Le scorpion noir

Giant scorpions are unearthed by an earthquake and threaten to attack New Mexico. By the numbers script, but the acting is (surprisingly) good...it's just that the script is VERY dull. And when the giant scorpions (and worms and spiders) are on screen the movie is fantastic. These creatures look terrifying (the close ups of the scorpions' face are not pleasant) and the stop motion animation is superb. So...dull except when the monsters are on screen. Worth seeing for monster fans.

Way above average giant insect thriller, mainly due to the awesome special effects of Willis O'Brien ("King Kong" - 1933). Three set-pieces are superb: the first appearance, rather unexpectedly, of heroine Mara Corday talking to telephone linemen, who soon are under attack, then the train wreck which is terrifying and bizarre, and the final confrontation in the stadium, featuring grand editing and surprising touches. Mexico setting works well, music and sound effects are exemplary, sub-Earth sequence featuring more creatures is eerie. Title refers to the largest creature in the climax, budgetary limitations revealing a black traveling matte, still mystical, with fascinating zoom-in camera shots. Some have faulted the scorpion's "drooling" close-ups, but I find them bone-chilling. Even the main titles are innovative - alternating flashing white/black letters on white/black backgrounds, set to gripping soundtrack. Defects: some poorly-executed process shots, and the leading actors, Corday, Richard Denning, and Carlos Rivas, are hammy and unsubtle and a Corday-Denning romance occurs too late in the script, especially after all the mayhem.

By the late 1950s, filmmakers must have been running out of insects that they could mutate and transform into giant monsters. Audiences had already been treated to such fare as "Them" (giant ants), "Tarantula" (spiders), "The Monster From Green Hell" (wasps), "The Beginning of the End" (grasshoppers), "The Deadly Mantis" (praying mantises), et al. All of which, I suppose, left scorpions. Hence, "The Black Scorpion," in which a Mexican volcano belches forth a slew of the title nasties to terrorize the countryside. This film, a poor man's "Them" but still better than some of the others just named, features impressive stop motion FX from master Willis "King Kong" O'Brien (although close-ups of the scorpions' slavering countenances are pretty ridiculous looking), realistic-looking shots of a countryside shadowed by that smoldering volcano, and a formulaic 1950s monster script. It also boasts three exceptional scenes: a descent into the subterranean lair where the scorpions and other giant creepy-crawlies dwell; a scorpion attack on a speeding railway car; and the final battle, in a sports arena, between the last surviving arachnid and the Mexican army. Mara Corday, who also starred in "Tarantula," here adds some nice eye candy, and '50s sci-fi stalwart Richard Denning is his usual sturdy self. All in all, not a bad time killer...and, on this DVD incarnation, with some nifty extras, too.

A volcano erupts and spits up these scorpions that are huge and prehistoric. This is the premise for The Black Scorpion, a 50's sci-fi/giant bug film. As cheesy 50's films go, this one is entertaining, if not a little slow in places. The Mexican landscape looks authentic and the scorpions themselves are pretty good when left in the hands of Willis O'Brien. But the close-ups of the creatures are a bit overused, almost to the point of becoming annoying. The scorpions kill each other off until one giant one is left to wreak his vengeance(and whet his appetite) in Mexico City. The best scene is the one when scientist Richard Denning(and his incredibly boring assistant Carlos Rivas, and annoying stow-a-way Juanito) are lowered into a giant cavern and the realm of Willis O'Brien's wonderful stop-motion animation. The rest of the film is rather predictable but still entertaining, and Mara Corday is at least pleasant to the eye as she must have had her clothing painted onto her.

Black Scorpion, is another semi classic, 50s giant monster movie. It should have been called the scorpions that ate Mexico. If you enjoy other movies from the 50s that feature giant insects or other huge monsters wreaking havoc on mankind, you will also like Black Scorpion. You do have to keep in mind that this was made in 1957. Don't be looking for the thrills you can get from the special effects in today's horror movies. The movie has to be viewed within the context of the time it was released. For it's time, the special effects were great. This was truly a scary movie for it's time and continues to be exciting today. I found this to be a very entertaining movie and recommend it to anyone who enjoys the giant monsters of the 50s and early 60s. Enjoy.