WITCHFINDER GENERAL (1968), aka THE CONQUEROR WORM

Director: Michael Reeves

Writers: Tom Baker, Michael Reeves, (additional scenes) Louis M. Heyward, based on the novel by Ronald Bassett

Producers: Louis M. Heyward, Arnold Miller, Phillip Waddilove, Tony Tenser

Cast: Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy, Hilary Dwyer, Robert Russell, Rupert Davies, Nicky Henson, Tony Selby, Michael Beint, Bernard Kay, Godfrey James, John Trenaman, Paul Ferris, Bill Maxwell, Hira Talfrey, Maggie Kimberly, Peter Haigh, Peter Thomas, Edward Palmer, Ann Tirard, Alf Joint, David Webb, Lee Peters, David Lyell, Martin Terry, Beaufoy Milton, Michael Segal, Dennis Thorne, Jack Lynn, Toby Lenon, Patrick Wymark, Gillian Aldam, Wilfrid Brambell, Margaret Nolan, Donna Reading, Sally Douglas, Philip Waddilove, Susi Field, Derek Ware, John Kidd 

During the English Civil War in 1645, lawyer Matthew Hopkins (Vincent Price) and his assistant John Stearne (Robert Russell) travel the land as witchfinders. They are paid to apprehend and force confessions from those accused of witchcraft before executing them. When they accost Sara Lowes (Hilary Dwyer) and condemn her uncle (Rupert Davies) as a witch, Sara’s lover Richard Marshall (Ian Ogilvy), a Roundhead soldier in Cromwell’s army, vows vengeance.

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Young director Michael Reeves’ third and final film, Witchfinder General, is always remembered for the promise of an important body of Reeves films that should have followed. An overdose of drugs and alcohol cut short his life and career.

This film is also notable for the conflict between the young director and star Vincent Price. Reeves wanted Donald Pleasence in the role of Matthew Hopkins, but American distributor AIP preferred the star power of their Poe films mainstay Vincent Price. Price seemed to be immediately a bit contemptuous of such a young man as director, or perhaps he had heard that Reeves was contemptuous of Price being imposed upon him. Reeves certainly did not want a repeat of the Price characterizations from his other recent films. He repeatedly interrupted Price during his takes to force the actor to underplay with a cold reserve. This resulted in one of Price’s best performances and his most despicable villain. Once Price saw his own performance, he appreciated just what Reeves had helped him achieve and had the class to tell Reeves so. 

The rest of the cast is very fine. Robert Russell, as Matthew Hopkins’ henchman John Stearne, is a real bastard. He openly enjoys the brutality he inflicts, which contrasts to Hopkins’ cold reserve and makes us wonder if Matthew Hopkins actually believes in his cause. Ian Ogilvy plays the likable and stalwart hero that we expect to save the day, and Hilary Dwyer, in her film debut, is his beautiful fiancée. Ogilvy would become Roger Moore’s television successor portraying Simon Templar in the series Return of the Saint a decade later. Hilary Dwyer would soon co-star again with Vincent Price in The Oblong Box (1969) and Cry of the Banshee (1970). 

Michael Reeves crafted a tale that dealt with the historic horror enabled by lawlessness and ignorance which mercenary posers took full advantage of. This film channels the same nihilism as Night of the Living Dead (1968). The horror films of the late '60s began venting the anxieties wrought from shattered optimism. Simply dropping out and turning on would not generate enough peace and love to stop war, end civil unrest, and eliminate the threat of nuclear annihilation. Despite this story taking place three centuries ago, 1968’s Witchfinder General dealt with a theme that is just as relevant today: Society being exploited by those hiding behind professed values and titles to gain personal profit and power. 

The greatest horror of the film is that once accusations are made, the accused are condemned with no hope. Their innocence is never a consideration. Much time and effort is wasted going through the process of forcing confessions from those accused of witchcraft to justify executing them. Those doing “God’s work” to get paid and laid perpetuate this barbarity. Although the film is an adaptation of the novel by Ronald Bassett, the title character of Matthew Hopkins actually existed. 

