Here's a fun little low-budgeter from the US of A which is widely acknowledged by fans and critics alike as one of the films that inspired both the look and plot of ALIEN (the other being Mario Bava's PLANET OF THE VAMPIRES). Whilst in comparison, IT! seems a little creaky in a modern light, with the reliance on a single shot of a spaceship flying through space being repeated about twelve times throughout the movie, and the cheap-looking monster suit being hidden in shadows for much of the time, this still manages to work up a fair amount of tension and suspense. There's also some atmosphere in there too, thanks to those previously mentioned shadows.
The film focuses on action throughout, with the first murder occurring at about twenty minutes in and then an almost constant battle between crew and monster as everything (bullets, grenades, gas, electricity) is tried to kill the beast but to no avail. The actors aren't so great, with the exception of dependable but wooden B-movie man Marshall Thompson (FIEND WITHOUT A FACE) who scores with the character of Carruthers, initially a suspected murderer but eventually the hero. The female characters are deeply dated, the rest of the male crew are either food or don't help much in the scheme of things.
The film works around the low budget by redressing sets (one room is used as three different floors) and setting much of the action in the dark, where it looks better. Ray "Crash" Corrigan portrays the alien as a lumbering, violent monster which butchers people left, right and centre, and drags corpses around with it for some disturbing, unexplained reason. The film's highlight comes during an air vent episode (again utilised in ALIEN), in which the half-dead body of a victim is discovered - it's enough to give you the chills, even in the modern light.
The few special effects that are used are fun, like the initial model showing the spaceship taking off from the surface of Mars, which is pretty impressive really (any previous action is explained in narration to cut down on costs) and a fun shot of two actors walking vertically down the side of the ship (thanks to magnetic boots) using the same tilted camera trick as in BATMAN. The music is used only sparingly to blare out in the shock sequences for added impact, while the black and white photography is crisp and clear. In addition, the film has a fast pace and a short running time (seventy minutes) which keep it watchable throughout, and the wealth of action means that its never boring. Whilst not a classic, IT! is a worthwhile oddity to be watched by any fans of ALIEN as an effective forerunner to that sci-fi classic.
The film focuses on action throughout, with the first murder occurring at about twenty minutes in and then an almost constant battle between crew and monster as everything (bullets, grenades, gas, electricity) is tried to kill the beast but to no avail. The actors aren't so great, with the exception of dependable but wooden B-movie man Marshall Thompson (FIEND WITHOUT A FACE) who scores with the character of Carruthers, initially a suspected murderer but eventually the hero. The female characters are deeply dated, the rest of the male crew are either food or don't help much in the scheme of things.
The film works around the low budget by redressing sets (one room is used as three different floors) and setting much of the action in the dark, where it looks better. Ray "Crash" Corrigan portrays the alien as a lumbering, violent monster which butchers people left, right and centre, and drags corpses around with it for some disturbing, unexplained reason. The film's highlight comes during an air vent episode (again utilised in ALIEN), in which the half-dead body of a victim is discovered - it's enough to give you the chills, even in the modern light.
The few special effects that are used are fun, like the initial model showing the spaceship taking off from the surface of Mars, which is pretty impressive really (any previous action is explained in narration to cut down on costs) and a fun shot of two actors walking vertically down the side of the ship (thanks to magnetic boots) using the same tilted camera trick as in BATMAN. The music is used only sparingly to blare out in the shock sequences for added impact, while the black and white photography is crisp and clear. In addition, the film has a fast pace and a short running time (seventy minutes) which keep it watchable throughout, and the wealth of action means that its never boring. Whilst not a classic, IT! is a worthwhile oddity to be watched by any fans of ALIEN as an effective forerunner to that sci-fi classic.