket and we, in turn, get fluff as substitute for plots, characters, themes and settings. I am not a purest at heart but until Hollywood can make a decent remake I can only hope that they will leave the B monsters alone. Because left to my own devices, I know I would be first in line to see the remake of The Giant Claw and that I would feel dirty and ashamed once I had seen it.

A.M.: This happens to me every time I see a horror movie with CGI: I'm watching a movie in a theatre and digital ghosts, dark mist and those, as my buddy Tom calls them, "little Chinese kids with their faces painted white" are jumping out of the woodwork. It's distracting because the computer effects are so bad. But then there will be a scene where a real hand will grab somebody's shoulder and the audience (myself included) jumps out of their seats! And I think, "Why don't they put more of that in it - things that actually scare you?"

And speaking of remakes, I read Nicole Kidman will star in Invasion, a remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The movie has reportedly already had many problems. When the project began, fellow actor Daniel Craig was being used as mostly a background character. But since his rise to fame as the new James Bond, they are constantly rewriting the script to give him more screen time. Now, I've always heard that when they're writing a script as the movie's being shot -- that's the kiss of death. It's also hard not to notice a similarity: Tom Cruise, War of the Worlds...Nicole Kidman, Invasion of the Body Snatchers?

From: Birdzilla, (re: The Giant Claw)

With the computerized special effects they have these days, I'll bet they could make a giant bird that flew more realisticly and it would flap its wings just like a normal bird does and the neck would be much shorter. Make it look somewhat like the ROC from THE 7TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD.

A.M.: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. Replace everyone's favorite monsterous marionnette with CGI? Do away with the extra long neck swaying from side to side (which is bound to happen when you're flying at "supersonic speed"). I believe at some monster conventions you would be pelted with giant birdseed for even suggesting such a thing.

From: Dan, (re: DVD giveaway)

LOL. I absolutely LOVE the prize wolf bit. Too funny!

A.M.: I decided to film just one take and we get whatever we get. I'm lucky what we got turned out to be so funny. The Prizewolf not being able to wear glasses underneath the mask and not being able to read the e-mail was an unexpected bonus. In retrospect, much like a classic b-movie! I'm kicking myself that I didn't convert it to black and white. Maybe next time. Thanks for writing!

From: Kent

This un-holy mackerel has some thoughts of his own about who's being "battered" tonight in this 2004 Sci-fi Pictures movie, Frankenfish.

I have to get something off my chest, other then the Tingler. What bean-counting, focus group watching, poll-taking, bottom line graphing, moron got ahold of the Sci-fi Channel? Who told them that CG of large animals is entertaining?

I realize that money drives the engine, but who watches the same plot over and over with the only difference being what type of critter is used? I know, I know...fifties sci-fi was basically three plots with only the animals or aliens changing. But it was done with a class and a finesse that is missing in the fare that the Sci-fi Channel produces. Why can't they show the old black and whites on a retro show on Saturday night? This is where most of us cut our B movie teeth. Is it that the films are owned by an evil genius who is trying to drive the market price of these films up? Will he flood the market once a certain dollar figure is reached and thereby crash the industry? I always end up muttering to myself about who watches this CG crap. Then I realize that it's me and into the deck goes "The H Men" ahhhh blessed B-movie relief at last.

A.M.: I have a problem with the Sci-fi Channel -- the violence. It never used to be an issue for me but now that I'm a parent of a toddler, there's just no way I can watch one of their movies now. We were channel surfing and a creature jumped out and began to disembowel someone and they show every intestine in full detail and this was in the afternoon. So unless I want to comfort a screaming child at 3 a.m. (I don't), it's bye-bye, Sci-Fi!

From: Bob

I have just discovered your website. What a joy! I was looking for 50's sci-fi movies on DVD. It was a great time to be a kid going to the movies in the 50's. My brothers and I would go every Saturday. I think my Mom wanted to get rid of us for a while. (I have 5 brothers and 2 sisters) and there was no more fun then Saturday afternoons!

"You have to see them on the big screen to truly appreciate them. The theater was always packed, popcorn boxes sailing everywhere, not an adult in sight!"

The Giant Claw will always have a special place as one of my favorite memories. It was the first or second movie I ever saw at the show. "Try some of Pierre's applejack." — one of my favorite lines. I remember running home to tell the rest how "good" it was. I still to this day, have to watch it a few times a year, believe it or not! Bad cinema, but what fun it was !

The other thing I wanted to mention were the fun gimmicks at the theaters. I can still feel the buzz of the Tingler, see the nurse in the lobby, and my personal favorite..the thrill of the new screen sensation, Emergo! In The House On Haunted Hill, the part at the end when the skeleton comes out of the screen was great! I happened to be sitting on the aisle seat and the skeleton on a wire passed right over my head, while the audience screamed in horror! It kind of ruined it, but I still had fun! Movie going has not been that much fun since!

