Rating: 
Summary: Serviceable Sci-Fi Shlocker...
Review: "The Hideous Sun Demon" is one of those quintessential shoestring sci-fi schlockers that is so bad it's good. When a scientist is exposed to new radioactive isotope (as is so often the case in these movies), he then becomes allergic to sunlight; the side effect being that he devolves into a lizard-man and kills people. Full of booze and paranoia, our hero takes up with a saloon singer while his sweetheart is left to fret. Silly science and lots of fiction (and skimpy budget), prevents this particular cautionary tale against "tampering with the Unknown" from being in a league with other radiation-based monster movies. There are some great scenes (mostly with the monster lying in wait to attack), but be ready for some over-the-top acting (and just plain bad acting by some inexperienced cast members!), and some el-cheapo effects work. The filmmakers do make up for a lack of budget with some creativity and imagination, but what really saves this little film is the excellent use of location shooting. Real-world venues take center stage (especially during the climactic oil tank battle hundreds of feet high up), with startling footage of oil pumps, tank farms, and girders that easily make us overlook any weaknesses in acting or effects. And to be honest, the rubber suit and mask are pretty effective. You'll have fun with this one, as long as you aren't expecting a slick big-budgeter. While far from perfect, you can tell that everyone involved really made an effort to make the movie as fun and as exciting as they could. The DVD comes with liner notes and the trailer, and the print is in pretty good shape.
Rating:
Summary: Serviceable Sci-Fi Shlocker...
Review: "The Hideous Sun Demon" is one of those quintessential shoestring sci-fi schlockers that is so bad it's good. When a scientist is exposed to new radioactive isotope (as is so often the case in these movies), he then becomes allergic to sunlight; the side effect being that he devolves into a lizard-man and kills people. Full of booze and paranoia, our hero takes up with a saloon singer while his sweetheart is left to fret. Silly science and lots of fiction (and skimpy budget), prevents this particular cautionary tale against "tampering with the Unknown" from being in a league with other radiation-based monster movies. There are some great scenes (mostly with the monster lying in wait to attack), but be ready for some over-the-top acting (and just plain bad acting by some inexperienced cast members!), and some el-cheapo effects work. The filmmakers do make up for a lack of budget with some creativity and imagination, but what really saves this little film is the excellent use of location shooting. Real-world venues take center stage (especially during the climactic oil tank battle hundreds of feet high up), with startling footage of oil pumps, tank farms, and girders that easily make us overlook any weaknesses in acting or effects. And to be honest, the rubber suit and mask are pretty effective. You'll have fun with this one, as long as you aren't expecting a slick big-budgeter. While far from perfect, you can tell that everyone involved really made an effort to make the movie as fun and as exciting as they could. The DVD comes with liner notes and the trailer, and the print is in pretty good shape.
Rating: 
Summary: cross between film noir and horror that just doesn't work
Review: ... The sympathetic feelings we are urged to feel for the "victim" are mitigated by his obvious misguided set of priorities. Save your money and get either a real good film noir or a really good horror movie (or one of each). About as satifying as a flat glass of softdrink......
Rating: 
Summary: Strange Pursuit
Review: 1959 was a benchmark year for schlock horror classics. This flick has all the elements that make movie cheese so endearing to true fans. A sure sign of a real classic, the star of the movie, Robert Clarke, is also the writer, the producer, and the director. A scientist suffers accidental exposure to radiation. In a variation of the classic werewolf theme, sunlight makes Gil break out in a lizard shirt and horrific head mask. His metamorphosis leads to violent behavior. Gil meets a low rent Marilyn Monroe ... lounge-singer named Trudy (as in a "true D-cup," subtlety abounds). He sniffs around her by night, but then the sun rises and he is off again on more mayhem that is decidedly violent. The film has typical stairwell quality sound, dismal B&W photography, and ersatz science pontifications ("Darwin was never even close!"). True to low budget traditions, instead of movie studio sets, the cast and crew ventured out on the streets of L. A. to film this epic. Gil has a date with destiny high atop a huge oil storage tank, shades of Jimmy Cagney. There is a determined effort to create a sense of tragedy in Gil's sad fate. In spite of its cheap look, this film is slightly better than average, very slightly. The Elvira Mistress of the Dark edition includes her hilarious introduction and epilogue. The delectable B Queen offers plunging comments and well-rounded remarks in a pointed and thrusting manner. Taken as a whole, it's good fun, in a reverse sort of way. ;-)
Rating:
Summary: Good Guy in Bad Monster Suit
Review: Actually, this isn't a bad movie. I know that's not what some people want to hear; that is, that it's an old camp drive-in laugher like Robot Monster or Plan 9 From Outer Space. But it's not like that. It has some genuine pathos in it (like when his girlfriend finds him hiding in the cellar), and likewise some ridiculous grue (like when he squeezes the rat to death), but all in all it's not bad. And yes, the budget probably was shoe string, and the acting and special effects leave something to be desired, but it was made in the 50s, and that's what it is: a 50s style horror thriller. If you liked The Monster That Challenged The World, you'll like this movie too.
