Hello all!

More movies to review this week! Let’s get right on into it!

This Island Earth (1955)

This movie is another key example of the sci-fi craze that was booming throughout 1950’s cinema. Shot in lavish colour and showcasing some impressive special effects for the era, This Island Earth succeeds in many, but not all aspects. Its technical prowess is impressive, as are the locations and the built sets, particularly the alien world shown in the last third. But that’s where some problems lie. Like many 1950’s sci-fi/horror movies, the actual reveal of the alien races true form, and indeed their planet and turmoil, is only the focus of the last 20 minutes or so of the movie. The shame here is that the alien world is great to see, and I wish it had been introduced earlier on. There’s no special cast performances here either, but if you’re a sci-fi fan and want something retro and charming, give it a watch.

Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

One of the classic Universal Horror monsters! This movie is very fondly remembered for its impressive underwater scenes and of course, the titular creature. And believe me this film does not disappoint. You’re confined to essentially one location, out near the Black Lagoon, and the tension building from this can at times be nail biting. But the shining force here has got to be the Creature himself. The costume work is superb, even by todays standard, and when combined with shots underwater, look truly remarkable to watch, especially for a movie of the 1950’s. There’s witty dialogue, lots of power play between the humans and it keeps you watching, so if you want classic Universal magic, then Creature from the Black Lagoon will be waiting for you amongst all the other gold members, such as Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy and The Wolf Man but to name a few.

It Came from Outer Space (1953)

Not to be confused with Stephen King related It material, this movie arguably showcases the weaker side of 1950’s sci-fi B-movies. Out of all of those movies that fit the genre that I have reviewed this week, this one is probably the weakest. The plot isn’t overly engaging, there’s not even a huge reveal necessarily in the end of the movie. All in all, this feels as if its been thrown together to capitalise on the booming sci-fi trend that was popular at the time. There are much better examples of this era that excel in horror and science fiction storytelling (The Fly and The Blob, from 1958 are both two examples). I would only recommend this one if you are a die-hard fan for these kind of movies, otherwise stick to the classics.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

A movie that has been remade and reimagined dozens of times, so how does the original compare? Well, it’s okay… can’t comment more on that really. The suspense and build is there, people slowly doubting that their loved ones are actually them and all that, and the conclusion of the film is very foreboding. But for me, most of the film chugs along at a slow pace with more uninteresting moments than gripping. Again, like with It Came from Outer Space, I would argue there are more polished versions of this genre. However, for those with a niche interest, this film was originally shot in black-and-white, though from what I gather, most UK DVD releases also give you the option to see the film in colour! I went for black-and-white myself, but if you fancy seeing a classic movie in a new way, give the colour version a go!

Sausage Party (2016)

Ahhh yes, this film. This was a movie that I was curious and intrigued by when it was released last summer. A cartoon that was made for adults featuring swearing items of food? Sure, I’m in. The reality, I was quite disappointed. The humour is a select kind of humour, my consensus was, if you like stuff like Family Guy, then you’ll enjoy the humour here, as I did for the most part. But the story itself, which the trailer leads you to believe is all about the food getting out of the supermarket and surviving, is severely lacking. There are many scenes simply there for the sake of crude jokes and loud performances across the cast. There were few scenes outside the supermarket and overall, if that was the concept you wanted to see, you aren’t going to get it here. But hey, I found this for 75p so I’m happy I got to see this movie, just gutted it wasn’t what it could have been. Give it a watch if you like the humour and you want a laugh, otherwise stay away.

The Thing from Another World (1951)

A true classic. This is one of the shining jewels not just of 1950’s movies, but of horror and sci-fi movies in general. This movie shows a group of humans finding a ship frozen under ice, when they destroy it, the pilot of that ship, the ‘thing’, escapes and starts causing havoc. It uses the creature sparingly, but it works to its advantage. It’s a classic ‘base under siege’ kind of movie, which I’m a massive fan of. The dialogue is fast, witty and constantly overlaps, but again, this works massively for the films benefit. I don’t want to give to much away, because I highly recommend you give this one a watch! It’s a classic that can’t be topped, even by its 1982 and 2011 remakes, and one that will surely be revered throughout movie history for years to come. Remember, keep watching the skies…

Flags of our Fathers (2006)

The first of Clint Eastwood’s double bill concerning the battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The concept for this movie and its other half, Letters from Iwo Jima, is really an interesting one. Two films, each focusing on the perspective of American and Japanese soldiers respectively. This movie I believe to be the weakest of the two. The story isn’t linear, which could be alright, but the way it jumps around from the battle to the aftermath to before the battle and so on is very inconsistent, and if you’re a viewer who doesn’t know much about the historical side, then you’re gonna be lost. There are some strong moments, but not nearly enough to sustain this 2 hour movie. If you want to see both sides of the story, go on ahead, but if you just want to see the better movie, then don’t bother with this one, stick with Letters, which you’ll be reading about very shortly!

