Gilligan’s Island: The Hunter (1967) – Review

In my ongoing series of reviews on adaptations of Richard Connell’s short “The Most Dangerous Game,” there have been many interesting takes on his short story but today we will look at one of the more bizarre versions, where a hunter will attempt to bring down what most would consider “The Least Dangerous Game.”

Created by legendary television producer Sherwood Schwartz, Gilligan’s Island was a CBS sitcom that ran for three seasons, and dealt with seven castaways being shipwrecked on an uncharted island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. The series had a fairly consistent formula, which consisted mostly of various attempts to get off the island being thwarted by the bumbling and hapless first mate, Gilligan (Bob Denver), much to the chagrin of his fellow castaways. Another key element to this series was the various visitors to the island, so many that one couldn’t help but wonder at the remarkable regularity and assortment of people who would find this uncharted island, all of whom either refuse or fail to help rescue the castaways.

 

“Skipper, are we that unlikable?”

What makes “The Hunter” stand out is how dark it is. There are no jungle boys or lost pilots to give our castaways hope, in this episode a man arrives on the island who decides to hunt and murder Gilligan. Not your typical sitcom fair. The plot kicks off when Gilligan spots a helicopter landing in the lagoon, sensing rescue is imminent he runs to tell his fellow castaways. Unfortunately, this helicopter is carrying a hunter named Jonathan Kincaid (Rory Calhoun) and his Asian manservant Ramoo (Harold Sakata). Kincaid is looking for game to hunt on the island but when he learns that there’s no game on this particular island he decides on a different sort of prey. When he realizes that no one knows of these castaways he confides in his servant that while there’s no game of the 4-legged kind on this island “I’ve always wondered what it be like to hunt the most dangerous game of all. Man.”

 

“If this works out, I could get my villain union card.”

Needless to say, the castaways are a bit distressed at this news. But who will he hunt? Looking over them, he decides that the Howells (Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer) wouldn’t give him much of a challenge and that the Skipper (Alan Hale Jr.) is too big a target while the Professor (Russell Johnson) would be too easy due to the belief that he’d over think things. Ginger (Tina Louise) and Mary Ann (Dawn Wells) are equally unfit for the hunt, commenting to Mary Ann “My dear, shooting you would be like shooting an Easter bunny.” So, by process of elimination, Gilligan is the only worthy choice. He informs the castaways that he will give Gilligan twenty-four hours to elude him, promising to rescue the crew and passengers of the S.S. Minnow, that is if Gilligan succeeds. Why the castaways believe this for a second is the true mystery here.

 

“What, don’t I look trustworthy?”

Stray Observations:

• Two years earlier the series Wild Wild West had done their own take on “The Most Dangerous Game” called “Night of the Sudden Death” and it was filmed mostly on the Gilligan’s Island lagoon set.
• Gilligan has a brief exchange with a North American brown owl but that species of owl wouldn’t be living on a South Pacific Island. Was it a castaway as well?
• You would think an experienced hunter like Kincaid would know there is no natural way for big game to be on this small uncharted island
• The helicopter Kincaid arrives in is a Bell 47 and as this island is said to be 250 miles south of Hawaii it’s hard to believe that a helicopter with a range of 245 miles would have safely reached our castaways.
• Gilligan is being hunted through the jungle but never considers the fact that his trademark red shirt and white hat don’t exactly provide the best camouflage.
• Gilligan has a brief exchange with a North American brown owl but that species of owl wouldn’t be living on a South Pacific Island. Was it a castaway as well?
• Bond fans may recognize Harold Sakata as he is best known as the villainous henchman Oddjob in the James Bond movie Goldfinger.
• The Professor is supposed to be the smart one in our group but he never thinks to tamper with the helicopter to keep Kincaid from leaving without them.

 

This is a guy who couldn’t turn a radio into a simple transmitter.

As stated, this is a surprisingly dark episode of Gilligan’s Island and is easily one of the most serious and suspenseful episodes of the entire series. Of course, as an adaptation of “The Most Dangerous Game” it pretty much had to have that darker element – the hunting and murdering of a person is pretty grim no matter how you look at it – but as this was a family sitcom of the 1960s there is a lot of comedy tossed in to lighten the mood. I particularly liked the exchange between Mr. Howell and Kincaid where the hunter is trying to determine if Thurston Howell the Third would be worthy prey.

Jonathan Kincaid – “Are you a hunter, Mr. Howell?”
Mr. Howell – “Uh, yeah, but I went on a tiger hunt, and I shot three of the terrible beasts in fifteen minutes.”
Kincaid – “Three in fifteen minutes, you must have been pleased.”
Mr. Howell – “Yes, but the directors of the zoo were furious!”

 

Jim Backus is a National Treasure.

That said, there are some questionable plot elements in “The Hunter” such as seven people not once trying to overpower these two interlopers, and sure, Oddjob is a formidable adversary and Kincaid has a gun but even Mrs. Howell was able to outmanoeuvre the manservant, and the Skipper and the Professor both had an opportunity to rest the gun away from Kincaid. I’m not asking for these guys to turn into Jean-Claude Van Damme but is putting in a little effort to save their Little Buddy too much to ask? There’s even a scene where Kincaid falls into a water trough and his gun is rendered useless but no one thinks this would be a good opportunity to act.

 

This is just embarrassing.

In conclusion, this is a very good episode of Gilligan’s Island and while it does have some dubious plot elements it not only shook things up by bringing a darker more serious tone to the series it also illustrated that while Gilligan is a bumbling goofball he can, in a pinch, prevail against even the most dangerous of foes. The less said the better about the rest of the castaways. As a sitcom adaptation of “The Most Dangerous Game” I’d give “The Hunter” top marks, if only for the brilliant idea of making Gilligan the most ludicrous game.

Get Smart: Island of the Darned (1966) – Review

In the mid-1960s, Buck Henry and Mel Brooks were tasked with creating a show about a bungling James Bond-like hero and that simple goal resulted in the creation of Maxwell Smart, a top-secret government agent who, while being absurdly clumsy and dim at times, managed to outwit numerous nefarious villains. Today we will look at how Max and his partner 99 survived being “The Most Dangerous Game.”

The episode begins with a cold open where we see a man being hunted through a jungle by a villainous-looking group, whose leader forgoes the use of his rifle and, instead, goes for the more unique weapon of choice, a blow gun, to provide the killing shot. We then cut to Agent Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) and his partner Agent 99 (Barbara Feldon) being brief by their Chief (Edward Platt) who is very concerned that Agent 27 hasn’t been heard from in four months. Worse is the fact that his assignment was a vital one. The Chief explains “He was on the trail of Hans Hunter (Harold Gould) who has been at various times, a high-ranking Nazi, a communist, a member of the Mafia and is right now one of the top executives of KAOS” and Max responds with “If there’s anything I hate, it’s a joiner.” Their discussion of the missing agent is then interrupted by the delivery of a rather larger crate, a crate that contains the body of the aforementioned Agent 27 who hasn’t just been killed but has also been stuffed like a taxidermized animal.

 

At least he wasn’t sent C.O.D.

After being outfitted with the required spy gadgets by CONTROL’s resident scientist Carlson (Stacy Keach Sr.) – in this case an anti-personal fishing rod and exploding cigarettes – and after a quick submarine ride, which the television budget will not allow us to see, Max and 99 arrive on the Caribbean Island of Mariba, which is believed to be where Hans Hunter is currently located. Unfortunately, almost immediately after their rubber raft makes landfall they are captured by Hunter and his minions. And faster than you can say “The Most Dangerous Game” Hunter announces that he plans to hunt Maxwell Smart because his collection of trophies is missing one thing “You, a homo sapien” to which an affronted Max decries “Now just a minute, Hunter. I’m as normal as you are” because nothing dates a comedy faster than gay panic jokes.

 

“I’m heterosexual and loving it.”

Stray Observations:

• The villain of this version of “The Most Dangerous Game” has the surname Hunter, which if not his non-deplume is a bit on the nose.
• Max deduces that the crate holding Agent 27 came from a Caribbean Island as it must have come from another hemisphere, due to the type of wood and return address, but the Caribbean is located in the same hemisphere as CONTROL headquarters in D.C. I guess geography isn’t one of his strong suits.
• Hunter tells Max “I could kill you very easily but I’ll give you one chance to live. A fifty-fifty chance. We will play a little game called Russian Roulette.” My math may not be the best but even I know that one bullet and six chambers isn’t fifty-fifty.
• This is one of the rare episodes that used extensive location shooting rather than sound stages and the Universal Backlot. The rope bridge sequence is especially nice, only missing a few Thuggee killers to make it perfect.

