Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957) – Review

In the atomic age of giant monsters, Attack of the Crab Monsters proves that not all crustaceans are just shells and pincers – some have a wicked sense of humour too! This is a key ingredient if you’re going to make a monster movie on the cheap, and when it comes to cheap there is no better than producer\director Roger Corman.

“And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.” If you’re making a cheap monster movie it costs you nothing extra to class things up a bit by opening with some nice Biblical narration. Produced and directed by legendary B-movie director Roger Corman, Attack of the Crab Monsters tells the story of a group of scientists and their support crew of five sailors who land on a remote island in the Pacific Ocean to find out what happened to a previous expedition that disappeared without a trace. Needless to say, the reason for their disappearance isn’t due to a storm or the island’s rampant seismic activity, it’s a pair of giant crab monsters.

 

“You were expecting a forty-foot woman, perchance?”

Our cast of characters is led by Dr. Karl Weigand (Leslie Bradley) and includes geologist James Carson (Richard H. Cutting) and biologists Jules Deveroux (Mel Welles), Martha Hunter (Pamela Duncan), and Dale Drewer (Richard Garland). This group also includes technician and “Jack of all Trades” Hank Chapman (Russell Johnson) who will be the voice of reason and the one voted most likely to sacrifice himself to save the party. Their mission is to discover what effect the recent atomic testing on a nearby island has had both biologically and geologically on this particular Pacific Island. Unfortunately, geological instability is the least of their problems as they soon learn that the earlier group had been killed and eaten by two mutated, intelligent giant crabs, who have eaten and absorbed the minds of their victims and can now speak telepathically in their voices.

 

“Does anybody know how to treat a bad case of crabs?”

The plot is as nutty as a squirrel’s secret stash of acorns. Giant crabs that absorb intelligence? Really? It’s like the writers played Mad Libs with sci-fi tropes, and we ended up with a script that’s part horror, part comedy, and all parts crustacean chaos. But who cares about logic when you’ve got crabs with attitude? From the opening scenes, it’s clear that Attack of the Crab Monsters doesn’t take itself too seriously. The dialogue is delightfully cheesy, filled with classic B-movie one-liners and exaggerated reactions. Despite its low budget, the film makes the most of its limited resources, creating a surprisingly eerie atmosphere through clever lighting and location shooting. This is what makes Roger Corman’s films so entertaining. So, with a few stoic scientists, a damsel in distress and enough bad science to sink the Titanic we have a ragtag team of adventurers who are determined to outwit the crabs and save the day, even if it means sacrificing their dignity in the process.

 

“I know we should have visited the Island of Doctor Moreau instead.”

Stray Observations:

• For a group that is studying the effects of radioactive fallout from atomic tests they don’t seem all that concerned with radiation, they don’t even bother checking a Geiger counter.
• Hank Chapman refers to biologist Martha Hunter’s study of marine life as “The woman handles the seafood” and he’s supposed to be one of our heroes.
• If you are awoken by the voice of a lost and presumed dead person calling out “Help me” maybe don’t wander off into the jungle alone to investigate.
• Going by films like The Thing from Another World and Killdozer the best way to get rid of a monster is electricity and Roger Corman doesn’t disappoint with this outing.
• We did get a decent giant crab movie a few years later in the form of Ray Harryhausen’s Mysterious Island (1961).
• Seven years later, actor Russell Johnson would be trapped on another island as The Professor on Gilligan’s Island.

 

“Who wants to go on a three-hour tour?”

The screenplay, written by Charles B. Griffith, injects a touch of humour into the story, unintentionally creating a sense of campiness that has since become a trademark of 1950s creature features. The dialogue often leans towards the cheesy side, with characters delivering lines that may elicit unintentional laughter from modern audiences. But it’s not just the dialogue that’s a riot; the special effects are a sight to behold. Sure, by today’s standards, the giant crabs might look more like oversized plush toys than terrifying monsters, but that only adds to the charm. And let’s not forget about the classic B-movie tropes—shaky sets, dramatic music cues, and actors running from rubbery claws in slow motion. It’s a recipe for hilarity!

