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FIEND
WITHOUT A FACE: 1957
When
Canadian villagers keep turning up strangled, locals suspect
a "G.I. gone wild" from the neighboring U.S. Air Force
base. |
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A
U.S. investigator(Marshall Thompson) reveals mindboosting experiments
by the small rural community's resident mad scientist. His subconscious
has produced flying brains with spinal tails and eyes on little
stalks that materialize to drain people of their life energy.
Another
twist on Shakespear's TEMPEST ?? After being cornered at the doctor's
home and laboratory, Thompson leaves his crew to shut down the
nuclear plant feeding the mental monsters. |
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Hoardes
of storming brain creatues crash the boarded-up windows and doors
of the refuge. They are knocked from the air by round after dead-eye
round of .45 caliber defensive fire, deflating and gurgling black
jelly in their repeated destruction, but the increasing onslaught
keeps the terrified humans in check. Just as the barricades give
way, and all seems lost, Thompson throws the dampers of the reactor
and starves the brain-creatures out of existence. |
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This
is the kind of low budget project that makes one wish to pour
$20 into a time portal to support it. Again the British brilliantly
counter anyone's efforts in the realms of science fiction film.
The movie's tense and truly climactic ending scenes hit the "shock
level" mark that all producers seek, especially for the
mid 1950's. These scenes are even scarrier than any in Ken Curtis'
Attack of the Killer Shrews,1959! Harryhausen would be
satisfied with most of the animation, and the actors give one
very little to laugh at! Fiend Without A Face captures
that feeling so telling of its time, it is a proud part of the
Marshall Thompson collection. |