 

Maxwell Smart and the Temple of Doom.

Directed by Gary Nelson and with a teleplay by Buck Henry, William Raynor and Myles Wilder “Island of the Darned” is classic Get Smart, with its trademark satirical humour that pokes fun at the conventions of the spy genre while also delivering memorable one-liners and comedic situations. Don Adams shines in the role of Maxwell Smart, perfectly capturing the character’s blend of confidence and cluelessness. Furthermore, this episode boasts a fantastic supporting cast, including Edward Platt as the long-suffering Chief and Barbara Felton as the loyal but put-upon Agent 99 and for the villain of the day, we have Harold Gould giving it all as a fun KAOS agent with a fixation on Big Game Hunting, even if he’s somehow able to be defeated by a clueless Maxwell Smart.  One also has to appreciate a comedy series that has a fairly hefty body count.

 

“I’m going to die via exploding cigarettes, aren’t I?”

As a take on the premise of “The Most Dangerous Game,” this episode hits all the highlights, with Max and 99 setting up booby traps as they try to run out the clock on the hunt, and cinematographer Robert Wyckoff was able to stretch his legs with some nice location shooting. Overall, “Island of the Darned” is a great example of what made this series so great, with great banter and fun physical schtick it makes this is one worth tracking down.

The Wild Wild West: The Night of Sudden Death (1965) – Review

Many will remember the box office dud starring Will Smith and Kevin Kline as most modern viewers had no idea it was based on a popular Western, espionage, and science fiction television series of the 1960s. Today we will be looking at the episode “The Night of Sudden Death” which included this show’s take on “The Most Dangerous Game.”

The episode opens with a group of black-clad men clambering over each other as they scale a wall up to a high window, entering the United States Mint at Carson City, meanwhile, an inside man (Harlan Warde) releases knock-out gas to dispatch the other guards. The infiltrators then knock their inside man unconscious and plant a bomb, leaving him to die with the rest of the guards, the strangely, they leave without taking any of the money. What could their dastardly plan be and why betray one of their own? Secret Service agents Jim West (Robert Conrad) and Artemis Gordon (Ross Martin) are called in to solve this mystery, but it’s not much of a mystery as it is soon revealed that the printing plates have been switched out for fakes – the perpetrators clearly hoping the explosion would cover the swap – and now someone out there has the ability to make perfect counterfeits bills.

Note: In 1865 the “Secret Service Division” was created by the Department of the Treasury with the mission of suppressing counterfeiting, making this one of the rare episodes of The Wild Wild West where Jim and Artemis are actually performing duties that a Secret Service agent would actually be doing at the time.

This episode’s villain doesn’t waste much time in trying to stop our heroes, sending one of his black-clade minions to literally squeeze Jim West to death, but our hero aren’t so easily dispatched and soon Jim is being advised by the daughter of the inside man, Corrine Foxx (Julie Payne), that he needs to speak to her father, who had survived the explosion and can lead our heroes to the mastermind behind this crime. Unfortunately, Jim arrives at the hospital a little too late and finds the man near death, having been crushed by some unknown force – we can assume it was the same assailant who tried to put the squeeze on Jim – but before he dies, he is able to utter one final warning “If you find Corrine, you will find death.” Which is both cryptic and not really true. Meanwhile, Corrine isn’t doing to well under the “interrogation” of her employer.

 

This looks like an issue for HR to handle.

Turns out that Corrine works for world-renowned big game hunter Warren Trevor (Robert Loggia) as a bareback rider in his circus – don’t ask me why a Big Game Hunter has a circus, I’m guessing it’s an animal thing – and when Jim and Artemis spot a poster revealing Corrine’s position in the local circus our heroes leap into action. And by that, I mean Jim waltzes into the circus and announces he is looking for counterfeit money while Artemis goes undercover as a clown. We soon learn that Warren has a dream of buying a large portion of land in Africa, but as this is rather costly he plans to use those stolen plates to manufacture enough counterfeit money needed to pay off an African chieftain.

 

“I had a farm in Africa at the foot of the Ngong Hills.”

