I can't say that CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN (1955) is a particularly good movie but it is an enjoyable one. It's got a lot of things going for it even if one of those things isn't a particularly high budget. Director Edward L. Cahn is known for a handful of 1950s science-fiction / monster movies and although CEATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN is not the best it is also definitely not the worst. The reason for this is probably the script. Although it's also not Curt Siodmak best genre work his script for this film does have a firm enough structure and a strong enough basic idea for the movie to work. It's a little ramshackle but it still functions pretty well. On my umpteenth viewing last night, I found myself liking the movie more than in the past. Maybe I’ve seen it enough times for it to have become comfort viewing.
My main takeaway this time is a continued fascination with Siodmak returning again and again to the combination of gangsters and mad science. DONOVAN’S BRAIN (1955) (both novel and film) is the better-known example and the better film if truth were to be told. This strange combination is something that probably shouldn't work but somehow does. And this film’s concept of ill-gotten money funding evil science for criminal revenge is a pretty tasty combination. Even if it doesn't serve up a fully satisfying meal here it's still a pretty good snack. Can’t watch just one!
My main takeaway this time is a continued fascination with Siodmak returning again and again to the combination of gangsters and mad science. DONOVAN’S BRAIN (1955) (both novel and film) is the better-known example and the better film if truth were to be told. This strange combination is something that probably shouldn't work but somehow does. And this film’s concept of ill-gotten money funding evil science for criminal revenge is a pretty tasty combination. Even if it doesn't serve up a fully satisfying meal here it's still a pretty good snack. Can’t watch just one!
2 comments:
I rather enjoyed this one,especially the scenes where Denning's partner has been debrained. The scene with the doll in particular is frightening. It suggests to me that the mad doctor may have told the debrained partner to decapitate Denning's daughter, and that scene has stuck with me for more than 50 years!
Wow! That idea (beheading the girl) never occurred to me! It should have, but it did not. The film certainly has some creepy moments and I'm sure you weren't the only young mind disturbed by a TV viewing.
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