A film of epic proportions, This Island Earth had two warring civilizations with Earth scientists caught in the middle. In fact, Earth figures into the alien Metalunans plans as a place for their population to relocate to as their planet is being bombarded by their mortal enemy, the Zegons. The hero and heroine are taken on a distant journey to Metaluna where they come face to face with one of Sci-fi's most horrendously ugly creatures, the Metaluna Mutant. With the help of a sympathetic alien, the two Earthpeople, escape the destruction of Metaluna and return home safely.

My Personal Views - "What I like most about this film is that, as well done as it is and as good looking as it is, the story does leave a lot to be desired on some levels. Notice for instance, that the hero never quite actually does anything heroic. Despite this and other shortcomings, it is an enjoyable movie. And hey, if Mystery Science Theater picks on you as they did in the film MST3K: The Movie, it can't be all bad."

Why the second Godzilla film, Godzilla Raids Again had to undergo a name change for American audiences is something of a mystery. But when this film hit our shores it was known as Gigantis, The Fire Monster. This time out, Gigantis (Godzilla) would fight Anguras after both are awakened from sleep by atomic testing. After Godzilla kills Anguras (who, like Godzilla, would live to fight another day in other Toho Studios movies) he proceeds to start destroying more Japanese cities until he is buried at the end under an avalanche. He would go on to star in over 20 more films, never undergoing another name change.

My Personal Views - "This was actually the very last Godzilla film I ever saw. It has been unavailable to American audiences for as long as I can remember and it was only at a Sci-fi/comic book convention that I found a vendor selling subtitled Japanese videos who happened to have that one. Another man-in-lizard-suit classic."

The second movie featuring The Creature is less moody and mysterious as the previous film but is a worthy sequel. The Creature is captured and held against its will at an oceanarium while the hero and his fellow researchers attempt to teach the Creature language. As the movie progresses, the Creature manages to escape, kills one of its captors and heads back to the ocean. It would return one last time the following year in The Creature Walks Among Us.

My Personal Views - "I saw this film at a film festival along with the original back in my college days. What it lacks in suspense it makes up for in novelty. Plus the Creature is shown quite a bit and that suit looks great. One of the best all time great looking monsters."

Tarantula mixes the "big bug" movie with a mad scientist as the cause of the mutated monster. Attempting to develop a "super-nutrient" for growing giant crops, a scientist injects lab animals with the formula. When one of them, a tarantula, escapes, it quickly grows to gigantic proportions out in the desert. As it attacks local ranchers, the authorities square off against the giant spider as it makes it's way towards a populated town. In the end, Air Force jets drop napalm on it and destroy it.

My Personal Views - "I love this movie. It's got everything; a giant spider, mutating human beings, John Agar, the reigning king of cheesy sci-fi, and, in his first film role ever, Clint Eastwood, as the pilot who drops the napalm on the spider at the very end. What more could you want?"

Ray Harryhausen created and animated the titular monster, in this case a "Quintopus" (apparently it was much easier, as well as cheaper, to animate 5 tentacles rather than 8). As the monster comes up from the ocean floor maddened by exposure to radiation, it goes on to attack ships and in a spectacular sequence, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Kenneth Tobey plays the submarine captain who ultimately destroys the monster with an atomic torpedo.

My Personal Views - "Another favorite movie of mine, It Came From Beneath The Sea shows Harryhausen's work at its best. Nobody delivers scenes of destruction like he does. I will watch this film just for the scene of the monster pulling a ship down into the water."

Also known as The Creeping Terror, this film features a story about a returning astronaut who has contracted a deadly form of space fungus. Escaping from a hospital, the man continues to spread the fungus throughout London until the hero, Professor Quartermass, electrocutes him.

My Personal Views - "This is another film I have never personally seen. Just recently however, I found a video store that carries rare inventory and found they have it. I can't wait to rent this out."