I grew up on the west side of Chicago where there were plenty of theaters within a couple of miles. The admission was 25 cents, so it was fairly affordable for our family. We each got admission and 15 cents for popcorn. During the school holidays they would have kids handing out fliers for the day off features. Dig this, a couple of times they had a triple bill, my all time favorite ...get ready....King Kong, Mighty Joe Young and Godzilla! You have to see them on the big screen to truly appreciate them. The theater was always packed, popcorn boxes sailing everywhere, not an adult in sight! Everyone settled down once the feature started though.

The 3D movies were always a treat! My favorites were Thirteen Ghosts and The Mask. It was neat looking at everyone else with their glasses on! I remember my Mom taking us to a great double bill — 13 Ghosts and Psycho! That was pretty scarey, as I was 8 years old!

I have one other funny thing, to show you how kids were. One of my brothers friends ( I think it was Eddie Haskell) told me not to put my head on the seat because I will get lice!! So my next couple of trips to the movies were spent not putting my head on the seat! I was terrified!
Keep up the good work on the website.

From: John

Dudes! The 50's totally rock, especially when held up to the drab drivel they try to pass off as Sci-Fi today. The quicker they exile the likes of Buffy and her ilk to the nether regions of Pluto, so much the better! I am writing a book entitled Watch the Skies!: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of 1950s Science Fiction Films and hope to have it in print by summer, 2008. However, I need help from the community of fans in locating good sources of photo stills for the movies and the stars in question. Anyone who volunteers to help by lending will get a free copy. I also need access to anybody who has a really huge collection of oldish sci-fi movie mags for the bibliography. Total-ly kewl website, too. Keep the faith, all!
JFredriksen@sisna.com

From: Fred
I know there were three "Creature From The Black Lagoon" movies made but there was a forth movie also made by another company with a similar creature plot. All I know is the designer of the original creature costume did the work for the fourth movie. The setting was a creature living in a cave on a beach who was fed by the lighthouse keeper. QUESTION: Does anyone know the name of this movie? It's been driving me crazy trying to find the movies name out.

A.M.: Fred, You hit it on the scaly nose, my friend. The Monster of Piedras Blancas was designed by Jack Kevan who also worked as a make-up artist for The Creature from the Black Lagoon (although the design of the Creature is widely regarded as being designed by Milicent Patrick). Side note: the Monster's hands are the very same hands used a few years earlier by the Mole People.
Thanks for writing.

From: Bob
It is easy to comment on a pitiful wretch of a movie like Beast of Eecchha Flats (Yecchh!!!) but to be overly negative is being overly negative. The story of the movie is the Mighty TOR (Johnson, that is), the Swedish Angel who once got knocked down by one punch from Dan Blocker in a Bonanza episode set in San Francisco. Ahem, back to the movie. I liked Tor's dynamic range of dialogue, one deep moan, to a giant roar. It beat almost all of the other dialogue which was provided by a 6 year old reading narrative prose for the first time. Tor throw rocks! Tor raises arms in fury! Tor go off scene, break toilet seat! Go, Tor, go!!! Whew!! Well, all ends well and the little jackrabbit gets it's fill of Tor gore and trots off into the sunset, just like Mamma and her family. YAY!!!!!!

From: Virginia
(Re: Creature from the Black Lagoon remake - see interview with Ben Chapman)

First question - why? Old one is just right late at night. Look how they tried to remake Psycho and how that turned out....awful ! Leave the classics alone. You know why - its the special effects they can do today. Take the real bad films like Amazing Colossal Man and do it.

A.M.: I'm sure we all agree with you, Virginia, but the other answer is money. The disappointing Van Helsing raked in $120 million nationwide. The Creature remake is slated for a 2008 release according to the Internet Movie Database. The film is to be directed by Breck Eisner (son of Disney's Michael Eisner) who directed the Matthew McConaughey film Sahara. These plans often fall through but I'm guessing they will find some bankable actors to star in this remake of a famous film. It would be nice if for once...just once...they didn't change a single scale on his head. And I hope they let Ben Chapman and Julie Adams appear in cameos.

From: Dan
I had an opportunity to watch Godzilla vs. Megalon this weekend. I have been a Godzilla fan since I was a kid but probably haven't seen that movie for 20 years or so.

I'm curious...how do you find some of these movies? Manster, Giant Gila Monster, Beast From Yucca Flats and others are often available on compilations. However, Kronos and some others seem to hit me from out of the blue...I never even knew they existed. What would be a good resource you would recommend to "brush up" on some of these flicks? Every blue moon I catch a new radiation-fueled masterpiece on TCM, but it's always from flipping channels. Thoughts?

A.M.: I remember seeing Godzilla vs. Megalon at the Library Theatre when I was about 8 years old with my buddy Mike. Neither one of us had any idea Godzilla was a guy in a costume. Afterward we'd play a pretend game of "War of the Gargantuas" in slow motion. Forget video games, nothing's more fun than slugging your friend with a nice, soft rotted tree branch that shatters when you hit him (Don't try that at home). Anyway, I found Kronos recently at a Hollywood Video store that was getting rid of their vhs movies, along with Dr. Cyclops and Earth vs. Flying Saucers. I bought six movies that day at $3 a piece. The best advice I could give to find b-movie gems is to simply look everywhere. I've found some at dollar stores and even grocery stores if they have video departments. But don't drive yourself crazy looking for them because it's 99% luck. So, good luck! As for the cable channels, I used to display a TV guide on Atomic Monsters.com but I discovered they only run a few movies over and over again so it wasn't worth the time. But I'll give you some direct links for anyone who wants to print their monthly schedules:
http://www.amctv.com
http://www.foxmoviechannel.com
http://www.tcm.com

From: Bob, aka Count Igor
I am too shocked to describe the absolute trauma this review caused me. KRONOS is the stuff of nightmares (and I am not an electrician). The media player bits and the sarcasm were beyond belief although well deserved. Loving every minute of this review, I am determined to write the sequel, KRONOS II and have as it's star, the one, the only, JERRY LEWIS (no, not the "Killer") but Dean Martin's old sidekick. The French would love it.

