ROGER CORMAN'S CULT SCI FI CLASSICS TRIPLE FEATURE

ROGER CORMAN'S CULT CLASSICS TRIPLE FEATURE: SCI FI CLASSICS.

This new DVD set collects three films produced and directed by Roger Corman: Attack of the Crab Monsters, Not of This Earth and War of the Satellites. The first was available only in a very poor commercial DVD a few years ago, the second seems never to have had an official DVD release, and I'm not certain what the story is with the third. Although the set boasts "all new film transfers from the negatives" they certainly haven't been digitally remastered. The prints for the last two films are more than acceptable, however, and Attack of the Crab Monsters looks especially splendid. As for the films themselves, click on the titles to read my reviews: Attack of the Crab Monsters; Not of This Earth; War of the Satellites. Basically horror/sci-fi fans will want this set for Crab -- especially Crab -- and Earth, as Satellites is totally forgettable. The set has a variety of extras, including interviews, a Corman documentary, and lots of Corman film trailers.

Verdict: Recommended for the Corman horror aficionado. ***.

NOT OF THIS EARTH (1957)

NOT OF THIS EARTH (1957). Director: Roger Corman. Screenplay by Charles B. Griffith and Mark Hanna. 

The inhabitants of the planet Davanna are dying from a blood disease due to nuclear war so an emissary is sent to Earth to see if human blood will be suitable for inter-species transfusions. Paul Birch is perfect as the emissary who calls himself Paul Johnson, even affecting a kind of otherworldly accent as if English is not his natural language. Beverly Garland is also top-notch as a nurse who comes to work for Johnson when he offers her an unusually high salary. Jonathan Haze of Little Shop of Horrors is Johnson's human assistant. Johnson walks around in dark shades with a suitcase in which he puts a person's blood after he has removed it all. He also has hypnotic powers and a cosmic death stare. The movie is at times a black comedy -- funny Dick Miller of Bucket of Blood is one of the victims -- but it's also creepy and disturbing, particularly the scene when one poor guy is sent through a teleporter to be dissected but winds up crushed instead [off-screen]. A flying bat-like monster that attacks and kills one cast member is not that convincing but it's still shuddery in spite of it. Exciting climax. Hanna also scripted Amazing Colossal Man and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. Griffith scripted Attack of the Crab Monsters. 

Verdict: Effective B movie with many nice moments and good acting. ***.