Killers from Space

Rating:
Summary: big bug want-to-be
Review: No big bug collection is complete without "Killers From Space." It might not have the statue of "Them!"." But the formula is there. It starts off with the narration to describe what you see. Then goes quickly into the mystery. The only thing missing is a flame thrower.
Dr Douglas Marvin (Peter Graves) while at an atomic test sees something suspicious on the ground. When the pilot takes his plane closer the controls jam. The plane crashed and the pilot is burnt to a crisp. Dr. Marvin mysteriously shows up later with a scar on his chest and no memory. Where could he have been? And is it important? Only time will tell. If we have time left with Killers form space.

Rating:
Summary: A bizarre and unique sci-fi film
Review: This little movie usually gets lost in the vast crowd of 1950s sci-fi pictures, but it arguably is one of the most interesting. (I find it superior to W. L. Wilder's previous film, the still decent 'Phantom From Space' [see my review].) The aliens' physique and their plans for Earth, the minimal special effects and sets, and the use of stock footage showcase the sheer bizarreness of 1950s cult films - the lack of resources actually enhance the film's unique feel. The invasion-laden theme is common enough, but the way it is articulated sets the movie apart from most of its peers. The crucial scene, i.e. when the hero meets the aliens, is used as a lengthy flashback inserted near the middle of the film; it is only when the hero gets out of his trance/amnesia that the scene is shown. This seemingly innocuous device actually changes the whole dramatic perspective of the movie: in the first half, the hero acts against his own will, while in the second half, all of his decisions are oriented by his sudden recollection. This tight structure is effective because the script has none of the forced romance that slowed down many sci-fi films of the era. This is about as pure as a B-movie can possibly be, and lovers of cult films should see it.

Rating:
Summary: Timekillers from Space
Review: When I was a kid, this movie seemed to crop up at least once a month, and signalled (to me) it was time to go outside and play, no matter what time of day. Peter Graves is a scientist who dies in a plane crash but is resurrected by aliens who talk backwards and have ping-pong balls for eyes. Seems they want him to steal atomic secrets so they can grow more giant insects. Or something. Graves spends most of the picture either running through the same cave set or wearing a bathrobe and trying to convince people he's not nuts. Not bad enough to be good; just bad enough to be horribly dull.

Rating:
Summary: Timekillers from Space
Review: When I was a kid, this movie seemed to crop up at least once a month, and signalled (to me) it was time to go outside and play, no matter what time of day. Peter Graves is a scientist who dies in a plane crash but is resurrected by aliens who talk backwards and have ping-pong balls for eyes. Seems they want him to steal atomic secrets so they can grow more giant insects. Or something. Graves spends most of the picture either running through the same cave set or wearing a bathrobe and trying to convince people he's not nuts. Not bad enough to be good; just bad enough to be horribly dull.