Forensic Science Movie Reviews

The DVD is nice for the price. But, I wish, with this and other Toho films, that we had the original full-length Japanese release with subtitles. I think the original Japanese versions of Godzilla, Rodan, Monster Zero and Mothra would be big sellers. Certainly, Japanese language Godzilla VCDs are sell well on Ebay.

Some other Ishiro Honda classics, like the Mysterians and Battle in Outer Space would also do well. The bootleg copies are always selling out on Ebay.

I like Rodan. I think the storyline has merit. Its a good "popcorn" film. Rodan appears to be the first Japanese "big" monster movie to carry a sympathetic theme toward the monster.

This CD is worth the price of purchase. It is the best Rodan available.

Rodan has always been a misunderstood monster, who suffers in comparison to Godzilla, Mothra, and Gidorah. After all, Rodan doesn't really have any powers per se, such as Godzilla's radioactive fire breath. Rodan's chief weapons (other than sheer size), are flapping his wings to cause powerful gusts of wind, and flying around at supersonic speeds. As a result, Rodan comes off as a weak sister compared to the other monsters. At least Mothra can spray silk at his enemies!

I did note that, in the close-ups, it looked as if Rodan had some sort of gas spray coming from his mouth, which may have been an element abandonded by the director, or simply cut from the US release. This really is a shame, because the lack of monster power has doomed Rodan to cameos and second stringer status in the Toho monster line-up.

In any event, I like the fact that Rodan is played as a villain here, albeit a half-hearted one. The later Godzillas are fun, but to be honest, they got campier and campier as the series progressed. Here we have a big old monster wreckin' stuff just because, and teaching Mankind not to mess with Mother Nature.

The effects range from good to fair. There are numerous shadows from the miniature Rodans that appear on the backdrop used for the "sky", as well as obvious wires to help flap the wings of the Rodan creatures.

Then there's the inexplicable scene where a Rodan just stands around and squawks while the Army blasts away at it with tank fire. Other than that, the mystery behind the emergence of the flying monsters was very well handled, beginning with the strange deaths in the coal mine, and the appearance of the giant killer incects. The thoughtful voiceover throughout and at the end helps to tie up any loose threads, especially for those of us in the American audience who may not be clear on the finer points of Japanese culture or philosophy.

It really is too bad that the unedited Japanese version of "Rodan" is not currently available. And wouldn't it be nice to see a new, modern Rodan feature, like the 1990s Godzillas? Sadly, this seems very unlikely. Rodan fans will have to wander over to the Gamera camp and check out the first installment in the newer Gamera movies ("Guardian of the Universe"), in which a sinister Rodan-like monster fights the big turtle and wrecks Tokyo.

More so than later Toho offerings, Rodan is darker, creepier and takes itself more seriously. This is also the only one of their pantheon that gave me bad dreams as a kid after watching. The claustrophobic terror in the partially flooded deep mine 8 is menacing. The death of the miners at the hands of the caterpillars was then and now equally disturbing, mixing the chatter of the creatures and the cries of pain and terror. Twin Rodans are discovered once the final underground barrier is broken through, they dine on the caterpillars and soon begin hunting for human flesh. Another dark moment occurs when the two school age lovers are swept up and killed [eaten?]. Despite the wires I always enjoyed when Rodan lands on the building in slow mo during the city destruction scene, seems nicely choreographed. I do find the explosion scene a bit too long in the end, needs some editing down before the volcano kicks in. In all though, a great, nostalgic look back when Toho was still trying to push the morality button about what kind of backlash is unleashed by man's tinkering w/ nature. Recommended.

Drink plenty of caffeine for this one, folks - it's not exactly a roller coaster ride. But that doesn't matter. I hate "roller coaster ride" movies, anyway. Still, there are several patches in this film where you glance at the time and wonder when it will end. On the concept level, however, this is a very interesting movie, particularly for the time and genre. If we could only go back and redo the special effects, make them less 2-dimensional, and re-edit it here and there, we might really have something.

Art Deco.

Big, heavy architecture. Five-pound cigarette ash trays. Gleaming, over-stylized microphones. Eight-ton elevator doors. Huge, reel-to-reel tape recorders everywhere. Even a "computer", requiring an entire building to be housed in.

