Sunday, March 01, 2009

The Monolith Monsters

The Monolith Monsters is a 1957 science fiction film starring Grant Williams (Incredible Shrinking Man). William Schallert (who has a Star Trek connection) plays the weather man. There's a voice-over narration to start this one off. It may be that more science fiction movies begin this way than don't.
From time immemorial the Earth has been bombarded by objects from outer space, bits and pieces of the universe piercing our atmosphere in an invasion that never ends -meteors, the shooting stars on which so many earthly wishes have been born. Of the thousands that plummet towards us the greater part are destroyed in a fiery flash as they strike the layers of air that encircle us. Only a small percentage survive. Most of these fall into the water which covers 2/3 of our world. But from time to time, from the beginning of time, a very few meteors have struck the crust of the Earth and formed craters -craters of all sizes- sought after and pored over by scientists from all nations for the priceless knowledge buried within them. In every moment of every day they come from planets belonging to stars whose dying light is too far away to be seen. From infinity they come. Meteors.

[Meteor strikes Earth]

Another strange calling card from the limitless reaches of space. Its substance unknown. Its secrets unexplored. The meteor lies dormant in the night. Waiting

I like it. The danger is of a different kind. I'd have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been so worried about that little girl.

Trailer:


StompTokyo praises it:
There's a lot to recommend The Monolith Monsters, outside it's admittedly one-of-a-kind premise. Looking back on it from these conspiracy-laden '90s, it's actually kinda refreshing to see everybody - cops, scientists, schoolmarms - pitching in and working together in that perfect Post-War fashion. At a spare 76 minutes, the story seems to take just as much time as it needs and no longer. The acting is all capable, the direction is crisp and clean, and the monolith FX are more than adequate.

7/12/2009: Only the Cinema has a review.

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