 

“Could we get some melted butter over here?”

While Attack of the Crab Monsters may not have the polish of a big-budget Hollywood production, it more than makes up for it with its sheer entertainment value, it revels in its campiness and embraces the absurdity of its premise. The actions of our protagonists often defy logic – the amount of time they spend wandering dark caves inhabited by monsters is quite impressive – the result is a film with a severely diminished emotional impact, leaving little room for empathy or investment in the outcome of these sometimes-moronic heroes. For fans of classic B-movies and creature features this is a must-see cult classic that gave the world a very unique monster. Additionally, the film’s brisk runtime prevents it from overstaying its welcome, ensuring that its flaws are at least somewhat mitigated by brevity. It stands as a testament to the creativity and resourcefulness of Roger Corman, a man who could make almost anything for the cost of a sandwich.

 

“Up on the shore, they work all day. Out in the sun they slave away.”

It’s these kinds of outings where Roger Corman demonstrates a certain level of creativity in his direction, effectively utilizing the film’s tropical island setting to create an atmosphere of isolation and claustrophobia, raising the end product to a surprising degree. In the end, Attack of the Crab Monsters is a quaint relic of its time, worth watching for its historical significance in the B-movie genre, but not necessarily for its cinematic merits. You either love the giant crab puppet or you don’t, but if you are a fan of Roger Corman’s school cheap movie-making, I’m betting you’ll love it.

Creature with the Atom Brain (1955) – Review

You have to admire a 1950s sci-fi/horror film that boasts the tagline “Based on Scientific Fact!” in a story about atomic resurrected zombies. That kind of marketing has balls. In this outing, producer Sam Katzman blends film noir, horror and science fiction with somewhat expected results. Let’s sit back and take a look at Creature with the Atom Brain.

The movie opens with a hulking zombie breaking into the office of a gangster named Hennesy and brutally murdering him, but who could be behind this horrible attack? Enter Frank Buchanan (Michael Granger) your average gangster with a vendetta and a brilliant idea “Let’s use radioactive zombies for some good old-fashioned revenge!” But where does a gangster get his hands on radioactive zombies? Cue Dr. Wilhelm Steigg (Gregory Gaye) a scientist whose research needed some financial backing and so he turned to Buchanan for the funding needed to complete his research on powering the dead via electrical impulses and atomic power, making them undead puppets.  And before you can say “Doctor Frankenstein” he’s populating his lab with stolen corpses.

 

I’ll admit, Steigg has a great mad science setup.

Called into investigate this murder is Crime Doctor Chet Walker (Richard Denning) who is the type of hero who gets right down to business and is always on the right track, even if his theories are crazy and people laugh off such statements like “According to the evidence, Hennesy was murdered by a creature with atom rays of superhuman strength and a creature that cannot be killed by bullets.” Needless to say, he’s right, and after a few more murders he and Police Captain Dave Harris (S. John Launer) have figured out that all of the victims are connected to deported gangster Buchanan. Soon the army is called in and jets fill the sky as they search for the location of the lab that is churning out zombie killers, but can our heroes figure out how to stop such a nigh-unstoppable army in time?

 

“If you look here on our Mad Science scope, the answer is obvious.”