But what does a big game hunter/Circus owner want with a piece of Africa? At a dinner party, Warren explains to Jim West and Chief Vonoma (Joel Fluellen) that every man has a dream “Mine is to own and protect nature and its creations from man. Man is the most predatory beast on the face of the globe. He kills wantonly, animals kill merely to survive. There is already sound testimony of man’s senseless carnage of other living creatures. Man is the only animal capable of changing its environment, the only species to render other species extinct.” For a villain, that is a rather noble goal, and if it wasn’t for the counterfeiting and all those murders, I’d be a hundred percent on his side.

 

He’s kind of an altruistic version of Kraven the Hunter.

Stray Observations:

• That Jim West doesn’t notice a black-clad “ninja” clinging to the ceiling of his well-lit hotel room has me doubting his ability as a government agent to get this job done.
• Jim West wrestles an alligator with nothing but his bare hands and a knife – like a Wild West version of Tarzan Lord of the Apes – I now take back my doubts about his ability to get the job done.
• Much of this episode was filmed on the lagoon set of Gilligan’s Island, which is fitting as two years later that show would air their own take on “The Most Dangerous” game called “The Hunter.”
• This circus is shown to have a trampoline despite the fact that trampolines weren’t invented until 1945.
• Clown make-up is unique to each and every circus clown so Artemis’s capability to sneak around disguised as one of Warren’s clowns is a little suspect as he’d be spotted as “not one of theirs” rather quickly.
• The plan to us gas to knock out the guards of a U.S. Mint is quite similar to plot elements that appeared in Goldfinger, which came out a year earlier.
• The Carson City Mint never printed paper money as only silver and gold coins were minted there. Starting in 1869, all paper money was printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing so there would be no reason for printing presses and printing plates to be at the Carson City Mint.
• Jim, Artemis and Corine are wrapped in animal skins that will dry in the sun and shrink, which will cause our heroes to be squeezed to death. This kind of death trap would be a standard element of the Adam West Batman series that would premiere the very next year.

 

“Holy Cat Woman, Jim!”

Directed by William Witney, “The Night of the Sudden Death” is a solid first-season entry, with Robert Conrad facing off against a more nuanced villain than what would be found most action-adventure shows of the time. The script by Oliver Crawford and Michael Garrison gives our hero some nice character moments and a very nice femme fatale in the form of Janet Coburn (Antoinette Bower), Trevor’s beautiful animal trainer. That Jim West would win her over through his sheer animal magnetism was a given, even if a bit forced due to the constraints of a sixty-minute episode, and the screenplay would pit our hero against numerous henchmen and death traps. That the episode eventually culminated in the classic premise of “The Most Dangerous Game” – with Trevor grabbing his bow and hunting West through his reproduction of the African veldt – was a nice touch and worked quite well.

 

“I hope I don’t get eaten by my one of own alligators.”

Overall, “The Night of the Sudden Death” is a fun espionage thriller, one that was populated by beautiful women and a memorable villain – seeing a young Robert Loggia was a bit of a treat – and while the “Most Dangerous Game” element is more of an add-on rather than the focus of plot it still provided a nice conclusion to this particular adventure story. The only real negative aspect is that Ross Martin wasn’t given much to do – his undercover role fails almost instantly – but that is just a minor complaint for what was an excellent episode of Wild Wild West.

A Game of Death (1945) – Review

By 1945 director Robert Wise had already made a name for himself having helmed such classics as Curse of the Cat People and The Body Snatcher – with 1944’s Mademoiselle Fifi being his one critical failure – and today we will be looking at his fourth feature film, A Game of Death, which was a remake of the classic short story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell, but with its own unique twists and turns.

The story revolves around a small group of people stranded on a deserted island after their yacht sank. This group consists of celebrity hunter and memoirist Don Rainsford (John Loder) and his friends Whitney (Russell Hicks) and Collins (Bruce Edwards) who are in this predicament because they took their yacht through a dangerous straight between two islands – Whitney assumed the charts they had were out of date, alas he was wrong – and before you can say “A Night to Remember” their boat’s underside is ripped open by a coral reef and starts to go under. Unfortunately, they don’t get the two hours and forty minutes it took the Titanic to sink as the yacht’s boilers almost immediately explode when they come in contact with the cold ocean water. Hungry sharks make quick work of the crew and Rainsford’s friends leaving him the sole survivor and de facto hero of this movie.

 

That place houses ghosts or a madman, either way, I’d avoid it.