The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)

This one is definitely an underrated gem from the era! Prior to watching, I had only heard the title of this movie before, but didn’t know much about it. But it takes off from the get go. Barely 15 minutes into the movie, our titular character is already beginning to shrink, quite a break away from other 1950’s movies I’ve reviewed here, where the big gimmick is often pulled off right at the end of the movie. The main focus here is about how this man survives in a world that is now far too big for him, and how the movie handles that is exceptional. Given the technical limitations of the time, the fact that we see this shrunken man on screen for so long is a testament to the creatives behind this movie who used photography techniques, or just built large sets, to realise this story. The ending I won’t give away, but again its not your typical ending for a film of this time period. I highly recommend this one, its tense, a technical marvel and a very engaging story to boot, you will not be disappointed.

Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)

The second part of Clint Eastwood’s saga. For a movie that had nearly $70 million dollars less of a budget than its other half, it far surpasses it in pretty much every way. The storytelling here is superbly told, the characters you learn about and begin to care for, despite them being on the ‘enemy’ side of history. The battle scenes are spectacular, and you truly get to see the Japanese resolve and determination, for never surrendering despite the Americans out gunning them and being far technology advanced than them. It’s a story that relies on its characters, and even though its all in Japanese, its a highly gripping movie for any audience member, no wonder it was nominated for numerous Oscars. As I mentioned earlier, if you want to watch the whole saga, go for it, but if you would rather just watch one of the two, this is the one to opt for.

Theatre of Blood (1973)

A classic horror starring Vincent Price! This movie is really really fun to watch! The central premise revolves around an actor named Edward Lionheart, who is known for his iconic Shakespeare portrayals, iconic in that they are really overacted. In his rage against the critics who slandered him, he goes around killing them one by one but in the manner of Shakespearean murders. If you know the Bard’s work, you may be able to pick out some famous death scenes, and they’re probably in this movie! Vincent Price gives a masterful performance as Lionheart, and despite the character being a hammy actor, hearing Price deliver Shakespeare is a joy to the ears. This film is arguably another precursor to the Saw franchise, and in many ways, is a spiritual third part to the Dr Phibes series of movies, which both starred Vincent Price and both came out a few years before this movie. If you like horror and elaborate death traps in movies, then you’ll love this. But I would recommend this film to anyone, it’ll leave you feeling one emotion or the other!

The Fall of the House of Usher (1960)

Mr Price crops up again! This time in Roger Corman’s adaptation of the classic work by Edgar Allan Poe. This movie showcases the Ushers, a brother and a sister who do not embrace the outside world. When an outsider comes and attempts to woo the sister away from the house, chaos begins to ensue. I don’t want to give away much, but for the most part, this movie relies on its atmospheric cinematography, as well as its building suspense to hook you in. There’s nothing big and gory about the horror, but there are moments that will give you a chill. As always, Vincent Price nails his role as the horrific yet tormented character of Roderick Usher. leaving you both disgusting but sorry for him in different moments. If you like classic literature and Gothic horror, then this movie will satisfy your appetite, but if you like more fast paced movies, perhaps steer clear of this one.

This is Spinal Tap (1984)

The cinema’s first ‘rockumentary’, this flick follows the journey of the fictional rock band Spinal Tap, their rise to fame, their rocky moments and blaring away numerous rock and roll tunes that are guaranteed to be two things a) loud and b) extremely catchy! This movie is funny, don’t get me wrong, but it utilises a certain kind of humour. One that is very underplayed and naturalistic and the main band members all carry this off effectively. But I would then argue if that’s not akin to your taste in humour, then you’ll feel you’ve wasted 80 minutes, so bear that in mind! A trailer viewing for this one is recommended first. But its competently made, with several well written jokes and gags, and its a spoofy movie that is sure to stick around in your mind for some time.

That’s all for this week folks!

There won’t be any movies reviews for the next 2 weeks. I go away for a week’s break to Lanzarote this coming Wednesday, so I won’t be watching anything that I can review! And for next week, I’ll be arriving back on a Wednesday, but I fully intend on using those days up until Sunday to binge watch the new season of Orange is the New Black. I’ll probably post another blog post of non-movie related stuff between this gap, but until then, I’ll see you in a few weeks! Enjoy the start of the summer and take care!

Adam xx