When AIP distributed the film they tried to pass it off in the US as another of their films based on Edgar Allan Poe stories. They changed the title to The Conqueror Worm and added a voiceover by Vincent Price concluding the film with a quote from the Poe poem. AIP also used this trick back in 1963 to try passing off The Haunted Palace film as a Poe adaptation, though it was actually based on the H.P. Lovecraft novel The Case of Charles Dexter Ward.

"Oh, stop your gabbling," I can hear Matthew Hopkins scolding. Let me conclude by saying that horror fans wanting to see an uncompromising slice of historic barbarity and hypocrisy starring one of the genre’s legends need to see Witchfinder General. Definitely not for the kiddies, even if they like baked potatoes.

THE INCUBUS (1981), aka INCUBUS

Director: John Hough

Writer: George Franklin adapting Ray Russell’s novel Incubus

Producers: Marc Boyman, John M. Eckert

Cast: John Cassavetes, John Ireland, Kerrie Keane, Erin Flannery, Duncan McIntosh, Helen Hughes, Mitch Martin, Harvey Atkin, Matt Birman, Harry Ditson, Denise Fergusson, Jack Van Evera, Helen Udy, Neil Dainard, Michelle Davros, Lisa Bunting, Dirk McLean, Jennifer Leake, Brian Young, Beverly Cooper, Wes Lee, Barbara Franklin, James Bearden, Jefferson Mappin, Jude Beny, Alan Bridle, Jeremy Hole, Brian Montague, Mary Pirie (uncredited), with Bruce Dickinson, Chris Aylmer, and Paul Samson of the band Samson. 

A series of rapes and murders plagues the small town of Galen, Wisconsin. Widower Dr. Sam Cordell (John Cassavetes) is consulted by the local law enforcement to examine the victims. His teenage daughter Jenny (Erin Flannery) is seeing Tim Galen (Duncan McIntosh), a young man whose recurring nightmares seem to be connected to the brutal crimes. 

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The Incubus is a film that succeeds almost entirely on its odd and often off-putting dynamic between all of its main characters. Much of this may be intentional to create potential red herrings, as the story is both a tale of mystery as well as of horror. Increasing this movie’s effectiveness is its title menace that is quite unique and remains vague and ambiguous no matter how much we learn about it.

British director John Hough had already helmed the horror films Twins of Evil (1971) and The Legend of Hell House (1973). He brings a fine sense of dread as well as a very off-kilter feeling to The Incubus. The well-staged attacks are intense, but discreet enough to keep the killer hidden from the audience and heightening our apprehension. We are not anymore sure of what we are dealing with than the residents of Galen.

There are rather strange main characters in this movie. Aside from young Tim Galen that spends almost all of his screen time distraught or having nightmare-induced fits, there is his severe grandmother Agatha (Helen Hughes) harboring secrets. Laura Kincaid (Kerrie Keane), the beautiful owner of the town’s newspaper, always seems isolated from all the other characters in the film. She remains wide-eyed and unblinking in most of her scenes. Even as it seems that she will become the love interest for the film’s main protagonist Dr. Sam Cordell, each scene that she shares with him never plays out in a comfortable and natural manner. This is hardly surprising as the doctor, played by John Cassavetes, has his share of emotional baggage, and acts in a rather eccentric manner, often doing and saying things that seem odd or inappropriate. The character is introduced arriving home to accidentally see his naked daughter stepping out of the shower. His reaction seems to be almost guilty for what he may be feeling about his daughter in that moment.

This film presents us many little interactions between the main characters that seem inappropriate and uncomfortable. We always have a sense that each of these characters are not only conflicted, but may be concealing their true natures. In fact, it seems that the more intimate a scene is between two characters the more uncomfortable things become. This is in sync with a film about a menace that commits the physically intimate act of brutal and deadly rape. This unease is maintained throughout the film and enhances the air of suspicion and uncertainty that the viewer should share with the residents of Galen.

The Incubus is an adaptation of the 1976 Ray Russell novel Incubus. In the film the general plot of the novel is followed, though the particulars about the nature of the menace are very sporadically presented. As a result, many viewers probably felt that the film’s final revelation is a bit too abrupt or even inexplicable. It is not quite a where-the-hell-did-that come-from surprise, but a first time viewing of the film may make it seem so.