A.M.: YOU'RE shocked?? I'm shocked at the thought of a Kronos sequel starring Jerry Lewis! And you're right -- the french probably would love it. Thanks for writing, Count!

From: Ralph
I'm working on a research project. I'm looking for old sci fi flicks with aliens with big heads, preferably translucent, and more importantly, pulsating brains. I must have pulsating brains. Bulbous bald heads are a dime a dozen, I know, but you'd be surprised how difficult it is to pinpoint the movies with aliens with pulsating brains. Pulsating brains in a vat or glass jar or sitting around by their lonesome may be of interest, and are in fact easier to locate, but I'm specifically interested in pulsating brains in the skulls of humanoid aliens. An example would be the aliens in the pilot episode of the original Star Trek. Where are pulsating brains when you need them? I'm interested in the movies themselves, but I'm especially
interested in acquiring still photos or images from such movies. Do you have any suggestions, other than to check myself into a mental institution?

A.M.: That may be a taller order than you'd think. 1950's monster movies are notoriously cheap and I doubt most of them bothered with implanting a device to make them move. Of course, movies to watch would be Invasion of the Saucermen and Fiend Without a Face. From now on, every time I see a B-movie brain, I'm going to see if it pulsates! I'll save your e-mail and let you know. If anyone else out there sees a pulsating brain, be sure to drop a note to the Dead Letter Office so I can pass it along.

From: Dan
(Re: the Kronos review)
I read your site all the time. This has to be your BEST work ever! LOL. Keep up the great work. I think we will have to dust of this film for our club's next "Groovy Movie Film festival." This months movies are "Santa Clause vs. The Martians" and "Jesse James meets Frankenstien's Daughters." Just the films to put you in the holiday mood.

A.M.: Dan sent us a copy of the fliers -- click here to view

From: Dan
Hi.
Trying to remember the name of a black and white movie I saw that I believe was filmed in the late 50s or early 60s. There was a man who lived in this house and small mole-like miniature creatures were there with him. He had a pool out back that the miniature monsters swam into and disappeared. He followed them to another "world." Am I imagining that I saw this flick? Help...its been bothering me for 15 years!

A.M.: Then I guess a few more shouldn't bother you. Does any loyal monster buff out there remember this movie? Please let us know.

From: Ariel
Hi, I'm a librarian from central New York, and I have a patron looking for a movie. All we have is a description of the plot, here goes:

A spaceship far from beyond space nose dives into a mountainous region on planet earth. There are two green slug-like creatures with three eyes onboard and the mouth is like an octopus, and the head is cone-shaped with slits. The spaceship goes into the earth upon impact, and one of the creatures manages to find his way out through an opening above ground. After the creature has eaten several humans, the military is finally called in to action.

In one scene a military truck drives directly into the creature, merely injuring it, and the creature manages to get back to its spaceship. The creature on board the ship is then commanded to reconnect with the home planet, telling them to start the invation - after sending this message the creatures both die because of the atmospheric conditions of planet earth. That's how it ends.

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!

A.M.: Wow, I'm stumped. Anybody?

From: Mark
Just wanted to say that the Crawling Eye was one of those early scary movies that were unforgettable in the mind of a young kid. As you criticize this movie, please be respectful that it WAS a very scary movie for a ten-year old to be staying up late to watch! I agree that, when viewed through the eyes of an adult (40 yrs later), some movies seem so contrived and even silly - but - this was one of the movies I always wanted to see again but never could find (along with "The Thirteen Ghosts" and of course, "Frankenstein", "The Wolfman", and "Count Dracula").

A.M.: I wouldn't say we are "criticizing" these movies as much as we're just having a little fun with them. I imagine that's what the directors were doing back in the day when they flew model spaceships arounds on fishing line. And we wouldn't spend all this time and energy on movies like these if we didn't really have a great fondness for them.

From: Scott Blacksher
Just wanted to drop you a note to say I admire your taste in low budget
movies. I see you've got the original ASTRO-ZOMBIES in your "It
Conquered My Time" section. If you can work up enough nerve you might
try the re-imagined MARK OF THE ASTRO-ZOMBIES made in 2002 by the same director (Ted V. Mikels) and same lead actress (Tura Satana). The pace is much better, but you do have to adjust to the live video look.
http://www.MOTAZart.com
Looking forward to when you can get around reviewing other classics like
KING DINOSAUR and FROM HELL IT CAME.