Rating:
Summary: An odd, endearing creature feature
Review: Aside from its delirious title, this movie's most intriguing attribute is the fact that it was co-written, co-directed and produced by its star, Robert Clarke. To call it an auteurist project might be somewhat far-fetched, but this is about as personal as a low budget science-fiction film can possibly be. The way it blends several genres - sci-fi, horror, film noir - and B-film conventions (notably the curse of the werewolf) is odd and generally successful. The title creature manages to stand out in the massive crowd of 1950s monsters for three reasons: 1) it actually looks very good, 2) its appearances are judiciously scattered throughout the film, and 3) these scenes are directed with a keen sense of pace and suspense. There is little doubt that Clarke's elliptical storytelling is partly due to the minimal budget, but it is artistically rewarding as well: the abrupt introduction, the first transformation scene and the final showdown are impressive and memorable, true highlights among 1950s B-films. This endearingly modest creature feature should be seen.
Rating:
Summary: Solid DVD of archetypal rubber-suited monster flick
Review: Hideous Sun Demon, Robert Clarke's auteurist tour-de-force, aims for high drama but achieves drive-in monsterama cool instead. Apparently conceived as a sensitive portrayal of the inner torment of a man possessed by a strange condition beyond his control, they just didn't have the budget to bring it off. Besides, it's hard to work up sympathy for a character who, after being told by his doctor to stay home and not drink any alcohol, immediately heads out to the bar. And there's the bosomy b-girl who's just had her boyfriend and his thugs work over our hero, who turns around and starts consoling him and takes him home. But the illogic's half the fun of this movie, and anyhow, we're really here for the cool Blaisdell-esque rubber Sun Demon, the rat-squishing, and Clarke's over-the-top performance. For cheese lovers there's plenty of bad acting and that let's-talk-about-it-cause-we-can't-afford-to-show-it thing going on. Giving credit where it's due, however, several locations are exploited for some interesting visuals. Basically, another fun hour-and-ten for the bad cinema set.
Image's DVD presents the movie in the best edition I've seen yet. The source print is not flawless; there are a half dozen or so short (15 sec) stretches of distracting horizontal scratching, some intermittent light vertical scratching, and the usual very light to light speckling and spotting throughout. But overall it looks quite good; sharp and detailed, with generally excellent tonal values. Other than the horizontal scratches, it blows the socks off my Starlog Video VHS copy, and if you're used to catching this on the late night monster shows you'll probably be quite pleased. Minimal extras include 12 chapter stops and the trailer (not in as nice shape as the movie). A solid value for the money.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the all-time "greats."
Review: I could go on ad infinitum about all the things that are wrong with this film, those that make it so earnestly campy or inept or histrionic or unintentionally funny or even surreal. I could tell you it's 'so bad it's good.' But that wouldn't really fill you in, as such a statement can be interpreted many ways by many different people. There are also a surprising number of things the film manages to do competently. Listing those to someone contemplating purchasing this dvd might even be counterproductive. So I will refrain. The simplest, most telling review I can write is this: The star, Robert Clarke, while wearing the rubber Sun Demon costume during filming in the hot Southern California sun, sweated profusely. The sweat ran down his torso and to his trousers. This gives the appearance during the latter stages of this movie that the Hideous Sun Demon was unable to control his bladder. If the above sounds funny to you, you will like the movie. See also: Village of the Giants; Astounding She-Monster; Teenagers From Outer Space; Attack of the 50-Foot Woman (1958)
Rating:
Summary: hideous sun demon
Review: i remember this movie as a kid on creature features and found it a nightmare.i am interested in buying it now but at 17.99 i feel it is way over priced.come down to half the price and i would buy it today.
Rating:
Summary: Fine Effort
Review: Should have had Streisand in it.
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