THE CREMATORS (1972)

Director: Harry Essex

Writers: Julian May aka Judy Ditky (original story), Harry Essex

Producer: Harry Essex

Cast: Marvin Howard, Maria De Aragon, Eric Allison aka Eric Sinclair, Cecil Reddick, R.N. Bullard, Mason Caulfield, Tim Frawley, Jax Jason Carroll, Ola Kauffman, Barney Bossick, Al Ward, Jim Ragan, Chuck Hillig, David Essex (uncredited) 

Three hundred years ago, a meteor fell to earth landing in Lake Michigan. The extraterrestrial object is actually alive and periodically rises from the waters to roam the sandy shore and surrounding area as a huge rolling fireball. This has spawned the local “dune roller” legend. Present day biologist Iane Thorne (Marvin Howard) has discovered small stones that pulse with a strange glow. Thorne believes the stones have a connection to the deaths of local people being mysteriously incinerated. 

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The Cremators is a crudely filmed, clumsily dialogued, and indifferently acted film. It is a true disappointment as it is based on a fine novelette first published in 1951 by Julian May (aka Judy Ditky) called “Dune Roller.” It had already been adapted for a 1952 episode of the television series Tales of Tomorrow and for a BBC radio drama in 1961. This movie is a pretty faithful adaptation, but its execution falls flat.

It had great potential with its unique monster menace that is very well realized by the fireball special effect creation done by Doug Beswick. This effect is the only reason this movie made any impression on me, though I am not an effects geek. I will watch an interesting and even inane film with poor effects work before I will waste my time on the mega-budgeted drivel we are fed today. Most of the modern product is relying on the rapid-fire razzle-dazzle of its CGI gimmicks to gloss over its lack of logic, sincerity, and originality. Despite the many months of production time and multi-million dollar budgets, many modern day extravaganzas are filled with even more absurdities and plot holes than their low-budget ancestors.

Writer-director-producer Harry Essex had the advantage of basing The Cremators on a great novelette that operates as both a horror story and an intriguing science fiction yarn. To his credit, he remains faithful to the concepts and characters with very few deviations. 

It would be easy to let Essex off the hook for this film’s faults by blaming its $50,000 budget, which even by early '70s standards was very low, but that doesn’t account for the haphazard choice of shots, poor lighting, and lack of interest in any of its characters. As the movie’s running time is a mere 74 minutes, there was surely more time available to add at least a couple scenes to establish some sort of chemistry between the couple that is supposed to fall in love and earn our sympathies. There is one attempt in this direction that seems rather stilted and oddly dialogued that somehow results in the two immediately having sex. Don’t get your hopes or anything else up; it’s just as flaccidly executed as almost everything else in this flick.

Like his other early '70s monster flick Octaman (1971), Essex strives for this film to be a throwback to the heyday of '50s sci-fi frights such as It Came from Outer Space (1953) and Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954). His kinship to this sort of thing is evident as he was involved in the scripting of those two classics. Essex must have decided that a musical composer from films of that genre and era would suit The Cremators. Albert Glasser had scored '50s genre fare such as Indestructible Man (1956), The Cyclops (1957), and The Amazing Colossal Man (1957). Glasser’s score for The Cremators seems desperate to stoke some energy into this lackluster film. There is a lot of music, but most of it is trying to elicit interest that the direction fails to create. As the story is building to its climax, the music becomes annoying rather than exciting.

Equally annoying and downright puzzling is the flaming point of view shots scattered throughout this film. We see close up flames in the foreground as the camera is focusing through the flames on various people in the background. It seems that this is supposed to represent the viewpoint of the dune roller monster spying on some characters, yet why don’t any of the characters notice it? It is a fifteen-foot tall ball of fire!

The closest thing to a name in the cast would be Maria De Aragon as Jeanne, the love interest of the biologist hero Iane Thorne. De Aragon was featured in a number of exploitation flicks around this time, but she seems to be most revered for appearing without credit and for being unrecognizable as Greedo, the green alien creature blown away by Han Solo in the cantina bar scene of Star Wars (1977). The only time she registers much emotion is when she is screaming burning murder during the film’s best scene. While piloting her boat across the lake, she is being pursued by the fifteen-foot high fireball rolling across the water. Again, a very nice effect achieved on a very miniscule budget.

