ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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I hate to say it, but if Bill had seen this movie as a ten-year kid at a drive-in theater with his parents — instead of as an aging film critic writing a review for his book — he wouldn't have written such a scathing analysis.

I'm surprised that he wrote things like, "The acting is mediocre, and the dialogue is perfunctory". For Pete's sake, what does "perfunctory" even mean?

I looked it up. Here's what I found.
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adjective: perfunctory

(of an action or gesture) carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection.
"He gave a perfunctory nod."
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Bill's review is, to but it bluntly, perfunctory.

He dismisses the movie's merits while admitting it was low budget. Did he expect a version of Hamlet on at bargain basement price?

To paraphrase the saying which states, "Those who can't DO . . . TEACH", I'll offer this variation.

"Those who can't PRODUCE movies . . . REVIEW them."
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bud Brewster]

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Here's another YouTube member who has created Drive-in Double Feature videos which include a vintage drive-in "welcome messages”, the trailer for the movies, and a double feature

It even has those great old “snack bar” promos during intermission!

"So, get comfortable, folks! Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!"

Enjoy!_

Drive In Double Feature: First Man Into Space & Fiend Without a Face (1958)


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

[Bud Brewster]

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Good old YouTube has a fine copy of it — and it's colorized!

_ Fiend Without a Face (1958 HD Colorized Full Screen)


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

[WadeVC]

Although I have watched this several times, and own a digital copy of it, this movie is one that scared the bejeezus out of me when I first saw it when I was 7 or so.

The brains attacking folk was something that terrified me as a lad, and for a long time afterwards, whenever I was outside at night, I just knew any strange sound was, in fact, these "Brain Creatures" on the hunt.

I actually place this film right alongside Night of the Living Dead as one that truly terrified me as a youngin'... and had me hooked as a Monster Kid.
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"You look like a pooped out pinwheel."
-Robot Monster

[Bud Brewster]

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The kind of posts I like best on All Sci-Fi are the one that share memories which members have from their younger days, when movies like Fiend Without a Face were much more than just Saturday afternoon matinees — they were life changing experiences!

The ASF thread called Memoirs of a Monster Kid ~ by Rick Pruitt (ink) consists of copies of the wonderful contributions by an ASF member whose posts are very much like yours!

I even created a cover for an imaginary "coffee table book" which would be composed of Rick's posts.





Wade, whenever you have fond memories of the movies you saw in the days of your youth, please share them with us here on All Sci-Fi.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bee Bean]

I was embarrassed after seeing this movie that I was almost going to skip it and not even record it when it was going to be a movie of the week.

The title made me think they didn't have enough money to build a monster. I only decided at the last minute to watch and record it, just in case something happened or I dozed off.

Anyway this was a nice movie. Having everyone complain to the military base about the nuclear project was hilarious, especially farmers complaining about their cows giving less milk than usua.

I enjoyed the telekinesis portions, too. I'm always a sucker for a good telekinesis story, and it would have been cool to have some of that in the final scenes. Imagine guns going off with things floating around.

I think the floating brains were done pretty well.
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Science and Discovery are important but so is a of the unknown.

[Bud Brewster]

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Good point, BB, about the telekinesis plot element. The Brains levitated themselves and flew around, but the story could have included the Brains using telekinesis as a substitute for their lack of hands.

Imagine a scene in which one the characters aims a gun at a Brain creature . . . and it yanks the gun out of his hand, turns in around and shots the guy!
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)