When man was first venturing into space, fear of the unknown ran rampant. Think of movies like "The Creeping Unknown", "First Man Into Space" or TV episodes like "And Then the Sky Was Opened" from "The Twilight Zone" or "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" from "The Outer Limits". What exactly could be waiting for us OUT THERE??? Back then, we weren't as sure as we are now.
"Night of the Blood Beast" is another cautionary tale of man's first tentative steps into outer space and as usual, our worst fears are realized. There are not many 50's SF films I haven't seen, but this one eluded me until tonight. I was ready for something awful, but despite comments from the usual MST3K nerds, I found this movie to be very creepy and morbid in its way. With the exception of one scene (which many 50's kids will probably never forget), it's not that graphic, but some of the implications are unthinkable.
Pilot John Corcoran attempts to go into orbit, but loses control of his spaceship and is forced to crash in a remote area. Nearby are his scientific colleagues, including his fiancée Julie. This band make their way to the ship, only to find Corcoran dead and the craft a ruin. However, it is noticed that the body seems as fresh as if it died a minute ago even though Corcoran has been dead for hours. A strange kind of mud is also found clinging to the hull of the ship.
The scientists take Corcoran's body back to their isolated lab complex, where they see his blood is invaded by a bizarre parasite. The power inexplicably goes dead, cutting them off from contact with the outside world, and then Dave is attacked by something "huge like a bear" that is lurking outside. Something uncanny is going on, linked to Corcoran's crash.
And then, suddenly, Corcoran himself returns to life...
The movie is ultra-cheap, but has the claustrophobic feel of movies like "The Thing" and "Night of the Living Dead". Michael Emmet is excellent as the living dead astronaut who appears to be an incubator for extraterrestrial creatures (shades of "Alien", but 20 years earlier).The alien monster itself won't impress those used to only CGI creatures, but it's no worse than any monster on "Outer Limits" or "Dr. Who" of the period. In fact, the movie often has the feel of an "Outer Limits" episode, which is high praise.
The most startling thing about the film is how Corcoran pleads for understanding of the alien. When the alien itself finally finds its voice, it speaks in calm, reasonable tones despite its grotesque exterior. But is it really just misunderstood? Thereby hangs the tale...
Sure, it's cheap and some of the lines are goofy, but overall, this is a cool little film, well worth checking out if you like intelligent 50's SF.
And yes, Georgianna Carter is indeed a real looker as Donna Bixby...
"Night of the Blood Beast" is another cautionary tale of man's first tentative steps into outer space and as usual, our worst fears are realized. There are not many 50's SF films I haven't seen, but this one eluded me until tonight. I was ready for something awful, but despite comments from the usual MST3K nerds, I found this movie to be very creepy and morbid in its way. With the exception of one scene (which many 50's kids will probably never forget), it's not that graphic, but some of the implications are unthinkable.
Pilot John Corcoran attempts to go into orbit, but loses control of his spaceship and is forced to crash in a remote area. Nearby are his scientific colleagues, including his fiancée Julie. This band make their way to the ship, only to find Corcoran dead and the craft a ruin. However, it is noticed that the body seems as fresh as if it died a minute ago even though Corcoran has been dead for hours. A strange kind of mud is also found clinging to the hull of the ship.
The scientists take Corcoran's body back to their isolated lab complex, where they see his blood is invaded by a bizarre parasite. The power inexplicably goes dead, cutting them off from contact with the outside world, and then Dave is attacked by something "huge like a bear" that is lurking outside. Something uncanny is going on, linked to Corcoran's crash.
And then, suddenly, Corcoran himself returns to life...
The movie is ultra-cheap, but has the claustrophobic feel of movies like "The Thing" and "Night of the Living Dead". Michael Emmet is excellent as the living dead astronaut who appears to be an incubator for extraterrestrial creatures (shades of "Alien", but 20 years earlier).The alien monster itself won't impress those used to only CGI creatures, but it's no worse than any monster on "Outer Limits" or "Dr. Who" of the period. In fact, the movie often has the feel of an "Outer Limits" episode, which is high praise.
The most startling thing about the film is how Corcoran pleads for understanding of the alien. When the alien itself finally finds its voice, it speaks in calm, reasonable tones despite its grotesque exterior. But is it really just misunderstood? Thereby hangs the tale...
Sure, it's cheap and some of the lines are goofy, but overall, this is a cool little film, well worth checking out if you like intelligent 50's SF.
And yes, Georgianna Carter is indeed a real looker as Donna Bixby...