A.M.: Thanks for writing, Scott. Fans of Marvel Comics art should definitely check out Scott's Web site listed above which features original artwork by George Tuska, Bob McLeod and more.

From: T. Jones
Hello,
I am looking for a movie I saw as a child. It was set post-apocalyptic in a
desert. The leads were a father and daughter (blond and pretty) they had a
home and these people keep showing up for food, shelter, and what not.
There was a gambler and his girlfriend, a "Hero" type (love interest for
the daughter) and (don't laugh I did not write the film) an old miner and
his mule. There was a monster that lived near the lake with little hands on his shoulders who tried to get the girl but she would go in the water and he
would lie in wait. The mule went over the hill where the "Exposed" people
were and the miner followed and eventually we find out the Monster left the
daughter alone at the lake because the "CLEAN" water was deadly to the
"Exposed" monsters and "Others". It was a black and white film and it has bugged me for years.
Thanks

A.M.: T., you have a good memory! The movie you're referring to is the Roger Corman classic, The Day the World Ended. Since you mentioned the monster that "lie in wait," I'll let you in on a little behind the scenes situation that occured while filming as told by Bob Burns in his book, "It Came from Bob's Basement." Bob was a close friend of Paul Blaisdell, the artist who created and wore the creature costume in the movie:

(Explaining the monsters death scene) Paul lay flat on his back with a fog machine hose snaking up the leg of his costume while sprinklers steadily doused him with "rain." The slowly escaping white fog created a fairly effective visual, but the smoke was so thick inside the suit that he couldn't see out of his small peephole and the foam rubber that made up 90 percent of the outfit was becoming laden with water to the point that he couldn't get up to take a clear breath. He raised his arms to alert the crew, but the movements looked enough like monster death throes that the director shouted encouragement from behind the camera. It wasn't until Paul's wife, Jackie, recognized his distress that the crew rushed into action and helped him to a sitting position - whereupon rivers of water shot out of the openings in his legs.
It Came from Bob's Basement is available at Amazon.com

From: Marshall
The Giant Claw is one of my favorite "awful" movies (I give it five
stars, too)! In fact, I've probably watched it at least 50 times! I've
just about worn my Goodtimes EP VHS tape of it out, so am trying to find
a decent DVD of the film (know of a good one?). Since you enjoy funny lines, here's another one from the film--uttered by Mitch MacAfee (Jeff Morrow), when he's about to explain his theory of "mu-mesons": "Now, I don't care whether that bird came from outer space or Upper Saddle River, New Jersey; it's still made of flesh and blood--of some sort--and vulnerable to bullets and bombs." Good?

You made one slight mistake in your review, by the way. Only two of
the teenagers survive the jalopy encounter with the "big bird" and
that's because they jumped out of the car before the bird grabbed
hold of it (watch the scene again)! So, your note that all the teenagers survived the blowing-up of a flaming, falling car is incorrect. (Just nitpicking ...)

My main objection to the film is one common to many B-monster
movies: the inconsistent size of the monster. In this film, passenger
planes and hot rods are all about the same size in relation to the bird. I could go into the movie's many inconsistencies, too such as: according to the plot, anti-matter destroys matter, so why doesn't the bird (who is matter) blow itself up (as it is generates anti-matter to surround it)? I'd also like to know how the giant bird managed to fly through millions of miles of space (it must have taken one heck of a long time!)

As B-monster movies afficianados, none of this matters to us, though--does it? We accept the many inconsistencies, holes in the plot, etc., of these movies, and just have a great time!

Besides, I think Mara Corday is HOT.
Keep up the good Website!

A.M.: I also have the VHS version. I'll let you know if I find a good version on DVD. That IS a great line of dialogue I'll have to go back and add that one -- thanks! In the case of the Giant Claw surrrounding himself with anti-matter, I guess I imagined the Giant Claw surrounding himself with a giant anti-matter bubble. So there would be air between the bubble (anti-matter) and himself (What the hell are we talking about???) Thanks for your letter and please keep visiting!

From: "The Movie Collector"
Hi, I had seen The Giant Claw when i was a kid in the fifties. This movie was an unintentional riot! I never forgot it. I'm a hardcore monster/horror movie buff. I've collected videos and dvd's of movies from the silent years to today, bad or good, I love them all! This review was right on the money!!!!! I own the dvd and the video of The Crawling Eye. The original title, by the way, is The Trolenberg Terror (I'm not sure of the spelling), anyway, I love this movie!! Granted the plot is outragous, and the f/x are weak, but that's why it's a “b” movie. I think the acting is good, for the most part, i think the movie has some pretty eerie moments. I watch this movie often and always enjoy it. It's not on the level of THEM! or The Thing from Another World, but it certainly belongs in any true fan's collections! Thank you!

A.M.: Thanks for the letter! We hope Atomic Monsters.com continues to capture you like a gigantic optic nerve!