After a little trek through some nice jungle footage, Rainsford stumbles upon the domain of an eccentric but wealthy recluse named Erich Kreiger (Edgar Barrier) who at first appears to be nothing more than a big fan of Rainsford’s – what a small world – and he offers him a place to stay, along with his other two charming guests, Ellen Trowbridge (Audrey Long) and her drunken brother Robert (Russell Wade) who are, surprise surprise, also victims of a boat crashing into the reef. We are told that Krieger is unable to send them on their way due to some ambiguous repairs needed on his boat, and sure, that isn’t at all suspicious. Needless to say, things take a darker turn when Krieger’s odd behaviour goes beyond eccentric and turns psychotic as his love of hunting comes to the fore in a very bad way.

 

“I’m cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs”

As villains go, Erich Kreiger is of the entertainingly sophisticated class, with motivations that not only stem from a psychotic mind but from an elitist attitude. Over dinner, he extols his guests with his hunting philosophy and tells them that after years of shooting big game “Hunting had begun to bore me. It had ceased to be a sporting proposition. I was too good; I always got my quarry, always.” He goes on to explain that he became an expert at the bow, instead of using a high-powered rifle, “But even with that, hunting was beginning to lose its thrill. There is no greater bore than perfection.” So, he came to this island to construct his own game preserve and found a new animal to hunt “One with courage, cunning and every attribute of the ideal quarry.” He won’t tell his guests what that quarry is but he does provide them with a hint “Mine is the most dangerous game in the world.” Of course, it will be revealed that hunting man has become Kreiger’s ideal sport.

 

But isn’t the female deadlier than the male?

Kreiger’s new hunting philosophy isn’t the only twisted thing in his mad mind, his ideas towards women aren’t that much better. He quotes the proverb of the Uganda chieftains “Hunt first the enemy then the woman” and later he states, with an almost wistful stare, “First the hunt, then the kill and then the woman. Only when you’ve experienced all that, do you know complete ecstasy.” As villainy goes, this guy goes all in. He’s not only nuttier than Jimmy Carter’s peanut plantation he’s a sick bastard who believes rape is the perfect desert after a murder. These are all major red flags but the penny finally drops  when Ellen secretly informing our hero that they are basically prisoners and that her party once consisted of four members but after Kreiger took the two others “hunting” they have not been seen since.

 

“Just smile and try not to look like prey.”

This remake does give us a pair of protagonists who are also a little more decisive when it comes to acting on their suspicions than what we had with Joel McCrea and Fay Wray in the 1932 adaptation, with both Ellen and her brother – who isn’t drunk but uses the facade to investigate without arousing suspicion – having come to the obvious conclusion that Kreiger is hunting people and not some “mysterious” animal. With the advantage of being tipped off to Kreiger’s real intent, our hero can then go on the offensive, slipping out into the jungle to set up their own jungle booby traps, and playing on Kreiger’s ego so that he can gain an edge against this madman. It’s this aspect that makes this version of “The Most Dangerous Game” a unique entry among the many adaptations to come. I’ve always found it more interesting if the heroes aren’t oblivious idiots who have no idea of the danger they are in, and both John Loder and Audrey Long are a fun and dynamic couple in this outing.

 

A Dangerous and Lovely Game.

Stray Observations:

• Not only is this the second adaptation of Richard Connell’s short story but it also contains footage from the first adaptation,
• 1932’s The Most Dangerous Game.
• Actor Noble Johnson, who plays one of Kreiger’s servants in this film, also appears in the stock footage used from the 1932 adaptation. I wonder if he got paid double for his troubles.
• When discussing the nature of hunting with his friend Collins, Rainsford points to a photo of him about to shoot a leopard and he states “I happen to be a hunter, I’m not concerned with that fellow’s feelings. As a matter of fact, he’s probably enjoying himself just as much as I am. After all, he has a sporting chance of getting me.” But does he? I wouldn’t put a rifle on the same level playing field as a set of claws.
• The insane Kreiger has the channel markers moved so that ships will run aground on the coral reefs, thus supplying him with fresh “game” to hunt – with exploding boilers, drownings and sharks disposing of everyone else – a tactic that weeds out the weak and gives him better prey.
• Kreiger lives on a remote island in the middle of the jungle yet he dresses to the nines for dinner, with Bow Tie and Tails, and I kind of have to respect that level of class and villainy. Just because you are a psychotic murderer doesn’t mean you can’t have a little style and panache.