The year was 1957, and yes, even the monsters of our movies were Art Deco. Kronos, an original, albeit blocky, (apologies to Irving Block!) faceless mechanical menace with a voracity for electricity and atomic power, is hell-bent on trampling all of Los Angeles before Dr. Leslie Gaskell (Jeff Morrow) figures out how to save the day. And herein is where Kronos deserves praise for being an entertaining piece of cinema which truly was art imitating life. Replete with interesting sound effects, Kronos offers up copious quantities of all of the above, and could even be a "first" in many aspects with regard to a sci-fi flick: items such as a computer with a name (S.U.S.I.E.), fiber optics, ID cards used to control access, even a doctor with the name Hubbell, leaves one to wonder where some of the science fiction greats had gotten some of their ideas.

While far from perfect (the monster has a problem maintaining the same physical proportion throughout the film), Kronos shall remain as one of my favorite bits of original Americana.

Kurt Neumann has put together a wonderful display of SciFi stuff and all of the silliness that goes along with the 1950's genre... Jeff Morrow is typically over-reactive and Barbara Lawrence is beautiful. The plot is really good and interesting, and the widescreen version shows all the great animation/special effects as were intended. A different, and very interesting, monster appears and never fails to entertain. The whole cast is quite good, and very concerned. The musical score by Paul Sawtell & Bert Shefter has been used repeatedly in other cheaper films...I'm not really sure if it was original for this one. Still, it's fun and tacky. Notice this: at the very beginning, the guy is driving down the highway in hs truck, and the music on the radio is "Something's Gotta Give". I thought that was clever.

Horse operas and science fiction have on rare ocassion been
strange bed fellows ex:"Beast from the hollow mountain" 1956
(I'm Still waiting MGM/UA) And on these rare ocassions these
genres can combine into an interesting enough story to hold
the attention of fans of both sides of the corral. Released
toward the end of the sixty's decade where people's views at
what they watched were changing rapidly and modern western a
mere memory (Sam peckinpah's slow motion ballets of Blood to

the Italian imports) to the old hand animation slowly losing
it's footing This film remains an oddity in itself as family
entertainment,Harryhausen at this stage of his game has time

to dig up an ode to an earlier project of Willis o Brien and
his version of cowboys ropeing dinosaurs seemingly redone in
1947 from Mighty Joe Young. Never the less the story is user
friendly as it surrounds the going ons of a down & out Horse
circus in need of a new act to draw the crowd. The answer is

found in a small cat sized horse which local gipsy say has a
curse of death if not returned to certain lost valley of the
title. Film is centerpieced by cowboy vs. Dinosaurs episodes
But still because of lack of character development you don't
really care about anything else. A minor classic.

The marvels of legendary FX creator Ray Harryhausen continue with the enjoyable fantasy-adventure "The Valley of Gwangi". In the Mexican desert, a struggling Wild West show discovers a hidden valley inhabited by prehistoric beasts that were once believed extinct. They manage to bring back one of these fierce beasts but soon it goes on a rampage through the streets of a Mexican town. "The Valley of Gwangi" is a unique mix of western adventure and Sci-Fi fantasy. The film follows a similar storyline to such famous titles like "King Kong" and "The Lost World". Harryhausen's remarkable visual animation and some effective roping scenes are the film's true highlights. "The Valley of Gwangi" is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The DVD contains a solid and colorful video transfer and a satisfactory audio track. Among special features, it includes an interview with Ray Harryhausen, trailers and a behind-the-scene featurette. Despite its poor box cover, it also features some colorful menus. For fans of Ray Harryhausen's effects, "The Valley of Gwangi" earns a definate "B-".

Pretty good sci-fi with some of the best Harryhausen effects i have seen. James Franciscus and Richard Carlson of "It Came From Outerspace" fame, team up to capture Gwangi, a T-Rex from a secret valley. Good to see this movie released to DVD. Great site and sound in wide screen format.

The book "Cannery Row" started off sluggishly and slightly incomprehensibly, and you don't feel connected at all when you begin reading it. About midway through, however, you bond with the characters and the tales, and -- more likely than not -- you begin the book over again, immediately after finishing it. This time, you understand everything you're seeing, and you realize how rich a work of narration and style it is. The film "Hardware" is the same way -- a junky start, incomprehensible characters and circumstances -- but then it gets under your skin, you understand the whole picture and, soon as it ends, want to see it again. (And, Stacey is absolutely BEAUTIFUL.)