Everything else in this flick seems rather perfunctory, despite the very original sci-fi premise. It has a solid story with a unique, deadly, and interesting phenomenon. It is the people in the story that fail to engage any interest. They should have been as quirky as the dune roller. If the characters were given more care in their dialogue and performances and the cinematography and shot choices were better, this could have been a remarkable little movie. As it is, The Cremators really fizzles out.

UNCLE SAM (1996)

Director: William Lustig

Writer: Larry Cohen

Producer: George G. Braunstein

Cast: David Shark Fralick, Leslie Neale, Christopher Ogden, Isaac Hayes, Anne Tremko, Bo Hopkins, William Smith, Matthew Flint, Timothy Bottoms, Tim Grimm, Tom McFadden, P.J. Soles, Robert Forster, Zachary McLemore, Richard Cummings, Jr., Morgan Paull, Frank Pesce, Abby Ball, Laura Alcalde, Jason Adelman, Stanton Barrett, Raquel Alessi, Mark Chadwick, Chris Durand, Desirae Klein, Taylor Jones, Jason Lustig, Joseph Vitare, Steve Moramarco, Gary Viggers, Peter Fullerton, Jonathon Stearns, Greg Bronson (uncredited), Howard Kremer (uncredited) 

US Army Master Sergeant Sam Harper (David Shark Fralick) has been killed by friendly fire during Desert Storm in Kuwait. His body is sent back to his hometown for burial just before the Fourth of July. A combination of his nephew Jody’s (Christopher Ogden) hero worship of him and various town citizens disrespecting American patriotic tradition causes Sam Harper to rise from the dead and kill during the July 4th celebrations. 

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I like to watch date specific horror films during the times of the year that their stories occur. The Fog (1980) deals with an event on April 21st. The date for Bloody Birthday (1981) is June 9th. Urban Legend (1998) is concerned with a college anniversary of an April 23rd atrocity. Of course, there are obvious holiday candidates such as Black Christmas (1974) and My Bloody Valentine (1981), but did you know that Dr. Orloff’s Monster (1964) also takes place during Christmas and that the menace of X-Ray (1982) began on Valentine’s Day? Let’s not forget the date specific film franchises of Halloween and Friday the 13th. The selection of fright flicks that take place during the United States’ Independence Day holiday are pretty sparse, but there are some to choose from, such as Frogs (1972), Jaws (1975), The Return of the Living Dead (1985), and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997). The most overtly July 4th themed horror film is Uncle Sam.

This movie has really grown on me over the years. Uncle Sam is a supernatural slasher flick that I first felt was just a little too arbitrary with its fantasy element. However, upon repeated viewings, I have appreciated that writer Larry Cohen has contrived a lot of incidents, traditions, and character traumas that accidentally combine to realize the dark magic of its undead menace. There is more going on here than just a patriotic version of Jason Voorhees.

It takes quite a while for Sam Harper’s body count to get underway, and I think that is just fine. His nephew Jody’s hero worship and accidental dripping of his own blood on a signed photo of his Uncle Sam, the July 4th holiday, the lack of mourning from other members of Sam’s family, and local sentiments that disrespect patriotic tradition or question nationalism are all combining to enable the magical resurrection of soldier Sgt. Sam Harper. War hero Sam Harper has severe personality faults and grievances. They react to the accumulation of “anti-American” sentiments and behavior in his community to provide the impetus that drives this monster out of his casket to commence his murder spree. Like the best slasher movie villains, there is a strong motivation for the killer’s MO. Unlike a simple EC Comics story of a corpse returning from the dead simply because it wants revenge with no reason provided for that supernatural feat, the Uncle Sam story mixes together a lot of attitudes, behaviors, and traditions that accidentally combine to create the dark zeitgeist that empowers the supernatural phenomenon of Sam Harper’s reanimation. It is still an utterly fantastic event, but the film tries to justify its cause. 

