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S THE YEAR 1958 WORE ON the number of classic genre pictures started to wane. More and more, science fiction became a place where low budgets and exploitation became the name of the game. While there were a number of memorable films this year, none could match the power and integrity of The Day The Earth Stood Still or Forbidden Planet. Most of the films from this year are more likely remembered for their outrageous themes and gimmicks. Some notable films from this year include Attack Of The 50 Ft Woman, I Married A Monster From Outer Space, The Fly, The Blob and Queen Of Outer Space.
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Capitalizing on the success of The Amazing Colossal Man, this film stars Allison Hayes as a woman who encounters a giant alien and has her genetic structure accidently altered, causing her to grow to enormous size. Doctors can't halt the growth which makes her more mentally unstable as time goes by. When she finds her husband cheating on her, she goes on a rampage. My Personal Views - "This is going to sound stupid, but when I was young and first heard about this movie, I actually though it was about a woman WITH fifty feet. After seeing this film, I wish that's what it was about." |
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A meteor crashes on Earth and a bit of weird space protoplasm comes here with it. After it absorbs anyone unlucky enough to touch it, it begins to grow larger until it starts ozzing into buildings looking for more humans to digest. A group of teenagers, led by Steve McQueen (in his first screen role) figure out the Blob's weakness is cold. The Blob is shipped off to the Antarctic and the threat is finished. My Personal Views - "Steve McQueen playing the worlds oldest teenager fighting some really bad looking Jello? I'm there!" |
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The Fly is the closest you'll find to a classic film from 1958, but it's cult status and the completely over-the-top ending are what make the film memorable. Al Hedison plays the scientist who invents a matter transmitter and when he accidently mixes his atoms with that of a housefly, the transformation is immediate. Hedison takes on the fly's head and arm, while the fly gains the same from Hedison. As the scientist tries to reverse the process he slowly goes mad and his wife is forced to kill him. The fly, on the other hand, almost suffers a more gruesome fate. A sequel followed in 1959 called Return Of The Fly. My Personal Views - "HELP ME! HELP ME! Help me find a copy of this film so I can see it again. It's been too long." |
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Best remembered for the outrageous title I Married A Monster From Outer Space is actually effective at conveying the Cold War paranoia of the time. The monster of the title has come to Earth with companions looking for Earth women for breeding purposes. Their home planet is dying and Earth provided the perfect place to look for mates. When the monster begins to feel love for his Earth wife, he confesses the alien's plans. She quickly rounds up a number of "real men" who foil the rest of the aliens and saves the day. My Personal Views - "I received this video as a (of all things) wedding present. Perhaps if it had been given to my (now) ex-wife she might have gained some insight that was lacking before." |
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One of the most bizarre films of all time, Queen Of Outer Space stars Zsa Zsa Gabor as the chief scientist(!) on the planet Venus who falls in love with captured astronaut Eric Fleming. This goes against the will of the Queen, radiation-scarred and holding a grudge against all men, she plans to turn a disintegrator ray on the Earth. Gabor and some like minded females help the astronauts overthrow the evil Queen. My Personal Views - "Like a slap in the face, this film is quite the eye opener. Now I can overlook all manner of inconsistencies in a plot, I can go with the flow, but Zsa Zsa as a SCIENTIST??!? A laugh riot!" |
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