First of all great soundtrack - Ministry and PIL, and not just for the musical content, but for when they chose to use it. It's so beautifully fitting to the scene which it is playing in. The death scene use of fractals just spurs you to wonder what really goes on in the brain during shutdown. Bottom line is this is a great low-budget flick with huge talent in the way of photography and score. And of course no film would be good without acting talent. Chomping at the bit for a dvd version, hopefully digitaly remastered and unedited

This movie is a great cyberpunk movie. Too bad it's not out on DVD!!!

Now, if you're in the mood for a great campy Sci Fi, you've found the right movie. This is exactly the thing midnight movies are made out of. Cheesy painted backgrounds, big rubbery monsters that can barely move. Excellent. Grab the popcorn and enjoy!!

Fans of classic science fiction should love this. People who are just casual fans may not appreciate the film, but for people like myself who enjoy the classic sci-fi movies of the 50s and early 60s ,this movie was very entertaining and just plain fun

Let's face it, this is quite possibly the goofiest, dorkiest, silliest slab of limburger ever to ooze forth from the septic bowels of hollywood! That's why I love it so much! Thank God for "Cinemagic"! This modern marvel separates the film into its distinct pieces. There are the normal colors on earth and in the spaceship (MR1), this let's you know that you are in the BOREDOM ZONE, and allows you to go to the bathroom, bake a pizza, or do some long overdue engine work on the car. Then, there's the headache-inducing pink of Mars. This tells you that the good stuff is about to happen. What good stuff? Well, first we've got the gigantic, rubber, woman-eating plant that grabs the beautiful female astronaut, but is too slow in the old devouring department! Next, the infamous BAT-RAT-SPIDER-CRAB (one of the coolest cheese-puppets ever constructed) that crushes Les Tremayne between two boulders and loses it's eyesight to the sonic freezer gun named "Cleopatra". Finally, The titanic, gooey jello-mold with the Marty Feldman peepers that thankfully puts an end to Jack Kruschen! Remember, think pink! The rest is naptime. Peace...

This film is just overall dated. Although I respect the foretelling of actual events that did take place in history, the movie itself is just not up to standards anymore and I cannot relate to it, sorry.

THINGS TO COME (1936), is H.G. Well's epic story of the destruction and rebuilding of human civilization. Released just three years before the start of the Second World War, it prophecises the coming of a time of perpetual warfare where civilization is almost extinguished by chemical and bacteriological weapons. In fact, his film uncannily presages the blitz, the Battle of Britain, and the great tank battles of WW2. While it is true that the Germans never actually used gas, they did possess huge stockpiles of SARIN. And the years after the war has certainly been a time of unending petty wars- where gas HAS been used.

In this film mankind is thrown into a new dark age where the secrets of science and technology are all but lost. Enter the great John Cabel and his organization of united airmen and engineers, Wings Over the World. Cabel and his comrades win back the world from the warlords and bosses while putting an end to the twin evils of war and private property forever. They build a world where their descendents go on to conquer space- yet, even that is just the beginning.

I have heard this film described as melodramatic and Ramond Massey's performance as overacting. I disagree. Sometimes great and heroic ideas must be presented in a larger than life manner. One such idea is the Freemasonry of Science, where scientists and engineers owe their first allegiance to Civilization and not to individual states and personal fortunes. After all, if we did not provide weapons to the "bosses" they certainly could not create them on their own.

I always wanted to be John Cabel as a boy. Now I would be satisfied if ANYONE stepped up to fulfill the role.

Of all the whacked-out, loopy, unhinged and nutso stories that have made it to the sci-fi screen, this one takes the cake. It's the ultimate, the greatest science fiction movie ever made in English. Seeing it is what you might expect an episode of schizophrenia to be like: you just get drawn further and further away from reality and you're helpless to resist. H. G. Wells reportedly had a close hand in fashioning this pre-vision of what World War Two and its aftermath might be like and his eccentricity just adds to the enjoyment. Ralph Richardson lets it all hang out as only the English can do when they get unbuttoned, and Raymond Massey is equally fine. His eagle-like profile gazing into the heavens while a choir sings "Which Will It Be?" is an image you won't forget in a hurry.