 

Erich Kreiger, winner of Best Dressed Murderer.

Director Robert Wise does an excellent job of creating a tense and atmospheric setting, utilizing the island’s eerie landscapes to enhance the feeling of isolation and danger. The cinematography is particularly striking, with haunting shots of the mist-covered jungle and ominous shadows adding to the film’s suspenseful mood. A Game of Death is a compelling exploration of themes of morality and survival. This film excels in building tension and creating a palpable sense of fear. The remote island setting, captured with J. Roy Hunt’s shadowy cinematography and Paul Sawtell’s haunting musical cues all contribute to the eerie atmosphere. The suspense is further heightened by the ingenious use of the deadly “game” as the characters navigate the treacherous terrain as they attempt to outwit their cunning adversary.

 

This is not an ideal vacation spot.

This film excels in building tension and creating a palpable sense of fear. The remote island setting, captured with J. Roy Hunt’s shadowy cinematography and Paul Sawtell’s haunting musical cues all contribute to creating an eerie atmosphere. The suspense is further heightened by the ingenious use of the deadly “game” as the characters navigate the treacherous terrain, facing moral dilemmas and attempting to outwit their cunning adversary. The performances are top-notch, with Edgar Barrier delivering a chilling portrayal of the sadistic antagonist, whose old head wound has turned him into a madman obsessed with the hunt. Of course, a good villain needs a good hero and John Loder fills the bill quite nicely, giving us a strong and intelligent protagonist. Being forced to become the hunted is also a nice piece of irony, having been introduced earlier stating “There are two kinds of creatures in the world, the hunters and the hunted, I happen to be a hunter.”

 

“That kind of bit me in the ass.”

Overall, A Game of Death is a classic thriller that proves Robert Wise once again was a master of all genres, giving us a brilliantly executed adventure story that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seats from start to finish, and it’s an adaptation that brings some new elements to the table and a more proactive “damsel” for the hero to run off with.  With its gripping storyline, strong performances and atmospheric direction, it remains a must-watch for fans of suspense and mystery cinema.

The Earth Dies Screaming (1964)

Cinemas of the 1950s saw a variety of threats from outer space but come the 1960s flying saucers and death ray-toting aliens would step aside from some more insidious types of attacks from beyond. In the case of Britain’s The Earth Dies Screaming we have a film that isn’t so much about an alien invasion as it is about the end of civilization itself.

The film begins with a chilling sequence dealing with a mysterious cosmic event that strikes the Earth, causing widespread devastation. People collapse dead in the streets or crash whatever they are driving. Among the survivors is Jeff Nolan (Willard Parker), an American pilot who emerges unscathed from a plane crash. He soon encounters a handful of other survivors, including Peggy (Virginia Field), a woman who had unwittingly found herself under the protection of Quinn Taggart (Dennis Price), who will be this film’s resident asshole and the cause of strife beyond the exterior threat. They are joined by couple Vi Courtland and (Vanda Godsell) and Edgar Otis (Thorley Walters), our despondent drunk, and heavily pregnant Lorna Brenard (Anna Palk) and her moody husband, Mel (David Spenser).

 

“Tune in for terror from beyond space?”

Apparently, a mysterious gas attack has killed off most of the Earth’s population, our protagonist having survived by either being in a bomb shelter or room with an equally isolated air supply, and they must discover what exactly is going on before they meet a similar fate. This fight is soon tied to the appearance of figures in space suits who are seen marching down the street. As the group begins to explore the desolate landscape, they discover that the world is now inhabited by deadly robot-like creatures. These machines, constructed by the alien invaders, patrol the streets, relentlessly hunting down any remaining humans, and by “relentlessly hunting down” I mean slowly meandering after people and occasionally peaking in a window.

 

Alien invaders or robotic perverts?

As the survivors struggle to stay alive, they uncover clues about the nature of the alien invasion. Through their investigations they learn that the robots are controlled by an invisible force, and they must find a way to disrupt the aliens’ hold over their mechanical minions. But to make matters worse, it seems this particular robot menace has the ability to resurrect the dead and use these “walking corpses” as foot soldiers to track down the last surviving members of humanity. Though to be fair, this threat is slightly lessened by the fact that the undead can easily be stopped by a couple of well-placed bullets. I don’t want to disparage alien science but that seems to undercut the reason behind using the dead as soldiers.

