SCI-FI CHILLERS Collection
Runtime 230 minutes
Available on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, here

by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief

If a motion picture involves a monster, creature, or beastie I am, without a doubt, going to hit play. Nothing lures me in like watching the possible destruction of planet Earth at the hands of a cool ghoul. What makes these flicks even better? Well… a swift runtime of corpse! Here’s three sci-fi flicks under ninety minutes from Kino Lorber that offer not only thrills but chills.

The Unknown Terror (1957)
Written by Kenneth Higgins
Directed by Charles Marquis Warren
Starring John Howard, Mala Powers, Paul Richards and May Wynn
Runtime 1 hour 17 minutes

Back of the box synopsis:
A millionaire (John Howard) leads a remote jungle expedition to find the legendary “Cave of the Dead” where his wife’s (Mala Powers) brother had disappeared long ago. Instead they stumble upon a mad doctor who has created a horde of foam-spewing, fungus-covered monster men!

Features that make it special…

Audio Commentary by artist and film historian Stephen R. Bissette

Why you need to add it to your video library…
I had high hopes for this motion picture when I saw that it was directed by Charles Marquis Warren and boasted being filmed in “spine-chilling Regalscope”. In a recent Disc Dispatch, I sang the praises of Warren’s 1957 supernatural horror flick, Back From The Dead (Also shot in Regalscope, I gave details on this style of cinematic presentation here). Unfortunately, I do not have the same sentiment for The Unknown Terror. The plot is the weakest link and can be summed up as being a slog. What the film does have going for it is titillating production design and radical creature construction. I believe if thirty minutes was shaved off this thing it would be a good picture. A complete and total rewrite of the script would make it better though.

The Colossus of New York (1958)
Written by Thelma Schnee and Willis Goldbeck
Directed by Eugène Lourié
Starring John Baragrey, Mala Powers, Otto Kruger and Robert Hutton
Runtime 1 hour 10 minutes

Back of the box synopsis:
When a brilliant scientist (Ross Martin) is accidentally killed his preserved brain is transferred to the body of a giant robot so that it can continue to serve mankind. But when it gains awareness of its own hideousness, this steel colossus embarks on a rampage of destruction!

Features that make it special…

Audio Commentary by film historians Tom Weaver, Larry Blamire and Ron Adams
Sidebar with Tim Lucas and Stephen R. Bissette

Why you need to add it to your video library…
“Brain of a genius!”

This movie is astounding. If you are looking for a reason to pull the trigger and purchase this collection, this is why you do it.

A Frankenstein’s monster styled tale in which a father does everything in their power to keep the brain of their dead son ALIVE! Witnessing Colossus amble through a park at night to a piano score was the definition of movie magic. He walks under water and lasers people’s flesh with his eyes! I am in awe of this masterpiece. After watching the motion picture I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole and learned that the costume worn by the Colossus actor and stunt man (Ed Wolff) weighed one hundred and sixty pounds and consisted of burlap, plastic, rubber and chicken wire. Inside the constructed design were batteries, cables, air tanks and oxygen tubes. It was said to take Wolff up to forty minutes to climb in and out of this structure. He did this all for the sake of the picture! What a gem of a human. Director Eugène Lourié was known more for his credits as a Production Designer and Art Director, so it makes sense why the Colossus suit and overall landscape of the film is so captivating. The HD master by Paramount Picture is crisp and provides a tremendous presentation and, in my book, is a five star flick.

Destination Inner Space (1966)
Written by Arthur C. Pierce
Directed by Francis D. Lyon
Starring Scott Brady, Sheree North and Gary Merrill
Runtime 1 hour 23 minutes

Back of the box synopsis:
When an object of unknown origin is detected in the area of an underwater laboratory, scientists investigate and come face to face with the object—an extraterrestrial saucer! They board the craft and discover a mysterious cylinder, which they take back to the lab for closer inspection. It is then that events take a monstrous turn!

Features that make it special…

Audio commentary by film historians David Del Valle and Stan Shaffer
Sidebar with Tim Lucas and Stephen R. Bissette

Why you need to add it your video library…
This is a motion picture that I do not regret watching but will most likely never view again in my lifetime. There is zero satisfaction to gain from the plot but what makes it worth giving it a peep is the creature. The outfit on display in this movie is something to behold, especially given that the production was filmed in Eastmancolor. Without a doubt, the picture pops off the screen due to the grandiose hues.

In looking up some history on the flick, I did learn that it was shot back to back with another movie, Castle of Evil. These were United Picture Corporation’s first two flicks and were both made in a mere fourteen days. Clearly, the time spent on Destination Inner Space was consumed by the most important aspect of the tale: the magnificent creature. Which is to be expected.