The Night Caller

It's the scientists vs. the anomaly, in England, Earth. What in the world is this, they ask. Can't just ask, gotta investigate, because this could be harmful. I love this sort of story, with it's Twilight-Zone atmosphere and low budget. Too often sci-fi movies rely on the visuals, no science, no heart. Not the case here. Danger, Earth!

Whether you refer to it as "The Night Caller From Outer Space" or by its alternate title, "Blood Beast From Outer Space" (OR, as it simply appears on this great-looking Image DVD under its original British appellation, "The Night Caller"), this sci-fi film from 1965 is an intelligent, restrained, moody and highly effective winner. In it, scientist John Saxon, working at England's Falsley Park research station, grapples with a mysterious sphere that has touched down on the moors, direct from the Jovian moon Ganymede. The film cleaves fairly evenly into two discrete sections. In the first, Saxon and his Falsley coworkers (including blond, no-nonsense Ann Barlow, played by the excellent Patricia Haines) conduct tests on the sphere and endeavor to puzzle out its mysteries. In the latter half, Saxon assists Scotland Yard in its investigation of the disappearances of several dozen young women, all of whom had answered an ad for a modeling job in "Bikini Magazine." Whereas the film's first segment suggests nothing less than a British variant of the classic TV program "The Outer Limits," the second half turns quite noirish as director John Gilling (who, the following year, would helm, for Hammer Studios, the psychotronic greats "The Plague of the Zombies" and "The Reptile") utilizes moody nighttime photography, deep shadows and disorienting camera angles; call this film sci-fi Brit noir. "The Night Caller" is fairly reminiscent of another Shepperton Studios film that I recently saw, 1964's "The Earth Dies Screaming." Both are modestly budgeted but well-done films featuring stunning B&W photography and helmed by directors more often associated with Hammer (Terence Fisher, in "Screaming"'s case). With the exception of "Night Caller"'s very odd opening theme song--a tune sung by Mark Richardson, and more suitable for a Western or romance movie--and a somewhat weak ending, the picture is a surprisingly gripping entertainment throughout.

This is an unusual movie in that it's almost like two entirely separate films merged into one. The film begins with three astronomers observing an object as it travels towards the Earth. It appears to be a meteorite heading towards London. However, at the last moment, it veers away in a manner that could only mean that there is some force or intelligence controlling it--perhaps it's a u.f.o.. The three go in search of the object and come upon the military who has cordoned off the area. As they, too, have top secret clearance and are egg-head scientists, they are invited in for a look.

Oddly, the object is some sort of sphere about the size of a basketball. And, despite traveling through the atmosphere, the object is ice-cold! Obviously this is NOT of this planet, though the dopey military commander keeps asking from which COUNTRY this originated! How dumb can you be?! Later, after extensive tests have been conducted, it is determined that the sphere is hollow and there is nothing much inside other than a vacuum. However, what they don't know is that it is a device that will allow beings to move enormous distances through space--sort of a space travel device. And, when a monstrous-looking beast is transported with it, the scientists and military scramble to find it! Now, the movie switches gears. The film becomes a police tale about the disappearances of some young ladies. After some investigation, the police determine that a madman is luring the girls using a bikini magazine ad that offers to make them models. But, when the ladies respond to the ad, they end up disappearing--and it's happened to quite a few ladies already. All the police know about the identity of the sicko is that he is very large and keeps his identity hidden--standing in shadows and covering his face.

Eventually, one of the egg-heads (John Saxon) learns of the disappearances and assumes (using what logic, I have no idea) that this is somehow related to the alien sphere and the missing creature! How and why the creature is doing this is something you'll need to see for yourself.

Overall, this is a rather interesting film. What I particularly liked was the way the aliens traveled. Instead of a traditional ship, they shoot a sphere from their location to the planet they wish to visit and it is able to transport them! Pretty unusual--and thankfully it made the film more watchable. Overall, a pretty good alien movie--worth watching despite their being a plethora of films in this genre.

Almost intelligent British sci-fi with a Mod theme. The black and white cinematography is stylish and some of the sets and clothes have a nice Mod feel, but it never turns into a full style fest. There is one quite odd scene with two distraught parents doing a sort of Stiller and Meara routine for the police and scientist. John Saxon is as hot as can be, but alas, never gets around to removing his shirt or even unbuttoning his collar. What a waste of his greatest talent. The one thing that makes this worth watching is the gay character. Aubrey Morris, best known as the long-suffering but sadistic quasi-pedophile caseworker from "A Clockwork Orange", plays Mr. Thorburn, a purveyor of used books, and, I suspect, naughty magazines, perhaps even male physique pictorials. When the police superintendent comes to question him, he gives the cop hell. The subtext makes it obvious that he has been harassed and probably jailed for his proclivities, but he doesn't let that stop him. Commenting on the unearthly green eyes of the alien, he says "I love men with fine eyes, don't you superintendent?" then blows him a kiss when he leaves. Four years before Stonewall, he's still getting busted, but he's very much in control of his interaction with the cop. The ending of the movie is utterly cheesy but what did you expect from a movie called Night Caller from Outer Space?

I don't know why they had to have John Saxon play the leading role in this movie; the Production Team could have chosen one of several dozen British actors who would have done a better job and better fitted the role. But then perhaps the film had American backers and they were calling the tune. Speaking of tune, the introductory song/music on the DVD version of the film is pathetic and totally incomparable to the original brilliant 60s pop instrumental "Image" with its Telstar-type organ backing. All that aside the movie is one that joins many other British SF films in the ranks of fame and is not totally unfaithful to Frank Crisp's 1963 novel "The Night Callers" on which it was based. It has moments which are slightly unnerving, particularly when the proposed candidates for shipping back to Ganymede are being interviewed by the man (monster) behind the shadows. Generally speaking there were very few dull moments and the pace of the plot was just right. Perhaps the ending could have been extended and more seen of the hideous alien with the claw-like appendages. Denham shines out above anyone else in the male cast leaving Saxon looking on from the sidelines as if he were a last minute, and not totally comfortable sub. A must see gem of a movie and despite the absence of the original introductory music the DVD will make a good addition to any SF Movie Buff's collection.