 

Night of the Easily Killed.

The premise of the film is simple yet effective, with our band of survivors struggling to comprehend the situation and find a way to endure. When they discover that the planet is now inhabited by deadly robots controlled by an unknown force the tension quickly mounts as they must navigate this perilous landscape while confronting their own fears and suspicions. At its core, The Earth Dies Screaming is a gripping tale of survival and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. It explores themes of humanity’s capacity for both destruction and redemption, making it a thought-provoking addition to the sci-fi genre.

 

Humanity’s last-ditch stand against an alien menace.

Stray Observations:

• This movie has quite a few similarities to the 1954 film Target Earth where giant robots from Venus invade Chicago and survivors hide out in the deserted city.
• The car and plane crash during the opening gas attack is “borrowed” from the film Village of the Damned.
• Jeff states he survived the gas because he was flying at the time of the attack, but during the opening scenes, we saw an aircraft crash because the pilot was slumped over the controls. Is there an issue of altitude we are not aware of?
• The idea of an alien invasion utilizing the reanimated dead had recently been used in 1959’s Invisible Invaders.
• The biggest question viewers may have while watching this film is “If the ‘aliens’ are robots, why do they need space suits?”
• The look and design of these robotic invaders bear a striking resemblance to the Cybermen who would appear for the first time on Doctor Who two years after this film’s release.

 

“We are the future. There is nothing to fear.”

Despite its low budget, The Earth Dies Screaming makes effective use of its limited resources to create impressive special effects, particularly in its depiction of the robotic antagonists, even if their slow lumbering walk doesn’t come across as all that threatening, and the film’s brilliant use of silence adds a very ominous tone that heightens the tension throughout its short running time. Another of the film’s strengths lies in its ability to create a sense of dread and unease from the very beginning as the desolate landscapes and abandoned streets serve as a haunting backdrop for the unfolding events, while the eerie silence punctuated by the occasional sound of approaching robots keeps viewers on edge throughout.

 

“Have you heard the good news about robotic slavery?”

While the special effects may not match contemporary standards, the film excels in creating a haunting atmosphere through its stark black-and-white cinematography. The barren landscapes and dilapidated structures contribute to the sense of isolation and impending doom. The sound design, with minimalistic yet effective use of music and sound effects, adds to the film’s overall eerie ambience. As for the alien robots, while basic by today’s standards they manage to exude a menacing presence that complements the film’s overall sense of dread. The decision to keep them somewhat enigmatic adds to the fear of the unknown, a common theme in effective science fiction and those opening scenes of the dead littering the streets keep a pawl hanging over the proceedings.

 

At least find affordable housing will be less of a problem.

The cast delivers solid performances, with veteran actor Willard Parker leading the ensemble as a stoic American determined to protect his fellow companions often despite themselves. Joining him are a diverse group of characters, each grappling with their own fears and motivations, adding depth to the story and keeping audiences engaged. Their struggle for survival and the tension among the group elevate the film beyond a mere creature feature. The narrative unfolds with a series of discoveries and challenges, and the script successfully maintains a balance between character-driven drama and suspenseful sci-fi action.

 

Mankind’s last and great hope, these guys.

Ultimately, The Earth Dies Screaming is a story of resilience, courage, and the indomitable human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity. It’s a gripping tale that offers a unique twist on the classic alien invasion narrative, delivering suspense, thrills, and thought-provoking themes that resonate long after the credits roll. It is a compelling story with atmospheric visuals and strong performances making this piece of vintage science fiction sure to leave a lasting impression.

The Brain Eaters (1958) – Review

Having a loved one taken over by an alien creature has to be one of the more terrifying premises to be tackled by the science fiction genre, from the classic Invaders from Mars to Don Seigel’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers it’s a foundation that pretty much can’t miss when it comes to delivering both suspense and horror, that is unless you are one of the people behind the making of 1958’s The Brain Eaters.

Set in a small Midwestern town, the plot of The Brain Eaters revolves around a mysterious alien force that has invaded the Earth intending to take over human minds. The story begins when strange occurrences start to happen in the town, such as a large metal cone being found in the woods and a series of unexplained disappearances. As more and more people vanish without a trace, Dr. Paul Kettering (Ed Nelson), a local scientist, becomes increasingly suspicious. Enter Senator Walter K. Powers (Cornelius Keefe) who arrives in the town of Riverdale to debunk the idea of an extraterrestrial invasion, but is he right, is there something more sinister going on than your typical Flying Saucer scare?