From: John
I loved your review of The Angry Red Planet. I saw it at the movies at age ten and a hundred times since. I love your lounge lizard characterization of Tom the Colonel. However, there's one line in the movie that is more hysterical than all the rest...Here it is: After Iris ("the girl" biologist) discovers in a hospital lab the means to save Tom from the green amoeba slime consuming him, she tells the doctor that the answer is "electricity." The doctor responds. "We already thought of that, but any shock strong enough to kill the amoeba would kill Tom." Iris responds, "I know." After getting to know "lounge lizard" Tom it's easy to imagine anything capable of killing an amoeba could indeed kill Tom.

From: Steve
True story: After seeing all the previews for The Tingler during our weekly trips to Union City's former Palace Theater, my brother and I couldn't wait to see the show. Now my brother and I were sworn enemies when we were young and rarely did anything together - including going to the movies. But when "The Tingler" came out, there was no question that we were going together. The hype was incredible. We arrived at the show in a supreme fit of agitation. When the show started, we were so worked up that we got scared and ran out of the theater. To this day, it's the only movie I ever left. And other than the first 5 minutes of the show, I've never seen the rest of "The Tingler." Greg and I still laugh when we talk about it.

From: Mike Mellenthin

Yea, two thumbs up here for The Giant Claw. What a riot! The only thing they left out was the little tune "I'm looking for a baby bumble bee, won't my mommy be so proud of me." I was also expecting at the end for Porky Pig to stutter, "Thattttttt's all folks." However I do digress, My little grand daughter thought it was Big Bird from Sesame Street. After this one its real surprising that Jeff Morrow even had a career (outside of being an Atomic Scientist that is). The dialogue seems to be made up as they go along, with the director adding, " Just try to be natural." and I'm sure glad this was made pre-woman's lib or it would have been boycotted by every woman on the planet, and yes this one is in my collection. How can you NOT love the special effects, Willis O'Brian would be spinning in his grave, not to mention Ray "The Genius" Harryhausen. But I will watch it again on a cold winter night, when I really need a few laughs, and I want to regress to my childhood. Best wishes again and keep on keeping on with your wonderful site.

A.M.: Mike, I'm not kidding -- my brother and I LOVED the buzzard from the Warner Brothers cartoons (did his mother call him "Junior?") Remember the one where he flew headlong into the ground, into some old rib cage laying in the desert sand and when he came to, his head was sticking out of it and he thought it was his own rib cage? He was bawling like a baby. Not a very dangerous vulture! And the Giant Claw absolutely looks like him. I'll have to wait a little longer to see if my one-year-old daughter will watch any of these train wrecks with me -- but I won't hold my breath. Thanks for the kind words. I think you're going to like the next review (with video clips!) -- it should be done in another week or so. I won't ruin the surprise but it involves Invaders who are Invisible (darn it!). There's also some drama brewing on and off the field for the Atomic Monsters football team led by Edward D. Wood, Jr. himself, so stay tuned!

A.M.: Before I forget, our web statistics show that we received 5 hits last month from Singapore! So I just wanted to give a shout out to our friends in "Lion City."

From: Mike Mellenthin

I am proud to say that The Crawling Eye is in my collection both in VHS, and DVD, Its also one of the few "Black and White" movies my little 7 year old grand daughter will sit and watch with me. (She loves it) I saw this little gem in 1960 at our local theatre, they had free kids shows every Sat, and usually featured Fantasy, and Sci-fi, with the occasional "B" horror movie thrown in for good measure, We were fascinated with it at the time (I was 10), and it was the topic of much discussion on Monday when we returned to school, as I remember it scared the hell out of us at the time, and as I look back now it was really kinda cool, for 10 year olds, We were the ones who waited patiently for the next issue of "Famous Monsters of Filmland" every month, and revered Uncle Forry, (I still do).

Forrest J. Ackerman (a.k.a. Uncle Forry) founded the first film monster magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland, back in 1958.

For 1958 the effects were pretty standard for the day, and beat the hell out of the big grasshoppers, and made up lizards that we were used to seeing, however there were those moments that did bring a few chuckles even from us. We groaned when we were forced to see the somewhat scantly clad women, and felt that too much time was spent on the psychic connection scenes. We wanted the monster, and I must admit, when we saw it we were pretty impressed. I think the sound it made really added to the overall effect for us. Years later of course I see all the flaws, but I love it just the same, (better than a giant Gila Monster). I love your web site and read, and re-read your reviews. You have a great sense of humor, and I feel that you love these old gems just as much as I do, "Long Live Atomic Monsters" Best wishes, keep up the great work.

A.M.: Thanks, Mike! It's enough to make an atomic monster blush! What about the rest of you -- any good memories of seeing b-movies in theatres?

From: John Scott
I think it would be splended if they made a remake of the creature from the black lagoon. Bring the creature back in fact it would be nice if they made another model kit of the creature. I sure would like to know where to find the dell creature comic book.

From: Kent
Still visit your site regularly to see if any new movies are reviewed, my daughter and I just watched Gamera the Invincible and what a stinker. What gives with the Japanese and little children drawn to large monsters? Is their home life that horrible that they glom affectionately to any object? Maybe this explains the recent neo-pet fad. Perhaps a doctoral thesis is hiding in here somewhere. The dubbing was awful and
the lighting was dark, even the miniature military weapons were below usual B ricers standards. Yet, in the end I know I will be drawn back to it when the overpowering desire for a B movie strikes.

