CREEPY CLASSICS presents...

MOVIE NIGHTS

Every weekend we're watching movies together...whether you're in Pennsylvania USA, or Sydney Australia. It's a throwback! Back to the days when you had the anticipation for waiting till the weekend to see the classic horror or science fiction film that was listed in the TV Guide. The plan is to watch a movie at 7:30PM on Saturday night in your own time zone. Or, if you can't Saturday night...anytime during the weekend. Then, we'll all get together and e-mail our thoughts on the film...a few paragraphs...or simply a sentence if you'd like. They after-viewing reviews appear on our Creepy Classics/Monster Bash News Page. See the latest thoughts posted by viewers ther now.

Concept submitted by Mike Adams of Carteret, New Jeresey.

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The movie from February 11, 2012:

SATURDAY'S MOVIE:GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN (1958) Outrageously fun horror thriller. A scientist is assisted by a local in finding a legendary Spanish giant who had died hundreds of years ago. They can't locate his remains...trouble is a bolt of lightning revived the giant and he's a killing machine! Stars Ed Kemmer, Sally Fraser, Bob Steele (town sheriff) and Buddy Baer as the giant. Make-up by Jack P. Pierce. Suggested by Justin Thompson, Waterloo, IA.

Well.....it wasn't boring! A low budget affair with a giant from ancient time revived by a lightning storm. One of Jack Pierce's later make-ups. Looked like there was no budget for Jack, so he mixed up a bucket of mud and threw it on big man Buddy Baer...done!

Jack would come back later with a great Wolf Man like make-up for 1963's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and to powder Mr. Ed's nose on the 1960s TV show.

GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN is fun and it's got Morris Ankrum playing a nice ol' rearching scientist instead of his usual bullet-biting, cantankerous army general.

Ed Kemmer and Sally Fraser are likable and Bob Steele (playing the town sheriff) is not. Ha! Fun stuff though.

-Ron Adams, Ligonier, PA

Ron,
I watched THE GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN this weekend and just have two or three comments
to make.

First, If and that's a big If, I have seen this movie before, I don't remember. I never went to
see it as a kid and really don't remember seeing it on television, if at all. There were 3 things I thought
of when I saw it.

First, the actor playing the sheriff, Bob Steele, was my dad's favorite actor as far
as the 'B' westerns were concerned. Even playing in all of those westerns through the years, he
still played the part of a western guy. Second and third during the final part of the movie, there
were two scenes which immediately reminded me of FRANKENSTEIN. The scene where the
townsfolk are going after the giant with their kerosene lamps in the night time, shades of the
villagers going after the monster. At the end where the hero came upon the giant in the old
windmill. I could only imagine the giant throwing the hero out above the windmill as per
the Frankenstein monster did with Colin Clive.

At the end of the movie where the giant
goes over into the watery falls to his apparent death, I couldn't help but imagine when
GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN II would be out.

-Larry Boyington, Oklahoma City, OK

Yes, sometimes we get the stangest comments...and usually from the mysterious M. Oleman (his latest below):

I wanted to watch the movie but my Beta top loader is in the shop so I spent the evening organizing my collection of bootleg Polka music and hoping that Jolly Joe and the Bavarians would stop by. They didn't.

-M. Oleman, Unground Parts Unknown

The assortment of minor characters is odd and interesting...especially the weird fry cook ("Somethin was THERE!") and the "crazy Indian" who knows more than he's letting on. In my imaginary monster world this story takes place a couple of towns over from "Mountain Crest" in "The Werewolf."

-Joel Manuel

I like Joel's thoughts that this is in same world as THE WEREWOLF (1956)...it sure does feel that way. And if you drive a bit further, out to the coast, you can visit the lighthouse at Piedras Blancas. -Ron

Not perfect but fun. A very different kind of monster for the 50's, more imaginative...

-Abner Mality

Any movie where Morris Ankrum has a starring role or the same if not more screen time than the other actors immediately receives two thumbs up!  He’s always a welcome sight in any monster movie from the 1950s, especially this fun flick!

John Harris, Birmingham

Above: Wonderfully outrageous Mexican lobby card for GIANT FROM THE UNKNOWN.

Giant From the Unknown is a seldom seen, enjoyable little B film. It's typical of the low budget films of the 1950's.
It doesn't waste any time getting to the plot of the picture. The first scene, which is one of my favorites, sets the mood and plot form the entire picture.

I get the general impression that the movie was filmed in some small town in California. To save money, local townspeople appear to have been used. Their appearance and wooden acting give the movie a real rustic feel. In one scene, the picture momentarily goes dark. The lights are turned back on, restoring the scene. 

The lead actors do a competent job. It's nice to see Morris Ankrum wearing something other than a army uniform. Bob Steele, who was was of my dad's favorite cowboy stars, acts like he's still the sheriff of the old west. Ed Kemmer and Sally Fraser (a possible Monster Bash guest?) are fine as is Buddy Baer. Jack Pierce's makeup is effective given what he probably had to  work with.

Giant From the Unknown is a fun, no frills film. It succeeds in its modest goal.
 
Bruce Tinkel
Edison, NJ

Besides the oh so familiar Morris Ankrum, lets not forget to add Thomas B Henry and John Hoyt, great B men! Jay50smonstakid (:

-Jay

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