Stray Observations:

• An altruistic scientist, who wants his invention to help mankind, teams up with a murdering gangster because he needs funding. Yeah, the private sector is a real bitch.
• Police offer the two men who they suspect are the next targets of Buchanan protection in the form of “We’ll put you in jail.” That these men turn down such a “nice” offer isn’t that surprising. Wasn’t Witness Protection a thing in the 50s?
• Jet aircraft that travel at supersonic speed would be completely ineffectual at finding one lone building containing radioactive material. I’m starting to wonder if this movie was based on scientific fact.
• Director Edward L. Cahn would use the same premise of resurrected corpses in his 1959 film Invisible Invaders.
• Say what you will about the film’s somewhat questionable visual effects it is one of the first movies to use squibs to simulate gunshot wounds and it was done quite effectively here.
• An atomic-puppeted Dave Harris is sent out to find the location of Buchanan’s remaining two targets, but the scar from the “brain surgery” is clearly visible. Couldn’t the have found him a nice hat to hide it?

 

“Dave, have you always had that strange scar on your forehead?”

Directed by Edward L. Cahn and produced by Sam Katzman, this low-budget gem has garnered a cult following over the years for its entertaining mix of suspense and B-movie charm. And while the science found in this movie is about as accurate as what could be found in an Ed Wood movie – despite what the poster claimed –this is all part of the appeal of this era of science fiction/horror. The “atom brain” creatures, created using practical effects and makeup, exude a creepy and otherworldly presence that is a nice take on the zombie genre, their lifeless stares and relentless motion provide just the right amount of tension and suspense. Unfortunately, the cinematography, though attempting to capture the noir aesthetic, is marred by inconsistent lighting and uninspired shot composition. The use of shadows, a hallmark of the noir genre, is often more distracting than atmospheric, detracting from the film’s overall visual appeal.

 

“Bring me more radioactive brains.”

The cast delivers solid performances, with Richard Denning anchoring the film as the intrepid police scientist who is determined to stop Buchanan’s diabolical scheme, and Gregory Gaye’s portrayal of Professor Steig is a step away from your archetypal mad scientist with a chilling charisma as he’s not so much mad as he is just strapped for cash and makes a poor choice when it comes to investors. On the other hand, Michael Granger’s Frank Buchanan is your stereotypical gangster that has appeared in many Cagney or Bogart-type films. His hiring of a scientist to use reanimated corpses as his tool for revenge plan is the only interesting thing about him.

 

Cue death via his own machinations.

While this entry exhibits elements of its era’s fascination with atomic energy and noir aesthetics it does struggle to rise above the clichés and shortcomings typical of low-budget productions, but despite its modest budget and limited resources, Creature with the Atom Brain does succeed in delivering an entertaining and memorable viewing experience. Richard Denning, a staple of 50s science fiction, delivers every ridiculous piece of science gobbledygook with aplomb, and the film’s blend of noir atmosphere and Cold War paranoia makes it a nice example of the “Atomic Age” of cinema.

Sleeping Beauty (1959) – Review

Once upon a time, in the golden age of Disney animation, a princess named Aurora dozed off, and a classic was born! It was in 1959 that Walt Disney gave us this technicolor dreamscape where we learned that a kiss really could solve all your problems! And while Sleeping Beauty was not a success on its initial release it has since become a beloved classic to millions of fans.

The story begins in a faraway kingdom, where King Stefan (Taylor Holmes) and Queen Leah (Verna Felton) joyfully welcome the birth of their daughter, Princess Aurora. To celebrate her arrival, the royal couple hosts a grand christening ceremony, inviting nobles from across the land, including King Hubert and his young son, Prince Phillip, who is betrothed to Aurora. Among the esteemed guests are three good fairies—Flora (Verna Felton), Fauna (Barbara Jo Allen), and Merryweather (Barbara Luddy)—who come to bestow magical gifts upon the newborn princess.

 

“Hi, we’re the all-powerful comic relief.”

Unfortunately, wicked fairy Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) was left off the guest list and she arrives in a storm of dark magic, enraged by the snub. Maleficent curses the baby princess, declaring that on her sixteenth birthday, Aurora will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die. I must say, while being snubbed isn’t cool, laying a death curse on a baby is a pretty heavy overreaction to being left off a guest list, then again, I’m not The Mistress of All Evil. Lucky for the royals, Merryweather was able to mitigate the curse with her own “magical gift” so that instead of dying, Aurora would fall into a deep sleep, only to be awoken by true love’s kiss. Needless to say, Maleficent is not one to take such things lying down.