From: Allen

Okay, I admit it. I'm stumped! Who is the woman at the 11:00 hour spot on the B-Movie Monster clock. More particularly, what movie is she from? Befuddled in the extreme, Allen.

AM: She is the vampire in the 1957 American-International film, Blood of Dracula, producer Herman Cohen's vampire remake of I Was a Teenage Werewolf. The vampire was created by an amulet, has no fear of sunlight and doesn't create other vampires when she bites people.

From: David Mackay Ballard

Personally, I think it is one of the WORST ideas EVER to try to remake The Creature from the Black Lagoon (or any of the 3 Creature films). Ben and Julie are absolutely right to be apprehensive at the idea, especially with the way that Universal has butchered their classic monsters with the godawful Stephen Sommers Mummy and Van Helsing movies recently.

The Creature is one of the best (if not THE best) monsters ever designed, and updating it to this modern era would either make it an Alien retread or a sad parody of former glory. I guess there is no way to stop "progress", especially if there's a boatload of money to be made, but any remake will almost surely fail to live up to the original -- witness as more proof the very poor re-make (but for the make-up) of Planet of the Apes recently.

Universal - PLEASE leave the Creature alone. If you won't listen to reason and decide to forge ahead regardless, PLEASE don't let Stephen Sommers anywhere near the project!!!

From: John Harris
I do not think The Creature From The Black Lagoon should be remade. Like Ben Chapman said, "it's a classic, leave it alone."

AM: We agree. What do you think they would do to the Creature in a remake movie?

I am sure they would make the creature High Tech, and have him totally destroy a city, before they blew him into a million pieces, like the end of Jaws.

From: Ron Barrier
The "B-Movie" clock is a great conversation piece when we have guests. Also, I just received my DVD of Angry Red Planet and I must say ... your posted hilarious review of the film only added to my enjoyment of the flick. But then again, your reviews are very hilarious ... and true! I've often wondered why an astronaut would "hide" a machete in his suit when travelling to a supposedly deserted planet. And the "splashing of perfume" during an experiment was hilarious. The film is a real doozy and fun to watch. Keep up the good work.
Now, if they would only release Creature with the Atom Brain and Colossus of New York. Best wishes to you and the family.

From: Mike Mellenthin
Oh My God, how well stated and reviewed. I just found your site and have been laughing my ass off all afternoon -- thank you. But even though we pick these movies apart, we still sit down and watch them time and time again. I am old enough (mid fifties) to have actually spent my hard-earned allowance to go to the theatre and sit through most of the movies you have reviewed, (Kind of Creepy), and I also have to admit, that I own most of them as well. No accounting for taste I guess. You have a GREAT site, and your reviews are awesome, keep up the good work.

From: David, winner of the CD, "Monstrous Movie Music"
I received the "Monstrous Movie Music" CD yesterday. I just finished listening to the CD and it is a wonderful addition to my monster movie collection and my music collection! The music on the CD is taken from the scores of 4 great monster movies: The Mole People (Universal 1956), Them! (WB 1954), It Came From Outer Space (Universal-International 1953) and It Came From Beneath The Sea (Columbia 1955). The music is performed by the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Cracow Poland.

It is much better than I would have thought! The scores as a whole are simply too complex and varied in mood to be effective during Halloween night in their complete forms. The music on the CD varies from the Dun-Dun-DAAA! monster flourishes through to more relaxed and scenic pieces played during the lighter (and even romantic - ick!) parts of the movies. The sound quality is great and as is explained in the accompanying booklet the orchestra was "close-miked" so that the richness of the instruments shines through without the echo that may be induced by traditional symphony hall recording techniques.

Oh yes - the Theremin! That fantastic instrument that gave us all those great "oooooo-wwweeeee-oooooo" sound bites that we all remember so fondly from 50's era sci-fi! And now for the "liner notes". This is a great little 30 page booklet with information on the composers and each piece of music. But that's not all! Mr. Schecter is obviously one of us (gobble gobble!) as he also included details about how movie scores were made and credited, brief overviews of the films themselves, plenty of details about where the music fits into the scenes and what other films used the same music, trivia, and photos of actors, props, posters and even the original sheet music!

The combination of great mood music, movie trivia, behind the scenes of movie making and scoring, the wonderful booklet written by someone who "gets it" and simply great orchestral music regardless of genre all add up to a monster movie fan/music lover's dream come true.

Thanks so much for the contests and the fantastic web site and keep up the good work.

To pick up Monstrous Movie Music CDs, visit: Aboyd and tell them you read about it at Atomic Monsters.com!

From: Allen, contest winner of the Phantom Planet DVD
Just a note to let you know I got the clock & dvd today. Had to sit down and pop in Phantom Planet right away. Wow! What a turkey! I loved it! Thanks again!