Writer Larry Cohen and director William Lustig are also taking the time to present the themes that this movie is really about that gives the audience something to mull over. They present a child protagonist that demonstrates how naïve it is to glorify war and unquestioning nationalism. They also present the dark side of some military figures and the cynicism of some civilians. All of these characters are a part of the country’s institutions or engage in the patriotic celebrations, yet that does not validate their character and behavior. 

Like all of the best holiday themed slasher films, Uncle Sam finds plenty of holiday traditions and symbols to riff on. This provides much of the fun to be found in the story. The festive July 4th pastimes of barbeques, live music, fireworks, parades, and community gatherings are threatened by the deadly presence of the undead Uncle Sam.

There is also plenty of dark humor to be found in the various characters’ cynicism and hypocrisies. Unsavory and petty conduct by people in uniform (Bo Hopkins and Matthew Flint), vain and opportunistic conduct by a politician (Robert Forster), tax cheating enabled by a lawyer (Tim Grimm), and disrespect shown to the American flag and the national anthem are all punished. I enjoy the fates that some of these jerks suffer, yet I still realize that there is also a very evil nationalism doling out the punishment. Even by the purest standards of patriotism, not all of Sam’s victims deserve what they get. Writer Cohen brings a unique sense of unease to many of his films by tweaking subject matter often considered sacred such as childbirth in It’s Alive (1974), religion and divinity in God Told Me To (1976), and patriotism in Uncle Sam. 

Lest anyone think that Uncle Sam is nothing more than an anti-military film, it also has the Korean War veteran character Sgt. Jed Crowley played by Isaac Hayes. This character is sympathetic and presents the good side of the American military man. He makes the case that war is not about macho glory and that the reasons for these conflicts are not always clear, which could mean that they are not always justified. 

Uncle Sam is not meant to be an America bashing film. It is a nationalism bashing film. It is examining the conflicted feelings about the nation’s wartime past and present. It makes the point that flags, uniforms, and traditions do not validate national policy or justify war.

Despite these sober concerns, Uncle Sam does not forget to be a fun and nasty horror film. Once it establishes its dark themes and its zombie villain, it lets loose. From a patriotic Peeping Tom on stilts to the worst performance of the national anthem ever, Uncle Sam amuses at the same time it abuses the nation’s holiday traditions.

SHOCK WAVES (1977), aka DEATH CORPS

 

Director: Ken Wiederhorn

Writers: John Harrison, Ken Weiderhorn, Ken Pare (uncredited)

Producer: Reuben Trane

Cast: Brooke Adams, Luke Halpin, John Carradine, Peter Cushing, Fred Buch, Don Stout, D.J. Sidney, Jack Davidson, Clarence Thomas, Jay Maeder, Talmedge Scott, Preston White, Sammy Graham, Mike Kennedy, Reid Finger, Donahue Guillory, Gary Levinson, Robert Miller, Wayne Hood (uncredited) 

Four people vacationing on a rickety charter boat at sea encounter a strange disturbance in the sky and the water. Later that night, a derelict freighter strikes the boat. The next day the charter boat captain (John Carradine) has disappeared. The boat has run aground on a reef, so the first mate Keith (Luke Halpin) and the cook Dobbs (Don Stout) take their passengers ashore in the dinghy to a nearby island. Unfortunately, the strange disturbance of the day before has roused water-breathing zombies in Nazi uniforms from the ruins of their derelict World War II vessel. The undead soldiers head toward the island to stalk the castaways. 

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Shock Waves is the simple story of a small cast of characters stuck in a remote place with a very strange threat to deal with. It relies on a sense of isolation and atmosphere to generate almost all of its interest. It does not rely on character arcs and back stories for any of its characters except for Peter Cushing’s island hermit. Aside from their personalities, we know almost nothing about any of the people in this story. The movie’s greatest assets are the isolated locations and the Nazi zombies. This minimalist approach provides much more of a you-are-there vibe than more costly and expansive films can usually achieve. 

There seems to be a real split of opinion about this film. There are those, like myself, that can appreciate its unique menace and atmosphere. Then there are those who think that everything about zombies requires lots of explicit gore, cannibalism, and a ton of kills. Does the world really need anymore Romero rip-offs? 