 

“Did I come at a bad time?”

Despite Merryweather’s actions, King Stefan is desperate to protect his daughter so he orders every spinning wheel in the kingdom to be burned, but the good fairies know this will not be enough to thwart Maleficent’s evil so they devise a plan to hide Aurora until her sixteenth birthday, taking her to a remote cottage in the forest and raises her as a peasant girl named Briar Rose (Mary Costa). Sixteen years pass, and Aurora grows into a beautiful young woman, unaware of her royal heritage or the curse that hangs over her. But one day, while wandering through the forest, singing of falling in love – which is pretty standard Disney Princess activity – she attracts the attention of Prince Phillip (Bill Shirley), who just so happened to be riding by.

 

“Do you guys believe in love at first sight?”

Sadly, true love is put on hold when the three good fairies reveal to Briar Rose her true identity, as well as her arranged marriage to Prince Phillip, not realizing he is the same man she had just met in the forest. Heartbroken, Aurora reluctantly agrees to return to her parents and fulfill her duty as a princess. However, Maleficent’s raven Diablo spotted magical activity – the three good fairies had a magical argument regarding the colour of Aurora’s gown – and reports back to her mistress that the princess has been found, who immediately sets a trap and lands herself a prince.

 

I’m not all that surprised Maleficent was into bondage.

Things may look dark but the goodness and virtue aren’t down for the count just yet. Prince Phillip is rescued by the fairies, is given the Sword of Truth and the Shield of Virtue, and fights his way through a thorn forest, where he encounters a rather peeved Maleficent who transforms into a fearsome dragon and turns the thorn forest into an inferno. But like any stalwart hero, he ultimately defeats the villain and makes his way to the side of the beautiful sleeping Aurora, who he awakens with a kiss and breaks the spell over the entire kingdom and they throw a grand ball for these crazy kids. My only question is “Is this the basis for a long-term relationship?”

 

I give these kids three months tops.

As was the case with the adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Disney made several key changes to the classic fairy tale. In the Disney version, three good fairies are invited to the christening but in the original tale it was a group of “Wise Women” which causes the king a bit of a problem as there are thirteen Wise Women and he has only twelve gold plates as gifts. So, he decides to only invite twelve and simply not tell the thirteenth one about the party. Things go as expected, eleven bestow their gifts upon the child, gifts like beauty, virtue, and riches, but before the twelfth can give the child her gift in walks wise woman number thirteen and a shit storm.

 

Who forgets to invite the Mistress of all Evil?

Another key change concerns the hero, in the Disney version Maleficent threatens to keep Prince Philip imprisoned for a hundred years before releasing him to “rescue” Aurora, and when the prince escapes Maleficent creates a thorn barrier and turns herself into a dragon. In the original tale, once Briar Rose had been cursed a hedge of thorns started to grow around the castle, each year growing higher and higher until finally the entire castle was covered. Over the years random princes from far-off lands would try to get through to look at the princess but they’d all get caught in the thorns and die. Eventually, after one hundred years, one special prince gives it a try but instead of dying on the thorns the hedge of death turns into beautiful flowers that part for him and he then goes to where the princess, kisses her and this wakes her up and everyone else in the castle.

 

“Excuse me sir, but do I know you?”

