ALL SCI-FI

[Robert (Butch) Day]

The Mole People, 1956, Universal Internatioinal.



Science Fiction in a Fantasy setting? (The civilization is the mythical Pan-Babylonian, the writing and images on the walls are Khemish ['Egyptian'] and the clothing Akkadian.)



Horror with a quasi-historical motif?



Your guess is as good as mine. (My favorite, the obligatory 'girl carry' scene of almost all 1940s and 19560s movies.)



Or a pre-Star Trek Federation?



Notice High Priest Elinu (Alan Napier, yes that Alan Napier) is apparently worshiping the Federation — like many another fans of Star Trek!

There's even a temple!



The movie itself is no great shakes, but it features (in small roles) the last (and least known) of the Universal monsters. Here is mask maker Jack Kevan and art directoe Alexander Golitzen (designer of COLOSSUS) with the masks.



Although Cynthia Patrick is easy on the eyes! (Notice the Federation 'arrow' on the gong.)


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Common Sense ISN'T Common

[Pow]

Wally, Beaver, your father wants to see you in the temple.

[scotpens]

[alltare]

THE MOLE PEOPLE will be on Svengoolie/ME-TV tonight (12/12/2015).

I'm getting the popcorn ready.

[Bud Brewster]

Hey, we should watch this in the chat room some Friday night! Or a movie chat anytime convenient for you on a weekend would be great.

Coming soon! The Mole People — Filmed on location in the Painted Caverns! (Which is directly beneath the Painted Desert . . . )





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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Robert (Butch) Day]

[Bud Brewster]

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[Pow]

Ya know as I view these matte paintings it reminds me of the folks who scorn & denounce all CGI FX.

Some of 'em will rant that the model work, matte paintings & so forth of the past were simply unassailable special effects without peer. Perfection. And nothing today can possibly equal what was done in the past.

Ahem. Have these folks really examined films from the 30s onward closely? True,some were cutting edge in their day. True,some have aged quite well & are splendid to see again.

Equally true is that some were mediocre to downright awful in the special effects department.

I can appreciate that a picture such as The Mole Men had a limited budget & probably a tight shooting schedule.

Both of these factors can adversely affect the quality of the FX on any film.

However, there have also been films that had decent budgets & did not rise to the occasion.

In short, I have indeed seen terrible CGI as well as terrific CGI.

I have seen stunning model work,matte paintings,stop-motion animation,etc. And dismal versions of all of it too.

[orzel-w]

I couldn't agree more, Pow. I think any movie dependent on sfx must be judged on the basis of what resources the efx crew had to work with. Some have done admirably with little; others have squandered their resources.

But when I see CGI effects like those in the latest Star Trek Beyond trailer or the later Transformers movies and compare them to the best miniature work I've ever seen, I think to myself, "Let's see the Great Leslie top that!"
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...or not...

WayneO
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[Pow]

So true, orzel-w.

And wasn't that Hannibal 8 one of the coolest autos ever!!!

[Krel]

I tend to think that most of the effects budget went to making the Mole People suits, which wouldn't leave much money left for the other effects.

I've seen just as many bad CGI matte paintings as I have seen bad painted matte paintings. I am reminded about what a Foundation Imaging man said. What CGI does is allow you to do bad effects quicker. It actually takes more effort to make CGI look as good as bad model effects. It takes a lot of time and effort to make CGI look good.

David.

[orzel-w]

To me, one of the simplest effects employed in The Mole People to give it an otherworldly appearance was the flat, uniform lighting in the main caverns.



After all the movies with the standard formula key-to-fill ratio lighting, it was quite unsettling to see it lit differently.
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...or not...

WayneO
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[Rick]

This one, to me, has always been a lot better in theory than in practice. The photos in Famous Monsters clearly set me up for a fall. Horrible monsters from beneath the earth, vast, weird underground civilizations. Cute girls in filmy gowns.

When I finally got to see THE MOLE PEOPLE on the 4:30 movie, I was no longer the ten or eleven year old who had stared slack-jawed at the FM pics. I was a cool, know-it-all, seen-it-all 19 year old. And I was not amused.

Matter of fact, I was bored almost to tears. And I was seriously p.o.'d that the cool monsters were just an afterthought, while the boring albinos took up all that valuable screen time.

So, nope. Me no like. Not at all. I will admit that I haven't seen the movie again. That one viewing way back in 1969 remains the only time I've seen it. So I know I need to watch it again...and I will, I swear. But I am not looking forward to it, and I'm not rushing to that reunion.

For the time being, therefore, awaiting that reluctant re-view, it's thumbs very much down for this one.
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Man need not kneel before the angels,
Nor lie in death forever,
But for the weakness of his feeble will.

[Bud Brewster]

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Yep, the viewer needs to know what he's getting into with this one. It's easy to expect too much, and as Rick pointed out, if you have high hopes and low tolerance levels for movies that promise much and deliver little, this one doesn't quite pass muster.

And just to salt the wound real good, we get the distinguished Dr. Frank Baxter at the beginning of the film, presenting a mini-science lesson that tell us all about various theories concerning civilizations beneath the surface of the Earth.

If you grew up watching Dr. Baxter deliver those great Bell Telephone science programs in the 1950s, this was a tantalizing beginning that raised our hopes for what treats the movie had in store.

Alas, treat turned into trick, and we went home disappointed.

Too bad The Mole People didn't have more in common with those Bell Telephone science programs like Our Mr. Sun than merely the inclusion of Dr. Baxter.



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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[orzel-w]

Teenagers are the toughest audience. Second toughest is adults who have fond memories of specific movies from childhood . . . except Bud. He likes every movie he was enamored of as a child.
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...or not...

WayneO
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