This film is just overall dated. Although I respect the foretelling of actual events that did take place in history, the movie itself is just not up to standards anymore and I cannot relate to it, sorry.

THINGS TO COME (1936), is H.G. Well's epic story of the destruction and rebuilding of human civilization. Released just three years before the start of the Second World War, it prophecises the coming of a time of perpetual warfare where civilization is almost extinguished by chemical and bacteriological weapons. In fact, his film uncannily presages the blitz, the Battle of Britain, and the great tank battles of WW2. While it is true that the Germans never actually used gas, they did possess huge stockpiles of SARIN. And the years after the war has certainly been a time of unending petty wars- where gas HAS been used.

In this film mankind is thrown into a new dark age where the secrets of science and technology are all but lost. Enter the great John Cabel and his organization of united airmen and engineers, Wings Over the World. Cabel and his comrades win back the world from the warlords and bosses while putting an end to the twin evils of war and private property forever. They build a world where their descendents go on to conquer space- yet, even that is just the beginning.

I have heard this film described as melodramatic and Ramond Massey's performance as overacting. I disagree. Sometimes great and heroic ideas must be presented in a larger than life manner. One such idea is the Freemasonry of Science, where scientists and engineers owe their first allegiance to Civilization and not to individual states and personal fortunes. After all, if we did not provide weapons to the "bosses" they certainly could not create them on their own.

I always wanted to be John Cabel as a boy. Now I would be satisfied if ANYONE stepped up to fulfill the role.

Of all the whacked-out, loopy, unhinged and nutso stories that have made it to the sci-fi screen, this one takes the cake. It's the ultimate, the greatest science fiction movie ever made in English. Seeing it is what you might expect an episode of schizophrenia to be like: you just get drawn further and further away from reality and you're helpless to resist. H. G. Wells reportedly had a close hand in fashioning this pre-vision of what World War Two and its aftermath might be like and his eccentricity just adds to the enjoyment. Ralph Richardson lets it all hang out as only the English can do when they get unbuttoned, and Raymond Massey is equally fine. His eagle-like profile gazing into the heavens while a choir sings "Which Will It Be?" is an image you won't forget in a hurry.

This classic piece of junk has withstood the test of time to reign as #1 in the "so bad it's great" category. The premise is totally ridiculous, the locations are mind-numbingly dull and colorless, the acting is stinkeroo all the way, and the monster is a hernia-inducing sock puppet that terrorizes....Copenhagen.
A must see for all true afficionados of cinematic garbage. I rate the MOVIE a 1, but the whole experience rates a 10.

Copper prospectors in the Arctic Circle find part of a giant reptile frozen in the ice. The fragment is taken to the aquarium in Copenhagen where it accidently thaws. But instead of being ruined, the fragment survives and grows. You can see where this is going.

Eventually the creature finishes growing in one quick spurt and breaks out to terrorize the city and countryside. It is up to a Brigadier General assigned by the UN and some local scientists to find a way to stop the creature.

In this film you will see:
The monster eat a cartoon farmer
Lots of green cartoon spit
Nearly the entire population of Copenhagen
Blouses so pointy they can put out an eye
A monster that has clanking bells as part of its roar
Predatory females
What is crawling around your sandwich

The special effects are almost nonexistent although there are excellent Copenhagen city miniatures for the monster puppet to crawl through. The creature itself is almost an Eastern dragon. It is long, snake-like, has two stubby wings and feet on almost-nonexistent legs that always seem to be off of the ground.

Still, this is a fun effort at the non-Japanese giant monster film. There is even some strong acting in a few scenes. A we can't forget the handyman who brings comic relief (he does a good Joe E. Brown imitation).

What can you say about a movie in which the tail of a prehistoric dinosaur is unearthed in Denmark and grows into a giant marionette that spews green vomit? It's unique! What can you say about a film in which the janitor provides the comic relief? Good help is hard to find! At one point in the film, the janitor looks into a tank with an electric eel in it and utters the immortal line, "Yup, everything around here runs on electricity!" Later on he sticks his hand in the tank and starts kicking his leg up and down, either conveying pain from an electric shock or doing a Danish dance. What can you say about an international production that doesn't even last an hour and a half, and yet pads out the film with a needless travelogue? It's the tourism board's favorite film! At one point, we see an attractive singer in a nightclub warbling a tune called "Tivoli Night." The song includes the lyrics, "You're all dressed up and with a smile on your face, you look as gay as can be." Not that there's anything wrong with that! What can you say about a movie which included virtually the entire population of Copenhagen, as well as most of the Danish military? All I can say is, never have so many given so much to make a really cheesy creature feature!

