The test firing of a plutonium bomb accidently exposes a soldier to radiation but doesn't kill him. With burns over his entire body, there is little hope. But the next day, the soldier is completely healed. But the miracle turns deadly when it's discovered that the man is now growing larger by the day. The strain upon his heart threatens to kill him unless scientists can stop his rapid growth. The Amazing Colossal Man would spawn a sequel in 1958, The War Of The Colossal Beast.

My Personal Views - "The best part of this film is watching the scientists try to inject the Colossal Man with a hypodermic needle the size of a set of golf clubs. His reaction is priceless."

A radioactive mist was the cause of Scott Carey's transformation into The Incredible Shrinking Man. This film took a serious, and somewhat adult approach to the terror of finding your world was becoming more and more outside of your grasp. The characters play their roles straight and Carey's predicament is heartbreaking to watch. As medical science fails him, the character becomes more isolated and withdrawn. An accident trapping him in the basement brings a whole new set of challenges as the search for food, shelter and protection from now, monstrous insects takes precedence. The ending is ambiguous yet it ends on an upbeat note. This is a smart film and a great sci-fi movie.

My Personal Views - "The best thing about this film is the fact that the story is played out in an intelligent way. You care about the fate of the characters. This is what a good script should do.

20 Million Miles To Earth begins with the return of a rocket from Venus. After crash landing in the Mediterranean off the coast of Sicily, 2 survivors are found. One of them dies shortly after but there was a third passenger on the ship who didn't die. The egg of a native Venusian washes ashore and hatches. Exposure to our atmosphere causes it to grow to enormous size. When capturing the creature fails the military is called in as it rampages through Rome. After fighting with an elephant, the creature is killed by gunfire as it plunges off the Colleseum.

My Personal Views - "My favorite Harryhausen movie. I could (and do) watch this one over and over. The fight with the elephant is the highlight of the film."

A low budget picture, The Monster That Challenged The World tells the story of prehistoric monster sea snails that come from eggs brought to the surface by an underwater earthquake. The eggs hatch and the creatures proceed to attack a naval base and suck the liquid from their victims.

My Personal Views - "I remember this film from a Saturday afternoon horror movie show. I remember not liking it at the time because it scared me. The second time I saw it, I wondered what all the fuss was. Still, the monsters are pretty cool looking."

Teenagers are the heroes of this film, ultimately defeating the Saucer Men by turning on their car headlights and evaporating them. A less-than-serious film, Invasion Of The Saucer Men had one of the all time great ad campaigns, but like so many films of the genre, the final product couldn't possibly match the poster hype.

My Personal Views - "The goofiest looking aliens ever make this a "guilty pleasure" to watch. I love it, but won't admit it to too many of my friends. Oh wait, I think I just did..."

A meteor shower brings a strange crystal to Earth in this unlikely alien invasion movie. Absorbing silicon, they turn anyone who touches them to stone and expand upon contact with water. A freak rainstorm starts the growth process. The growing crystals of The Monolith Monsters threaten to grow to such proportions that they would tower over cities, smashing buildings as they collapse under their own weight. An interesting and different idea.

My Personal Views - "There have been sillier looking monsters than the growing crystals in this movie, but I'm hard pressed to come up with any. "Killer Rocks? Suddenly killer tomatoes make a whole lot of sense."