Stray Observations:

• In the Brothers Grimm version, Sleeping Beauty is named Briar Rose while in the Tchaikovsky ballet, her name is Aurora. Disney solved this problem by giving their heroine both names.
• Queen Leah is the first mother of a Disney Princess to be alive during the film until Mulan came along in 1998. It’s tough being a Disney mom.
• The fairies claim that their magic cannot be used maliciously, “It can only do good, to bring joy and happiness” but later Merryweather turns Maleficent’s raven into stone and they later create an enchanted sword to slay Maleficent. Those sound a trifle malicious to me.
• The castle for Sleeping Beauty is based on the Neuschwanstein castle in Bavaria, Germany, which also inspired the castles in both Snow White and Cinderella.
• Due to its less-than-financial success this was the last fairy tale-based Disney movie until The Little Mermaid was released thirty years later and started the Disney Renaissance.
• Only one other Disney animated film was shot in the Technirama format, that film was 1985’s The Black Cauldron which was another Disney box office disappointment. Was the format Cursed?
• Disney gets a lot of grief for “sanitizing” these classic fairy tales but I’ll say this, in the original fairy tale there was no mention of a dragon and for this addition, I thank Disney from the bottom of my heart.

 

This is easily one of cinema’s greatest dragons.

One of the most striking aspects of Sleeping Beauty is its unique visual style, which stands apart from the softer, more rounded aesthetic of earlier Disney films like 1937’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and 1950’s Cinderella. Inspired by medieval art, particularly the illuminated manuscripts and tapestries of the Gothic period, the film’s backgrounds and character designs have a distinct angularity and precision. This style, spearheaded by Eyvind Earle, the film’s art director and production designer, creates a rich tapestry of colour and form that gives this film a storybook quality unlike any other Disney film. Simply put, it’s a feast for the eyes and Disney went all out with its medieval tapestry style, and it shows. Every frame is dripping with colour and detail. It’s like looking at a moving painting—an extra pretty one, not those boring landscapes your grandma hangs in the dining room.

 

This is possibly the most gorgeous of all the Disney animated features.

The score for Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty is one of the film’s most defining elements, elevating it from a simple fairy tale to a majestic cinematic experience. Adapted from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s 1890 ballet of the same name, the music weaves through the film like a rich tapestry, adding emotional depth, narrative cohesion, and a sense of timeless beauty to the story. One of the most iconic musical moments in the film is the “Once Upon a Dream” sequence. Based on the “Garland Waltz” from Tchaikovsky’s ballet, this song is a perfect blend of lyrical romanticism and melodic accessibility. It serves not only as Aurora’s signature piece but also as the emotional heart of the film, encapsulating the themes of love, destiny and enchantment.

 

The music and the landscape are in perfect harmony.

But let’s be real, as great as the film’s art direction was and how the score was a classical banger, the real star of the show was Maleficent, Mistress of all Evil. With her dramatic entrances, sinister laugh, and the ability to turn into a freakin’ dragon, Maleficent is the original Disney diva. You can’t help but root for her—even if she is cursing infants. Plus, she’s got the best lines. “Now you shall deal with me, O Prince, and all the powers of hell!” If that isn’t one of the most badass villain lines ever uttered, I’ll eat my tiara. The Disney studio would later return to this iconic villain for their ongoing live-action remakes, but with Maleficent we didn’t so much as get a remake but a re-imagining where Maleficent was a more sympathetic character.

 

This Maleficent does not have much of a good side.

On the downside, Aurora is, to put it bluntly, one of Disney’s least compelling heroines. She has roughly eighteen lines of dialogue and is only in the film for a total of eighteen minutes, she sings two songs and then takes a nap, it’s like Disney asked the question, “What if we made a movie where the title character doesn’t actually do anything?” Aurora is less a character and more of a plot device. She’s very beautiful and has a very lovely singing voice but other than being a skilled napper there isn’t much to her character. To bolster her limited range, we have her three fairy guardians—Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather—who provide both comic relief and emotional depth, driving much of the plot with their well-intentioned magic and sisterly bickering.

 

They are good fairies but terrible dressmakers.