From: Mike Falcigno, TerrorForm Design
Hello Atomic Fiends, I obviously love your website and felt like entering your contest. Why would I be a worthy candidate you may ask? Well, I spend hours on end

(all my spare time actually) sculpting 3-D representations of B movie monsters! Since I work with film scores filling my studio I would certainly get a lot of use out of the great CD you are offering in your contest. Currently I am sculpting a 1/1 scale head of everyone's favorite Terror- It! as the second installment of my Creature Craniums Series. I am enclosing a few photos of my first Creature Head in the line: “Invaders from Mars”. If people continue to buy these giant model kits them I'll keep making them. Whether I win or lose, your website will always be “super keen” in my book! Thanks Again!

From: Randy Jepsen
Old Man Harris is played by Shug Fisher. I remember he played a cousin of the Clampetts on The Beverly Hillbillies for an entire season. Man, did I hate him. He plays the same character in every movie & TV show he ever appeared in. His best acting was as the owner of The Lady Gay saloon on Gunsmoke in the early 60`s. The only time I have been able to tolerate him. So I begin watching The Giant Gila Monster one day on a cable channel and there he is! I guess he just belongs in movies set in Texas. Great site & great humor in your reviews.

My older brother shared a similar hatred for Miss Jane Hathaway of The Beverly Hillbillies who he insisted was the ugliest woman on TV. Thanks for writing.

From: Mike Mellenthin
Subject: Remaking Creature from the Black Lagoon
A resounding NO. Some films become classics for a reason. When the new Hollywood generation gets involved in the movie recycle program, they lose the feel of those rare moments in the history of film. Let's leave this one alone.

From: Lou Jobe
I grew up during the Cold War and I was facinated with horror and si-fi. Your site brings back some special memories of our neighborhood theater in Memphis. You could see all the latest B-Movies on Saturday afternoon. A great place to be when it was too hot to play outside. Thanks

It was hot outside during the Cold War? Just kidding. It must've been great to watch B-movies on a big screen! Thanks for writing, Lou!

From: G. Reid
Hi, I remembered seeing just about 5 minutes of Zoltan, Hound of Dracula and remembered it on the USA Network's weekend movie show called Up All Night. The hostess, Caroline Schlitt introduced it as DRACULA'S DOG. The title was a bit laughable. But, the biggest shock for me was a brief cameo of actor Reggie Nalder (who played Barlowe, the vampire in the mini-series Salem's Lot), who was trying to protect the dog from Van Helsing. His euro-tinged accent did not help this film much. I remember a TV movie called DEVIL DOG: THE HOUND OF HELL. I felt it was a little more watchable than this one. DEVIL DOG just did nothing but be there and make things happen while looking like a loveable family dog. The climax where the dog reveals its true colors was even more frightening.
Take it easy.

I loved Up All Night! Caroline was good but I'm more of a Rhonda Shear man. I remember watching The Pink Chiquitas starring Frank Stallone and Eartha Kitt!

From: Roi Klark
I just read the interview with Ben and Julie. They are wonderful. I feel so strongly about this remake, excited and really concerned . Hollywood blew it when they did Godzilla 98 and thank God Toho came out with Godzilla 2000 saving the day. But we don't have that chance with the Creature. If the new movie isn't done with the same love and respect for the original it will flop. I totally agree with Ben. Bring back the one and only original or don't do it at all.

Universal needs to understand something -- Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster are based on books. So, the modern remakes that took us back closer to the book versions were always for the better. But with the Creature, the three films are equal to the classic monster books. These are the originals. The Gillman is a classic on its own. Mary Shelly's book was a classic before it was put to film, but the Gillman is its own classic. If they bring him back as he was, there would not be much need to change anything other than perhaps seeing his eyes move or making him more animated. And perhaps make it in 3D for obvious reasons.

Now as for the story, I think it should not be a remake of any of the first three films, but a continuation. For example, a team interviews one of the adult children to one of the characters in the first films. The new crew goes to reinvestigate this story that only those that were there will talk about. Everyone else considers it to be a myth. They could build on it from there. I've been surfing the board looking for people who wish to converse about this. I feel that strong about it. The Creature truly is my favorite Universal Monster. And I truly think Ben and Julie should appear in the remake. Now THAT would make it even better. Thanks for letting me share my thoughts on the matter.

P.S. ( I'm an artist a.k.a. Roi-EL. Here is some of my art for G-Fan magazine. Kaiju Collection by ROIEL from ROYAL CREATIONS/COMICS ) :-) Hope ya like it.

We do, Roi-El! Well, you heard him monster fans! What do YOU think? "To remake or not to remake -- that is the question!"

From: G. Reid
Hello, I just read your review of Village of the Giants and enjoyed it. I remember seeing Ron Howard in the film and thought how refreshing it was to see him in a role other than Opie Taylor. Did you know he did an episode of Land of the Giants entitled, "Genius at Work" in which he portrayed a boy scientist who possessed a formula that can increase any living (small) thing to giant size? I saw the episode and immediately thought of Village of the Giants. I wondered if Ron had any reservations about repeating a role he had played before earlier in his career. But, I figured an actor has to work. And, of course, there are the women in the cast. All natural. NO sillicone. But, I could be wrong. Beau Bridges did a good job at playing the leader of the gang. He exuded a subtle menace that was unforgettable. Keep up the good work. I do enjoy these films, even if they are a bit off-kilter.

