Bowserb46

Review ratings here instead of helpful and not helpful should be I agree or I agree. I am not a writer, but after 78 years I do recognize good writing. This screenplay is so good that actors should have paid to be cast. Even little scenes ("I gave them the best table knowing that being Germans they would take it anyway.") are great writing.

As luck would have it, great actors were cast and did excellent work. Direction enhanced good acting. Other than reckless gunshots were unnecessary but common for movies of the time. (I have the same complaint about It's a Wonderful Life. For the record I own guns and have a license to carry-and do carry everywhere I can.) I would be interested to read reviews of this movie when it was first released.

10 out of 10 best movie of all time!

Two popular themes invented in the 1950's (and copied for 60+ years since) combined to make a memorable movie: Monster from outer space and teenagers who the adults won't believe, have to save the adults and the world! Giant Gila Monster, The Giant Claw, and more. I saw them all at one of those not-downtown theaters that showed only second run or B movies. Saw a couple downtown when you could get into the Saturday morning movie with six Pepsi bottle caps.

This may be low budget and a formula movie, but here's the thing. This is one of the movies that created the formula! This is low budget, but the acting is perfectly believable. The teens, the cars (loved the custom '40 Ford!), the paranoid police officer and the open-minded officer. This is the model for future teen movies.

Finally, this movie is timeless in its appeal to kids. When our grandchildren were 6-12 years old they regularly visited overnight on the weekends. Our VHS and later DVD movies were standard nighttime fare. They fell asleep with "Alien" but were wide awake through "The Blob."