 

“I’m definitely not an allegory for the Red Scare?”

Turns out this isn’t actually an invasion from outer space but from inner space. In a surprising twist, the plot of The Brain Eaters is about parasites coming from inside the Earth to latch onto the nervous systems of humans and turning them into nothing more than puppets. This is being done with the intensive purpose of forcing upon mankind a “life free from strife and turmoil” and thus creating a utopia. This information is vomited out by missing scientist Professor Cole (Leonard Nimoy), who was “infected” five years ago, but their plans for world domination didn’t stand a chance of succeeding because Kettering is your never-say-die hero scientist and before the film’s meagre 60-minute running time expires he’ll have figured out a way to stop these nefarious invaders from below.

 

The man smokes a pipe, who could doubt his abilities?

Stray Observations:

• The plot of this movie stole several elements from Robert Heinlein’s novel, “The Puppet Masters” which did result in a lawsuit that was settled out of court for $5,000 dollars.
• This movie takes place in the town of Riverdale but contains neither Archie Andrews nor Jughead Jones. Talk about a missed opportunity for some good synergy.
• We get Leonard Nimoy in one of his earliest roles but the producers didn’t bother with spellcheck as his name is misspelled Nemoy in the opening credits.
• One of Kettering’s tests on the mysterious cone is to fire a revolver into its open portal. Now, I’m no scientist but that seems not only reckless but insanely stupid.
• Senator Powers telephones the telegraph office to send a warning to the Governor but why not just call the Governor directly? Are telegrams considered more reliable than a phone call?
• Finding a strange mark on the back of someone’s neck would have been a dead giveaway if anyone in this film had watched Invaders from Mars (1953).
• That our brilliant scientist/hero doesn’t have the back of people’s necks routinely checked is a bit of an oversight, made even more hilarious by the “puppeted people” having an obvious pulsating hump on their backs.

 

“Officer, have you always had a hunchback?”

Directed by Bruno VeSota, The Brain Eaters presents an intriguing premise but one that falls short in execution and this resulted in a somewhat forgettable experience. The film’s limited resources seem to have constrained the creative possibilities, resulting in a production that struggled to compete with more polished works of its time…well, to be honest, this film struggles to compete with your average student film. Furthermore, the dialogue and acting in the film leave much to be desired as many of the lines come across as stilted and melodramatic, failing to elicit the intended sense of urgency or fear. While this may be characteristic of B-movie productions from the 1950s, it detracts from the overall quality of the viewing experience.

 

“Have any of you spotted the plot yet?”

The narrative itself is riddled with clichés and predictable plot twists, not helped by the voice-over narration that insists on constantly explaining to us what’s going on. It’s possible the director was worried the audience would nod off and the narration was to give an update to those waking up as to what’s going on. The characters are your typical one-dimensional offerings that you find in these kinds of things, and their interactions lack the depth required to engage the audience emotionally. The dialogue, often delivered in a stilted manner, further hinders the film’s ability to build a connection between the viewers and the characters. It’s hard to guess who is taken over by an alien parasite when everyone has about as much personality as a sea sponge. Worst of all, for a film called The Brain Eaters I expected a lot more in the way of brains being eaten.

 

“Has his brain been eaten? If not we’ll have to change the film’s title.”

That said, the film does have an eerie atmosphere and a few tension-building sequences with the black-and-white cinematography by Lawrence Raimond effectively contributing to the film’s overall mood, creating a sense of foreboding that permeates throughout, sadly, his efforts were unable to lift the film beyond the plot’s ponderous limitations. As for the movie’s title creature, the practical effects used to depict these parasitic monsters are less than commendable, even considering the film’s limited budget, as they look like fluffy bedroom slippers that someone stuck an antennae on.

 

“Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? SpongeBob SquarePants!”

In conclusion, while The Brain Eaters offers some enjoyable moments of suspense and atmosphere it ultimately falls short in terms of pacing, character development and dialogue. It may hold nostalgic value for fans of classic sci-fi/horror cinema and those wanting to see Leonard Nimoy in an early role but it is unlikely to appeal to a wider audience or stand out as a particularly memorable or groundbreaking entry in the genre.