Monstrosity or The Atomic Brain

Monstrosity or The Atomic Brain is a 1963 sci-fi/horror movie in black and white. Monstrosity film has two titles, because the TV release called it "The Atomic Brain". It was directed by Joseph V. Mascelli, and the stars include Marjorie Eaton, Frank Fowler and Frank Gerstle. 

Doctor Otto Frank is a mad scientist working on experiments with brains just to make a rich elderly woman named Mrs March look beautiful. A few young women have travelled to the United States to work in a large house but it's the same house with Mrs March and mad scientist! There are some strange characters including a wolf man, a zombie girl and a cat girl. Parts of the film is quite shocking while others are weird and funny.

The film was made in 1958 but not released until 1963. The lateness was due to lack of funds and it's eventual release caused the script to become outdated! It wasn't very popular with film critics but it was adapted into a musical stage play in 2010 featuring dancing cats. 

I rate this movie a no-brainer 3/10.

Blood Strawberry    

The Giant Behemoth

 

The Giant Behemoth is a 1959 science fiction film in black and white. It was directed by Eugéne Lourié and Douglas Hickox, and the stars include Gene Evans, John Turner and Leigh Madison. 

This is one great monster film that is well remembered from seeing on late night TV. An atomic explosion has woken something terrible in the deep ocean. A fisherman goes missing but soon his daughter finds him dying on the beach. Scientists are investigating what happened, and they discover that it's too late! An enormous dinosaur swims along the River Thames and then it causes havoc in the streets of London!

This is the era when other monster movies appeared, such as "Godzilla" and "The Beast from 20.000 Fathoms", the latter was also directed by Eugene Lourie. The original plan was to make the creature look like a blob and then decided to introduce a dinosaur, which is much more scary. 

A feast of a film gets a 10/10!

Blood Strawberry 

       

Fiend Without a Face

Fiend Without a Face is a 1958 sci-fi/horror flick in black and white. It was directed by Arthur Crabtree, and the stars include Marshall Thompson, Kim Parker and Kynaston Reeves. 

A brainiac professor has been undergoing a secret experiment, involving mental projection and telepathy that backfired, resulting in a menace creature that is deadly and invisible. People are ending up dead around a military base and what's more is that local farmers are concerned about their livestock. There is a mysterious killer on the loose, leaving an even deeper mystery.

A real treat of a film, with good special effects for its time. It doesn't disappoint at all. Strange fact is the director of the film lost heart in it so the main star Marshall Thompson was left to finish directing it. During the promotion of the film, a mechanical brain was displayed in a cage outside a cinema that attracted so many people that it caused a bit of chaos. 

I rate this fantastic film a 8/10

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It Conquered the World

This is a 1956 sci-fi/horror film in black and white. Directed by Roger Corman and the stars include Lee Van Cleef, Peter Graves and Beverly Garland. 

A scientist has been secretly in touch with an alien from Venus and helps them visit the Earth. His friends don't believe him and many people are more worried about a malfunctioned satellite. The electricity has gone out, but it affects everyone apart from those considered allies of the alien. "Friends" or those who seem to be under the influence of the alien? 

The film makers had a very interesting time over designing the alien itself! While the script has got some philosophical chatter, the alien (who makes an appearance early on) looks like an angry carrot! The actress Beverly Garland said "That conquered the world?" in an amused way and kicked it. The king of Venus is the heavy set vegetable but it comes with deformed alien bats. 

The storyline itself was quite scary but the creatures looked too silly. Despite all of this, there are some very shocking moments and also with added humour amongst the soldiers. This film was remade in 1966 under the title "Zontar, the Thing from Venus."  I rate this a 3/10.

Blood Strawberry