45 recensioni
THE NIGHT CALLER is a very uneven movie in that it's sometimes excellent and sometimes awful . For the most part it's very atmospheric and downbeat sci-fi film noir where most of the scenes are filmed during night and resembles the classic QUATERMASS BBC serials of the 1950s where scientists team up with the military and Scotland Yard to deal with an extraterrestrial menace
Unfortunately it becomes clear that the script wasn't written by someone as intellectually or dramatically gifted as the legendary Nigel Kneale and it's the plot and dialogue that's the problem with audience being subjected to some quite laughable techno babble that anyone with any type of basic scientific knowledge will roll their eyes at . Once the alien masterplan is revealed people will be falling out of their seats asking " Is that it ? " and let's not mention some very ludicrous plot holes like how does an alien from another planet learn to drive a car or acquire money to rent an office
This is a movie containing a strange mixture of good and bad aspects and it's by no means an ordeal to sit through especially like me you're a fan of QUATERMASS , the original series of THE OUTER LIMITS and early 1970s DOCTOR WHO but it's a movie that should have been a lot better and shows like 28 DAYS LATER that if a film is good it's down to the director and if it's bad it's down to the screenwriter
Unfortunately it becomes clear that the script wasn't written by someone as intellectually or dramatically gifted as the legendary Nigel Kneale and it's the plot and dialogue that's the problem with audience being subjected to some quite laughable techno babble that anyone with any type of basic scientific knowledge will roll their eyes at . Once the alien masterplan is revealed people will be falling out of their seats asking " Is that it ? " and let's not mention some very ludicrous plot holes like how does an alien from another planet learn to drive a car or acquire money to rent an office
This is a movie containing a strange mixture of good and bad aspects and it's by no means an ordeal to sit through especially like me you're a fan of QUATERMASS , the original series of THE OUTER LIMITS and early 1970s DOCTOR WHO but it's a movie that should have been a lot better and shows like 28 DAYS LATER that if a film is good it's down to the director and if it's bad it's down to the screenwriter
- Theo Robertson
- 16 giu 2005
- Permalink
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?
This British sci-fi effort stars John Saxon and the excellent Aubrey Morris but beyond the cast has literally not one single redeeming feature.
It tells the story of a mysterious object that falls from the sky and seemingly brings about a malevolent alien entity. What does it want? Can they stop it? Did I even care?
The Night Caller otherwise known as Blood Beast From Outer Space is black and white but can be found in a colourized version. I watched the original as I was informed the colourization was poor in quality.
The film starts interestingly enough but trails off hard. The characters the film opens with seemingly get gradually phased out rendering it's entire construction bizzare.
I wanted to like this but truth be told it was released at a time where b-movie sci-fi's were saturating the industry and this is not one of the better ones.
Worth a hop skip and a jump over.
The Good:
Aubrey Morris
The Bad:
Story trails off
Really dull in places
Poor character development
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
I can't see John Saxon without seeing Nancys father
It tells the story of a mysterious object that falls from the sky and seemingly brings about a malevolent alien entity. What does it want? Can they stop it? Did I even care?
The Night Caller otherwise known as Blood Beast From Outer Space is black and white but can be found in a colourized version. I watched the original as I was informed the colourization was poor in quality.
The film starts interestingly enough but trails off hard. The characters the film opens with seemingly get gradually phased out rendering it's entire construction bizzare.
I wanted to like this but truth be told it was released at a time where b-movie sci-fi's were saturating the industry and this is not one of the better ones.
Worth a hop skip and a jump over.
The Good:
Aubrey Morris
The Bad:
Story trails off
Really dull in places
Poor character development
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
I can't see John Saxon without seeing Nancys father
- Platypuschow
- 4 nov 2018
- Permalink
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.
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.
