Invasion of the Saucer-Men (1957)

A common failing of many of the experimental films and videos I've seen over the years (as well as features featuring the likes of El Santo and Paul Naschy, not to mention scores of Chinese Martial Arts movies) has been the LIGHTING (or, more accurately, the lack thereof). The rationale in INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN is that it's LIGHT that fries our friends from Space, hence its notable absence from too many scenes- which is a shame, really, because the Aliens are way-cool critters who should've been given the Spotlight, as it were. Their ship is also one of the coolest ever built for a sci-fi feature, and it, too, deserved better "exposure." Lightweight but okay for the period.

"Hey turn off those lights! You're cramping our style!" So yells the 20-something year old "teenager" trying to make time with his girlfriend. Who'd think that it would be the teenagers and not the adults (both civilian and military) who take on the titled saucer men, green monsters that must be cousins of the invaders from Tim Burton's "Mars Attacks!". "Aren't you going to do anything about the little green men? This could be a full invasion!" they demand when they are brought in for questioning on an alleged drunk driving hit and run."That ain't turpentine I smell! It's alcyhal!" says Farmer Larkin (Raymond Hatton) who is afraid that the two teenagers he finds hiding inside his house were responsible for the death of his cattle. In fact, while necking, they were visited by one of Larkin's bull, whom they suspect at first of being a monster after spotting a mysterious U.F.O. coming through the sky. Like the aliens from "Mars Attacks!", these creatures can maneuver their separated body parts without being entirely detached, although it is made clear that these creatures are only four feet high. A combination of creepy terror and over-the-top comedy, this starts off as the later with credits that truly resemble that of a 1950's comedy, showing both the saucer men and coffee cup saucers in the artwork of the credits. The creatures are actually pretty horrific looking which makes this all the more frightening, including nails that detract as necessary.With Steve Terrell and Gloria Castillo as the hero and heroine, this is "B" movie lovers heaven although it has not made it out onto DVD (along with the much loved cult classic "It Conquered the World!") even though it is perhaps one of the better "B" science fiction films of the late 1950's. Frank Gorshin is memorable, too, in a supporting role, but the actors playing members of the military, police department and other adult authority figures seem intent on making their characters as dumb as possible. If earth was indeed being invaded by creatures such as this and it took teenagers to do what the military couldn't, we would certainly be toast!

Invasion of the Saucer Men is set in the small American town of Hicksburg & starts late one night as a flying saucer lands in some woods nearby, several dwarf like green skinned aliens emerge & start scurrying about the woods. Teenage lovers Joe Gruen (Frank Gorshin) & Joan Hayden (Gloria Castillo) are driving through the woods when the accidentally run down one of the aliens, they head back to town to inform the authorities but the local police disbelieve their story & after the other aliens kill & substitute the body of a local man for their dead comrade the police blame Joe & Joan for his death. Now on a murder charge Joe & Joan decide to go on the run, round up their teenage mates & set out to save the Earth by fighting the alien menace themselves...This 50's sci-fi cheapie from AIP had the working title of Hell Creatures, it had the (almost) legendary Samuel Z. Arkoff as executive producer & was directed by Edward L. Cahn, based on a story called 'The Cosmic Flame' by Paul W. Fairman this is a watchable enough sci-fi film that unlike a lot of it's contemporary counterparts Invasion of the Saucer Men has a hefty dose of comedy & fairly effective (for the time) looking alien creatures. At less than 70 minutes like most other 50's sci-fi films of the period it's short & moves along at a decent enough pace but there's not too much to it when all said & done, the basic sci-fi formula is here with aliens landing in some small town, some character or other discovers them & no-one else believes them & the inevitable military intervention. The comedic elements are played up with some humorous stuff about a bull & two comedy drifters & bumbling officials. The character's are annoying teens which doesn't help but there are one or two fairly effective scenes including one where Joan is menaced by one of the aliens living severed hands in a car.The aliens themselves are only seen briefly but they look quite good, they are small with large bulbous heads with large eyeballs & thick veins, their hands also seem to detach & they have their own eyeballs as they scuttle along & wield needle like nails that seem to inject lethal amounts of alcohol into people. There doesn't seem to be any reason or purpose behind the aliens landing on Earth, they just land, walk around a bit & then get killed by the teens. The tone is uneven & it's sometimes unclear whether the makers were going for scares or laughs in any one particular scene. AIP released Invasion of the Saucer Men on a double-bill with I Was A Teenage Werewolf (1957) while it was released here in the UK under the title Invasion of the Hell Creatures.Filmed in California on an obviously low budget the production values are alright with reasonable effects for the time. The acting is nothing special & features the usual wooden & stiff performances that plague films of this type & period. Some may say it adds to the charm & fun. I don't.Invasion of the Saucer Men is another one of those black and white sci-fi cheapies from the 50's that some look back on with a certain fun nostalgia but it's not that great & it's as simple & straight forward as that as far as I am concerned. Invasion of the Saucer Men was remade for American telly by Larry Buchanan as The Eye Creatures (1965) which I haven't seen but is apparently dire.

If you like the "Drive-In" films of the 1950s, you certainly wont be disappointed with this venture. It has everything - fun, creepy little creatures, chills and laughs. It has a narrative form to it which I find I liked, but you couldn't tell if the narrator was talking about an incident, a comic book or an inebriated nightmare that he'd had! I give this film ten stars!