Director Ken Wiederhorn made his feature film debut with Shock Waves. It became a late '70s and early '80s television and videotape staple. Wiederhorn says that he has no great affinity for the horror genre, and that may explain why he created something unique with this film. It does not give you what you expect or comfort you with its characters. These characters are all in over their heads, and no one is going to suddenly become an improvisational warrior to save the day. 

Richard Einhorn provides the synthesized score that emphasizes the eerie isolation of the setting and the inhumanity of the Nazi zombies. He would go on to provide more horror film scores for Don’t Go in the House (1979), The Prowler (1981), Blood Rage (1983), Dead of Winter (1987) and compose again for director Wiederhorn on Eyes of a Stranger (1982), Dark Tower (1989), and A House in the Hills (1993). 

Alan Ormsby creates some fine make-up for his Nazi zombies. With their shriveled gray skin, peroxide blonde hair, black goggles, and SS uniforms, these aquatic beings are quite striking when marching underwater or rising from the sea. They are incapable of expressing any emotion except through physical violence. 

Brooke Adams, as Rose, has her first leading role in this film. Like everyone else in the cast, her character is not given any depth. She still manages some charm and provides the film’s best special effect in her yellow bikini. 

My favorite performance is by crusty, old John Carradine as the charter boat captain Ben Morris. He makes the most of his limited screen time by being cantankerous and funny as he berates his young first mate and brushes off the mounting concerns of his passengers early in the story. He also provides a nice shock a bit later. 

That other horror movie stalwart Peter Cushing is also memorable as the island hermit that provides some important exposition to the other characters and to the audience. Let’s get something straight right here and now: Exposition is not always a bad thing. When you have the one and only Peter Cushing to deliver it you can’t go wrong. 

Speaking of exposition, the opening narration to this film efficiently and compellingly establishes the modern mythology this story deals with. That documentary-style declaration of weird World War II history followed by the synthesized music stinger and the film title stamped with a swastika immediately hammers home a sense of dread. 

Shock Waves is another fine example of the minimalist approach to horror in the '70s that made that decade an era of unique and unpredictable independent fright films. Like Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1971), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), and The Hills Have Eyes (1977), this film uses its location to isolate its characters and stresses how average and vulnerable all of those characters are. It quite honestly reflects how most of us would fare in such a situation. That may not be the only effective approach to horror, but it involves an audience that is not looking for the cinematic equivalent of a video game.

CREATURE WITH THE ATOM BRAIN (1955)

Director: Edward L. Cahn

Writer: Curt Siodmak

Producer: Sam Katzman 

Cast: Richard Denning, Angela Stevens, S. John Launer, Michael Granger, Gregory Gay, Pierre Watkin, Linda Bennett, Nelson Leigh (uncredited), Tristram Coffin, Charles Evans, Karl “Killer” Davis (uncredited), Harry Lauter, Larry J. Blake 

Frank Buchanan (Michael Granger), an exiled gangster, returns to the United States with German scientist Dr. Wilhelm Steigg (Gregory Gay). He has been funding the scientist’s experiments to reanimate and control dead men. Buchanan sends these radioactive zombies out on missions to kill the men that betrayed him and convicted him of his crimes. Police scientist Dr. Chet Walker (Richard Denning) and his brother-in-law, Police Captain Dave Harris (S. John Launer), are baffled by the killings that are being committed by dead men that have superhuman strength, are impervious to bullets, and leave behind radioactive traces. 