- planktonrules
- 12 mag 2010
- Permalink
- poolandrews
- 18 giu 2005
- Permalink
- chris_gaskin123
- 24 apr 2005
- Permalink
This is the kind of science fiction movie that Monty Python made fun of in that episode with the tennis-playing Scotsmen and the killer blancmange. John Saxon, who is too American to participate, literally disappears from the story about an hour in. I don't want to give away any plot twists but it really feels like they were making it up as they went along - when the alien's evil plan becomes clear you'll laugh your head off. Science Fiction by people who don't like science fiction.
Having said that, the acting is pretty good if you have a long attention span and you like bad movies, this can be very entertaining. Think of it as a Quatermass movie without a central character.
Having said that, the acting is pretty good if you have a long attention span and you like bad movies, this can be very entertaining. Think of it as a Quatermass movie without a central character.
Just having watched this film for the first time in many years (and not really recalling much of it) was an exercise in frustration. No need to cover the premise, as other reviewers have done so in detail. As a long-time sci-fi fan with a fondness for British made films, I expected a lot more from this than it delivered. As other reviewers note, the film does offer great atmosphere, reminiscent of the Quatermass films and other British sci-fi greats. Beyond that, it is a true mystery how others' can call this a 'gem'. More like a lump of coal.
There is some interesting camera work in this black & white effort, and the acting is generally pretty good (although John Saxon was pretty dull, turning in a perfunctory performance at best). In spite of these positives, it doesn't take long to see that this film is very, very lame. Crummy special effects (the alien's 'claw hand' looks like it came from a Halloween shop), the makeup of the 'night caller' at the end was inconsistent with his appearance during the rest of the film (and lousy makeup at that), the premise of having an alien from Ganymede transporting to earth with money, a refined British accent and the ability to drive a car, rent an office, etc. is never explained, nor is the fate of the '200 plus' girls abducted. The 'visitor' assures that they 'won't be harmed' but that's it.
This could have been a very good film. It certainly started out well enough, but as noted by others, the further into the film one got the worse it got. I felt cheated out of the 84 minutes I spent watching it. As a big fan of 50s and 60s sci-fi films, I'm not too picky. There are many low-budget films of those eras and of that genre that are immensely entertaining. This is not one of them.
And one final note: it would hardly be possible to find a more inappropriate title song for a science fiction film than the one used in this film. It was like something that might be used in a 'B' romance film, lyrics excepting. Awful. It nearly caused me to stop the film before it started. Regrettably, I sat through it all. Yawn.
There is some interesting camera work in this black & white effort, and the acting is generally pretty good (although John Saxon was pretty dull, turning in a perfunctory performance at best). In spite of these positives, it doesn't take long to see that this film is very, very lame. Crummy special effects (the alien's 'claw hand' looks like it came from a Halloween shop), the makeup of the 'night caller' at the end was inconsistent with his appearance during the rest of the film (and lousy makeup at that), the premise of having an alien from Ganymede transporting to earth with money, a refined British accent and the ability to drive a car, rent an office, etc. is never explained, nor is the fate of the '200 plus' girls abducted. The 'visitor' assures that they 'won't be harmed' but that's it.
This could have been a very good film. It certainly started out well enough, but as noted by others, the further into the film one got the worse it got. I felt cheated out of the 84 minutes I spent watching it. As a big fan of 50s and 60s sci-fi films, I'm not too picky. There are many low-budget films of those eras and of that genre that are immensely entertaining. This is not one of them.
And one final note: it would hardly be possible to find a more inappropriate title song for a science fiction film than the one used in this film. It was like something that might be used in a 'B' romance film, lyrics excepting. Awful. It nearly caused me to stop the film before it started. Regrettably, I sat through it all. Yawn.
There are already quite a few good comments on this unusual film already. However a major difference is the utterly splendid opening instrumental score over the opening credits!The USA release has lounge type of male vocalist singing the films title!- it is dire indeed.Not so the British release, It is very memorable, and have only recently tracked it down though spent decades trying!A superb piece by Alan Haven called "Image" It seems to encompass everything; it is a mixture of spooky organ music set to a mod (ish) and moderate jazzy tone.Quite unnerving it seems to warn the viewers what lies ahead. The opening scenes have a tracking shot showing London by night, and perfectly fits the mid-sixties feel and period of the time. Medra was scary!!
