Solemplex
To me, this movie is perfection.
Beanbioca
As Good As It Gets
Lachlan Coulson
This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.
Dejael
This is one that only gets better every time you see it. Made circa 1986-1987 in classic black & white (the IMDb release date is merely that of its video reissue), pop sci-fi fantasy genre filmmaker Ted Newsom's got it down in every scene with some fine-tuned scriptwriting and brings back many fine performers from their B-movie heyday in the Fabulous Fifties, places his characters in a typical cheesy plot, and then lets the audience decide for themselves. This film was first shown at a Los Angeles sci-fi film convention circa 1988, and since the filmmakers couldn't secure a good distribution deal the film slipped into celluloid oblivion except with the fans who saw it and remembered it fondly like me. Thanks to video this movie has a whole new audience, bigger by far than the few thousand fans who saw it when it was first released on film circa 24 years ago.If you don't know this movie was made for fans, and with tongue very much in cheek, then you won't catch all the gags and subtle nuances which resonate with the era of Psychotronic films. And you'll miss out on all the fun - of course it's supposed to be cheap and cheesy - that's the point - but it's also got that 'studio gloss' that showed in the better 1950s studios' efforts with a good music score by Ronald Stein, black & white cinematography, editing, art direction, costumes, etc.Ken Tobey is up for the challenge to reprise his character from Howard Hawks' The THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (RKO, 1951) and he aces the job with clever well-placed timing and humor, and makes us cheer when he finally puts on Captain Hendry's "Monster fighting suit" (a vintage leather bomber flight jacket exactly like his wardrobe in The THING).Other stars, including 1953's WAR OF THE WORLDS' Ann Robinson, are equally adept at milking their plum cameo roles in this campy 'spot-the-stars' night out. A fine time is to be had by all fans of 1950s B-sci-fi and horror movies. Pass the popcorn!(Originally posted on January 3, 2005)
SniperCA
You have to approach this movie with humor and nostalgia. If you look only at the technical aspect of the film, yes you will find things to complain about. The humor in it, the one liners, the cameos, the nods to the classic monster movies, that's what this film was to me. Call it "Z-grade" all you want...I thought it was a nice tribute to the genre. There is no doubt this was a low budget film. Yes the SPX can hit the cheese level as can some of the acting. I looked beyond that though and saw some writing and scenes that got me chuckling. Every new cameo from a genre star got me to smile as well. I applaud the film makers for doing what they did on a small budget and doing it with some humor as well as some respect for the classic monster movies.
Luis Polanco
I just happened to find out that most of all the secondary characters are veteran actors. They just had their old roles from others old-classic science-fiction movies back here for this one. Like the lady from War of the Worlds, who happens to be in both WOTW movies. Check them out and even if this is a bad movie, could be the greatest reunion of those science-fiction vets, making it a collectors item. You can see the relation with those movies on the "movie connections" section and try to find who's who from each movie. Could be a fun game in a boring afternoon. Remember, try to see it for fun and like a collection item, not for the special effects or the story.
Ted Newsom
It's obvious from the opening credits through the cruddy stock shots that it's intended as a spoof of no-budget monster movies. Too bad some people don't have friends to watch it with, because with a group, it's a hoot. Having seen it at conventions, screenings, and living rooms, I've heard people laughing with the gags-- not AT the film, but with it. Ken Tobey is very dry and funny, sending up his roles in The Thing, Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, etc.... I think Brinke Stevens is probably at her best here (although she's fine in Teenage Exorcist-- which at least had a couple hundred thousand dollars' worth of budget, unlike this $1.98 miracle), and the cast I just love-- all the oldtimers as well as the young-timers. Yeah, I'm more than a little prejudiced, and believe me, I see and hear the flaws more than anyone else. But I know it works as a silly comedy.(As cruddy as some people might think it is, it was good enough to get into the CascadiaCon Film Festival in Seattle, WA, the RiverRun Film Festival in Winston-Salem, NC, and the sci-fi fest in Modesto, CA. Yeah, but what do THEY know, anyway, huh? As opposed to some fnork in East Bombfook, Noo Joisey.)
