Cult Camp Classics 1 - Sci-Fi Thrillers (1959)

A MUST HAVE SCHLOCK FEST!!!

Three of the most notorious, (hard to find on vhs) sci-fi camp classics from the 50's packaged together in one set makes this purchase an absolute neccessity for baby boomers who grew up on this stuff and lovers of low-budget trash!
Saw 50 FOOT WOMAN at the theater and as a child believed that the transparency of the spaceship and the alien was on purpose to show how he can disappear into the desert at will and that Nancy Archer became the same due to radiation! This one is my favorite of the three.
Saw GIANT BEHEMOTH at the theater and thought it very well-made with good acting, interesting locations and scary situations. Certainly not as juvenile as to what I was used to at the time. It's still the best of the three.
Saw QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE on tv a bazzillion times during the 60's and still love it's wackiness and lack of logic. The color here is just great and the film comes off like a poor Star Trek episode. This one is certainly the most fun of the three.
Great prints, great packaging and a great bargain!
Buy and enjoy...You really can't go wrong here. June 22, 2008

Three classics in one package - how can you beat it?

This box set is what I have been waiting for for a long time, I have seen one in a set with others but I have never seen 3 of my favorite 50's sci-fi movies in one set before so I had to grab it:

ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN: definitely one woman you don't wanna piss off, the story of a woman whose hubby is unfaithful and plans on killing her but instead, leaves her out in the desert where they run into a UFO with a giant in it, the hubby takes off and leaves the wife behind, the giant alien contaminates the wife and...well, you can guess what happens next and I'm not gonna spoil it for you.

THE GIANT BEHEMOTH: In the traditional "Dinosaurs that come out of the water and romp all over the city" movies...Japan had Godzilla, The US had The Beast from 20,000 fathoms, and london has THE GIANT BEHEMOTH, one of my favorite childhood movies of this genre, this creature, like his predecessors, is radioactive so naturally, scientists must find a way to do away with this creature before he destroys mankind.

QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE: a no brainer, campy classic, no thrills, no chills, just fun to watch, my sister loves this movie and so do I, probably because the case is predominately women and nice looking ones at that, this is just 90 minutes of fun which shouldn't be missed.

You can't go wrong with any of these movies, they are from a time that has long since vanished except from your memories from a childhood that has...............LONG SINCE VANISHED unless you are like me and don't mind going back there once in awhile. May 5, 2008

50's "B" movie fun!

All three of these fall into the "So bad they're Good" catagory. "Attack" is my favorite of the three, the one I really bought the set for. Truly awful special effects (even by that era's standards) and a story that makes absolutely no sense (The Giant Alien apparently brings Allison Hayes home after they're encounter in the desert-- only how in the Hell did he know where she lived?) only add to the fun. "Behemoth" was actually quite good,though it pales in comparison to the classic "Beast from 20,000 Fathoms", which it is often compared to. As for "Queen"-- well,let's just say I watched it once, and then put it back in its case, never to be seen again! November 16, 2007

Good dumb fun

In an older Simpson's episode, "camp" is defined by a character as something that is tragically ludicrous or ludicrously tragic, to which Homer responds, "Oh, like when a clown dies." No clowns die in Volume 1 of Warner Brother's Camp Classics, but this threesome of B-movies are definitely campy. By most standards - special effects, story, acting, direction - these are pretty weak films, but somehow, enough bads occasionally make a good.

This set is titled Sci-Fi Thrillers. Disc One is Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, which is definitely a cult classic, not a real classic. In it, Allison Hayes plays Nancy Archer, a wealthy woman whose trophy husband has started playing the field, leaving her to drink herself into oblivion. One night, she encounters a giant alien, but no one believes her. A second encounter somehow results in her growth to fifty or so feet, allowing her to dole out some much needed vengeance. The effects are truly cheesy (topped by a giant papier-mache hand), but it is entertaining, and some affectionate commentary adds some extra insight.

The second film is The Giant Behemoth. In this one, a huge radioactive lizard threatens the English coast. There's a lot of filler before anything good happens, but the highlight is the Behemoth's London rampage, mainly because of the special effects work of Willis O'Brien (of King Kong fame). Unfortunately, budget constraints limit this good stuff, and the rest of the story - filled with silly science and stiff acting - is poor enough to make this movie the weakest in the bunch. The commentary focuses more on The Giant Behemoth's flaws than its successes, but it does have an appreciation of Ray Harryhausen's effects work (which would need to be found in other movies).

Finally, there is Queen of Outer Space, which features Zsa Zsa Gabor at her acting peak, which is not very high. This movie has four (male) space explorers taken off-track and winding up stranded on Venus, which is actually has a pleasant climate and is populated only by women. The Queen of Venus is intent on destroying the Earth, and Gabor must lead a rebellion to stop her. This is more of a low-"A" movie than a B-film, with bright color and sets that look nice if not very realistic. (As a side note, the astronauts wear the exact same uniforms as in the classic Forbidden Planet.) This movie also has some good commentary.

Not every 1950s sci-fi movie was the same caliber as The Day the Earth Stood Still, Invasion of the Body Snatchers or Thing From Another World. Some of the bad ones should only be viewed on a Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode. Others, such as this trio, are more in the "so-bad-they're good" category. If you like classic cheesy science fiction, this is a fun set.
October 7, 2007

Great Classics

All 3 are really great old (Classic) B-Movies. I can watch em over and over again. Thank's for the collection. September 12, 2007

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