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DVD The Monster That Challenged the World
A highlight among 1950s creature-features, The Monster That Challenged the World is a near-classic B movie that never goes out of style. When an earthquake reveals a nest of giant, prehistoric sea mollusks at the bottom of California's Salton Sea, the local body count skyrockets. Navy lietenant Twillinger (Tim Holt) takes command, assisting the obligatory scientist (Hans Conreid) while wooing the June Cleaver wanna-be (Barbara Darrow) who inevitably tangles with the monster--a flailing caterpillar-like beastie with snapping mandibles and a voracious appetite. With a moment of vintage gross-out ("Get the eye! Get the eye!"), well-handled suspense, and the requisite balance of tepid romance and sci-fi jargon, this is a prime companion to any film in the atomic-monster lineup. The aging Holt made only two more movies after this (following a thriving career in Westerns), but he gives Monster his best shot and comes up a winner. --Jeff Shannon
Review(s): DVD The Monster That Challenged the World
A Monster or an Appetizer? You be the judge!,
This movie gets high marks first, for the ability of the cast to keep a straight face and play this silly melodrama like it might really have happened. However, a funny thing starts to happen after the first boat/monster scene, it starts getting interesting. So well is this seriousness executed by the entire cast, that the cliche plot and low-tech special effects can be overlooked, making this movie a "reel" winner on that basis. Also, there are genuine tense moments both under and above the water and excellent pacing. Somehow when it is all said and done this B Creature Feature develops enough collective energy and tension to please most fans of "Atomic Era Creature Features." The 83 minute video buzzes by all too quickly somehow making me wish for more.
The star of the film is Lt. Cmdr. John Twillinger, played by Tim Holt who co-starred as "Curtain" opposite Bogart in, "The Treasure of Sierra Madre". Though he appeared in over 60 films, this was his last starring role. Also, Hans Conried as Dr. Jess Rogers co-stars and is best known as the voice of "Captain Hook", in Disney's "Peter Pan".
If you liked this movie try "The Giant Claw," and "Reptilicus." I liked all three, mostly for the same reasons.
The Monsters that Terrorized the Canal System
This is a suprisingly good sci-fi/horror entry in the 1950`s starring monsters(in this case a horde of giant vampire slugs) that are suprisingly creepy. This movie itself with horrific scenes of overgrown snails creeping up the canal system and sucking the blood of unexpecting people. Of course the Monsters are reawakened by an A-Bomb test and lay tons of eggs. In the chilling final one hatches and the huge mollusk inside battles the hero, heroine and her tiny daughter and three guards with riffels. The title gets its name because the monsters can lay thousands of eggs and if they all hatch could destroy Earth!
Everything except the flamethrower
We get the classic 50's sci-fi introductory narration, a story of how the Salton Sea (southern California) was formed, and the possibility that giant creatures may have lived there at one time.
Then we switch to present day laboratory where they measure an earth quake. Mean while the navy is experimenting with Parachutes over the Salton Sea. The tester lands on the water and before the retrieval crew can get there he disappears. Looks like the retrieval crew is about to disappear.
From here all the standard situation to a creature/s unknown threaten to wipe out mankind. Don't let the thread distract from the parallel falling in love story between John (Tim Holt) and Gail (Audrey Dalton).
One of the redeeming features of this movie is the rebellious teenager that does not listen to her mother and gets sucked dry.
One disappointment is that with all the devices at their disposal they did not use a flamethrower.
The Monster/s looked like they took the old Japanese "Rodan" caterpillar and gave it a snail shell.
An added plus is noticing that they packed this film with many popular "B" actors come from old Charlie Chan movies. And the head scientist is Hans Conried the voice of Snidely Whiplash in "The Bullwinkle Show" (1961)
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