From Hell It Came

Atomic fallout in the 50's had been blamed for many destructive forces, generally in the form of huge giant animal mutations such as ants in Them!, a Praying Mantis in Deadly Mantis, and the penultimate live wrecking machine Godzilla himself. But in this film - From Hell It Came - the atomic fall out causes a tree-like creature to wreak its revenge on a small island and its natives. This is a tree that has grown from a human corpse buried in a wooden casket...a casket that somehow germinates into this killing sapling called Tobanga. This film is a classic of its type. It has very poor production values, and the natives all have thick New York accents(being sure to lend the proceeding a complete air of unreality). Add some very unbelievable special effects and a far-out story - and of course a group of lead actors that would make ed Wood proud, and you have the core of this film. Despite its many shortcomings, the film is highly enjoyable as a piece of Le Bad Cinema. The most annoying aspect is the actress playing Mrs. Kilgore. After hearing her Australian accent and corny dialogue for what seemed an eternity....I was ready to get an axe!

Yes, by todays standards..Yada, Yada.. This one perhaps even by '50s standards was a bit low budget..

However, if you remember this one from when you were a kid, then you can still hold a place for it in your monster closet 8-) As a kid this thing scared me on the big screen, and I'm so glad I didn't know what I know today to spoil it for me. A very special time when we could go down town and watch a couple of these "monster" flicks on a Saturday.

Not to mention the fun time spent looking at all the stills out front and in the lobby !!

I still hold those original feelings inside and can enjoy watching these again, with the added enjoyment in the fact that I WANT to enjoy them and revisit my past.

I remember watching this oldie-but-goodie when I was growing up--I think it was on Creature Features.

It was intriguing in its own appealing-to-nine-year-olds sort of way. I remember the scientists trying to save its life by putting it on their operating table, and then realizing they need to find some green blood. And I recall at least one scene where a woman was drowning in quicksand. (Quicksand--remember that? It was the bane of horror for male kids back then. Whenever my friends and I would be playing "War" or "Jungle" in the fields behind my house, one of us would always end up flailing away in quicksand.)

But the memory that stays with me the strongest is a nightmare I had some time after seeing this flick. That horrible face on the tree stump was silly when you watched the Tabanga walking around, but disembody it in your unconscious mind and it acquires a new, more terrifying dimension. I suppose I'll always remember that one dream.

One thing I never understood about the title, though--the prince who died and was reincarnated as the tree stump was good, so assuming he went to heaven after dying, why does the title say that he came from Hell?

This movie is ultra low budget, has ultra low budget acting, and ultra low budget special effects, even for 1957. And the storyline is perhaps the most ridiculous in the history of the cinema. Why then would I grace this movie with an "average" five star rating? Quite simply, it is hilarious! Come on, you have to admire any filmmakers nerve when he makes a movie about a walking killer tree stump! The only thing that comes close in my mind is the killer bulldozer aka "Killdozer" from the mid seventies. Watching the murderous tree stump lumbering across a field in search of prey is about the funniest thing in my movie memory. I first saw this film sometime in the seventies on one of those late night horror film festivals, and I'll never forget it! How can something so bad feel so good?

...in this turkey! This stinkaroo rates in my personal 10 Worst Movies of all time. Lame plot,wooden(Ha-ha!)acting by all concerned,fake natives(complete with "New Yawk" accents)running around in shower curtains they must have swiped from the local motel,dialogue that makes "Me Tarzan,you Jane" sound like Masterpiece Theatre,the lamest catfight in cinematic history,I could go on and on. A couple of scenes really stand out in my mind: The tree drops the girl into the quicksand,upon which she obligingly pushes herself out deeper into the bog(so she can sink quicker and get the hell off the set ASAP?)Next,how in hell does the witch doctor manage to throw his spear completely over the Tabanga at a range of only 3 feet? However,if they decide to do a remake of this clunker,I know who can play the Tabanga-Vin Diesel! He'd be perfect for the role-he has all the acting ability,charisma,and facial expression of a tree!