If one is to poke fun at the title character it must be pointed out that the film’s hero isn’t much better. Prince Philip is handsome, brave and utterly devoid of personality. He dances, he rides a horse, he kills a dragon, he kisses the girl, the end. Not exactly the most fleshed-out character in cinema history. And just how heroic is Prince Phillip? After he is freed by the fairies they tell him that he alone will have to face certain dangers in his battle against Maleficent, which is a nice sentiment but the fairies pretty much aid him at every turn, right up to the final defeat. It’s here where their magic causes Phillip’s sword to fly into Maleficent’s heart while she is in dragon form. a moment that does lead to one of the film’s other great lines, “Sword of Truth, fly swift and sure, that evil die and good endure!”

 

The ultimate clash of good versus evil.

Sure, the story may be simple—girl meets boy, girl gets cursed by evil faerie, girl takes a long nap, boy kisses girl and everyone lives happily ever after—but that’s part of the film’s charm. This is a tale as old as time, told with the kind of magic that only Disney could muster and if you’re in the mood for a nostalgic trip down memory lane, or if you just want to see how a spindle and a well-placed curse can change everything, Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty is the perfect film to get lost in. Just be careful—you might find yourself humming “Once Upon a Dream” for days!

I Come in Peace aka Dark Angel (1990) – Review

What would happen if a cop who “plays by his own rules” was to encounter a drug dealer of the extraterrestrial variety? This was the kind of Gold Star premise that was hitting cinemas at the tail end of the 80s and into the 90s, and if such a project were also to star Dolph Lundgren, well, then even if the film ended up failing at the box office there was still a good chance it would be fun as hell.

Originally titled Dark Angel – it changed to I Come in Peace because two other films already had the title The Dark Angel – this early 90s action film deals with Houston police officer Jack Caine (Dolph Lundgren) going after Victor Manning (Sherman Howard) and his gang of white-collar drug dealers called White Boys – a bit on the nose as names go but let’s go with it – who had killed his partner while he ran off to stop a convenience store robbery. But in between the killing of Caine’s partner and his finally showing up at the crime scene, a tall scary alien arrives and kills a bunch of the White Boys.  These kills were done via a flying-spinning disc that zooms around the room slitting everyone’s throat, and then this “alien visitor” makes off with a briefcase of heroin, which the gang had earlier stolen from a federal lock-up.

Note: Mathias Hues had to perform all of his own stunts because there were no doubles that could match his 6’ 5” size and as he is doing all of this in four-inch lifts it makes this all the more impressive.

The alien in question is an extraterrestrial drug dealer named Talec (Mathias Hues) who has come to Earth to acquire the rarest of drugs, which is achieved by using the heroin stolen from White Boys to form some kind of “synthetic heroin” that he would then inject into a person, after which he extracts the resulting endorphins from their brains.  Synthesizing them into a drug called “Barsi” to be used by addicts on his home planet. Needless to say, Caine is at first focused on finding those responsible for the death of his partner – a tried and true motivation in cop movies everywhere – but since the heroin was stolen from a Federal evidence warehouse this brings in the FBI and Caine is forced to partner up with by-the-book Special Agent Arwood “Larry” Smith (Brian Benben).  To say they don’t get along at first is a bit of an understatement, but also pretty much a given in this genre.

 

“Hell, I’m Special Agent Cliché, glad to be working with you.”

At its core, the plot is a straightforward formulaic cop thriller, with an added layer of alien intervention, and it follows the standard cliched plot as if it were on a timetable. It’s the introduction of an otherworldly antagonist armed with lethal CDs that spices things up. Aliens in movies come to Earth for a variety of reasons but harvesting heroin-laced human endorphins for profit may sound original but it feels more like a forced attempt to inject sci-fi elements into a cop movie rather than a seamlessly integrated into the storyline. The premise lacks originality, borrowing heavily from the buddy cop genre without offering a fresh take or innovative twist, and no, the alien drug dealer is not enough of a twist to sell this movie. But that wasn’t enough for director Craig R. Baxley, not only do we have the White Boys hunting our heroes, who think it was Caine who stole their heroin, but we also have an alien cop (Jay Bilas) trying to track down Talec, which is complicated even further when the Feds step in to cover up all the killings so that they can get a hold of some of that high tech lethal alien weaponry, all in the name of homeland defence of course.

