简介:In 1959, an alien experiment crashes to earth and infects a fraternity member. They freeze the body, but in the modern day, two geeks pledging a fraternity accidentally thaw the corpse, which proceeds to infect the campus with parasites that transform their hosts into killer zombies.
简介:Out of the fifties 'B' Science-Fiction monster movies, this easily ranks as the best. It's most notable as the film that ALIEN is an unaccredited remake of, thus giving it a certain historical significance. The intriguing plot is about the rescue of the only marooned survivor (Col. Carruthers) of an ill-fated expedition to Mars. The authorities, pig-headed as usual, falsely assume that he murdered his fellow crew members, so that he'd have more provisions to survive; hence he is being brought back to Earth to face court-martial for murder. (There is also a somewhat interesting plot reversal here Most movies of this nature usually begin with the ship leaving Earth, enroute to its otherworld destination, while, in this case, the story is believed finished, and begins as the characters take-off from the other planet, returning to Earth). As the rescue ship is leaving Mars, a lurking, ominous shadow is seen in the lower compartment. (A frightening, atmospheric moment, accomplished through sheer economy and simplicity). Carruthers insists of his innocence to his fellow captors, claiming that his original crew mates were slaughtered by a hostile, unseen presence on the desolute red planet, but three-guesses as to their reaction to his unusual plea. Naturally, he can't prove it, and 50's space authorities were not very alien conscience at the time. (As a side-thought, unseen menace may remind you of that highly original BLAIR WITCH). As everyone sacks out, a hapless supporting charactor whose name is at the bottom of the casting list (guess what will happen to him) hears something in the lower compartment. Despite your futile don't go down there, you jerk! pleas, he does just that, and is appropriately killed (more like thoroughly obliterated) by the shadowy figure with insatiable blood lust on its mind. In the victim's case, dereliction of duty and sheer cowardliness would have been the wise decision. The scene is actually well-directed (for a change) and develops much suspense, as the entire film surprisingly does. The crew finally catches on that they have an unwanted ship crasher on board, and try every possible means at their disposal to eliminate it, but the unknown creature seems to copping an anti-death attitude. Proving to be an even more clever, worthy adversary, 'IT!' also hides out in the ventilation shafts of the ship (now that should ring a bell). Cahn's forceful direction generates considerable tension as the malevolent stowaway works its way up from one level of the confined ship to the next, eventually leaving the remaining characters trapped at the top. The movie's suspense is blunt and right to the point IT!' has to kill them or starve, hence they have to kill IT! or die. Nothing like those no two ways about it choices. Rent it, or check for it on cable if you wish to know the outcome. For a low-budget quickie, IT! is quite impressive and memorable. The dreaded sense of claustrophobic tension, rendering the characters' helpless entrapment, is highly effective. This is a production in which the limited budget and small sets actually work in favor of the plot's scary ambience. The black white photography (Yes, it's one of those!) helps to enhance its dark, creepy mood, and the sense of apprehension is quite high. (Modern day color freaks never seem to take that into consideration). The plot is also somewhat cynically ironic If the creature hadn't stowed away on the ship, Carruthers would have most likely been found guilty of the charges against him. The intelligent script (see what I mean about rareity) was penned by noted Science-Fiction author Jerome Bixby (remember Twilight Zone's It's a Good Life) The picture's taut editing eliminates any extraneous dross. (ALIEN tended to drag in its first hour with its sophomoric dialogue, and why did it have to include that stupid and ultimately counter-productive sub-plot of Ash being a robot, and further dragging the story down to another big bad conspiracy cliche UNNECESSARY!!!) Director Cahn astutely keeps the rubber-suited monster off-screen and in the shadows through-out most of the proceedings, keeping your paranoid imagination on constant alert. Unfortunately, perhaps at the studio's commercial insistance, it is a little over-revealed at the climax, but I haven't claimed this to be the perfect masterpiece. The performances, though nothing award-winning, are nevertheless cool enough so that one becomes sincerely concerned as to their fates. Not many movies in recent times ever come close to achieving that. They can be over-produced from here to eternity, and usually only succeed in being gloriously annoying. This film's story is not really totally original (what is), for it is based on A.E. Van Vogt's VOYAGE OF THE SPACE BEAGLE. All ALIEN fanatics should track down an old used copy to see where the initial influence came from. As long as you're not craving another CGI wind-ding, you may find it worthwhile. Just don't expect the women to be Ripley precursors. This was still the sock-knitting fifties, sad to say.
简介:故事发生在一间坐落在坟场旁边的纺织厂里,霍尔(大卫·安德鲁斯 David Andrews 饰)是一名流浪汉,流落到小镇上的他应征进入了纺织厂上夜班,虽然有了一份收入,但霍尔工作的非常不愉快,他不仅常常遭受工友们的欺负,还和工头沃里克(史蒂芬·马赫特 Stephen Macht 饰)之间有着不小的摩擦。 纺织厂决定清理工厂内部很久不用的地下室,霍尔加入了清洁小组,和霍尔一起的,还有一个名叫简(Kelly Wolf 饰)的姑娘。地下室里不仅废物堆积如山,而且老鼠横行,一行人好不容易清理出了一片空地,才发现地下室里竟然还有一个活动门。霍尔决定进活动门里面探究一番,没想到小组被悉数困住无法脱身。
简介:In The Nightmare, director Rodney Ascher (Room 237) has done just that. The film explores the condition commonly referred to as “sleep paralysis.” That’s a condition where someone is in bed, but totally physically immobilized. Some who suffer from the condition – including the eight subjects in this documentary – feel they are visited by something evil during these periods. Ascher lets these subjects tell their stories, then we watch them play out on screen. It’s absolutely horrifying, if not wholly rewarding.