Photo: movieposterdb.com
Section of the cinematic cemetery: Misunderstood 1950s horror-drama meets Scooby-Doo’s teen antics
Cause of (premature) death: Poor ratings, even in the beginning. It was even a bit of a laugh at the time, but still a legitimate scare to ten- and twelve-year-olds of the late 50s.
What its tombstone would read: Curious farmer pokes shooting star with a stick, and gets consumed by small ball of gelatine, as does the teenage love story.
Why it should be revived: I was constantly entertained with this campy 50s horror/drama flick. There was no stone left unturned in 50s cliches, horror protagonist follies, and ridiculously executed fates for each of the victims. Best features: the opening song (reminiscent of a conga line beat); 30-year-old teenagers (Steve McQueen was 28); the “damn those no-good-punks” attitude of the police; Scooby-Doo-eqsue delinquence; “special” effects in illustrated form; and finally, the irony of the final quote (warning: spoiler): “At least we've got it stopped.” “Yeah, as long as the Arctic stays cold.”
By Vanessa Pinto
Favourite (non-existent) section of the video store: Campy “It-wasn't-meant-to-be-funny” Cult Classics
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