- bsfraser2003
- 14 gen 2007
- Permalink
- Leofwine_draca
- 3 set 2016
- Permalink
- matthew-58
- 27 feb 2002
- Permalink
Having just watched the (exceptionally badly) colourised version, Firstly I would recommend anyone with an interest in watching the film to watch it in the black and white. The story is unexceptional and unconvincing, as are the special effects, but there are nice cameos from Warren Mitchell and Aubrey Morris, which give the film some appeal beyond the rather routine performances of most of the main cast. There's half a good film here, but ultimately it isn't as satisfying as it could have been, and the ending is a disappointment.
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.
Yes, I woke up this mornin', I was feeling quite weird
I had flies in my beard and my toothpaste was smeared
Over my window, they had written my name
They said, "So long, we'll see you again" - The Byrds w/Gram Parsons
The Night Caller Aka Night Caller from Outer Space Aka Blood Beast from Outer Space. No cheating and reading the novel "The Night Callers" by Frank Crisp or the screen play by Jim O'Connolly
Yep, you have probably speculated on the story and even the ending before it starts. The oscilloscope tracked an object from space to a place near London. While investigating, Dr. Jack Costain (John Saxon) has ever heard of hazmat and stick his finger in a mysterious puddle of muck; now it is time for kibitzing.
Part of the fun is watching them obtaining relevant information from a random oscilloscope, obscure concepts about Giger counters. They use some modern device for inscribing paper; I think they call it a manual typewriter.
After watching this story, you will want to watch Mars Needs Women (1968) or Ho sposato un mostro venuto dallo spazio (1958).
"Just remember that no harm will come to you." - Mr. Medra.
The Night Caller Aka Night Caller from Outer Space Aka Blood Beast from Outer Space. No cheating and reading the novel "The Night Callers" by Frank Crisp or the screen play by Jim O'Connolly
Yep, you have probably speculated on the story and even the ending before it starts. The oscilloscope tracked an object from space to a place near London. While investigating, Dr. Jack Costain (John Saxon) has ever heard of hazmat and stick his finger in a mysterious puddle of muck; now it is time for kibitzing.
Part of the fun is watching them obtaining relevant information from a random oscilloscope, obscure concepts about Giger counters. They use some modern device for inscribing paper; I think they call it a manual typewriter.
After watching this story, you will want to watch Mars Needs Women (1968) or Ho sposato un mostro venuto dallo spazio (1958).
"Just remember that no harm will come to you." - Mr. Medra.
- Bernie4444
- 22 mar 2024
- Permalink
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!
- mark.waltz
- 16 mag 2018
- Permalink
- bensonmum2
- 5 dic 2008
- Permalink
If you ever wondered why the UK TV companies wiped clean all of their TV tapes from the 50's and 60's, this really poor example of English SciFi gives some clues. Straight of from the truly awful theme tune and titles. The lack of imagination, inspiration or talent is clear. I love old Sci Fi, though this has come from the tepid turkeys cabinet. I would rather watch ED Wood than this. My eyes, My eyes, save me from this damnation.
- hauntedriver
- 17 giu 2005
- Permalink
Both the colourised UK version and the US version (still in black & white) can been found on YouTube. There are some minor differences between them of which I am aware. One of these is the theme tune. One of these is the scene in Thorntons bookshop, parts of which were re-shot for an American and/or overseas audience. These re-shot scenes replaced the topless pictures that were on display.
My own opinion on the film is that it is a good standard British 60's UK Sci-Fi.
My own opinion on the film is that it is a good standard British 60's UK Sci-Fi.
- baggie_ray
- 31 ott 2020
- Permalink
- michaelRokeefe
- 7 mar 2008
- Permalink