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It!
The Terror from
Beyond Space
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6
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10
= Highest Rating |
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Guest
Review by Lucas
Micromatis |
Forever
branded in reviews of the last two decades with
the overstated line "the inspiration for Alien,"
It! The Terror from Beyond
Space must serve as a disappointment to "modern"
viewers expecting the visceral punches of Ridley
Scott's much-admired sci-fi/horror hybrid. Lacking
graphic shocks and the visual artistry of H.R. Giger,
It! is often unfairly
maligned in some circles as just another low-budget
'50s embarrassment ripe for MST3K-style ribbing.
That's a pity, because It!
is one of the more suspenseful monster films of
the late '50s.
The first manned mission to Mars results in
the mysterious deaths of the entire crew, except
for the commander, Col. Carruthers (frequent sci-fi
hero Marshall Thompson, who also battled beasties
in the brain-sucking classic Fiend
Without a Face). Taken into custody by
a rescue ship under the impending threat of court-martial
for the alleged murder of his crew, Carruthers manages
to convince his captors of his innocence when the
real murderer is discovered stowed aboard: a reptilian
monster who absorbs the blood of its victims through
a strange form of osmosis. The group must now band
together to defeat the creature, or become It's
next meal.
Clocking in at a trim 69 minutes (compared to
the almost 2-hour running time of its distant cousin,
Alien), It!
succeeds as a thoroughly suspenseful, often exciting
little film. Filmed on cramped sets, It!
is convincingly claustrophobic as the ship's survivors
climb level after level in their attempts to escape
from the monster and devise a plan to kill it. Though
some parts drag (there are far too many inserts
of the same shot of the rocket rising through space),
almost unforgivable in such a short film, the overall
tension is palpable, particularly when a crewman
is trapped in the hold with the beast and must fend
it off with a blow torch. Part of the success of
It! lies in director
Edward Cahn's decision to photograph the monster
almost entirely in shadows, only giving us occasional
glimpses of It. Originally, the monster was envisioned
as a lithe, lightning fast creature; when veteran
stunt performer Ray "Crash" Corrigan was tapped
for the role of It, the initial conception had to
be junked. The burly Corrigan would not convince
as a quicksilver-like alien.
Paul Blaisdell's monster costume is relatively
effective, when left mostly unseen except for flashes
and shock cuts. Blaisdell was responsible for many
of the most unique-looking monsters of the 1950s:
the eponymous critters of It
Conquered the World (the famous upturned
carrot nicknamed Beulah) and She
Creature, and the three-eyed mutant of Day
the World Ended among them. Some critics
allege that Blaisdell's monsters photographed better
in stills than on-screen; whether this is so or
not is questionable. Here, the creature is a bit
disappointing when brightly lit, but quite menacing
when briefly glimpsed or obscured by shadows. Overall,
It! is an underrated
gem unfairly overshadowed by its high gloss progeny.
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in the MGM Midnite Movies line (keep 'em coming!),
the print here is fine overall, despite being a bit
dark in spots and somewhat speckly, especially in
the beginning. As usual the trailer is included; a
particularly fun trailer, almost subliminal messages,
such as "SEE IT!", frequently flash across
the screen. Recommended.
10/03/01 |
| UPDATE
Although this DVD was discontinued
by MGM in 2005, a double feature edition was issued
that same year pairing It!
with 1957's The
Monster That Challenged the World.
Way cooler deal! |
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