From: Isiah
(The Killer Shrews) is the best movie ever made. It's even better than plan 9 from outer space. I don't know how ANYONE can not love this movie. Just think of it, dogs with cut mops glued to the side of their bodies.....I like to call them THE MOP DOGS.

Isiah, I couldn't agree more. You can rent quite a few "rats attack" movies that bring their killer rodents to life by using animatronics or computer graphics, but only through old b-movies can you see rats wrestle playfully and wag their tails!

From: Doug Higley (professional voice actor)
http://VoicePro.us
Enjoyed all your reviews. If you live in So. Cal., you're welcome to come by and watch a beautiful original 16mm print of "Attack Of The Crab Monsters" projected on the big screen. Also, I have a RARE print of one of the most outrageous ATOMIC films ever made..."Savage Mutiny" (a Jungle Jim opus) where they plan to Nuke a tribe of natives...fun stuff. By the way...re: 'Phantom Planet" and '...And a more ridiculous spacesuit you'd be hardpressed to find.' Actually these were REAL high altitude 'space' suits used at the time by test pilots like Chuck Yeager etc. to pioneer the space program! :-)

Doug, What an honor to receive an e-mail from the voice actor who says, "If you haven't looked at Ford lately, look again!" Regarding the Phantom Planet spacesuit, I always wonder if some of the bad movie props I rip on are the genuine articles. So those spacesuits were "real"? Well, I still stand behind the "ridiculous" part of my comment. That is some suit!
One of these days I'll stop by your house to see Attack of the Crab Monsters if only to see the look on your face when I actually show up!

From: Starr Sullivan
Subject: Creature remake

People forget the Creature from the Black Lagoon has already been remade, twice and yes, I know they were technically "sequels". (Revenge of the Creature and The Creature Walks Among Us and don't forget countless B knock-offs). I think all "classics" are destined to be remade. That's part of what makes a classic. Some remakes have been done poorly others better than the originals. I look forward to the new remake.

From: Le Plouhinec Valerie
Subject: Angry Red Planet
I just discovered this jewel on cable TV in France. I was interrupted the first 3 times I saw it (aaaargh), so it took me 4 viewings to see it from beginning to end and the nice thing about it is that you notice new details every time. I particularly love the bit when Irish takes out a microscope, but not to use it, just to dust it ! And also, did you notice the lovely little purse she carries around in the rocket once they've landed on Mars? It is just irresistible. I also love the panel on one of the walls : OXYGEN CONSUMPTION : NORMAL (big green light) / EXCESSIVE (big red light). Very scientific. I would like my friends to see it but I have no idea whether it has ever been released in France and if a VHS or DVD with French subtitles exists. Do you have any clue ?

Wow! Someone visits my site in France?! Awesome! The Angry Red Planet DVD does come with French subtitles. Check it out at Barnes and Noble.com. Thanks for visiting.

From: Gkrupa
Jeff Morrow (star of The Giant Claw) once said that at the premier he hid in the men's room because he was so embarrassed by the film. I do not blame him. With treatment like this it is no wonder this fine actor quit films and returned to commercial art.

From: Rob from Massachusetts
Hi: I love your website - I'm a big fan of 50-60's sci-fi/horror flics. I was wondering if you archive your movie reviews. I would like to go back and read past reviews to determine what to buy and not buy. Also, are you aware of the cheapest place on the internet to purchase these classic on either DVD or VHS ?
Thanks - keep up the good work

Hi Rob
Archived reviews are located along the left side of the page under More Reviews. Also, click on "ICMT (It Conquered My Time)" to read reviews of b-movies that are (in my opinion) just too boring to watch.

From: Andrew Borntreger (www.badmovies.org)
I've been stopping by Atomic Monsters now and then to read your latest. Always good stuff and a pleasure to spend some time reading your thoughts. Your latest, "A*P*E," is a real doozy. From the chubby "sexy movie star" to the huge gorilla's antics. I keep trying to figure out why the ape killed that Basking Shark, because it certainly was not a Great White (unless the shark put Jaws to shame).

From: Brian Shuman
I read your review of (The Giant Claw), and you nailed it on the head. I would love to see this again; it stands out as one of the greatest B-flicks of all time.

From: James Best (Rosco P. Coletrane himself!)
(Regarding his role in The Killer Shrews:)

I am not very proud of killer shrews out of 83 feature pictures and hundreds of television shows it was my least favorite. i did it as a favor to Ray Kellogg who was the producer and a friend.

From: Mary Morris
I remember when (The Manster) came out. I begged my Mom & Dad to let me go with my brothers to see this movie. It was on a double bill with "The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus" which is also an excellent movie. I believe I was in the 6th grade and had nightmares for weeks! My older brother and I watched the whole movie but my younger brother and his friend left and hid in the lobby of the theatre. What a hoot!

From: Paul Kulik
Your reviews are a riot. Would you consider taking on "Attack Of The Giant Leeches" ?

Thanks for the kind words, Paul. Unfortunately, I didn't care much for Leeches as you'll see if you click on "It Conquered My Time." Who knows ... maybe I just need to see it again.

I agree with you about the Leech movie...BUT, man, that Yvette Vickers...the original halloween candy.