O Monstro Cósmico

I once read an interesting theory from a famous British actor as to why so many American movies were so much successful with audiences than British movies. He claimed that many British movies were scripted as "illustrated radio" - with scripts that might play on radio, but wouldn't be appealing if filmed. This movie is strong evidence to that theory. The first two-thirds of the movie are extremely dull, with characters talking endlessly and there being virtually no action. The last third of the movie is slightly better than what happened beforehand, with some action and some special effects. But the fact that the giant bug effects are so obvious and so cheap (you almost never see a human in the same shot as one of the giant insects), it's not even good for some unintended laughs. You feel embarrassed for the filmmakers instead. If you want to see a giant bug movie, watch an American effort instead.

Of all the giant insects flicks of the 1950s, this is probably the worst. But as a low-budget sci-fi flick with a modest mystery, it's not so bad. First, the good news: Forrest Tucker and others are conducting magnetic experiments, which leads to a problem: the experiments allow cosmic rays to bombard the land, resulting in giant insects, reptiles and spiders. And they're all very hungry. A strange individual (Michael Benson) shows up to help. He's from another planet, naturally. Now for the bad news: the giant insects and reptiles and whatnot are simply regular creepy crawlies poorly enlarged through the camera lens. The one exception is a spider that tries to eat the obligatory helpless heroine (Gaby Andre). There's a bit of gore, but not enough to keep the kiddies away. Tucker is solid, as always, and Benson is oddly believable as the friendly alien. It has been suggested his performance was based on Michael Rennie's alien visitor in "The Day The Earth Stood Still."

I have been a collector of the British cinema of the 1930's to the mid 60's for some years. One of my principle interests is in the backgrounds and 'business' behind the main story.

Science fiction films were difficult to produce at the time in Britain, as the budgets were low, even in comparison to US 'B' movies , and yet to earn export dollars they had to be pleasing to an American audience.

Fortunately for we viewers this film has avoided falling in to the trap of using wobbly scenery to subsidise special effects The setting for the story is an attractive but unremarkable village on the south coast conveniently close by train and coach to London.

There is the village pub, the police station, the school, Brierley woods and the discreet research centre.

These all provide authentic backdrops for the well constructed and well developed plot.

I suspect that the giant insect incident with its macro-photography and army documentary splices was 'shoe-horned' into the plot to make the film more saleable in the US.

The science of the fiction is not only of the same style as perhaps John Wyndham or Quatermass, but also Fred and Geoffrey Hoyle, its presentation laid out as stage play and a novel.

Watch this film with enjoyment, particularly if you can appreciate the difference in rank between a Hillman and a Singer car driver..!!!

I saw this movie once - over 40 years ago - and I still remember it very well. Even as a kid, very few movie really scared me, but this one did. The resident mad scientist does something that let in lots of bad cosmic rays and the local insects become giants. The school is a one room affair set in the middle of a forest. The giant insects attack the school trapping the teacher & the kids. Most horror movie monsters looked hokey - but the monsters in this were extreme close-ups of real insects. It wasn't until Alien that I saw a movie monster as scary as those giant bugs.

Enjoyable sci-fi nostalgia with a British twist as a mad scientist in England first blows out the TV in the village pub, then inadvertently creates giant insects. The cliche-packed script never fails to amuse and the primitive special effects are a joy to behold.

Forrest Tucker mostly retains his dignity while stealing the heart of the French lady scientist, but the unconvincing romance doesn't interfere with the main order of business: lots of screaming females falling unconvincingly to the ground at the sight of a beetle or centipede crudely magnified to Godzilla-like proportions.

Bring popcorn and low expectations!