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I have always been a bit puzzled by the title to this film. If a creature has a brain the size of an atom, it must be too dumb to be much of a threat. I guess the noun “atom” was once used interchangeably for the adjective “atomic” back in the early nuclear age. They called The Bomb in World War II the atom bomb or the atomic bomb. Therefore, an “atom brain” means an atomic brain? Also, if these creatures, as police scientist Dr. Walker puts it, “have atom rays of superhuman strength,” just what the hell does that mean? How do rays of any sort have any human qualities, super or otherwise? I think I get what the scriptwriter means; the beings in question have atomic radiation that endows them with superhuman strength, and their brains and bodies are reanimated by that atomic energy. This peculiar adjective malpractice reminds me of the villain Atom Man in the '40s The Adventures of Superman radio serial. Superman’s arch enemy Lex Luthor also went by the alias Atom Man in the 1950 movie serial Atom Man vs. Superman. Back in the '40s and '50s, using the word atom as an adjective must have always been meant to liken something to the atom bomb. Yes, I know I am infuriating. Just wondering what the hell all of this misuse of the noun “atom” as an adjective is about, that’s all. Beware! For I am the creature with the anal brain! Or should that be “anus” brain? Hmmm…

Actually, this movie is about more than just a perplexing noun/adjective. It’s got Angela Stevens in it! As our police scientist hero’s wife Joyce, she’s the perfect woman; blonde, curvy, dimpled, beautiful, and makes martinis on demand. She even manages to keep her loudmouth kid under control. Lest you think that she is just a subservient housewife because she’s not allowed to eavesdrop on the police talk at home, think again. She must have put her foot down when it came to smoking in the house. You never see our scientist hero stink the joint up with his ever-present pipe to demonstrate his intellect, do you? 

And just why is Richard Denning, as Dr. Chet Walker, brandishing that pipe with such vim and vigor? Because our hero is stimulating his mighty brain with tobacco ala Sherlock Holmes to solve a bizarre mystery. Even a scientist colleague (Nelson Leigh) that he confers with on the case also smokes a pipe and offers him some of his special blend. Great minds stink alike, I guess.

Of course, Richard Denning was the star of plenty of sci-fi fright flicks of the era. He is probably best known for playing an atypically unlikable character in the 1954 classic Creature from the Black Lagoon. He also went on to play the governor for many seasons on the Hawaii Five-O television series. 

As the gangster mastermind Frank Buchanan, Michael Granger is very effective. He always underplays, yet with his low, sonorous voice and his baleful eyes you immediately know he won’t compromise his goals of revenge and destruction. He even gives hero Richard Denning all he can handle in the climactic punch-up. I suspect he was always ideally cast as heavies, but I can’t recall seeing him in anything else. 

Screenwriter Curt Siodmak is perhaps best known for inventing much of the werewolf lore for his script of The Wolf Man (1941) that most people think is authentic legend. Creature with the Atom Brain seems like a hybrid of his earlier gangster brain transplant and revenge story for BlackFriday (1940) and Frankenstein-style reanimated corpses. He also wrote the 1942 disembodied-but-alive brain novel Donovan’s Brain that has been adapted for radio and several films. 

Director Edward L. Cahn milks the opening moments of the film for some atmosphere and horror. The debut zombie and his attack on the gangster running a gambling house comprise the best scene in the movie, except for Angela Stevens bending over to fetch the daily paper or serving a martini. Look, I’ve got priorities! 

The rest of the story is dealt with in a matter-of-fact manner. There is plenty of atomic zombie mayhem, scientific speculation, and police investigation to keep things moving. However, we know from the very beginning just who is behind this menace and why. I think this film could have been much more intriguing if we did not know who was behind the killer zombies at the outset and made that discovery along with the police. A little mystery goes a long way toward making something compelling.

It still must be said that this is something unique among '50s sci-fi horror films. A gangster commanding a mob of atomic-powered zombies to kill and sabotage was certainly a change of pace from giant mutant monsters and invasions from outer space. 

While director Cahn never seems to get much respect, he directed this and at least two other '50s pictures that have been quite influential. His Invisible Invaders (1959) also deals with reanimating the dead, and it is a precursor to the under-siege-from-the-living-dead scenario of Night of the Living Dead (1968). It is widely acknowledged that his 1958 sci-fi fright flick It! The Terror from Beyond Space was a big influence on Alien (1979). 

Creature with the Atom Brain is a mix of police procedure, gangster revenge, atomic zombies, and domestic bliss that sets it apart from any other sci-fi horror movie. Whether that makes it any good or not depends upon your appreciation for a martini after a hard day at work being served to you by a beautiful blonde. However, if you have a pipe tobacco fetish, this film is required viewing.