I cant believe how cheaply they packaged this set. I have a twilight zone collection and each volume is packaged in a classy DVD cover. I was expecting 5 volumes that had the similar package.......WRONG......They have put these DVD's in a cheap plastic CD holder that is a totally different size and look than the rest of the collection. I would rather pay the difference and get the volumes individually. WHAT A CHEAP WAY TO PACKAGE THIS PRODUCT. ESPECIALLY WHEN MOST OF US BUY THEM TO COLLECT. TALK ABOUT DISAPPOINTMENT!

If you are a serious collector -- or if you are shopping for a gift for a big fan of this show -- then you really should investigate the "Twilight Zone Collection" box sets.

The entire series is available in a total of 5 sets. This 40th Anniversary Gift Pack is not comprehensive enough for a serious collector. It contains exactly the same material as Vol 1-5 of "Collection 1," which goes beyond that, all the way to Vol 9.

'Twilight Zone's Next Century ' Its A Great Book Better than the original Twilight Zone. Written and created by a ex-step son of James Serling's Rod Serling's 1st cousin. Michael J.Sudore Author Of Twilighjt Zone's Next Century.

Buy this book its a great novel. Some people think Sudore is a actual Blood relative of the Serling's because he looks like Rod and he has his imagination. Some people think he has powers because he come up with these stories from the top of his head.

A story out of his book is about the Witch who becoomes fat she eats a piece of pie, and she explodes into seven witches all seven inches tall all the same existance of the witch.

I don't want to spoil the book or tv stories of sudore's read it all, his stories are out of this world. and they are new.

This movie starts good, but it get static, silly and stiff toward the mid-end of it. Overall: Fair to Good.

When I was a kid, Doug Maclure movies were a Sunday afternoon tradition. Giant rubber dinosaurs and paper mache monsters. Awesome!!! Still as much fun to watch today as they were 20 years ago.

Despite some of the more negative reviews for this movie, I found it really enjoyable! Sure, the monster special effects technology is not comparable with Jurassic Park, but keep in mind that this movie was made in the 1970's! Doug McClure and Peter Cushing made a very good team in this action-packed adventure film! The movie starts out in the Victorian age as scientist; Dr. Abner Perry (Peter Cushing) and his Geologic Engineering student; David Innes (Doug McClure) are embarking on a mission to test a manned underground drilling machine called "The Iron Mole". When the "Iron mole" goes off-course, the teacher and student duo end up in a place "like nothing on Earth", as stated by David Innes.
David and Dr. Perry end up getting captured and enslaved with humans, by Sagaths, the soldiers for the Majars who rule in the city of Pellucidar.
After finding a way to escape from the caves of the Sagaths, David, aided by a new human friend; Rah, returns to free the slaves and rescue Dr. Perry. The human tribes unite and Dr. Perry trains the tribesman on the skills of Archery, in order to revolt against the Majars and Sagaths, and destroy them.
I loved the comradery between David and Dr. Perry, and the protective nature that David showed for the doctor when they were being roughly treated by the Sagaths and all through the movie. David even, helped physically hold the doctor upright, on the long trip into the caves as they were being pulled along on a long chain of human captives, saying "Come on doc,...it can't be much further". David is a real gentleman, and he also was very courageous and protective for the woman he fell in love with, Princess Dia. He even fought for her protection against ugly men who attempted to "man handle" her!
The movie was filled with humor that may have been unintentional, by the "air-headed" character of Dr. Perry, and the "serious natured character" of David Innes. The antics of Doug McClure and Peter Cushing in this film, for example, when they were being chased by a giant "eagle-looking" bird, after crash landing at the earth's core, was comparable to the antics of the "Three Stooges". I couldn't help but laugh! I enjoyed this movie so much, I watch it frequently! It seems that I pick up on things that I did not previously notice before, the more times that I watch it! A fun and entertaining movie overall! Andrea Lynn Burcham