 

“Shall we pull out our dicks and start measuring?”

Stray Observations:

• The alien crash lands in a downtown Christmas tree lot which had me wondering if the script had been ghostwritten by Shane Black.
• Victor Manning kills Caine’s partner because he knows he’s an undercover cop, yet he never even considers that such a police sting would have a backup of some kind. Manning was just lucky that Caine had been distracted by a nearby robbery.
• The extraterrestrial drug dealer’s flying discs of death would later find a home in the third Hellraiser film, where a Cenobite shoots out killer CDs. Who says good ideas can’t be recycled?
• Caine is given a very swanky apartment as a fun counterpoint to his rough street persona, but it does raise the question “Just how much does an L.A. narcotics detective get paid?”
• The death of the alien cop proves these aliens are not invulnerable so Talec’s survival after being shot multiple times must be attributed to his body armour, sadly, our heroes don’t take that into account as they never try and shoot him in the head.

 

“I’m wearing level-five plot armour.”

While Lundgren’s physicality and on-screen charisma are undeniable, I Come in Peace suffers from the usual wooden dialogue and a lack of character depth found in these types of parts and the interactions between the “buddy cops” often felt forced, failing to evoke genuine emotional investment. The attempt to inject humour into the narrative through the banter between Caine and his partner doesn’t always land, making the film feel tonally inconsistent as is the forced relationship between Caine and his long-suffering girlfriend (Betsy Brantley), whose job is to bust Caine’s balls while also providing exposition as the police coroner. I do give the film points for not having the coroner eat a sandwich while working on a body.

 

Instead, she’ll chew a piece off Lundgren later.

While the film delivers its fair share of action sequences it often feels disconnected from the overarching plot and the transition between intense shootouts and the alien drug dealer’s nefarious activities lacks coherence, resulting in a narrative that struggles to maintain a consistent tone. The alien’s modus operandi, using CDs as lethal weapons, is more laughable than menacing and it fails to establish a genuine sense of threat. The attempt to inject humour through the partnership with Brian Benben’s character also falls flat due to uninspired dialogue and lacklustre chemistry between the two leads.

 

“I’m starting to feel a little alienated.”

In conclusion, I Come in Peace struggles to transcend its era and the genre and fails, ultimately becoming a relic of ’90s action cinema and while it may hold appeal for fans seeking a nostalgic trip down memory lane, and despite Lundgren’s earnest efforts and some explosive action the film’s derivative plot, the stilted dialogue and dated special effects prevent it from achieving the status as a cult classic. Overall, I Come in Peace remains a fun if forgettable entry in the genre, one that was unable to rise above the limitations of its time.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) – Review

It’s hard to believe that Tobe Hooper’s seminal classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is based on the same events surrounding that of Hitchcock’s Psycho, yet both of those movies – as well as several others – were inspired by real-life American murderer and body snatcher Ed Gein, a man who had exhumed corpses from local graveyards and fashioned trophies and keepsakes from their bones and skin. But could fiction ever truly capture the face of true evil? It was with this intent to find out that Tobe Hooper waged his war on the American Dream.

The script for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is fairly simple, it follows a group of young people who are on a road trip to visit their grandfather’s grave and take the wrong pit stop where they find themselves in the cross-hairs of a cannibalistic family, it is basically the story of Hansel and Gretel but with Tobe Hooper giving the tale a very naturalistic look. This isn’t some dark German forest but the bleak and wide-open spaces of Texas, a place just as easy to get lost in as any location found in a Grimm’s fairy tale, and this adds to the horror because we the audience can then wonder “Could this be happening in my town?” In this take on the Ed Gein story, we have five young people on a road trip, consisting of Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns), Jerry (Allen Danziger), Pam (Teri McMinn), Kirk (William Vail), and Sally’s handicapped brother Franklin (Paul A. Partain), who are taking this trip to check on the grave of Sally and Franklin’s grandfather after learning a grave robber had been stealing and desecrating the remains. This seems like a rather strange idea for a group excursion with your friends, but what do I know?

