This self isolation period has found me streaming a lot more movies/entertainment than normal. I discovered a whole genre of movies I didn't even know existed. I sometimes enjoy the real Sci-Fi/Monster movies of the 50's and 60's. They're dated, campy, but have a real charm. So I watched a few. Then I discovered a whole new genre. Relatively new movies, made in the style of these classic Sci-FI and Monster films. I'm assuming because they can be made very low budget. As tributes, I suppose they are OK. Because the real ones were so low budget and often formulaic, duplicating this look and feel is pretty graspable. Low Budget Sets....Check. Questionable Acting Talent...Check...Chicken Wire and Paper Mache special effects...Check. Awkward and predictable story line...Check. But I don't like them. They can replicate the look, the feel and even the relative lack of overall quality of the originals, but they can't grasp the spontaneous, accidental and sincere charm of the originals. While I enjoy the REAL movies from that era, these new duplicate pod person? copies? parodies? As lovingly as they might of been created, and I think maybe with sincere respect, I can't get past the fact that I'm watching something false. Like a Civil War battle recreation posing as a film about the Civil War. What I would warn is that if you find yourself watching a B/W 50's styled film, that just feels a little off? Check the date it was actually made, I didn't even know these movies existed. Until self isolation forced me to take a step in the streaming stream I wouldn't normally make. If you like these films? Don't be offended. I do think they are loving tributes. Maybe if I really let myself I could grow to like them? But just my first reaction. Nah. And a little surprised they even existed. If you're a real hard core fan of films from that era, these recreations might fill a void. These are the two I watched. The Monster of Phantom Lake-2006 The Late Night Double Feature-2014 And MORE are now on my "Because you Watched" algorithm. A whole world of NOT really needed to be B/W films with all the rehearsed and installed quirks of the real films of the 50's.
I don't really have time to stream much these days, but I grew up watching "Creature Feature" when those movies were in their full glory - and I'll still dip a toe into that genre every now and then. A copy? Maybe I'll give one of those a toss later on to put a check in the block and check back in. It might be interesting to see how close they get to the....um.....'real' stuff.
We watched "The Thing From Another World" recently, the low budget 50's original that John Carpenter's 1982 "The Thing" pays homage to. When I was a kid, maybe 8~9, maybe even 10... , one of my friends and his Mom were watching the 50's version, and wouldn't you know it: the electric blanket draped over the block of ice had just been turned on, the ice was melting, and... Hey, I gotta go home ; I'll see you later! Anyways, made it through that bit the other night. James Arness was the thing in the 50's version. The one impression of that movie: could they have digitally speeded it up? The dialogue is VERY snappy, strange.
Invaders from Mars available on Prime! (Downloading now.....) The Angry Red Planet is next..... THANKS to @The Electric Me for the download and go inspiration and to IMBD for the handy search options! These movies are dopey, inartistic, and about as intellectual as any of the top 5 "news" shows on TV. Aaaaaand yet......they can put me within mind's reach of a 7-year-old 'me' hiding in the basement loooooong past bedtime and watching 'Creature Feature' with the volume turned waaaay down after the parents went to bed. Guaranteed insulation from the 'Rona and political nastiness for an hour or so.....
Historically you could record film at any rate you wanted but playback was a fixed value. it was not uncommon to slow down the film to speed up the action, sometimes on purpose, sometimes accidentally. Slowing down film saved money as well but resulted in odd sound and pacing. It used to occasionally happen on TV sources that the frame rate was altered a bit due to mismatch of film frame rates VRS TV 60hz. Not everyone tried to match things up perfectly with the odd pull down required.
If you watch a sample of The Thing From Another World you'd see what I mean. It's like they're all on meth, lol.
Here’s the thing about The Thing From Another World: It sounds terrible but is actually pretty great. Though Christian Nyby is credited as the director, the film is almost universally regarded as the work of Hawks, a prolific and versatile filmmaker who flitted from genre to genre while specializing in screwball comedy and film noir. The Thing From Another World has all the hallmarks of a Hawks film f”Like so many of the auteur’s masterpieces, it concerns a community of professionals who view conversation as a linguistic battle in which only the fastest and funniest survive: Frequent Hawks screenwriter Charles Lederer wrote a spectacularly clever script filled with slangy one-liners and good-natured gibes the cast delivers at breakneck speed.” hmmm on purpos?
Some in color, some in B&W, but these are my favorite 50s science fiction movies. Them! When Worlds Collide Forbidden Planet The Day the Earth Stood Still It Came From Outer Space The Incredible Shrinking Man Invasion of the Body Snatchers Journey to the Center of the Earth Invaders from Mars Then there are my favorite bad ones, mostly from the 60s Plan 9 From Outer Space Zontar the Thing from Venus (I think it's a remake of It Conquered the World?) The Creeping Hand The Green Slime Queen of Outer Space (It's Zsa Zsa Gabor!) Queen of Blood (She's a vampire in space!) And I suppose I should mention... Tarantula! - Clint Eastwood's first movie (or one of them). He plays a fighter pilot at the very end of the movie, with one scene:
I agree. And I'd also say, there are some Sci-Fi/Horror movies from that period that are very good. Also I don't mean campy as an insult. I think that unintentional style, in retrospect is what I like.
Hopefully not avoiding this: And if you are, go with this instead: But I'm a Heretic as I support local:
