IT! The Terror From Beyond Space (1958)

Friday night is one of the usual scary movie nights with the daughters. Last night’s selection was the 1958 minor sci-fi classic It! The Terror from Beyond Space. Coming in at a little over an hour, I should have time for something gory and sexually charged after…

Plot / In 1973, the first manned expedition to Mars is marooned; by the time a rescue mission arrives, there is only one survivor: the leader, Col. Edward Carruthers, who appears to have murdered the others! According to Carruthers, an unknown life form killed his comrades during a sandstorm. However, the skeptical rescuers little suspect that the rumored creature has stowed away for the voyage back to Earth.

Considering this is from the classic Sci-Fi / Monster era where budgets were non-existent, this is a very impressive and memorable foray into the genre. The direction and cinematography are wonderful, creating a very tense and claustrophobic atmosphere that come across in a very creepy way. The plot, script and acting are all solid and really add to the sum of the parts. Unfortunately, being a low budget flick, something had to suffer and IT (the creature in the rubber suit) definitely had its issues. Large and bulky, the creature reminded me more of something from the lagoon or swamp than Mars. However, the director did a great lob of masking the creature in the shadows and such, thus keeping the focus on the atmosphere and tension. Other than, the creature being a bit blah, the movies ending is a bit predictable (but what endings are not). If you have not seen this sci-fi classic, check it out! Especially the fan of the Alien franchise, as this flick has to be an unaccredited influence of that masterpiece.