 

“My vote was for Disneyland.”

When this group of friends encounter a crazed hitchhiker (Edwin Neal) and then stumble upon the home of Leatherface (Gunnar Hansen), a monster figure wearing a flesh mask of his victims, where we the viewer feel that we are trapped along with them on this nightmare journey, and what makes this film so effective is its use of tension and suspense as it draws us deeper into the horror. The movie is not just a mindless bloodbath as most of the carnage is implied and not shown, instead, Tobe Hooper carefully crafted the experience by slowly building it to a terrifying climax and gallons of blood and viscera were simply not needed. Whereas later films like Evil Dead and Hellraiser would revel in the gore, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre used a surprising amount of restraint.

 

“We all go a little mad sometimes.”

Another element that sets The Texas Chainsaw Massacre apart from other horror films of its time is its raw, gritty, and realistic style. The movie was shot on a shoestring budget, and it shows in the documentary-style camera work and rough editing. The lack of a traditional music score also adds to the unsettling and uncomfortable atmosphere that completes the “could this be real” vibe that Tobe Hooper was trying to create. Of course, one cannot talk about The Texas Chainsaw Massacre without acknowledging the performance of Gunnar Hansen as Leatherface because his gruesome killer is a truly terrifying presence on screen with his iconic look having become one of the most recognizable images in horror history. This is not to disparage the rest of the cast, consisting of relatively unknown actors, who all gave convincing and naturalistic performances that added to the realism of the film, perfectly portraying the terror and desperation of their characters, making the audience truly invested in their survival.

 

Who hasn’t had awkward family dinners?

Stray Observations:

• Learning that the opening narration was provided by John Larroquette, who was paid for his work with a marijuana joint, is just one of many things that makes this movie great.
• If you are a fan of the genre you know that road trips and horror go together like ham and eggs, that is if those eggs were a side course to a cannibalistic feast.
• If you find yourself on a road trip in a horror movie, for the love of God, don’t compound things by picking up a hitchhiker. That’s a cardinal rule of survival right there.
• Consulting the American Astrology guide can help you prevent dangerous encounters while travelling, this was information that these young people should have taken to heart before setting out.
• Franklin set the standard for the annoying character that would populate the genre for years to come, inspiring such as entries as Shelly in Friday the 13th Part 3.
• The odds of surviving this type of horror film would be greatly increased if the stalwart men would simply listen when a woman says, “Let’s just get out of here.”

 

How about we don’t check out the creepy farmhouse?

The cinematography and the brilliant decision to not have a traditional score – aided by the haunting sound design – all went towards creating an atmosphere of dread that permeates every scene of this film, the fact that the script is fairly threadbare doesn’t really matter as it is more about primeval horror designed to seep into your soul so that you can never forget the experience than it is about plot and character development. The last act consists mostly of actress Marilyn Burns running around screaming her fool head off doesn’t leave much room for thematic discussions or interpretations. And when the film fades to the image of Leatherface dancing in frustration it’s clear that even if Sally Hardesty escaped this killer family, with her face soaked in blood and her wailing cries of madness, it’s abundantly clear that though she physically survived this horrible encounter her sanity is definitely in question.

 

This is not the “happy ending” most viewers were expecting.

Overall, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a landmark of the genre as its visceral horror is something that really gets under your skin, leaving you both appalled and fascinated at what unfolds. It’s a film that has influenced the genre and has left a lasting impact on cinema, its raw and realistic approach to horror makes it a truly unsettling and unforgettable experience, leaving us with the desire to take a shower even if it seems we’ll never feel clean again.